Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: ricstew
Date: 07-08-2006, 01:20 AM (1 of 11)
Hi ladies! im trying to quilt a cover for hubby's spirit level.........plain cotton, batting and then plain cotton. Im using my walking foot, turned the speed down, marked the lines, spray glue basted and pinned the jolly thing together. Its like an echidna! Very prickly! and lifted the foot pressure a tad. uncrossed my fingers. maybe that was my mistake? lol It goes along fine until the last 8" and then it puckers and channels.  I am sewing down the length? its about 5 foot long? Any suggestions? Im gonna keep going cause it doesnt really matter what this looks like as it will be just thrown into the back of the ute to get dirty! All it needs to do is protect the level but im using it for practice! Wheres that icon for throwing the sewing machine! cheers Jan |
User: ricstew
Member since: 06-29-2006 Total posts: 18 |
From: SummersEchos
Date: 07-08-2006, 07:51 AM (2 of 11)
|
I was told that you needed to start from the middle and sew outwards. This helps prevent those puckers at the end.
Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: Patty22
Date: 07-08-2006, 09:16 AM (3 of 11)
|
Jan, Lifting the pressure foot a little is the opposite of what the walking foot's job. The premise for the walking foot is to apply pressure evenly and to feed the top layer of fabric through at the same rate as feed dogs are pushing the backing fabric. By lifting the pressure foot you are allowing the backing to be pushed through the needle quicker than the top. This is the only thing I can see from what you are saying that would cause the puckering and channeling. Good luck.... Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-08-2006, 10:34 AM (4 of 11)
|
I had the same problem when I tried machine quilting my first wall hanging. I had puckers all over the backing. The problem was not having the backing stretched tight before I pinned the top. So I am wondering how you made your quilt sandwich. Did you stretch (a little) and tape the backing to the floor or a table before you pinned your top. Or did you do what I did...just smooth it out on the floor and then pin the top?? I don't know if you have seen this site, but it has good videos for beginners on quilting. She has videos on how to make your quilt sandwich and how to pin a quilt for machine quilting. Check it out and see if this helps. http://easymade.com/video_basic.html TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366 
|
From: Patty22
Date: 07-08-2006, 01:43 PM (5 of 11)
|
Judy.....you are incredible as you always come up with the best sites to visit!
Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: ricstew
Date: 07-09-2006, 03:48 AM (6 of 11)
|
How cool are those video's! I bookmarked that page! Its so much easier when you can see how it is supposed to be done! I realize how many mistakes I made! I obviously didnt tape it enuf to my table........i didnt pin it correctly........i shouldnt have lifted my foot pressure..........im gonna chuck the spay baste out the window cause i had it ALL over my cutting table ( eucalyptis oil gets it off! ) but I did digatize hubby's name and phone no to put on it ( first time!) and that worked perfectly! A question about starting to sew in the middle.........are you supposed to lock the thread off at the start? by backstitching or my machine has a lock stitch? hmm back to the cutting table!  cheers Jan |
User: ricstew
Member since: 06-29-2006 Total posts: 18 |
From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-09-2006, 12:23 PM (7 of 11)
|
Patty, I can't take the credit as it was someone else on SWN who pointed out that site & I just added it to my favourites. Jan, You can still spray baste a quilt but I don't do it because I don't like the fumes & worrying about getting the spray all over the place. I usually spray baste small projects, like some diaper bags that I did. But I usually move outside to my deck. I have a large piece of cardboard (from an appliance that I bought) and put it down on my deck & tape the backing to that. Then spray the backing, smooth out the batting, and then spray the top and smooth it onto the batting....I've been told never to spray the batting. You can either do the locking stitch when you begin and when you end your stitching...or you can do a few stitches (approx 1/8-1/4 inch) with a very small stitch length (almost at 0). It is usually recommended to start at the centre and work out to the sides. If I am doing free-motion quilting I usually do it this way. But I have also done straight line quilting of the sashing from edge to edge...but I do this when I know it has been well pinned. I don't use the method of taping my quilts to the table or floor. That's because I used to watch my mother & grandmother hand quilt on a frame of 4 boards that they would setup in the living room. I saw the same method explained in a book that I bought. Last summer (I think), I posted some pictures of how I pin my quilts but I know that I have dismantled the set of pictures. Since you liked the site with the videos, I'm guessing that you don't know about the Quilter's News Network. It is an Internet site which shows mainly quilting shows, e.g. Quilt in a Day, Sewing With Nancy, and many more. You will pick up tips by viewing some of these. The Programs tab lists the programs that are coming up so you can decide what to watch. Hope this helps. http://www.quiltersnewsnetwork.com/ TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-09-2006, 05:11 PM (8 of 11)
|
FYI - When I was reading posts in another forum, I found the thread where we were discussing quilting frames. I posted links to 2 of the pictures where I explained how I pin my quilts using the quilting frame that I made. I thought I would add the link here in case you were curious and would like to take a look. http://sew-whats-new.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17879 TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: ricstew
Date: 07-10-2006, 02:54 AM (9 of 11)
|
I followed your links Judy and I hope you dont mind but I saved the pics of your frame so hubby could see it. I may have to put one on the " one day " list! such a beautiful quilt! I cant believe there is a whole doodad about quilting! Im never gonna get any work done now! My house is gonna dissapear under a mountain of dust and cobwebs! lol many thanks Jan
|
User: ricstew
Member since: 06-29-2006 Total posts: 18 |
From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-10-2006, 07:39 AM (10 of 11)
|
No problem...FYI - The frame is made with four 8 foot 1"x2"s. Got them at my local Home Depot for 94 cents each. The 4 clamps were what cost me the most. And then I just cut up some old sheets into strips, doubled them over and stapled along the boards. Really cheap to make but you need the space to set it up. I use my living room until my basement gets cleaned out a bit more. It is a little crowded but it works for me.
TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: Patty22
Date: 07-10-2006, 10:37 AM (11 of 11)
|
Judy, I just loved all the pictures (browsed around after the quilt frame). You do such beautiful work....guess you take after your Nanny! Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-19574.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft