Blocking finished quilt top

[Dianne G.]

In a short video on the AQG e-newsletter, Janet was interviewed about her winning quilts and said that she does not wash the finished tops, but wet-blocks them on the carpeted floor in her home. I wish she would share more details about that process. First we starched all the fabrics before cutting, then used Elmer's School Glue frequently to baste seams, appliqué vines, etc. How do we get all those materials, which are water-soluble, out? I know it is not wise to store items with starch in them, as certain vermin will love them. Also, removing the tearaway stabilizer is not an easy job for me, and tiny bits remain in the blanket-stitching. Janet suggests that that too will dissolve in water???

[Janet S.]

Before I bind a quilt, I spray it heavily on both sides with water, using a garden sprayer. I then smooth it out on the floor and start pinning, using T-pins which are used in upholstery. I measure length and width and diagonally. If the diagonal measurements are the same, the quilt is square. I pin it about every 5 or 6 inches, just pulling it lightly in whatever direction it needs to be pulled. I let it dry thoroughly, at least 24 hours. Luckily my cats rarely walk on it when it's on the floor. The tearaway stabilizer I use is Ricky Tim's Stable Stuff which is polyester and it will soften and slightly pull apart when wet, so it doesn't matter that pieces are left in the stitching. Ricky Tim's video, Grand Finale, has a part in it on blocking. That whole video is worth watching. I don't wash my quilts in a washing machine because I don't like the idea of squishing them up to put in the washer. I think wetting them as much as I do gets the starch out sufficiently. I will say that if you have berber carpet or a place with commercial carpet it is easier to block. I used to work at a frame shop that had commercial carpet where I could block after hours. I no longer work there so I have to block on my somewhat plush carpet, which can be done, but is a little bit of a challenge. It is, however, worth the effort.

[Constance G.]

Janet, I sure would love to see a video on this process! I've recently blocked a quilt for the first time, but still feel like maybe I'm not quite doing it correctly...

[Susan B.]

Janet, how do you keep the cats off the quilts? Or don't they like the wet? :lol:

So, trying to visualize this, you aren't wetting so much that the quilt is dripping or do you blot it with towels?

How do you get up off the floor ? :lol:

[Beverly C.]

Oh, Sue, you just always make me smile!

[Susan B.]

I'm sorry, Janet. That should have been, "How do I get up off the floor.

[Janet S.]

I guess the wet quilt is not very appealing to the cats. I don't get the quilt so wet that it is dripping with water. I would equate it to slightly wetter than if it came out of the washer. And believe me, the hard part IS getting up off the floor!!

[Janet S.]

Connie, Ricky demonstrates it pretty well in his Grand Finale video. Also, Karen McTavish includes a CD in her book, Quilting For Show, that also shows how to block.

Janet, I sure would love to see a video on this process! I've recently blocked a quilt for the first time, but still feel like maybe I'm not quite doing it correctly...

[Constance G.]

Janet, amazingly enough I have both of those videos! It's been quite a while since I watched Grand Finale, and I had never watched Karen's video, since I bought it for the book. Good information in both of them. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Susan B.]

Janet, do you have any tricks to share about getting perfect cross-hatching behind the applique?

[Janet S.]

I use a crosshatch template to mark the quilt top. I find it easier to sew diagonally or side to side rather than up and down. I used Superior's silk thread which is thin and very forgiving on backtracking. I also quilt pretty slowly and LOVE the non-hopping FM foot on my Janome. Also, practice, practice, practice helps too.

[Constance G.]

OK, now we all know how to block our quilts, and they'll be so beautifully flat and square that we'll just have to enter them in shows...

Which brings up the next question: how do you ship a quilt and still have it remain flat and square? Janet, your quilts are very well traveled, and they always hang beautifully in shows. Can you tell us your shipping secrets?

[Janet S.]

Aw, gee, thanks, Connie! I really have no secrets. I just fold 'em, bag 'em, box 'em, and say a little prayer to the shipping gods that they arrive safe and sound! I will say that when they come back from a show, I always hang them on my design wall, spray them with a little water, pin them down, and let them dry before doing it all over again. I have volunteered in several judging rooms at a few quilt shows and they typically stack all the quilts on top of one another before judging, so it doesn't seem to matter how they are folded in shipping, they will get refolded and stacked several times before they are hung at a show.

[Janet S.]

Janet,

Thank you so much for that wonderful explanation about how you block your quilts. I too cannot stand the thought of squishing my quilt into a washer. Yours are ALWAYS so beautifully square and flat.