tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post8819793151605566936..comments2024-03-29T05:04:11.903-05:00Comments on crazy mom quilts: gluing, pounding and shrinking (oh my!)Amanda Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311818385469850186noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-38736359081033267462016-06-26T23:33:48.607-05:002016-06-26T23:33:48.607-05:00The shrinking issue has me wondering . . . I don&#...The shrinking issue has me wondering . . . I don't always wash my quilts let alone measure them after washing. Now I will rethink it. I'm not a pre-washer and don't really want to become one either. For most lap quilts it wouldn't matter much but I wonder how the queen size quilt I finished earlier this year will turn out. Still need to bind it. Thanks for the glue tip too.Anne / Springleaf Studioshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06114887911414187175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-25647960386516099582016-06-26T08:09:38.441-05:002016-06-26T08:09:38.441-05:00I've had quilts shrink, but have never measure...I've had quilts shrink, but have never measured. Makes me want to measure before washing next time. And love the hammer idea on bulky seams. I have a rubber mallet in my craft room for other things...not it has one more use. KathyinMNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10953321303757307975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-26972872149458649942016-06-25T19:32:56.829-05:002016-06-25T19:32:56.829-05:00my kids bought me a hammer years ago for my sewing...my kids bought me a hammer years ago for my sewing room. it's a smaller size and is nice and clean, no icky stuff from hubby's workshop.<br />i prewash all my fabric and batting. If I am spending that much time and money on a quilt, i am not going to leave it up to the washing machine to distort my work . the only time I don't prewash is when doing a stack and whack type project.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04501259287565067209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-6102345569430464592016-06-25T10:44:41.549-05:002016-06-25T10:44:41.549-05:00Thanks for the tips! I just did a rhombus quilt an...Thanks for the tips! I just did a rhombus quilt and some of the intersections would have definitely improved having been hammeredπ I measured that quilt after reading your blog, as I was about to wash it. I never prewash my fabric and I use Warm and Natural. It shrunk 2" each way. Whew! And I used the method I just heard about in Paducah from a wonderful famous quilter. He said he uses 1/4c Dawn dishwashing soap in a tub of water, soaking it for 1 hour. Then wash. It took me a lot of rinsing to get the soap out, BUT THE COLORS DID NOT RUN!!!!!ππππ much better than the color catchers I've used in the past. Thought I would pass that along to youπAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08977862395215319734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-27054096366684310362016-06-25T00:22:39.568-05:002016-06-25T00:22:39.568-05:00I was glad to see that you washed the quilt before...I was glad to see that you washed the quilt before you gave it to her. I always do that so the recipient knows what the quilt will look like for the rest of its life. I have a small plastic headed mallet I use for flattening seams, works great! That does seem like a lot of shrinkage, why don't they ever tell us about that in the quilting books and magazines? Thanks for telling us about glue basting, it was news to me.JoAnne in southern Californiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03148803029813063934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-83762688989959887412016-06-24T19:03:50.477-05:002016-06-24T19:03:50.477-05:00The stripes look perfect all lined up and you won&...The stripes look perfect all lined up and you won't even know there's a joint in the binding when you're done. Nice work! Very interesting to read about the shrinkage of the quilts following washing and drying. I wonder if they would shrink that much if left to air dry?Lorna McMahonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01911462547010295684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-19296833600695227852016-06-24T14:54:37.842-05:002016-06-24T14:54:37.842-05:00So happy you did the shrinking comparison - great ...So happy you did the shrinking comparison - great info!Mary on Lake Pulaskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16965950454417494966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-43915504731196681622016-06-24T14:32:15.725-05:002016-06-24T14:32:15.725-05:00What kind of pen do you use to label quilts? Do yo...What kind of pen do you use to label quilts? Do you iron freezer paper or some other stabilizer on the fabric and then write? Last time I tried writing a label it was a disaster.artsycraftsyivyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10884274247410617128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-92117889081494664332016-06-24T08:35:15.754-05:002016-06-24T08:35:15.754-05:00You whack the seam intersections with a HAMMER?! ...You whack the seam intersections with a HAMMER?! Like you're tenderizing beef? I am envisioning a Saturday Night Live skit spoofing Martha Stewart Living, with Amy Poehler attacking her quilt block to make it PERFECT... But you know I'm going to try it now! That block is gorgeous, by the way. Rebecca Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14801489818836195754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-83479173586663339002016-06-23T22:05:59.247-05:002016-06-23T22:05:59.247-05:00Interesting tips. That shrinkage factor is somethi...Interesting tips. That shrinkage factor is something to watch out for. The hammer thing sounds like a dandy way to take your frustrations out on those blocks where all the points meet in the middle. I usually just swear at them ;-)Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10899292686129929509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-24365361471161987462016-06-23T22:02:40.709-05:002016-06-23T22:02:40.709-05:00Wow, I never dreamed the shrinking would be that m...Wow, I never dreamed the shrinking would be that much! I am making my first bed quilt, a queen. I guess I will add additional row or border.Daytona Damselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973995351685168211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-91629759934399741962016-06-23T12:53:53.345-05:002016-06-23T12:53:53.345-05:00May I have an English teacher moment: shrink, shra...May I have an English teacher moment: shrink, shrank, shrunk <br />Did the quilt shrink when you washed it? Oh, I shrank the quilt by using hot water. It seems that my quilt has shrunk more than I expected. (But that's not so important as sharing your tips.)<br /><br />I love the crinkly look of old quilts, so the shrinkage really doesn't faze me. I never wash fabric before using it and never fluff batting either. I just let it all do what it's going to do and love the quilt anyway. <br /><br />Thanks for the glue basting tips. I've used glue sticks, but I will pick up a small tip and give this a try. Perhaps it will work even better.<br />Mary Marcottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569619947909529203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-55547974620727815052016-06-23T11:45:37.058-05:002016-06-23T11:45:37.058-05:00What a great post and wonderful informative commen...What a great post and wonderful informative comments. I usually expect my quilts to shrink a couple of inches but have never measured. I use an 80 cotton/20 polyester batting and I like the little bit of polyester to help with wrinkles falling out after the quilt has been folded. I prewash my fabrics because even with today's wonderful fabrics I still occasionally get some bleeding and I use a lot of light colored Kona solids in my scrap quilts. However, I do think that as the quilts are used, they flatten out more. Maybe it's just my imagination but once a quilt has been on the bed for a few weeks, it seems to stretch out.Shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16848223114184102472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-35971028136023794502016-06-23T10:19:29.459-05:002016-06-23T10:19:29.459-05:00Shrinkage is why I always wash my fabrics before I...Shrinkage is why I always wash my fabrics before I cut and piece my quilts. I have had some fabrics shrink 10%. I also wash my quilts after quilting because I like the look of a washed quilt. I usually don't have a lot of shrinkage from the batting.Blue dragonfly5https://www.blogger.com/profile/03614783131478762668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-61467254187416760642016-06-23T09:42:27.847-05:002016-06-23T09:42:27.847-05:00One of my many jobs in my life was working at a pl...One of my many jobs in my life was working at a place that made custom clothes for people who showed Western Horses. I ended up making all the leather jackets and sewed together some chaps. The leather was lamb. I would use a rubber mallet for flatting the seams. All my pounding use to drive everyone crazy, but the boss said I had made the jackets better than anyone they ever had.patty a.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01861433552460661701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-77107344168982405592016-06-23T09:28:18.434-05:002016-06-23T09:28:18.434-05:00If making mine to fit a specific size I always est...If making mine to fit a specific size I always estimate 5% shrinkage even though I read somewhere that 3.5% is average, I think yours fall above that range, maybe I'll estimate closer to 8% from now on, (I think warm and natural shrinks less than others... I believe the poly scrim helps...have you seen the new 100% cotton from The Warm Compamy? Tracybug Creativehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02515262179190947014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-82013939203447635292016-06-23T09:20:26.202-05:002016-06-23T09:20:26.202-05:00What a great post, and helpful comments too. Thank...What a great post, and helpful comments too. Thanks! piecefulwendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08966377140189657570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-53101361794430797572016-06-23T09:20:07.207-05:002016-06-23T09:20:07.207-05:00Interesting information about quilt shrinkage! I&...Interesting information about quilt shrinkage! I've not done the before wash/after wash measurements. I guess I'll take that into consideration in my next quilt. I wonder what the shrinkage rate might be using wool batting. I'll test that on my next quilt that uses wool.Marsha Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01393301943891132797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-61939223625341745522016-06-23T09:01:37.551-05:002016-06-23T09:01:37.551-05:00That was a clever experiment to measure before and...That was a clever experiment to measure before and after washing. That is a lot of shrinking.<br /><br />I like the glue idea and those stripes are perfect.<br /><br />Needled Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07749314475716010490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-3687528492771006832016-06-23T08:56:00.691-05:002016-06-23T08:56:00.691-05:00Great post! I can just see you using your hammer.....Great post! I can just see you using your hammer...btw.....Sue and I were at Camp Glampalot with Renee from your Gruber retreat. I think I can accurately say we were envious that Renee gets to sew with you for a weekend! :-) Have fun! On the topic of glue basting...I've become an addict! I found my tip at Hobby Lobby in the model airplane section. It's not like yours but it works well. Have a great day!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222695502886799120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-85256194877776922522016-06-23T08:40:31.007-05:002016-06-23T08:40:31.007-05:00I've pounded a seam or two and it really does ...I've pounded a seam or two and it really does help. Glue basting is my favorite method and I'm super glad to see a link to the fine tip dispenser. I've used Elmer's glue pens but they are almost impossible to find and still don't dispense as finely as I'd like. Off to order the dispenser right now!Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12283575512727062312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-40088234173054642292016-06-23T07:42:00.723-05:002016-06-23T07:42:00.723-05:00Cool tips, thank you.
Shocking the amount of shri...Cool tips, thank you.<br /><br />Shocking the amount of shrinking...thanks for the info and yep an extra row is being added to my arrows quilt now. I wondered why I cut that:)<br /><br />bluestarof2(at)yahoo(dot)comDiane Beavershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05005331045945636458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-6002981918046700802016-06-23T07:40:28.767-05:002016-06-23T07:40:28.767-05:00Great information. I especially appreciated the sh...Great information. I especially appreciated the shrinkage info. I've measured before washing but never after. Thank you for these tips.stamperwithdayjobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15028560448686521360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-27484969624302294402016-06-23T07:35:31.796-05:002016-06-23T07:35:31.796-05:00I prewash everything but the thread haha! I just d...I prewash everything but the thread haha! I just do batting on the handwash cycle in my top-loading washing machine. I do it on warm or cold, not hot. I do it to reduce the crinkly look. I want my quilts to look new longer. I know I'm in the minority there! :)artsycraftsyivyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10884274247410617128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37018101.post-2399318534349896872016-06-23T06:44:27.903-05:002016-06-23T06:44:27.903-05:00Great tips today. I've been using glue lately ...Great tips today. I've been using glue lately to join my bindings at the ends. It holds the pieces neatly in place as I sew diagonally, which always seems like such a chore to me. The hammer idea is awesome. I may need to hammer a few of the centers of my EPP stars before quilting my next EPP Quilt. Even when the seam allowances 'swirl' the middles get a little bulky. <br />I gasped a little at the amount of shrinkage you reported. I love a crinkly quilt, too, but maybe not that much shrinkage. I've been using 70/30 Quilter's Dream, just to minimize the shrinkage a little. When I make quilts specifically for beds, I worry about that much shrinkage. I guess I'll start measuring, washing and re-measuring to see how much they shrink... <br />Thanks for sharing your day with us! <br />Kris Quiltshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10566754966590168802noreply@blogger.com