Pleats at end of machine quilting

[Joannequilts]

I hope someone can help me! I use a walking foot and do alot of straight seam quilting. When I come to the end of a row of vertical stitching and meet a horizonal line of stitching, the top fabric will pucker/pleat. What am I doing wrong??? It seems the longer the run of stitches, the worse the problem. I've messed with the tension, but that doesn't seem to help, but I'll try again if someone can instruct me--I have no clue what I'm doing when if comes to tension!

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Joanne

[cindyg]

Joanne, I thought someone would have answered you by now. I don't have much experience with this but it sounds like your bottom fabric is being pulled through faster than the top. Have you tried this without the walking foot? Also, you might try using your hands to stretch the top fabric out to the sides as it is going under the needle just to make sure it is good and tight.

[HomespunMary]

Joanne, my first guess would be that the problem is not with your tension but with the pressure of your presser foot/walking foot. If your machine allows you to adjust the pressure, try to lower it from whatever setting it is on right now.

Apart from that, I don't really have any machine related ideas, but... I sound like a parrot saying this all the time, but using a basting spray to glue the layers together instead of using safety pins really really helps. The 505 basting spray is, in my view, one of the best inventions ever! The layers are secured all over the surface, and not only in some areas (which is the case with the safety pins), making it almost impossible to create these puckers even if you try

In addition, it is sooooo much faster than the safety pins So, it's really worth a try. My guess is it'll solve your problem.

[Joannequilts]

Thanks to cindyg & Homespunmary!

I will try the basting spray when I do my next quilt, which is ready now to be basted. Even though it is tricky (and sticky! LOL)

Also, I'm wondering if I'm going too fast with the foot?????? I've used my hands to stretch the fabric and it seemed to help.

I probably could use a class in machine quilting too...I used to hand quilt everything.

Maybe my walking foot is not working???

You guys are sooo nice! Thank you!
Joanne

[MastiffMomQlt]

Hi Joanne--

A walking foot is a good thing. I'm thinking that it sounds like the issue is the layers are not secured. The thing is, there should be no shifting if you've pin/spray basted well.

HSMary suggested the 505 spray & I'm all for that. I use that in addition to HEAVILY pin basting the layers together.

When you are pinning your quilt, make sure that the back is tight & the batting is smooth. I would also suggest the small safety pins, size 0 or 1.

[1quiltinnana]

Ditto on what Cindyg said. and, try a basting spray.

[sewbug]

I use Elmer's School Glue to hold my quilt top in place. It's non toxic and washes out even after heat drying with an iron.

[CoyoteQuilts]

I found that the tension on the quilt top & bottom was the issue with my puckers. For me the issue was my quilt top was not stretched tight enough and my back was stretched to tight. I put my quilts on a grace frame (it is for hand quilting) to pin before machine quilting (I remove it from the frame to quilt). This frame has saved my back & knees from pain when pinning on the floor. Most of my quilts are to big to baste/pin on a table as I don't like to move then baste/pin the next area like El does in her DVD's. I also use my frame to tie quilts for charity so it was cost effective for me.

I have also found if I am quilting on the bias there is more of a chance of a pucker when crossing the opposite quilting. To avoid this I put a little bit of tension on the layers & this seems to help.

Good luck, Sharon

[Joannequilts]

You all are wonderful!! It's great to be able to get help like this! I don't belong to any groups or guilds so there's no one I can ask..I just usually struggle along!

Sharon, you may have hit on the problem...! I always really stretch the backing tight on the floor/table, but I don't do that to the top..I'm afraid to distort the pieced top! When I hand quilted everything I just put it on the quilting frame. My DH made me a frame out of Red Oak and it is a glorious piece! It's a three rail, so you don't have to baste anything...I'm soooo lucky! But now, I'm doing alot of machine quilting. Somewhere along the line I realized that with children's quilts and lap quilts - both get lots of love and machine washing-machine quilting just makes sense!

I just finished two quilt tops and have used the basting spray--I HATE that stuff....it's great for small projects, but I really struggle tring to get it together--everything sticks to everything! YUKKK! Hopefully that will help this time! Fingers crossed...

Love and thanks to everyone!
Keep stitchin'
Joanne