My quilt is crooked
10-27-2011, 07:52 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: S. Dakota
Posts: 512
There are several possibilities.
Before I load a quilt on the frame, I measure it in six places - top border, thru the center, and bottom border for the width, and left border, thru the center, and right border for the length. These measurements should all be the same, if not then I know where the extra fullness is that I need to work in as I go. If they are not the same, perhaps you are not applying borders correctly. I have a tip sheet on applying borders on my website: http://www.andicraftsquilting.com/learn.htm
If I'm understanding correctly, you are quilting the center of the quilt but leaving the side borders unquilted as you advance down the quilt. When I do this, I baste (either a large machine stitch or by pinning) the borders as I go. From the measurements I took earlier, I will know if I have fullness in the borders, and rather than smoothing them flat as I work down, I will distribute a little of that fullness in each pass so I can work it in evenly.
I also think you are saying that the quilt is 'hourglassing' as you are working your way down (pulling in so the center of the quilt is not as wide as the top/bottom border)? Again, fullness in the borders can cause this. If when I measured I came up with 90" top border, 88" center, 90" bottom border, I would use the 88" measurement when loading the quilt, then ease in that extra fullness. Also, are you basting the edges of the quilt before you quilt that area? I always baste the top edge and what I can reach of the sides every time I advance before I do any quilting - that helps prevent the hourglassing.
As far as what to do now, some people will take a tuck in the border, if you hand stitch it closed it will look like a seam and not be all that noticeable. Sometimes you can steam the extra fullness out of the border. If working from the front of the machine, you can use one hand to work in the fullness as you quilt. A pattern like piano keys (parallel lines an inch or two apart) can work wonders for sucking up the fullness. Or yes, you can take off and rework the borders.
Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
Before I load a quilt on the frame, I measure it in six places - top border, thru the center, and bottom border for the width, and left border, thru the center, and right border for the length. These measurements should all be the same, if not then I know where the extra fullness is that I need to work in as I go. If they are not the same, perhaps you are not applying borders correctly. I have a tip sheet on applying borders on my website: http://www.andicraftsquilting.com/learn.htm
If I'm understanding correctly, you are quilting the center of the quilt but leaving the side borders unquilted as you advance down the quilt. When I do this, I baste (either a large machine stitch or by pinning) the borders as I go. From the measurements I took earlier, I will know if I have fullness in the borders, and rather than smoothing them flat as I work down, I will distribute a little of that fullness in each pass so I can work it in evenly.
I also think you are saying that the quilt is 'hourglassing' as you are working your way down (pulling in so the center of the quilt is not as wide as the top/bottom border)? Again, fullness in the borders can cause this. If when I measured I came up with 90" top border, 88" center, 90" bottom border, I would use the 88" measurement when loading the quilt, then ease in that extra fullness. Also, are you basting the edges of the quilt before you quilt that area? I always baste the top edge and what I can reach of the sides every time I advance before I do any quilting - that helps prevent the hourglassing.
As far as what to do now, some people will take a tuck in the border, if you hand stitch it closed it will look like a seam and not be all that noticeable. Sometimes you can steam the extra fullness out of the border. If working from the front of the machine, you can use one hand to work in the fullness as you quilt. A pattern like piano keys (parallel lines an inch or two apart) can work wonders for sucking up the fullness. Or yes, you can take off and rework the borders.
Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
10-28-2011, 05:05 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 378
Listen to AndR. She has it correct. You might also try spray starch. It shrinks the fabric and takes up some of the slack. Professional quilters always tell you to stabilize borders and blocks first, then quilt. This eliminates what you experienced. Lousy learning curve, I know but a valuable lesson. Try AndiR's advise and the startch. Then you will know if you have to rip or take tucks.
10-28-2011, 05:32 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,548
I find that if I am going to add multiple borders, it's better to sew all the borders together and remeasure the quilt top in three areas and cut the sewn together borders to match the averaged quilt side measurement. If you sewed the borders on one at a time, they do tend to expand.
At this point you have two options, take off the borders and fix the slack (the quilt edge may now be distorted and be harder to fix) or try to work in the extra with dense quilting if you can. If you have quilted the center and not the borders, this will have caused some of the problem. The quilted center shrinks up as you quilt it. Good luck!
At this point you have two options, take off the borders and fix the slack (the quilt edge may now be distorted and be harder to fix) or try to work in the extra with dense quilting if you can. If you have quilted the center and not the borders, this will have caused some of the problem. The quilted center shrinks up as you quilt it. Good luck!
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