gellybean402

I have a client who wanted fleece for the backing of a tee shirt quilt. I bought a good quality fleece and backed each tee shirt with a stabilizer. It was quilting beautifully on my longarm until I got to just below the last square where the borders begin and it all went haywire! If I continue quilting it, the borders will be puckered and bunched up! Any ideas on how to fix this problem? I have taken the quilt off the frame and have begun to take the stitching out but I was hoping there was an easier way?
Thanks for any help!

Judy

feline fanatic

Sounds like the quilt may have been out of square before you started. Most likely the borders were not measured but the client simply sewed strips on and cut them off when even with the edge of the quilt. As you quilted, it magnified the problem. I am afraid if this is what the issue is, there is no fix, you will have to put some strategically placed darts or pleats in the border to take up the slack. I don't think at this point you could remove the border, measure, cut to measurement and reattach it.

Oops just reread your post, sounds like you were commissioned to make this quilt from the start. If the quilt was square in the beginning, did you "float" the top or attach it to a roller? Sometimes the quilting process draws up a quilt and if it is floated this can also be amplified. Especially if the sides were not basted all the way down. Another issue is the fleece backing may have gotten stretched. No matter what, it doesn't sound like there is an easy fix for you, except maybe quilting in some strategic pleats and offering a discount to your client.

It is a hard learned lesson but just about every LAQ who quilts for hire will be faced with a situation where we eat the loss and end up doing the work for nothing or next to nothing. I definitely feel your pain.

Tartan

Can you piano key quilt the last border but use some of the quilting lines to stitch down some pleats? If you stitch right on top of the fold under, it won't be visible.