Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Dreaded Tucks

Is this the proper quilting term?  Those little folds that accidentally get sewn into the backing sometimes when you are machine quilting a quilt?  I used to really obsess about these.  I spray-baste my quilt, securing the backing to the floor and smoothing out the batting and top layers.  It's pretty secure.  But no matter how much tension I use on securing the backing, when I take the quilt up after basting there are little bumps--not folds, but just like pruned skin when you've sat in the bath too long.  The best way I have found to avoid these ridges on the backing turning into tucks is to stretch the whole quilt sandwich firmly while I sew the quilting.  This takes care of most of them, but I still get the occasional tuck.

But I have finally noticed that when there are a few tucks sewn into the backing, once I wash and dry the quilt they are rarely visible, especially if the backing is printed.  I know they are there, but they remind me that I'm not perfect.  I've made peace with the occasional tuck, although I still try to avoid making them in the first place.  They prove that I made the quilt, I guess.

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