binding mistake-what do I do now?
I'm back home after a blur of time in So. Fla.
Before I left home I was trying to attach a binding to a quilt by machine. This has never been a problem for me before, but this time the quilt is backed with polar fleece. I used a decorative stitch, which I've done before, but the machine is not feeding the quilt through, the feed dogs don't seem to be catching. I have the walking foot on. In several places the stitches have made a bird's nest, and it is generally bad looking. I'm about 1/2 way through.
Any suggestions? Do I just soldier on, and try to pull it from the back, or what?
I'm up for suggestions.
Sara in Fla.
Before I left home I was trying to attach a binding to a quilt by machine. This has never been a problem for me before, but this time the quilt is backed with polar fleece. I used a decorative stitch, which I've done before, but the machine is not feeding the quilt through, the feed dogs don't seem to be catching. I have the walking foot on. In several places the stitches have made a bird's nest, and it is generally bad looking. I'm about 1/2 way through.
Any suggestions? Do I just soldier on, and try to pull it from the back, or what?
I'm up for suggestions.
Sara in Fla.
posted by Sara in Florida @ 5:03 PM
7 Comments:
At May 10, 2011 at 5:54 PM ,
NancyH said...
I'd start by rethreading the machine - top and bobbin. And change your needle. Sometimes it's the simple things that give the most trouble!! NancyH
At May 10, 2011 at 9:55 PM ,
Judy in Ohio said...
Polar fleece is a knit product and so it is stretchy. Also, it is stretchier on what were the selvage sides so that could be part of your problem. Just a hunch.
At May 11, 2011 at 11:57 AM ,
NancyH said...
Didn't think about the polar fleece being stretchy - you might want to try a needle made for knits. NancyH
At May 11, 2011 at 2:08 PM ,
Sara in Florida said...
Thanks everyone!
Not sure what suggestion I'm going to use yet. It's 3:00PM here, and I'm waiting till this evening to do something with it.
One of my quilty GFs said to cut the binding off with a rotary cutter, and do the "pillowcase" method.
I'll lay it out on the floor and take a good look at it.
Sara in Fla.
At May 11, 2011 at 5:57 PM ,
Phyllis in Minnesota said...
I think all the above suggestions are great and would add cleaning your machine and checking the tension. Granddaughter was here using my machine a week ago and of course she didn't touch the tension....but what a mess her new setting created! After you get your machine working again (provided the problem isn't caused by the fleece) could you cut off that binding and put on another or would it affect the look of the quilt too much.
At May 11, 2011 at 10:45 PM ,
judy in ar said...
The advice you've received seems on target. The only other thing I can think of is to use the darning foot instead of the walking foot. Maybe a slightly looser presser foot pressure to minimize the stretching. . . And if you could sew it from the fleece side. . . When you sew regular woven fabrics, you know that you put the longer piece of fabric on the bottom because it will ease into the top piece as you sew. You might have more control over the fleece stretching if the bottom were the more stable piece. That's just an idea, don't really know.
Good luck. I'd love to sew my bindings by machine, but it never looks equally good on both sides and I like the relaxing chore to do while watching tv. So that's when it gets done. When the basketball tourneys were on, I finished binding 2 quilts in one day! Very cool for me.
At May 12, 2011 at 10:50 AM ,
Kathi in Idaho said...
Using a spray baste might also help. I know that I won't use Minkee on the back of a quilt without spray basting it before I attach the binding. Probably the same for fleece.
Kathi
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