Hockeyrabbit

Hi All-

Last year I purchased a few panels for Halloween and just quilted one of them. When I took it off the frame, I thought I could get away with just nudging it to make things line up. The panel was TERRIBLY cut, but that is how it came to me and I thought I could put it on the LA and ease things around...not so much!

Any ideas how to square this up? I feel like just need to cut the sides as best I can because they are just a wavy mess. The other hard part is that there is this cream outline/border which was butchered when sent to me, then the next color is black (remember Halloween), so I'm thinking of just cutting off the cream.

Wish I could attach a picture. JC

Tartan

Panels with borders are the pits! I usually cut the borders off and then add new borders to kind of straighten the panel. Since you have already quilted it, you can still trim it and attach borders kind of quilt as you go method.
Cut the short border pieces for the top and bottom and longer border pieces for the 2 sides. Cut corresponding back border pieces a little bigger than the fronts. Cut batt sections to match the back border pieces. Lay the front border right side down on the quilt top, pin the back border (laying on the quilt back) with the batt underneath it and sew the top seam. Do the bottom in the same way. Press the fabric outwards on the top and bottom borders. You can then attach the side borders in the same method. Once all the borders are attached, you can quilt the border sections and add binding.
Another option is to set the whole panel at a wonky angle to disguise the crookedness.

nativetexan

why not make it wonky! or cut it and make a conversion quilt style?

ckcowl

did you only quilt the panel? without trimming, squaring it up first? did not add any borders or blocks? if that is the case about all you can do now is choose a line and trim, square it up- hopefully without making the center appear 'wonky'. and before you quilt the next one clean up the edges and square it up the way you want it- leaving a bit on the outside to use to square up your quilted quilt- since the act of quilting causes some distortion. cutting off the cream and making the black square is probably your best bet at this point- then if one side winds up being a bit narrower than a different side it will not be very noticeable-if at all. do remember for future projects- your quilt top (doesn't matter if it's a big quilt, a wallhanging or a placemat) should be squared & even before quilting.

Peckish

You can try squaring it up by blocking it. Spritz some water on the quilt to get it damp, then pin it to a carpeted floor or a spare bed or somewhere it can sit undisturbed for a day. Tug here and finesse there as you're pinning, making sure that it's square. Then let it set and dry.