Things Just Not “Lining Up”!

Most days my job as a machine quilter flows smoothly.  The quilt goes in the machine, Gussie and Inetta (my Gammill machine with IntelliQuilter Robotics) do their thing of quilting, the quilt comes out of the machine, and we are all happy.

Sometimes there are slight “issues” I have to deal with… wavy borders, puffy blocks, lining (quilt backing) issues, but I am well practiced at dealing with minor issues.  MOST days things just “work”.

TODAY IS NOT ONE OF THOSE DAYS!  I will admit… this is a whiney post.  If you can’t tolerate a little whine you may want to just exit out now.

As I was loading today’s second quilt, I noticed the lining fabric was going to BARELY be enough.  Upon further inspection, I realized that the cut on both ends of the wide lining the customer supplied was way off-grain.  (PET PEAVE:  I TEAR my linings to be sure what you measure is what you get.  Why can’t other fabric sources do that?  There is no way to cut a 108” wide lining fabric on grain!)  A quick snip with the scissors, a strong tug, and I tore it across to get the grain straight.  I lost 6” of fabric!!  There is now no way this will work.  I called the customer and she chose a red lining that I sell to replace the one that won’t work. 

So, while dealing with this I decide to load another quilt in.  I get to the lining fabric, customer supplied, barely enough, both ends are way off grain.  Same scenario… except this one was so badly cut I lost 8”!!  A quick call to the other customer, she also wants the red lining.  No problem.  BUT…

I check the bolt, and there appears to be just enough.  I measure it out, and it is 6” short of what I need, so that means both linings will have to be smaller than I like on the sides in order to have enough fabric to do both quilts.  OK… I may just have to sew extra fabric strips to the side of one of them to get the larger quilt done.  I have a plan!

Then as I was loading the smaller one I realize there is super-sticky masking tape on several places on the right side of the fabric.  I pull it off and of COURSE it leaves sticky residue.  YUCK!  I worked with it for a while and finally sprayed with alcohol, then rubbed a lot.  The sticky stuff did finally come up.

I am now sitting here, a cup of strong coffee in my hand, whining to you all.  It has made me feel better (the coffee and the “unloading”).  A few more sips, then back to work on what was going to be an easy job, but now made more difficult by the short linings.  I WILL make it happen!  I am not going to let a little piece of fabric get the best of me!!

So what are YOU wrestling with today?  I hope you are able to find solutions over a cup of coffee or tea, too!  Thanks for listening!

KAT