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#1
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keeping it flat (again)
Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat
while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that it's 100%. So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and are they expensive? morag |
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#2
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keeping it flat (again)
On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:21:07 +0100, "Morag in Scotland"
wrote: Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that it's 100%. So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and are they expensive? I'm just a beginner myself, and maybe my flatness standards are not as high as yours. But here is what I do. I iron the back and the top. More than once. I go to work where they have big conference tables and masking-tape the back to the table. I usually take several tries at it before it's all lying flat. I smooth the batting out on the back. Then I put the top on, smooth it out from the centre, and use safety pins. I start pinning at the middle, and work outwards about a fist-width apart. I don't close any of the pins until I've undone the masking tape, flipped the thing over, and checked out the back. If there are wrinkles or big puckers, I do part of it over. What basting method are you using? Louise, in Kingston Ontario |
#3
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keeping it flat (again)
Morag in Scotland wrote:
Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that it's 100%. So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and are they expensive? morag Morag, This is what I do, it works for me. (1) press the backing (2) lay the backing on a table, fasten the sides (or top/bottom) to table using big bulldog type clips - if the quilt is small, I use lots of pieces of masking tape instead. I make sure it is taught but not stretched. (3) spread the batting on top - and fasten it by including in the clips, or using more tape - don't let the backing slip. (4) press the top - I usually do this much sooner, but then fold it until ready to baste, so I give it another quick trip to the ironing board just to be sure it is flat. (5) lay the top on top of the batting. I start by laying it out loosely, then making sure the it is centred, then I flatten it out. I start from the middle and gradually make it lie flat and smooth in all directions. I also try to make sure that any straight sewing lines (like sashing and borders) look straight. Fasten the top with the clips/more tape. (6) baste - I use little curved safety pins (for machine quilting). I put one in the middle, then go straight to each side + top/bottom. The I go back to the middle and go out towards the corners. Then I fill in, again going from the middle out. I try to get the safety pins quite close together (about a fist in distance). I also try to avoid the spots where I planned my quilting (if I did). (7) Now go back and close the safety pins! (8) Remove clips/tape. (9) Turn the quilt-to-be over and run your hands over it, all over it. Check that it is smooth, there should be no sensation of little folds when you do this - go in all directions across the quilt. (9b) If there are little tucks near the edges, I usually just sort them without re-doing the whole clips/tape thing, but I have been known to just take the whole basting apart because it was no good. This works for me - I think it is crucial to check the basting before beginning to quilt :-) Hanne in London |
#4
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keeping it flat (again)
In article ,
"Morag in Scotland" wrote: Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that it's 100%. So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and are they expensive? morag Morag, I don't know about the frames, since I don't use one. But I follow the directions -- generally speaking G -- that Harriet Hargrave gives in her book. My table is too thick to be able to use the bulldog clips most people can use, so I use those clips you can get to hold down a picnic tablecloth so the wind won't blow it away. I use those on at least two sides of the table, depending on how large the quilt is. 1. spread out the backing and clamp it firmly to the table. If the quilt is too small to clamp on all sides, clamp two sides and tape (duct tape works better for me than masking tape) the other two. The backing should be smooth and sort of taut, but not stretched. 2. lay out the batting on top of the backing. Smooth it carefully to avoid having tucks. I don't generally tape/clamp this, since it will cling to the backing (that's because I use cotton batting -- a different kind would call for different measures). 3. smooth the top onto the backing. I use a laser level square (thanks for the idea, Kathy A!) to make sure that all of my seams are lying straight. Smooth some more. Clamp and/or tape the top to the table. 4. pin baste. I use a Kwik Klip to try to save my fingers, and I close the pins as I go -- I've found unclosed pins the hard way a few times, so I don't go back to do this any longer. G 5. remove all the tape and clamps, inspect the back for accidental boo-boos (did you get the backing under the whole back?, etc.), and begin quilting. HTH! -- Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious) http://www.sandymike.net |
#5
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keeping it flat (again)
On Aug 20, 10:45 am, Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:
Morag in Scotland wrote: Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that it's 100%. So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and are they expensive? morag Morag, This is what I do, it works for me. (1) press the backing (2) lay the backing on a table, fasten the sides (or top/bottom) to table using big bulldog type clips - if the quilt is small, I use lots of pieces of masking tape instead. I make sure it is taught but not stretched. (3) spread the batting on top - and fasten it by including in the clips, or using more tape - don't let the backing slip. (4) press the top - I usually do this much sooner, but then fold it until ready to baste, so I give it another quick trip to the ironing board just to be sure it is flat. (5) lay the top on top of the batting. I start by laying it out loosely, then making sure the it is centred, then I flatten it out. I start from the middle and gradually make it lie flat and smooth in all directions. I also try to make sure that any straight sewing lines (like sashing and borders) look straight. Fasten the top with the clips/more tape. (6) baste - I use little curved safety pins (for machine quilting). I put one in the middle, then go straight to each side + top/bottom. The I go back to the middle and go out towards the corners. Then I fill in, again going from the middle out. I try to get the safety pins quite close together (about a fist in distance). I also try to avoid the spots where I planned my quilting (if I did). (7) Now go back and close the safety pins! (8) Remove clips/tape. (9) Turn the quilt-to-be over and run your hands over it, all over it. Check that it is smooth, there should be no sensation of little folds when you do this - go in all directions across the quilt. (9b) If there are little tucks near the edges, I usually just sort them without re-doing the whole clips/tape thing, but I have been known to just take the whole basting apart because it was no good. This works for me - I think it is crucial to check the basting before beginning to quilt :-) Hanne in London I'm still a beginner but have had a couple of lap quilts lay flat for machine quilting by using basting spray. 