I think my quilt is trying to tell me something....

I think you are very brave to attempt to FMQ such a large quilt & it sounds like it is your first attempt at FMQ? Do you think your quilt wasn't basted well enough & that is what caused the puckering in the back? Personally, I see no problem with piecing the backing, but that is a personal preference. I even like to use patchworked backings, when I have the right combination.

FMQ a large quilt does take some patience & practice. Did you have your sewing area set up so that the quilt wasn't dragging while you were FMQing? That can present a challenge. There are different theories on where to start on your quilt, but many say you should start in the middle, middle of the quilt. Some say if it is basted well, that is not necessary. Many will stitch in the ditch throughout the quilt in order to help stabilize it & then do their FMQing.

One technique I have been taught, in order to get comfortable with FMQing is to take a small quilt sandwich & draw lines across it appx 2" apart. Now, FMQ your name on those lines several times until you are satisfied with the end result. (For me, practice is the worst part of FMQing!!)

I think it is admirable that you can handquilt - you'd have to put a gun to my head first - I have no patience!! There is always your friendly long arm quilter if you decide this might be too big of a task.

Pauline Northern California

I know your frustration. Many years ago I made my first King quilt and wanted to FMQ it. I ran into the same problems and threw it in the closet. My niece came to visit and admired it. That got me motivated to hand quilt it. After a year of further frustration with the slow progress I removed all the hand quilting, bought new batting and backing. I took it to a professional quilter and had her to do a simple all over meander. All that was left was the binding. I finished the binding in record time, washed and dried the quilt. I packaged it up and sent it to my niece. Yes the name on the label is "frustration" but my niece loves that quilt.

Kate T. South Mississippi

Michelle, I don't know how well you sing but no matter. We won't have to listen. Haul out Kenny Roger's 'Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run'. Got it? That quilt is waaaaay too big for just about anybody to FMQ or STID or.... heck. It may be too big to even staple gun it. Remove it from the batting and backing, press it nicely and let the longarmers take over. It doesn't hurt a bit to add their name to the label and their stitching is truly magnificient. Polly

Hi Pauline,

I always spray baste my quilts and have not had any problems--including two king-sized quilts. I did do the king size in pieces--the top, the two sides and the bottom--however, I expect the king-sized top wasn't much smaller than the total size of this one. I think part of the problem was that I was putting the lines in on a diagonal, and that my rolled edge wasn't the same thickness while feeding through the machine. It may have put pressure in places where I wasn't expecting it.

Actually, I don't have a problem with patchwork backings either--if I plan to do them that way. ;-) I don't think it would have bothered me so much except for the comedy of errors that followed. Looking back, it looks like the first sign. ;-)

Thanks for the tips on FMQ practice. I will bear them in mind when I'm ready to give it another shot. :-)

Best regards, Michelle > I think you are very brave to attempt to FMQ such a large quilt & it

I LOVE that story, Kate! Thanks so much. :-)

Michelle in Nevada

Oh so your saying I should doing something "sane"? ;-) You're probably right. At least for now, I'm walking away and the quilt is cowering in the bottom of the closet. I think the quilt and I understand each now. Ahem.

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada

Oh, Michelle, I was right there with you not so very long ago! I even experienced the same issue with the backing. I don't mind piecing the backing, but when I've been so "clever" as to buy the wide stuff to begin with it just seems especially annoying when it doesn't work out.

Yes, it wasn't two months ago when hubby and I "unquilted" a double-sized quilt, and he was desperate to help after I layed down on the floor and cried, because there were so many puckers and folds in the back.

Michelle, we all have to get back on the horse (or bicycle) after these experiences. I chose to do a baby quilt next, which I know will SITD very nicely with a bit of a fancy stitch and the walking foot.

Hang in there!

Trixie

BTDT! More than once! You really do need more practice. You need to move from your 12" piece to a baby-size quilt. Do a few of those. Then move to a couch size. To a single bed. Make a few of those before you move up to your queen-size. Really! By then, it will feel pretty natural. You will have resolved all your problems, and if you run into trouble, you will know whether it's you or your machine.

To slow down while machine quilting, I keep the machine running at the same steady pace and move my hands more slowly.

It also sounds like you didn't do enough basting. Roberta in D

Michelle, I feel for you, I really do! I've had quilts refuse to cooperate, too, and it's so frustrating. Good luck getting yours out of the closet and into your hand quilting hoop (or frame or whatever). :)

Hi Trixie,

Thanks for the pep talk! :-) I DO remember your very horrendous experience with the puckered back quilt. In fact, when I saw my quilt, I thought of yours. So I quickly shoved it in the closet (where it remains) before I laid on the floor and cried or took the scissors to it--both of which seemed like perfectly fine reactions at the time. ;-)

I will get back on the bicycle as you say. However, I'm going to try a different approach with this quilt. I think I may have bitten off too much.

Thanks so much! Michelle > Oh, Michelle, I was right there with you not so very long ago! I even

Hi Roberta,

I know you're right about needing more practice. I just didn't imagine that the jump from the block to the quilt would be so dramatic--although I know you all tried to tell me. :-) Ahem. So I will do something different with the quilt in question, and think about free motion another time.

As to the basting, I spray-basted it, which I do for all my quilts including the king-sized that I straight stitch quilted. It has always worked well for me. That said, when I quilted the king-size I wasn't sewing diagonal lines across it, and so my roll was a uniform size. The roll for this one wasn't, and I think it caused me to push and pull more, causing the puckers.

Thanks! Michelle in Nevada

Roberta wrote:

Hi Sandy,

And it was such an innocent looking quilt too! ;-) I will get it out of the closet one of these days. As much as I'd like to hand-quilt it, I'm going to need it sooner than that, so I'm going to tie it. There is no way the darn thing will be able to act up then!

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada

Michelle:

Some day, in the way distant future, you will look back at this and laugh. Okay, maybe not laugh so much as cackle hysterically. I haven't gotten there quite yet myself, but wine seems to help. :>)

Trixie

yea, wine, beer, baileys. any or all of the above along with a big bar of decent chocolate just in case. j.

"Trixie" wrote... Michelle: Some day, in the way distant future, you will look back at this and laugh. Okay, maybe not laugh so much as cackle hysterically. I haven't gotten there quite yet myself, but wine seems to help. :>)

Trixie

"Michelle C." wrote...

Hi Trixie,

I expect you are right. At least at this point, I don't feel desperate and at my wits end. Since I need the quilt before the 2-3 years it will take me to hand-quilt it, I'm going to tie it. Having made that decision I'm a lot calmer now. I still have to do the ripping though... Ugh!

Best regards, Michelle > Michelle:

LOL! :-)

Michelle > yea, wine, beer, baileys.