Quilt edges cupping - need blocking advice

[Robin G.]

Janet, your quilt is gorgeous!!!!! And I think we've all learned something from your experiences, so thank you for sharing with us!! Good luck! Robin

[Margo C.]

Janet, your alphabet quilts are all FABULOUS, and I have no idea how you come up with such diverse, original designs! I love, Love, LOVE these projects!!

I hope the blocking works. If not, you might want to try just replacing the binding. I know that it is suggested to use straight of grain for bindings, but personally, I find that I get better results if I use binding that is cut on the bias! Even on a straight edged quilt! Especially one with as much quilting as you put in in....you don't need the straight grain to hold the shape. (Don't tell the quilt police that I told you that!) ops:

OK...I've gotta ask...what technique did you use to do the letters and the scroll on the border?? Is all that hand embroidery??? :shock:

[Margo C.]

Janet...you quilt is incredible! Wow! At first look I thought, "Janet 's not doing alphabet quilts anymore?" As I scrolled to the second photo, there it was ...the alphabet! You just keep making alphabet quilts till you finally learn your ABC's :wink: ...and we will keep enjoying them.

[Margo C.]

Margo, I've heard both sides on using bias vs. straight of grain bias, now. This is the first time I've heard that is really OK to use straight of grain. I thought judges looked for for the bias. Can you elaborate on the subject a little more and/ or point me in a direction for really good directions for applying binding to quilts for show?
Thanks,
Cindy

[Janet S.]

Margo, the letters and scroll work were done with free motion machine embroidery. I marked them with a blue washout pean and just sewed over and over the lines until I got the thickness I wanted, kind of like thread painting. I used Glide thread and it was wonderful. As far as the bias binding, I have never used a bias binding because I thought it would make the edges wavy, although I have had some waviness with straight cut binding, so I don't know. I'll report on the re-blocking tomorrow. I block my quilts at work where we have commercial carpet and a large space, so I'll go pick it up tomorrow and see how it looks.

Barbara, that's so funny what you said about me learning my ABC's! I used to stitch a lot of reproduction type cross stitch samplers and had many of them hanging in my dining room. My husband's aunt used to come over and say, "Haven't you learned your ABC's YET?" I just told her I'm working on it!

[Catherine S.]

Janet, maybe it is just my eyes, but looking close at the vertical lines in the border, it may be an optical illusion. To me it looks like when the red scroll is going uphill to the right, the lines lean to the right and when the uphill scroll is to the left the lines lean to the left. When directly under the curlyque they appear straight. I don't know if I am explaining it right, but I think it is an illusion. I think your quilt is wonderful. Good luck.

[Margo C.]

Margo, I've heard both sides on using bias vs. straight of grain bias, now. This is the first time I've heard that is really OK to use straight of grain. I thought judges looked for for the bias. Can you elaborate on the subject a little more and/ or point me in a direction for really good directions for applying binding to quilts for show?
Thanks,
Cindy

Cindy, personally I think that it's best to use what works for your particular project, but I'm not a quilt judge, so don't hold me to that! Like everything else in quilting, there is more than one way to accomplish a given task, so you need to learn what works for you.

You will hear some people say to only use straight of grain for binding. The theory seems to be that because the straight grain of fabric is stronger and has little "give", it will prevent the edges of the quilt from stretching out of shape. I have seen too many quilts made by well known quilters who go by this rule, and I can see cupping around the edges. Yes, the binding is cut on the straight of grain, but the quilt will not lay flat. (I think this is what may have happened to Janet's quilt, but I haven't seen it in person to check it out.)

You will hear some people say to cut the binding strips on the cross-grain. This is often done just to minimize the amount of fabric you need to purchase or the number of seams required to go around a quilt. But...unless you are tearing your strips, you will not have the grain lines exactly right unless you have pulled the threads to get them lined up! When woven fabric (cotton quilt shop fabric included) is wound on cardboards for sale, there is always some distortion to the grain lines. You either live with it or correct it before you cut your strips.

If you are making a quilt with curved edges, like a shaped edge or a scalloped edge, you MUST use binding cut on the bias, or the fabric will not curve around those shapes.

I almost always cut my binding strips on the bias. I like the "give" that I the bias strips give my bindings because my quilts are mostly made to be used and loved to death. I don't want stiff, straight bindings. Also, I like the fact that the bias grains are on the outside edge of the quilt and I think that makes them less susceptible to wear. If there is only one thread of fabric EXACTLY on the edge of a quilt, I think it will wear out faster than xxxxx grain line of a bias threads along the edge.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

[Margo C.]

Margo, the letters and scroll work were done with free motion machine embroidery. I marked them with a blue washout pean and just sewed over and over the lines until I got the thickness I wanted, kind of like thread painting.

