What can I do ?
10-21-2016, 12:52 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: England, U.K.
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What can I do ?
I have just got a large quilt ( 90inches square ) back from a Long Arm quilter and who I haven't been to before --
( and who is extremely lovely ) She has done a wonderful job on the quilting but she has squared it up for me.
The trouble is she has feather quilted the outside border right to the edge where she has cut it and I also put four star blocks in each of the corners and unfortunately she has not left me enough fabric round the edge where she has cut for me through all three layers (top, wadding and backing ) to then add the binding.
When I now add the binding I will have to sew into the quilting and I will lose the points off the 4 corner star blocks. I really don't want to complain because she is so nice and has recently started up her business. We all have to start somewhere and I know she would be so upset. I will contact her and offer some constructive criticism - but in the meantime can anyone suggest a remedy ?
Thank you.
( and who is extremely lovely ) She has done a wonderful job on the quilting but she has squared it up for me.
The trouble is she has feather quilted the outside border right to the edge where she has cut it and I also put four star blocks in each of the corners and unfortunately she has not left me enough fabric round the edge where she has cut for me through all three layers (top, wadding and backing ) to then add the binding.
When I now add the binding I will have to sew into the quilting and I will lose the points off the 4 corner star blocks. I really don't want to complain because she is so nice and has recently started up her business. We all have to start somewhere and I know she would be so upset. I will contact her and offer some constructive criticism - but in the meantime can anyone suggest a remedy ?
Thank you.
10-21-2016, 01:09 PM
#2
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,521
Use the the QB Quick machine binding with flange technique but make the flange a little bigger. I have used it on a wallhanging where a couple of points were going to be cut off because of the binding. The flange covers a bit of the quilt and fools the eye. Next time just mention you want to square the quilt yourself.
10-21-2016, 01:12 PM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
since it's already trimmed, I'm not sure there's anything you can do, however, if it's all the corners, it will look like a design element. I would tell her, if she is close by, I would bring the quilt to explain the issue. I don't know if UK long arm quilters normally trim the quilt when it's done, but the quilters I've dealt with here do not normally trim if they do, it's an additional charge agreed to in advance.
If you have her quilt for you in the future, make sure you tell her not to trim!
If you have her quilt for you in the future, make sure you tell her not to trim!
10-21-2016, 01:13 PM
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 952
I cannot be of any help with this but for the future, I always have my long-arm quilter just let me do the trimming the way I want it. I learned with a baby quilt that had some issues like you are dealing with. My suggestion, if all the stars will still be the same with the binding, try and work around it. I understand your pain.
10-21-2016, 01:29 PM
#5
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: North Central, NC
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I don't have a suggestion for how not to cover the feather quilting. However, although I don't know exactly what your stars look like, could you somehow make the stars 3-D so that they extend loosely out into the border by adding fabric star points that match the current stars to the top of the quilt? I am not sure I am explaining too good but maybe you get what I mean? Just a thought ...
10-21-2016, 02:32 PM
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chula Vista CA
Posts: 7,393
You better tell this lady sooner rather than later so she doesn't do this to anyone else. I don't know what would make her do such a thing. If she is doing long arm work she must have made quilts in the past and should know better.
10-21-2016, 04:21 PM
#8
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Location: Western Wisconsin
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Is there 1/4" beyond the points of the corner squares? If so, I would sew binding to the front side with a 1/4" seam, turn the binding to the back and hand sew the binding to the back. If you don't have 1/4", I don't think there's anything you can do.
Honestly, I would not want a longarmer doing any cutting of my quilt without my express request. She may not be aware that there are many different ways to bind a quilt. Personally, I like to "square" my quilts with marker lines and then sew my binding on *before* I trim the quilt sandwich. Works a lot better for me. My cookies would be frosted if I had to sew binding on 1/4" away from the edge of my quilt sandwich.
Your longarmer needs to create a one-page contract that specifies things such as whether you want the quilt squared up or not. It's not something that should ever be done to someone else's quilt automatically, but is a nice freebie for someone who would appreciate the service.
Honestly, I would not want a longarmer doing any cutting of my quilt without my express request. She may not be aware that there are many different ways to bind a quilt. Personally, I like to "square" my quilts with marker lines and then sew my binding on *before* I trim the quilt sandwich. Works a lot better for me. My cookies would be frosted if I had to sew binding on 1/4" away from the edge of my quilt sandwich.
Your longarmer needs to create a one-page contract that specifies things such as whether you want the quilt squared up or not. It's not something that should ever be done to someone else's quilt automatically, but is a nice freebie for someone who would appreciate the service.
10-21-2016, 04:57 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 981
Oh my goodness. She definitely needs to be told so that she does not do this again to another customer's quilt. Unfortunately the only thing I know to do is chalk it up as a learning experience and she should offer you a partial refund.
10-21-2016, 06:11 PM
#10
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,813
This should work, if I can explain it here, and IF there is any kind of "bite, 1/8in" or hopefully a little more? Cut a double fold binding about 1" or so wider than normal for you. Iron lengthwise so you have a defined foldline. For the sake of this example I will use 3/4 in as the measurement for the next step (width of binding when done x2 = top and bottom) Measure 3/4" + your seam amount from fold and draw line down all binding. Your seam amount will depend on how much she left you for seam allowance. Place edge of quilt on binding with raw edges of quilt on mark, having both edges facing same direction, so that fold is under quilt. Sew quilt to binding, hopefully leaving at least 1/8" inside of stitches. Stitch another seam a few threads inside that first seam. That will help secure the thin edge to the binding. You can trim the inside part of the binding if it is too wide but you might need it to fill the binding when you fold over. You could also stuff with a thin strip of batting and sew the batting to the inside part of the binding if you need filler. To secure the small seam of the quilt to the binding even more, when you turn to the front, you could use a decorative stitch, or the buttonhole stitch. That would secure the small seam even more so that it could not pull away. Hope I explained it correctly. Please do a small sample first. Good luck.
Last edited by yngldy; 10-21-2016 at 06:21 PM.
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