Puckers in top of quilt

[Keeli]

I am just finishing (or trying to finish) my quilt sandwich. I started sewing it together using a ditch foot and am having difficulty staying in line due to the weight of the quilt. However, I did my vertical sewing and now attempting to do my horizontal sewing and towards the end of my first block (15") it is starting to pucker. I removed the stitching and tried again, same problem. The quilt was basted down correctly (I'm doing a quilting course) and it was done at the class so I don't understand why I am getting the pucker. What should I do to try and get it smooth? I attempted to move my material up slightly so there wouldn't be a pucker at the end but same problem occurred. Can someone offer me advice on how to make it right.
I see lots of quilts and they are so perfect and mine just seems to be loose (back and front). I am starting to get very fustrated. I love quilting or what I have done so far but this is not helping.

Thanks.

[shell.scraps]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

Welcome Kelli!!

It sounds like your fabric is shifting. Are you using a walking foot? Or it could be your tension? Those are the two things that I have had puckers from...the tension was off or the fabric shifts....

Sorry I'm not more help...

[jrchapman]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

I had exactly the same problem when it came to quilting my first quilt. It's because your feed dogs are pulling through the backing of the quilt faster than the top layer is going through. A walking foot has mini feed dogs on it that feed through the top layer at the same speed as the backing so you avoid puckers.

It's a little bit of an expense but I've used my walking foot on every quilt so far and it's an awful lot cheaper than sending it out to be quilted.

[Rae]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

A walking foot is essential for this type of work. I've also found that you can't pull or push the fabric and the quilt needs to be positioned so that there is no drag of any kind on it. Make sure you have plenty of room behind and to the left of the machine for your quilt so it can flow freely into and out of the machine.

Happy Sewing,
Rae

[Keeli]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

Welcome Kelli!!

It sounds like your fabric is shifting. Are you using a walking foot? Or it could be your tension? Those are the two things that I have had puckers from...the tension was off or the fabric shifts....

Sorry I'm not more help...

I do have a walking foot but was told that a stitch in the ditch foot would be easier/better. However, what tension should I have my sewing machine on when using the walking foot. Normal or looser?

Thanks for your help.

[Keeli]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

Thanks for the responses and help everyone, greatly appreicated.

[jrchapman]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

I'm afraid I can't help you with tension problems. My machine has an automatic tension regulator on which has made me very lazy

[ktbb]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

The walking foot is the way to go at this stage, in my opinion. The stitch in the ditch foot may work well for thinner sandwiches, but when you add batting it complicates the process. As for tension, you have to work with your machine to find the right tension for each quilt, especially if you use different types of fabrics and battings on different projects....and the threads you're using make a difference as well.

And play with how you can hold the quilt so it doesn't create it's own drag..if it won't move smoothly through the feed dogs there will almost always be shifting. Talk to folks at your local quilt store to get hands on examples of how you might hold it...if you're like me, seeing is better learning than just reading words.

[ladybugmom62]

Re: Puckers in top of quilt

I still use the quilting foot with SID. Otherwise I have the puckering problem you describe. As long as I use that foot, it doesn't seem to happen to me.