08 April 2014

Quilt sleeve slippage

The quilt has been hanging on the wall for some time. Taking it down to pack it up to send away, I noticed that the hanging sleeve was showing at the top -
 It had been put on according to instructions about making a D shape, to allow for the bulge of the rod. The reason for the slippage was at the bottom of the sleeve -
Stitches not firm enough, thread a little bit stretchy perhaps - and uh-oh ... sleeve creep! "Your slip is showing" - something we didn't want to happen as teenagers, back last century in the days of modesty. "Your sleeve is showing" ... something we don't want to hear when quilts get hung up in exhibitions.

So, when a sleeve is needed, be careful. And consider making the sleeve to blend with the binding or edge of the quilt, rather than using just any old fabric. (At the JQ exhibit recently, the hanging system allowed you to see - if you were close enough - the tops of the sleeves of the quilts that were hung below eye level, and a very interesting collection of random fabrics these made!)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Margaret - if you make your D sleeve by cutting a 10 inch strip, turning in the sides and stitching them, then ironing it in half, opening it up, ironing in the long sides to the centre fold. Next you sew a line of stitching along both quarter folds ie the edges that you will hand stitch. Lastly, take both end lengths and make a 1/4 inch seam which sits on the back of the quilt. Hand stitch the sleeve on, 1 inch from the top and 1 inch away from the sides of the quilt. It shouldn't show and should hang well.

Please let me know how you find so much time to blog!!

Best wishes

Christine