A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

[Snip Snip]

If you do the quilting for other people....Do you ever receive a top to quilt that is such a hot mess that you refuse to tackle it? I'm wondering if you can do it justice if there are lots of bumps at seam junctions. Is your professional machine powerful enough that it doesn't get hung up on lumps and bumps? I know my wimpy home machine will not be able to sew over some of these seam lumps, so I have been thinking about taking it to a long-armer. But I don't want to be turned away in shame, lol! So if I have to, I can just quilt in straight lines, avoiding the bumps.
I don't usually think of myself as a messy quilter, but for some reason, my machine keeps bunching the seams up all over to one side. Even though I have them pressed and starched out flat, the underneath fabric's seam edges get shoved over by the feed dogs. Is it the fabric? Presser foot tension? Needle? Operator error?

[PrettyCurious]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

I am not a long armer.
but . . .
I am having a hard time imagining what you're saying your machine is doing.
Do you only have the one machine? If I have a hard time doing something on one machine, I switch to another to see if it's me or the machine.

[Snip Snip]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

I do have an old Brother that probably could have handled the job better than my flimsy Singer. I don't remember why I started piecing this quilt on this machine. The main problem is where 6 pieces of fabric come together at points of the stars. I tried to open the seams to lay flat, but it wasn't practical to open the points. And then when I sewed the blocks together, the feed dogs seemed to make it all bunch up instead of laying flat. I just think it is my machine. (It couldn't be me making a mistake, could it, haha?)

[JCY]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

When I piece quilts that have several points coming together is one spot, I always press the seams open prior to sewing any blocks together. It makes less of a bump. You also can use a Clover Pen--just a dab will do ya-- which helps relax the fabric when you press those seams. If all else fails, use a hammer!

[Snip Snip]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

Yes, I can get them pressed nice and flat till those seams are sewn to other nice flat seams, then the bottom edges under the presser foot seem to get caught up in the feed dogs and bunch up, or just fold over, making a large thick seam. I have never had it happen this consistently before.

[TMP]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

Sitting here laughing at the imagine of someone with a hammer attacking seams. I have noticed that different fabric will press out flatter and are easier to work with. I am working on quilt now that uses fabric by Benartex, called Homespin Holidays. I am not happy with the way the seams look when its pressed.

[quiltsRfun]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

For really stubborn seams I've been known to use a little Elmer's school glue. Just a dab, heat set with iron.

[SuzyQue]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

Trust me Longarmers get all kind of quilt messes, often thinking we can just quilt it out. Trust me....your Longarmers would appreciate you more if you can get your "bumps" smoother. And, yes, our machine can generally sew over them as they are powerful machines.......but that doesn't make it right. If you have multiple seams meeting, they should be pressed open or you can spin the seams making a tiny pinwheel shape on the backside of the quilt. Either way, the bumps will be more manageable.

[Sylvia H]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

In addition to the other suggestions, try adding some starch before you press those seams flat. That could help them stay flat.

[liz72703]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

Snip snip, I found this tutorial helpful:

Sewology Sunday - Getting Perfect Centers ? Sassafras Lane Designs

Liz

[Snip Snip]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

You know what, I just figured out what the problem is! My machine bobbin area is on the flat bed of the machine, right in front of the presser foot. It has a little clear plastic cover. I realized today that the cover has a bit of play in it, so when I hold down my fabric as it goes under the needle in an attempt to keep the seams from bunching, I also push the plastic cover down, so the seam edges get caught on the lip of the bobbin compartment. Duh! There is probably a 1/16" of play, which is plenty to grab a raw fabric edge and fold it under.
I have not run into this problem to this extent before, maybe because I wasn't being that meticulous with pressing seams flat and open before. The last star quilt I pieced, I used my old machine, and didn't have this issue, now that I think of it. It has a side bobbin compartment.
The only way to avoid this is to affix something to the bed in this area, covering up the bobbin case cover. Or buy a new machine! Maybe I can convince DH this calls for a new machine, ya think?

[SuzyQue]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

I would say opt for the new machine and if all else fails, try taping an index card over the offending area with blue painters tape.

[Snip Snip]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

That's a good idea. It needs to be something removable so I can get to the bobbin to change/check.

[auntiemern]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

You could also try using leaders to start feeding the fabric through, so that you don't have to push it so hard.

[LoveMyMachines]

Re: A Question For The Long Armers...and another question, too.

You know what, I just figured out what the problem is! My machine bobbin area is on the flat bed of the machine, right in front of the presser foot. It has a little clear plastic cover. I realized today that the cover has a bit of play in it, so when I hold down my fabric as it goes under the needle in an attempt to keep the seams from bunching, I also push the plastic cover down, so the seam edges get caught on the lip of the bobbin compartment. Duh! There is probably a 1/16" of play, which is plenty to grab a raw fabric edge and fold it under.
I have not run into this problem to this extent before, maybe because I wasn't being that meticulous with pressing seams flat and open before. The last star quilt I pieced, I used my old machine, and didn't have this issue, now that I think of it. It has a side bobbin compartment.
The only way to avoid this is to affix something to the bed in this area, covering up the bobbin case cover. Or buy a new machine! Maybe I can convince DH this calls for a new machine, ya think?

I'm "Lovemymachines" and I like ANY excuse for a new machine if I can swing it (:-), but as a longarm quilter, I try to work on pressing heavy seams open and spinning them where necessary so that I don't break so many threads and risk a needle break during quilting. Try your best to get it flat, then see if your longarmer can handle it. It never hurts to ask, and if you have a good longarmer, they will be honest, and if they can, give you some pointers to make it better. Flat seams also result in a prettier quilt as you won't have any "unseamly" bumps at the intersections of your blocks.

FYI
One way I can quilt something with heavy seams is to avoid them by echo quilting outside of the seamline.

Good luck from a "local" longarmer. We all learn as we go!