Puckering can be a common problem if you are not careful enough while quilting. Imagine you spent all your hard work and time creating a beautiful quilt only to find the stitching, pull the fabric, and puckering.
So how do you prevent such a mess? Are there any preventive measures to avoid puckering? Well, there definitely is.
Puckering, which is the fabric pulled out of its place, happens due to the shifting of the layers while quilting. Many people faced this recurring problem making all their efforts to create a beautiful quilt go in vain.
But don’t worry! There are ways you can prevent this mess from ruining your favorite work. Some of the common ways to prevent this are- adjusting the sewing machine, shifting and adjusting the weight while quilting, careful basting are a few preventive measures.
You will get to know about these measures in detail throughout this blog. So to not miss out on some pro tips, continue reading!
What Is Puckering?
Puckering is that annoying fabric pull while quilting that leaves the stitches uneven. When you are quilting, you stitch horizontal lines on top of each other to create a dense fabric.
The horizontal lines need to be very aligned, and the seams flush with each other for a perfect finish. But puckering can occur if the weight shifts and pulls the fabric out of place. This will make all your efforts go down the drain as this is not an easy problem to fix.
Common Causes of Puckering
Puckering is a common problem that occurs while quilting. It happens because of the shifting of layers during sewing.
There are many causes of puckering, and some of them are-
- Shifting and adjusting the weight while quilting
- Careful basting
- Adjusting the sewing machine.
- You may not have taped the backing of the quilt right
- You may not have held the fabric down while layering
- The safety pins have not gone through the layering, and therefore it is not holding the layers together.
How to Prevent the Risk of Puckering When Quilting?
Quilting is a skill that requires patience, time, and passion. You can spend hours with your fingers in the air, trying to make sure everything is perfect.
But even when you do all of this, puckering still might happen. This is the fabric pulled out of its place, and it happens due to the shifting of the layers while quilting.
It’s frustrating, and most people face it every time they try to create a quilt; they put in all their effort and go through hours of hard work only to find the stitching, pull the fabric, and cause puckering.
So how do you prevent this mess from ruining your favorite work? Well, there are many ways you can use to prevent this from happening, such as adjusting the sewing machine, shifting and adjusting the weight while quilting, careful basting are a few preventive measures. Let’s have a detailed look at these preventive measures-
I. Pin baste close
You should try the pin basting more and keep the spray baster aside for a while. You should try to make a close pin baste while stitching, which will prevent the layers from shifting around more, thereby stopping the puckering.
II. Stop stretching the baking a lot
When you are quilting, try not to stretch the fabric too much. If one layer is stretched more than another, they are going to get loose at different ends.
III. Work on a big table
The accessories you are using for quilting hamper the outcome a lot. Often, gravity can also modify flat quilting and pull the layers in all directions. Therefore, take a large flat table to work on and make sure that all the parts of the quilt you are not controlling are on the table and not hanging on the floor.
IV. Lower foot pressure
If your foot pressure is too high during quilting, puckering might occur often. Every time you are moving the layers in the stitching process, the problem of pulling will occur. Hence, you need to reduce the foot pressure if you want to get rid of puckering.
V. Increase stitch length
A longer stitch is recommended for quilting because a short stitch can put access pressure on the foot. A longer stitch can make the quilt float like a single piece, so make sure you keep that in mind.
VI. Do not rush the process
It is important that you take time and go at a stable speed while quilting in the straight line. The walking foot also works better when the pace is moderate and not rushed through.
Final Words
By now, you must have understood what puckering is and how it affects your quilting outcome. These puckered fabrics make your hard work and time wasted, and there’s no way you can fix them.
So, to avoid this problem, we have mentioned a few preventive measures. Hopefully, through this guide, you could learn how to prevent puckering and make beautiful fancy quilts!
