Quilting headaches

Well, yesterday ended on a frustrating note. I have come to the conclusion that amongst other things, I didn't pin very well when basting. The first day's quilting went so-so well (except for the two wrinkles) but yesterday was a killer. I had turned the quilt around and was working from the middle out to the edge but it seemed like every row would get a wrinkle and I rip it out and start again more carefully. Somewhere towards the edge the quilt would start pulling terribly against the pin! If I take out the pin there is going to be more slippage. But if I leave the pin in then there is going to be a wrinkle on top. I was stretching the dumb thing off the backing and the whole quilt was pulling on the bias, stretching on the top and wrinkling on the bottom! I took three rows out and re-pinned. No good. The next row was just as bad. HA! And I thought two wrinkles were going to be the extent of my problems!!!

So I dragged the whole quilt off the table and down onto the floor and re-pinned the part I wanted to work on this time with pins every inch or so! Lots and lots of pins!!! Let's just say if gremlins wanted to make my day difficult they did a good job. Cats would sit on the quilt, play with the pins. Pull the pins as I was pinning (more straightening up of the quilt). The lamp fell off the table twice as I was pushing the quilt around. The sewing machine decided it didn't want to work anymore. Probably in protest of the workout I was giving it! The bottom feet stopped working until I took the plate off and got down in there with a lint brush.

So the pin basting might be a lot of my problem. We didn't tape or pin the backing down at all. My friends and I never do and we've been hand basting quilts off of the tatami mats for years and never had this problem!

The polyester batting might be part of the problem but again, this is what we've used for years and and don't think any of us have ever noticed the slippage.

The placing of my sewing machine might be the problem. I have it on a low table which allows the quilt to rest on a table which is level. But the quilt only rests on the left side. It has nothing to rest on behind the sewing machine and I'm sure that must cause some pulling. But as cramped for space as I am I don't think there is anyway I can add more furniture to this room...

I feel a little sorry for my quilt. At least when I am hand quilting I admire my work and imagine how nicely this is going to turn out in a month or two. With the 365 Challenge I look at it as the enemy to be vanquished! Instead of admiring I groan at the new puckers or pulls. My sewing machine doesn't like me and now my quilt and I are at odds too!

I went to bed with a terrific headache last night and don't really know if the re-pinning is going to help things...

Oh, let's end on a happy note. Don't you think my two orangish cats look nice on the colorful 365?