squaring up a quilt top?
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,572
After all the starching/blocking you could try the carpenter's method of checking for square...measure diagonally from corner to corner in both directions. If you get the same result both times...it's square. If it's not out horribly, I wouldn't worry about it and just make up your difference with your borders...easing as necessary.
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 5,973
What a beautiful quilt. I have done several bias edge patterns and have had to square everyone. I have 12 inch tiles in my breakfast room/kitchen so I like the edges up with the tiles and tape it down with masking tape. It's not perfect but it works. Then I totally wet the quilt down and let it dry. It usually works. I am looking forward to trying the Elmers glue basting to see if that helps with "poofs" that appear in the center.
#14
I agree with the other ladies on blocking the top. I did a star of Bethlehem quilt top in a king size and there were so many bias edges that the quilt looked to me to be totally unsalvageable. I didn't think there was anyway I could possibly fix it. I was directed on here to try blocking it. I wet the quilt and used a braided rug to pin it to. Used a lot of pins to get all the points straight and the puckers out but it worked beautifully. After it dried I unpinned it and the quilt kept its shape perfectly. Like PP said start in the middle and work your way out. Totally fixable and no one will ever know you had a problem. Good Luck!
#16
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 117
I made this same quilt and did not have your problem....It was a mess from the start with the wrong template that did not make the points so I used Marti Mitchell Kite template for the center and quilt sense Kaleidoscope triangle ruler and I am square surprising.....sending it out to the quilter now....but I did buy the new template from MSQ so now I have the wrong and right one.....I even sent out to Australia for templates where the snowball was one piece but it was so small I would be still working on it.....
#17
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 284
Who says it has to be square?When you lie under it will you know the difference?If you have it long armed your quilter can even it out a LITTLE.I have to square quilts all the time.And I quilt for some of the best piecers in our area.Your quilt is lovely.Lay it out,lay the borders on it in the middle.If the middle is within an inch of the top and bottom then you can ease that amount in.Make sure you don't ease it in all in 1 spot.Then when it is quilted,the longarmer will lay a large square on each corner and keep it square as she mounts your quilt.You can stay-stitch it along the edges to keep it from stretching anymore.That is a hard pattern but it is lovely.
#18
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 141
I agree with Jingles comment that washing after quilting and binding works to cure problems. I take a wet (but not soaking wet) quilt and lay it outside if the weather cooperates. I try to "block" the quilt shape (like blocking a washed sweater that is being dried back into shape). There are tutorials on doing this and I've seen it mentioned with instructions in some quilt books.
#19
Do not fear, the long arm quilter can do wonders. I buy many vintage quilts and sometimes when I take them to Marie who does my quilting, I warn her about the problems. She will tell me she had some difficulty but not much and the quilts always come out beautiful. By the way, your quilt top does look very pretty. I read a blog about this particular pattern and there were many many complaints.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Victorville, Ca.
Posts: 630
Lovely quilt! Once you've "squared" it up as well as you can, "stay" stitch around the entire perimeter with a long stitch to keep the bias edges from stretching as you sew on your border or quilt it. Really helps!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post