GrannieAnnie

I'm lost again. I have no idea who measuring can prevent puckering, but if you say so, I guess I'm just in the dark.

GrannieAnnie

stay stitching can result in puckers, too!

feline fanatic

It really is only an issue when the quilt is quilted on a rack. A quilt must be perfect square (or within 1/2") square to quilt properly when on a rack. If it is not, as the quilt is quilted and advanced on the roller that excess fabric that is in the border (the result of NOT measuring the center but simply cutting and sewing until you reach the end) will bunch up until all of a sudden you have a big old ripple in the edge and no way to quilt it out. So you end up with a nice big pucker in the quilting or a pleat.

If you hand quilt using a lap hoop or quilt on a domestic sewing machine from the center out it is not so much an issue but if you hang the quilt up instead of laying it on a bed the wavy borders will become quite evident. So again, if you don't use a longarm, and don't enter a quilt in shows it really doesn't matter, attach the borders any way you want. But be advised, I have seen situations here on this board where it did matter even though the quilter wasn't LA and wasn't showing. She laid that quilt out on the floor and those borders looked like old glory flapping away in a hurricane! They waved more than the queen of england.

AndiR

And ALSO measure through the middle. I've often come across quilts that are about the same size on each side, but that measurement is several inches larger than the center of the quilt. That is when there are wavy borders.

I've also encountered quilts where the MIDDLE measurement is larger than the border measurements. THEN I have a lot of fullness in the CENTER that I need to ease in.

Ahhhh, if fabric were just more stable - less stretching, shifting or shrinking - it would make my job so much easier!!

AndiR

Grannie Annie, it's because measuring ensures that your borders fit the center of your quilt correctly. So when the quilt is quilted, there is not a lot of extra fabric that needs to go somewhere - like in a pucker or tuck.

Neesie

Yep, yep, yep! Been there, done that, and learned the hard way. It may not happen every time . . . but sooner or later, it catches up with you.

Lori S

Stay stitching does help, but its not as good as the methods of using the center measurement described above. Starch also helps. Personally I do all , stay stitch, starch, and use my center measurement.

auntpiggylpn

I probably do have an out of square quilt. I don't square mine. The quilts I make are not going into a show. I quilt my own. But I have to tell you that when I am done with my quilt and am folding it up, I'm not seeing any issues with them not being square. I haven't noticed that one side is longer or shorter than the other or that the edges don't fold up neatly together. I must just be lucky and the quilts aren't too wonky.

Jingle

I always measure my quilts through the center, up and down and side to side, I find this works really well and I never have to square them up. They are the same size on both sides and the ends. I put 5 pins in both quilt and border strip, when I sew I pinch both edges in between the pins, sew to that point and then sew to the pin. I do this until the border is sewn on. This may take a few extra minutes but, I figure I have so much time in making a quilt that a few more minutes won't hurt. I am my worse critic and try to please myself. I only make quilts for my own entertainment, although I have given many away. I always make sure I'm pleased with my work. Make yours however it works. Others know what they are talking about.

MadQuilter

I've seen quilts where the border was just added without measuring and it showed (one or two were my own very early on). When you measure down the middle then you can ease any difference between that measurement and the actual outside border when you attach the piece. Any difference can be distributed along the entire lenth so there are no puckers or waves.