OHMYGOSH!! This is so timely for me!! I am working on a project TODAY that needs to have text added, and I wasn't sure how to do it! I know I don't want the letters appliqued, and this will be perfect!!....I'm gonna go try it! THANKS!!

[Janet S.]

Margo, I'm glad I could help! You also might want to look at the close up shot in my profile of Alpha Block Celebration. I used the same technique around the edges of that quilt to do the names of the quilt blocks. I think I used one of Superior's 40 wt trilobal poly thread for that embroidery and it worked pretty well. Good luck!!

And regarding the bias binding, do you think it has any bearing on the edges of the quilt to be wavy when using a bias binding?

[Margo C.]

Margo, I'm glad I could help! You also might want to look at the close up shot in my profile of Alpha Block Celebration. I used the same technique around the edges of that quilt to do the names of the quilt blocks. I think I used one of Superior's 40 wt trilobal poly thread for that embroidery and it worked pretty well. Good luck!!

And regarding the bias binding, do you think it has any bearing on the edges of the quilt to be wavy when using a bias binding?

I think that if the outside edges of the quilt measure the same as the middle of the quilt, and if the density of the quilting is the same over the entire surface of the quilt, and if it all lays flat before the binding goes on, it doesn't matter what grain line the binding is cut on. (Don't tell the quilt police I said that!!)

If the sides of the quilt are a little longer than the center measurement, adding straight grain binding might emphasize that fact and cause waving. If the binding was measured first, then applied to the sides to fit the measurement of the middle of the quilt in an effort to make the sides equal lengths, it would definitely cause cupping.

Thanks for the tip about your close-up. I have printed out a cute font to use, but seeing how you did lettering around Alpha Block Celebration, I might just try to do it in my own handwriting!
Thanks!

[Kathryn S.]

Holy Moly, Janet! what a beautiful quilt. I can see this getting a ribbon at the quilt show, your work is breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your picture, plus the closeup. I hope your cupping issue is solved.

Kathy

[Janet S.]

Well I am sorry to report that re-blocking my quilt did not seem to make a difference in the edges cupping. I think Margo could be correct in suggesting I take off the binding and re-bind it with bias cut binding. I also think that the wool batting has something to do with the cupping. If I had used 80/20 batting, I think I could have steamed it into shape. I also have a feeling that the design of the quilt has something to do with it, in that there is more weight in the center of the quilt and not that much on the wide borders. I think I'm just going to leave it like it is, at least for now. I'm just not sure if I rebound it, being that it has the wool batting, that I could reblock it into shape. Oh well, such is the quilt life! On to the next one! :?

[Margo C.]

Shucks! I really hoped the starch and blocking would help, but I think that you are right about the wool batting. It just doesn't have enough body to support the weight of a heavily quilted and embellished quilt for hanging. Next time use a foundation under the wool. Hobb's Heirloom or Quilter's Dream would be a good choice or Warm and Natural. They would add extra weight to the quilt, but you will probably need the support. I love the design of this one, and I'm looking forward to your next one!!

BTW...I did some intensive free-motion embroidery for text over the week-end, and am pleased with the way it turned out! Thanks for the suggestion!

[Margo C.]

If you are going to re-bind the quilt, how about blocking it with the binding off? also because it is wool, you could try blocking it with steam, tailors re-shape wool cloth with steam to stretch and shrink different areas of jackets and trousers to get them to mold to the body. For best effect (in tailoring) steam and press the area to shrink, under a pressing cloth! then to prevent the cloth from getting too hot, swap to a block of wood to use instead of an iron and press down with this until it is cool, dry and set. It requires patience, as it can take longer than you think for, for the fabric to really cool down again.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway - have a practise on a sample similar to your quilt first, I don't know the affect that steam will have on the quilted wool/cotton combination, but I do know that wool is great for molding with steam for garments.

Good luck

Rosemary

[Betty J.]

Well I am sorry to report that re-blocking my quilt did not seem to make a difference in the edges cupping. I think Margo could be correct in suggesting I take off the binding and re-bind it with bias cut binding. I also think that the wool batting has something to do with the cupping. If I had used 80/20 batting, I think I could have steamed it into shape. I also have a feeling that the design of the quilt has something to do with it, in that there is more weight in the center of the quilt and not that much on the wide borders. I think I'm just going to leave it like it is, at least for now. I'm just not sure if I rebound it, being that it has the wool batting, that I could reblock it into shape. Oh well, such is the quilt life! On to the next one! :?

Janet, Just wondering if maybe a wet pressing cloth might add just enough dampness to the wool to make it behave. I used to do that from time to time when I was a professional clothing designer/tailor. Wool and cotton both NORMALLY do well with this. Sometimes you need to pin it into a padded surface and steam the heck out of it with a wet pressing cloth and let it stay there until it dries. Hope you can solve it. Cheers.