Blocking a quilt

[Sharon E.]

There's nothing like rashers(bacon) and eggs for breakfast on a saturday morning!

bacon, eggs and chips fried in olive oil makes a good saturday night supper too!


and now back to blocking the quilts, again :wink:

[Kathryn S.]

Ok, back to blocking a quilt. I also have never done that before, but plan to with my Amazon Star. Do you guys just spray it damp or actually put it in the washer, Yikes! that seems harsh. Also how much Tylenol will you need after being on your knees, or will it require surgery? LOL

Thanks, Sharon

Sharon, I watched Ricky's DVD on finishing quilts, and he put his gorgeous quilt in the washer BEFORE it was trimmed. so, when it came time to straighten and rinse out my blue markings, I did the same on my Ruffled Roses quilt. I filled the washer with cold water, stuffed the quilt in, and pushed it up and down with my hands, no machine agitation. Oh, and I put color catchers in there too (nothing went on to them). Then, I let the water drain out and put it on the spin cycle to get most of the rest of the water out. I prayed that it would turn out all right- when I took the quilt out it was just fine. I then put it on a huge plastic tarp with towels on top, in my living room- I don't have any carpeting.
After straightening it up I let it sit there and it was dry within 12 hours. I didn't go on my knees, I can't do that . I just pulled and tugged and looked at how straight the lines were. No pins, just gravity.

If I didn't have to get the blue wash away marker out, I might have just sprayed it.

All I can tell you is, if the quilt is medium or heavily quilted, it will hold up to being in water and spinning in the washer.

good luck, may the force be with you!
Kathy

[Betty J.]

Sharon, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you if you keep yours crossed for me. I have to wash and block my Hoffman Challenge quilt before I embellish and bind it. I plan on trying that tomorrow. :shock: Check back later and see how we did.

[Nancy R.]

I have a front-loading washer so I soaked and hand-agitated my quilt in the bathtub to get the blue markers and water-soluable thread out. I then moved the quilt to the washer for a delicate spin to get most of the water out. Then upstairs where I pinned it to the carpeting in a room that has no cat or dog access. This was all done before applying the binding with no problems.

[Kathryn S.]

Nancy, that must have been a relief to get it laid out with no problems! If I had not seen Ricky do this on his DVD, and then seen the actual quilt, I might not have had the courage to do this. Kathy

[wendy w.]

Advice please, my wallhanging is appliqued, quilted, embroidered and embellished with buttons beads etc., is there any way I can block it now without ruining it? It has wavy lumps in places.

I've only just discovered you can block a quilt.

Thanks

[Rita C.]

Wendy, you can either soak it, straighten it and pin it around all four sides and leave it to dry. Or you can pin it straight all around and then use a steam iron, which you hold just above the surface and allow the steam to be absorbed into the quilt. Then leave it to dry. Hope that helps.

[wendy w.]

Thanks I have a steamer but do you think the embroidery stitches will survive Rita?

[Rita C.]

I don't know Wendy. Perhaps it would be better to wet the quilt in cool water and let it air-dry whilst pinned in place. Maybe somebody else will have a better answer.

[Betty J.]

Wendy, I've done it both ways and with embroidery. It depends on your thread in the embroidery whether it will like the steam or not. I actually have not only done it both ways but both ways on the same quilt, when I had a bad wave. :roll: :lol: :lol:

[wendy w.]

Ok I'll have a go tomorrow. I can always redo the embroidery.

There are some beads glued on ops: which will no doubt drop off but that doesn't matter. Serves me right for being lazy

[wendy w.]

There is no reason to worry about the embroidery not taking steam, as a generality embroidery is a lot more robust than most people take it for - unless there are very long floating threads. Your main concern would be for bleeding, some of the embroidery threads are not as colour fast as they used to be. You could probably be right about the stuck on beads - depending on what adhesive you used....

[wendy w.]

Thanks Rosemary, it's rayon, silk and cotton thread. I'll do a test piece first to test for bleeding. Won't be the end of the world might make it more interesting. However have been making it since 2008 so should get it finished.

[Hannelore N.]

I'm sure that Rosemary will agree, that embroidery yarns are just like fabrics: Some are superb, colourfast and will take all kinds of abuse, and others react to water just like some fabrics do. I remember some embroidery yards in the 1960s that were made (and dyed) in Eastern Europe. You never knew what colour you got after each wash. My grandmother lived long enough to see the quality increase a lot, but the best gifts I could bring her when visiting were colourfast Anchor or DMC threads. I'm sure she only helped me unpack my suitcase because she knew there were skeins of thread hidden in corners and gaps. I also used to stuff my shoes with threads for her. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who misses a grandmother that was an absolute gift from heaven.

[Rita C.]

You were so lucky Lorchen. Both my grandmothers had passed away by the time I was 8 years old. I think I would have loved my mother's mother as she was a lace maker and a crocheter. I hope to be a grandmother like yours someday.