#1piecemaker

When I take my 108 inch backing fabric off the bolt to measure, it has creases where it has been folded and is often wrinkled in places. It is so large to try and iron. The girl that showed me how to load my quilt in the long arm frame told me to spray the backing with water and the creases and wrinkles will come out. What method do you use to get the wrinkles out or do you use the spray trick? I'm still a newbie at this long arming stuff. I'm a hand quilter and use my hoops to stretch the wrinkles out. Help!!!

gollytwo

I only iron my backs/linings when I'm surrounded by other quilters who won't stop yelling at me.
Perfectionists they, not I.
I assume the back being stretched on a frame will iron itself.
My LAQ has never compained and her work looks great - front and back.

Buckeye Rose

To get the wrinkles out after loading onto LA, I would try using a steamer or the wrinkle release spray that Downey makes. I toss wrinkled fabric into the dryer with a couple wet washrags and let it run for about 20 minutes....that usually does the trick for me.

jemma

lavender essential oil 5 drops in 250mls of filtered water spray on creased cotton +it irons up soo easy---supposed to relax the fibers--smells good too

dunster

I do just as the gal who trained you suggested. I load the backing, roll it to either end, spray the visible part lightly with water and tighten the rollers, let it dry (usually), roll to the next area, repeat. The moment you tighten the roller bar the wrinkles completely disappear, and you aren't risking the distortion that you may get if you press too vigorously. It's so much quicker, and works great. It doesn't take much water, so not much drying time either. I understand that professional longarmers may not do this because it takes a little drying time, and they may not want to put water on the customer's quilt, even the back.

Jingle

I only quilt on my DSM. I pre wash all fabrics and backings too. After drying I fold very neatly and I am able to just clamp to my glass topped dining table and all the fold lines come out. I have no creases. I have found if I try to iron with a dry iron all folds just come back. This way works for me. I have a Cockatiel and I don't spray anything but water.

Toni C

I prewash all fabrics,but don't worry to much about wrinkles on back when longarming. I do like Dunster said. I also have used a fabric steamer instead of spraying. It seems to dry faster.

quiltstringz

I iron/steam mine on the frame. Roll it all onto the back roller, attach to the front then when rolling it onto the front roller I go over it with a steam iron that I keep by my long arm. I think that if you look at utube you can see a video of Sharon Schambers doing her quilt like this - although instead of ironing she just sprays with water or starch like Dunster and some of the others. Me I don't like to wait long enough for it to dry!

As for stretching to get the wrinkles out, yes that does work to some extent but you want to be careful not to have your back stretched too tight or it is going to pull up when you take that tension out of it.

Prism99

I just saw a Sharon Schamber video on Youtube. She loads the backing and then gets the wrinkles out with a misting of spray starch between the rollers. She said she prefers starch or sizing to water. Here is a link to where she demonstrates this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8BY-SqfGiQ

It starts at about 3:30 into that video.

jcrow

I iron all my backings. I send mine to a LAQ and I know she wants them ironed. If I didn't iron them, she would and would charge me.