Help with quilt

Ok well when I started out I knew nothing about the way things should be done. So I did two quilt panels with the cheap batting and hand quilted. Hand quilting is still holding great. But I didn't quilt enough and I just washed them. Needless to say some of the larger areas that got no quilting are starting to bunch up. I might even be able to pull a bit and even it out. So should I try to machine echo the best I can without causes wrinkles in the panel? These quilts get washed once or twice a year and hung back up on the wall. There is no hanging sleeve as I use a rod with clips. There is no way I have time to hand quilt these areas. Not sure what else I can do.

Also I have another with the same problem but more. When I first hung it I used thumb tacks and stretched it tight and pinned to the wall. Of course now that I wanted to hang it on the bar the edges are all wavy, really bad. I would almost consider redoing this one but I doubt I could find the panel again. So I really don't want to give it up. It also has a sentimental place in my heart for my ex, whom I did the same one for him.

I like the drapery bars with clips because then depending on the season I can switch them around. Tried making a hanging sleeve once. No problem making the sleeve but getting the quilt to hang the way I like was a different story. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanx Joanna Alberta

Reply to
Joanna
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G'day Joanna Just a couple of comments -- others will be more specific, Over time you should try to use hanging sleeves because they will keep the quilt squared in a way clips will never do. Once you start using a good quality batting, you will find the quilt more stable for hanging. Using a decorative rod on the wall will allow you to swap over quilts of a similar size without having to be exact widths. As to your current batting problem with the washing - all I can suggest is to add some invisible thread machine quilting after you have flattened it as much as possible. An iron on steam with a pressing cloth may do the trick. Cheers and Happy New Quilty Year. Bronnie (Australia)

Reply to
Bronnie

Being not-very-experienced myself, can't help you except with good thoughts!

But I am marking this thread, as I know I will learn a lot from the replies you get!

Happy New Year, Joanna and all the rest of this wonderful group!

Reply to
Carolyn McCarty

Let's see if I can help with the batting bunching. See if you have a long strong sort of pin - a doll/teddy bear pin would be great, a corsage pin might do. See if just bit by bit you can ease and sneak the bunched batting over into the naked areas. Either you can or you can't and it might take lots longer than it's worth but give that a try. We don't 'do' wallhanging quilts here in the Swamp. The humidity is just too high for that to be a good idea. If I were to attempt it though, I think I'd put a 2nd sleeve at the bottom of the quilt and insert something heavy such as a dowel or maybe something light sort of like a piece of yardstick - just something to hold it straight. You really could put sleeves down the sides and force that rascal to hang nicely; just depends on how badly you want to correct the problems. You may need to talk to it and use some strong language. Polly

G'day Joanna Just a couple of comments -- others will be more specific, Over time you should try to use hanging sleeves because they will keep the quilt squared in a way clips will never do. Once you start using a good quality batting, you will find the quilt more stable for hanging. Using a decorative rod on the wall will allow you to swap over quilts of a similar size without having to be exact widths. As to your current batting problem with the washing - all I can suggest is to add some invisible thread machine quilting after you have flattened it as much as possible. An iron on steam with a pressing cloth may do the trick. Cheers and Happy New Quilty Year. Bronnie (Australia)

Reply to
Polly Esther

See that's why I love you guys. I think I'll try that. But a dowel in the bottom and see.

I've s> Let's see if I can help with the batting bunching. See if you have a long

Reply to
Joanna

Kate XXXXXX will laugh at this but the closest I've come to making a wallhanging hang straight was stitching a drum major tuxedo tails sort of jacket and making it behave. We wanted the tails to hang true and straight or at least return to true and straight during the shennanigans of leading a marching band and tossing a mace ( a baton about 4 ft long with a hefty head). I stitched silver dollars into little pockets in the lining. Worked great. Jingled a little bit but that was all right. Polly

"Joanna" See that's why I love you guys. I think I'll try that. Put a dowel in

Reply to
Polly Esther

I like the idea of using strong language on it. That's what I would try first. And if that didn't work, I'd make a new wallhanging and fold the old one, put it where "keepsakes" go and someday leave it to one of my children to cherish and figure out how to straighten it up.

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

Reply to
Roberta

Once you add some extra quilting, you can block your wallhanging. You need a clean carpeted area, cover with an old sheet. Place your wallhanging and pin into the carpet, using a ruler or carpenter's square to make sure it is straight. Spritz with water, to dampen the quilt, then leave it until it is totally dry. Try not over-stretching the quilt when you are pinning. You can even "mush" in the excess a bit in some areas. Hope this helps. For wallhangings, I usually just vacuum them carefully, a couple of times a year.

Reply to
Susan Torrens

Reply to
Tia Mary

Joanna wrote: > Also I have another with the same problem but more. When I first hung it

The wavy edges may be the result of stretching the edges when you put the binding on. If so, it will be difficult to get it to hang straight unless you take the binding off and re-do it. I have found that machine stitching the edges of the quilt together before binding helps to firm up the edges a bit so that I am less likely to get wavy edges. Sometimes, you need to stretch the binding very, very lightly as you sew it on. It may take a bit of practice to get it just right -- too tight and the quilt edges will roll up. Before re-binding, you could try a sleeve and dowel at both top and bottom. That may help it hang a bit better.

Julia in MN

Reply to
Julia in MN

You have already gotten some very good advice! Now for my two-cents worth -- don't ever lose heart, because your quilts will all get better and better the longer you do quilting! I learn something with each quilt I do, and you will, too.

Reply to
Mary

Thanx for everyone's help. I think I am going to try to do some machine quilting to fill in the blank areas and will try another sleeve. The good thing about my bars is I can do it either way. The batting will just take a few mins to fix. It's not totally bunched or seperated. In fact I did not notice it till I ironed it, Thankfully. Take Care Joanna Alberta

Reply to
Joanna

That's a very good point Mary! We're all still learning. Another tip I may as well mention since we are picking up ideas from the responses to this common problem of wavy binding -- One of my first wallhangings had quite heavy handquilting in the centre of the quilt to the inner border. I did not put any quilting in the three inch border. It was then bound with the usual method of crossgrain binding. When hung, the quilt was ever so slightly wavy around the edges. Some good person in this group said that the amount (density) of quilting in the border should match the internal quilting. This is true for hand or machine quilting. It makes sense when you think that the quilting actually contracts the layered quilt a little, so an unquilted border looks like there is more fabric -- if you can picture that.

Cheers Bronnie, feeling a little light headed after new year celebrations last night.....

Reply to
Bronnie

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