Seams standing up

I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

I would go ahead and assemble your sandwich, pin carefully to avoid
any stretching, baste it rather closely, and then quilt in the ditch
right into those seams. That will certainly hold them down, and then
you can do the other quilting you have in mind.

Hey Neighbor:

Have you thought of using a glue stick. There are the expensive
fabric glue sticks then there are the cheap washable glue sticks the
kids use as school. I've use the washable sticks the kids use and
find it holds well and when washed well it all comes out. Its light
purple in color but the color won't show up on your work. Oh and the
fabric does not get stiff.

I tried the washable liquid glue and believe me that stuff is better
left for gluing paper.

Kate T. South Mississippi

Jerry, as strange as it sounds--take a hammer to the seams. Tailors have
been doing that for years. Whack them a few times without stretching the
fabric. That should make them a little flatter.
Gen

"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

That's why I always press my seams open. I don't make regular bed sized
quilts, I guess if I did I would have to re-think it. I don't know if it
would stand up to a lot of heavy use, although clothing doesn't seam (ha) to
have a problem.

I hate that ridge that you get when seams are pressed to the side and this
is the only way I can get around that.

Cindy


"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

On Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:51:15 -0700, "Kate T."
wrote:

Hey Neighbor:

Have you thought of using a glue stick. There are the expensive
fabric glue sticks then there are the cheap washable glue sticks the
kids use as school. I've use the washable sticks the kids use and
find it holds well and when washed well it all comes out. Its light
purple in color but the color won't show up on your work. Oh and the
fabric does not get stiff.

I tried the washable liquid glue and believe me that stuff is better
left for gluing paper.

Kate T. South Mississippi

I think that would work well.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

On Aug 17, 10:06 pm, "Gen" wrote:
Jerry, as strange as it sounds--take a hammer to the seams. Tailors have
been doing that for years. Whack them a few times without stretching the
fabric. That should make them a little flatter.
Gen

"MaleQuilter" wrote in message

oups.com...



I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks Gen. Great to hear from you.

I would "whack my seams with a hammer", but my wife took our anvil on
quilting retreat. I'm afraid our concrete driveway or brick steps
might be too rough.

I'm sure we will come up with something soon.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Hi Jerry - is it possible for you to quilt baste as you go? I'm
thinking that if you lay out the backing with the batting - then place
the quilt top along one long edge - pin along the sashing seam line
and stitch top to bottom - repeat for each long seam until you reach
the right side edge.
Also test wash the twill scraps that you might have to see whether
this process will soften up the fabric enough to make it behave -
another option to consider is the fusible tape for hems which is
available in different widths (this might be easier to needle than
glue stick).
jennellh )

On Aug 17, 9:49 pm, MaleQuilter wrote:
I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabamahttp://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

On Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:49:43 -0700, MaleQuilter wrote:
I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

Find yourself a length of 2x4 or other unfinished, non-staining wood --
should be about 6-12" long.

Sand any rough spots.

Find a new paintbrush... big artist's brush or small trim brush.
Or a nice clean sponge.

Place the blocks on the ironing board (or better, a sheet of plywood
covered with muslin). Dab along the seamline with the paintbrush...
you just want the seams damp, not wringing wet. Press with your iron
(no steam).

Immediately after pressing, pick up the piece of 2x4, and whap along
the seam you've just pressed. You're not trying to drive nails, but you
are trying to get the area cooled and dried. Think about firmly patting a
big dog or a horse, not trying to knock them off their feet. g
Leave the fabric in place (do not move it) until the seams are cool and
dry. Proceed to the next section/

If your seams were not well-pressed before the cross seams, you may
have a bit more difficulty getting them flat. If they're still sort
of springy, re-press and use your 2x4 again;, this time after clapping
the seams, put a weight on the seamline (2x4, magazines over a sheet
of tissue paper, etc.) and let the weight remain for several minutes
after the area is cool.

The hunk of 2x4 is a stand-in for a "tailor's clapper", which is usually
a piece of maple or other fine grained hardwoood.

You can avoid some of these issues in the future by carefully pressing
the seams along the way. I find it most accurate to press the seam
as sewn (flat), then open the seam (spread the seam allowances out,
like a dressmaker would), and then do a final press with the seam
allowances together. Then go ahead and sew the crossing seams,
and give them the same sort of press. If you do this as you sew,
and you use a piece of wood covered with a single layer of wool
blanket and then a piece of muslin, you probably won't need the
tailor's clapper to get a nice, sharp seam that lays down. Pressing
on a heavily padded surface won't give you as sharp a press as
on a nearly unpadded surface. I often press small quilting seams
on a new wooden cutting board.

Howdy!

It's twill; pressing open won't make the seams much flatter for Jerry.

Jerry, how about basting them down, kind of tacking them here & there,
w/ pins, thread or washable glue? When I've had unruly seams
(someone slipped me a partially-poly top w/ "challenging" seams)
I've done a little more quilting over the seam lines, a zig-zag
back & forth, so the quilting looked fine and really kept those
heavy seams *down*. g
(Will you be using twill again? Without meaning to sound rude,
why'd you embroider on twill?)

Good luck!
And enjoy the quilt show. Please feel free to send us samples of
any really wonderful goodies you pick up. VBG

Cheers!
R/Sandy -- watching Erin disappearing, waiting for Dean to push up
some more rain from the south.,,


On 8/18/07 12:01 AM, in article ,
"teleflora" wrote:

That's why I always press my seams open. I don't make regular bed sized
quilts, I guess if I did I would have to re-think it. I don't know if it
would stand up to a lot of heavy use, although clothing doesn't seam (ha) to
have a problem.

I hate that ridge that you get when seams are pressed to the side and this
is the only way I can get around that.

Cindy


"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am now ready to put my top, batting a backing together but have a
problem.

My redwork embroidered blocks were done on a tightly woven twill and
after attaching the sashing and borders, the seams will not lay flat.
I've pressed and pressed being careful not to stretch the blocks but
the seams, especially at the intersections, tend to stand up.

What can I do to get my project ready to be quilted?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter