I have used sheet scraps as backing material on wall hangings and a table runner without incident. Since they are much smaller I would imagine any bad results wouldn't tend to show up much if at all though. If you use 100% cotton sheets I would think it wouldn't be a problem.

Foxy.

When sandwiching the quilt do you tape down the backing tautly to the floor or table? I think the tight stretching of the backing on a hard surface is very important to eliminating the number and size of puckers on the back during quilting.

Teresa

I have always used sheets..the occasional fleece..but never anything pieced. I like 200-250 thread count cotton sheets. I wash my quilts at least twice..and machine dry them before they leave here. And I don't do any sort of basting!!! I've never had any puckering problems.
I have read ads by pro machine quilters who ask that backings be one-piece since pieced backings tend to stretch in different directions and pucker. I don't know tho..I hand quilt mostly. The few that I have machine quilted..I had puckers on the top but not the back.
Wash your sheets..no softener..before sandwiching.
Bon
:)

Marty,
Do you roll the top and batting as well?
Which way does the seam run on your backing?

I've read that the seams on the pieced backing (assuming one or two large pieces) should run horizontally...the same direction as the roller. This might help with how tight you can roll it as well as stretching along the outside edges.

I do not roll my top or batting. I 'float' it. I mount the backing and roll it up as tight as I can. Then I pin the front edge of the batting and top in place but let it drape over the back edge of my setup. I can continually smooth this out as I go.

As for the puckering on the back...I guess just keep trying to roll it up as snuggly as possible in your first step. I've never experienced this myself, so I hope any of this might help you.

Marty,
I have the same problem. The full sized quilt I did over the weekend had a small, but long pucker down the middle. I thought I taped & stretched it enough when sandwiching, but I guess not. I do my own quilting on my Viking, so I have to scrunch & push it thru my machine. I probably don't pin it enough to be able to handle all the crazy push pull that it goes thru & at some point.

It doesn't bother me too much because it is the back. But if someone figures out a solution...please share!!!

Last night a local (award winning) machine quilter (not longarm) showed some of her recent work and she was asked the same question from the audience; how to keep the work from puckering. She referred to Robbie Fanning's book on machine quilting. "Go back to the basics," she said. (My copy is (c)1980; looks like there are newer editions?). She said the answers are all in there. I have the book, and I'm reading it, but not being a machine quilter myself, that's all I can tell you. If I had to guess, it's in the basting of the quilt sandwich. They recommend three methods in great detail with diagrams and photos, as well as 'don't' do this or that.
BlueBars

In the bits and pieces of talking with other quilters over the years and seeing some of their demos, I use some ideas from each one. Yes, stretching the backing on the floor is the first step, layering the rest and pinning is next, rolling from 2 different sides is last. Putting in under the sewing machine and stitching in the ditch around the inner border, then down the middle and across helps get that monster into quadrants, taking the pins out as I go. Then, I am able to quilt the quadrants without the back puckering.

The first large (queen size) quilt I did years ago, I used a sheet on the back and it was wonderful to work with, but made the quilt too hot and heavy for FL so I donÂt do that anymore.

Hope this helps!
Gwen

Thanks for the feedback, sorry for delayed response I have to be out of town with work for a couple of days.

Teresa_NC ~ I have a frame and the three layers are rolled onto the bars so I can't tape to the floor.

Jennifer_N_VA ~ Yes both the top and backing are attached to leaders and rolled onto the bars. The piecing seam is usually down the center of the backing. I will try horizontal seams on the next backing. I had never thought of floating the top and back I will have to give it a try.

Sunnycentralfl ~ Are you quilting on you sewing machine or a short/mid arm quilting frame/system? I don't see that I can sandwich first because I am rolling one three pole and feed it through as I go.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions!!!

Marty (Missouri)

Marty, I could be asking a stupid question as I don't know how the short/mid arm machines work, we have a long arm machine. I haven't had any problem with puckering myself but we use extra side ties I wonder isf thats something you use? We usually use 3-4 on each side of the quilt to help pull it tight. Do you use any side ties?

MMenzel ~ I do have side ties and now that you mentioned it I didn't use the ties on the last half of the quilt because it appeared to be so tight I didn't feel it was necessary, so I guess that is possibly my problem. Thanks I will use them throughout from the point on and hopefully it will take care of the puckering.

Marty (Missouri)

Marty,

Use the side clamps!

Also, when rolling the backing, I make sure it is absolutley square,* and then I measure out from the center on the backing roller and the take-up roller, and put a bit of tape on each.

*I always quarter fold the backing and trim off the two cut edges square to the folds.

When I pin to the top leader, I pin very carefully, making sure that each side is the same measurement from the center. Then when rolling I tug and smooth to make sure the edges stay reasonably straight.

I machine quilt on my regular sewing machine and used to have problems with puckering. One of the expert machine quilters in my guild told me that it's all in how you prepare your backing....that it has to be pre-washed and then pressed using starch or sizing to make it crisp. I normally used sizing since I never liked starch but have tried that new product "Mary Ellen's Best Press". It's wonderful, the fabric looks and feels great and no puckers appear on the backside.