1. Lay the batting on a large enough flat surface and get the batting really smoothed out. 2. Spay the batting with basting spray making sure there is plently of spray near the edges 3. Wait the recommended five minutes and get someone to help you carefully place the quilt back finished side up on the batting. I usually mark center lines along the edge of the batting and fold the quilt back in half before laying it on the batting. It usually takes two or three tries to get the quilt back and batting really smooth. 4. Turn the smoothed out backing/batting sandwich over and spray the batting. 5. Repeat "Step 3" with the quilt top making sure to match the center fold of the quilt top matches up with the center line marks so the top and backing are square. Keep in mind the above was written by a real novice. Jerry in North Alabama http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter |
#6
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keeping it flat (again)
What basting method are you using? I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting ones large enough to go through the three layers. morag |
#7
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keeping it flat (again)
I am also a fan of basting spray, but my method is a bit different, and
seems to work more easily. VBG I do most of my quilts this way, and can usually do them all by myself. First, I do have a 6' table with the legs that fold up for storage. I usually do this outside on a nice day. I also have extenders for the legs, pieces of PVC that are all cut to the same length that the bottom of the table legs fit into. This raises the table to not quite waist high, which saves my back. G I layer all three layers, backing, batting and top together. Make sure everything is centered and there is a bit of excess batting and backing on all sides of the top. I even hold up and "shake" the layered set to be sure of removing big wrinkles (on smaller quilts). Lay sandwich on table, so that the center is sort of at one edge of the table. For large quilts, I may need to put a smaller table on one side to help support the quilt. Carefully pull back the top layer, about half way. Spray the batting that is now exposed. Now the tricky part..... reach under the folded over part of the top layer and start smoothing onto the sprayed batting. Smooth from center to ends, and carefully "roll" the wrong side onto the batting. It takes a bit of practice, but since you know that everything was okay to begin with, it goes fairly quickly. As you smooth make sure that no tucks form in the part you are smoothing or the batting. (Cotton batting very seldom shifts at all, polyester batting can move and form pleats under the fabric as you smooth.) When that half is done, repeat with the other half. Then flip the whole thing over and do it all again with the other side. Just an additional comment, I find that since everything is "glued" together, I don't need quite as much extra batting/batting as is often recommended. Usually I pretty much start with one corner, leaving an inch or so of batting/backing around the top. Then can trim after I have spray basted. Again leaving about an inch or so around. Using this method it is also a lot easier to center a "planned" back on a quilt. G Have fun, Pati, in Phx MaleQuilter wrote: I'm still a beginner but have had a couple of lap quilts lay flat for machine quilting by using basting spray. 1. Lay the batting on a large enough flat surface and get the batting really smoothed out. 2. Spay the batting with basting spray making sure there is plently of spray near the edges 3. Wait the recommended five minutes and get someone to help you carefully place the quilt back finished side up on the batting. I usually mark center lines along the edge of the batting and fold the quilt back in half before laying it on the batting. It usually takes two or three tries to get the quilt back and batting really smooth. 4. Turn the smoothed out backing/batting sandwich over and spray the batting. 5. Repeat "Step 3" with the quilt top making sure to match the center fold of the quilt top matches up with the center line marks so the top and backing are square. Keep in mind the above was written by a real novice. Jerry in North Alabama http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter |
#8
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keeping it flat (again)
I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting ones large enough to go through the three layers. hand quilters seem to prefer thread basting so the quilt can be put easily into a hoop, personally I wouldn't want to hand baste a quilt for machine quilting, if there is a thread lurking around, the needle always seems to end up going through it which makes for tricky removal. Safety bins really need to be sharp rather than big, I have some curved ones about an inch long which are fine, when I needed some more, I bought small, straight ones, because you got more in a pack, they are sharp and seem to go through and close with no problems. I second the recommendation of taping the backing and batting to the floor or table. Cheers Anne |
#9
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keeping it flat (again)
On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:21:41 +0100, "Morag in Scotland"
wrote: What basting method are you using? I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting ones large enough to go through the three layers. The safety pins sold for the purpose over here have a curved bottom side, to make them easier to feed through the three layers and do up without puckering. Louise |
#10
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keeping it flat (again)
On Aug 20, 2:21 pm, "Morag in Scotland"
wrote: What basting method are you using? I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting ones large enough to go through the three layers. morag I do prefer thread basting to pins - your fingers are really sore after using all those pins. Some use a grapefruit spoon to help with the pinning while clipping and unclipping, but I personally find it a royal pain. I always start in the middle and baste outward to the edge - maybe do five or six lines one way, then go over to the opposite side and do the same, flattening the fabric and giving a bit of a tug at the edges to make sure it's flat. Then starting in the middle again, go up for five or six lines, then the opposite end flattening all the way. I just keep basting this way till the whole quilt is done. Some people will baste the diagonal too, but I've never found that I've had to do this as long as I'm vigilant about smoothing as I go each direction. You can buy old cheap thread - never coloured, just beige or white, in bins at craft stores and there's no guilt trip when you're at the stage of pulling it all out and throwing it away. Just my method and it works for me. Good luck. Sharon (N.B.) |
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