Wrestling with a wave at the bottom of quilt

[Betty J.]

Ok, I just finished squaring up my knight quilt that I have spent more than two years making. Granted, it was made mostly while I was working and the time I spent on it was occasional, but still, I have a lot of hours in this quilt.

I discovered to my dismay that there is a fairly substantial wave at the bottom of my quilt. :?

I know why these things occur...differences of quilting densities (needed to make the textures right in this landscape quilt), stretching during construction (likely), and since this is a landscape quilt with lots of odd shaped pieces, the piecing may be partly at fault (quite likely)...or all of the above (why didn't I see this back before I quilted it....sigh. This quilt has been one problem after another and I will be glad to finish it. Funny how some quilts just flow together nicely and others fight you the whole way. :x Perhaps it's the knight...he is clearly a fighter. :lol:

Nevertheless, I have a wave and am not going to be able to go back, frog, and remake that part of the quilt...it's too far along...it's basically finished and heavily quilted! So I have tried steam...it stayed flat for a few minutes until I moved the quilt, and then popped right back up. I am currently trying wetting down that part of the quilt...I didn't want to wash this quilt for a wide variety of reasons related to the materials and methods used in making it. I have now got it drying after squashing it down with a flat weight. You can see the photos in my personal blog here:

http://blog.bjfabricartist.com/

I hope it won't pop right back up the second i lift it from the table. I tried some stay tape that is designed to prevent stretching in shoulder seams, etc, but it didn't make any difference and it seemed it might get in the way of the binding, so I took it off.

I may try taping it with blue painters tape to see if I can hold it together until I can put in some stay stitching. If you have any other ideas how I might fix this, I'd love to hear them. I want to enter this quilt into the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. Send your good wishes wafting my way.

[Hannelore N.]

Looks like 'Sir Quiltalong' is a little frisky and won't behave. What's going to happen to him? If his destiny is to be a wallhanging I'd add a sleeve top and bottom, and push a rod (something heavy at the bottom) through both sleeves. I bet that way you win the squirmish.

[Rita C.]

Oh BJ, I am so sorry, and after all that work. I have no idea how to fix that I just wanted to commiserate. What about Sharon Shamber's method where she starch shrinks a block. I don't know if it would work on a quilt that has been quilted. But it is my only meagre suggestion. The quilt looks wonderful nonetheless. Rita. X

[Betty J.]

Lorchen, He's going to be a wall hanging, and that's a good idea, but I'm not sure they would take it with a rod in a bottom pocket for the quilt show I am planning on entering in. Probably won't, in fact. :roll:

[Betty J.]

Oh BJ, I am so sorry, and after all that work. I have no idea how to fix that I just wanted to commiserate. What about Sharon Shamber's method where she starch shrinks a block. I don't know if it would work on a quilt that has been quilted. But it is my only meagre suggestion. The quilt looks wonderful nonetheless. Rita. X

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of using starch. I think I will try that...thanks, Rita!

[Betty J.]

BJ--I'm praying.

[Hannelore N.]

Good luck, Betty Jo!

I wonder what would happen if you send this lovely quilt with the a closed sleeve at the bottom that already contains a solid rod?? May be worth asking the organisers.

[Hannelore N.]

BJ, I love your quilt! I'm pretty new to quilting so I have no experience to offer, but I wonder if using something like a hair dryer on "hot" to dry the area after wetting it with water or starch might shrink the area more? Sending positive thoughts hoping you find the solution!

[Betty J.]

Good luck, Betty Jo!

I wonder what would happen if you send this lovely quilt with the a closed sleeve at the bottom that already contains a solid rod?? May be worth asking the organisers.

Thanks for your complement on the quilt. You're right...it might be worth asking if it doesn't get better with this round of trying.

[Betty J.]

BJ, I love your quilt! I'm pretty new to quilting so I have no experience to offer, but I wonder if using something like a hair dryer on "hot" to dry the area after wetting it with water or starch might shrink the area more? Sending positive thoughts hoping you find the solution!

Lynn, I tried something kind of like that. I'm still hoping my current attempt will work. I'll know tomorrow. Thanks for your complement and positive thoughts.

[Renata L.]

BJ,
wish I had something to offer for fixing the wave--I hope what you've attempted will do the job. In the meantime, I've looked at your Knight on your blog--the overall quilt is so pleasing to the eye, the colors are stunning and I love the quilting you've done. Just beautiful!
Renata

[Betty J.]

BJ,
wish I had something to offer for fixing the wave--I hope what you've attempted will do the job. In the meantime, I've looked at your Knight on your blog--the overall quilt is so pleasing to the eye, the colors are stunning and I love the quilting you've done. Just beautiful!
Renata

Thank you Renata! Much appreciated.

[Betty J.]

Hooray, my method for solving the wave appears to have worked. I blocked it wet, taped down the blocked area with blue painters tape until I got the binding sewn on, removed the tape and added some SID quilting at the tops of the hills in the blocked area and it looks really good now. I still have to sew down the back of the binding, add the pocket and label and photograph the quilt. I'll post photos when I have it done. Thanks for all your good thoughts and ideas!

[Rita C.]

Well done Betty Jo. Look forward to seeing it. Rita. X

[Renata L.]

So glad it worked out, BJ. I look forward to seeing it. Happy New Year! Renata