Wavy edges
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,255
Wavy edges
I was careful to square up a recently quilted baby quilt before adding the binding. I was also careful not to stretch the binding as I sewed it on. But now with the binding on and sewn on both sides, the edges of the quilt ripple. Does this mean I need to "block" the quilt? (I'm not sure how to do this) Should I add more quilting to the outer border? What will flatten it?
#3
Yes, try blocking. However wavy edges usually mean that your borders are larger than they should be. Did you measure the quilt through the center and a couple of other places and cut your borders to size before attaching them?
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,666
It there is no quilting on the edges - and heavy quilting in the borders - would that pull up the center of the borders (shrink them) and leave the edges "bigger" - then the edges would be ruffly compared to the rest of the quilt?
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 838
This might be the problem. If you added a bit more binding than necessary in your caution not to stretch it, the excess would cause the ripples. On a baby quilt, as little as 1/4 to 1/2" extra binding on a side will be enough to make the edges wavy.
I would try dampening it and pinning it flat as QuiltnNan suggested, but if that doesn't work, removing the binding and redoing it would be my suggestion, this time not worrying about stretching the binding.
Edited to add: a picture might help determine if the issue is quilting density or something else.
I would try dampening it and pinning it flat as QuiltnNan suggested, but if that doesn't work, removing the binding and redoing it would be my suggestion, this time not worrying about stretching the binding.
Edited to add: a picture might help determine if the issue is quilting density or something else.
Last edited by Jennifer23; 06-07-2017 at 07:23 AM.
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I was careful to square up a recently quilted baby quilt before adding the binding. I was also careful not to stretch the binding as I sewed it on. But now with the binding on and sewn on both sides, the edges of the quilt ripple. Does this mean I need to "block" the quilt? (I'm not sure how to do this) Should I add more quilting to the outer border? What will flatten it?
I agree with other posters. I do think your comment about being careful not to stretch the binding might be the problem. I do not sew binding on with a walking foot, and I sew with the binding on top, but I am careful to *stretch* the binding taut as I sew, lay it on the quilt edge, then finger pin them together about 5" in front of the presser foot. This ensures that the presser foot does not stretch the binding in front of it as I sew.
I should mention that this is with straight-grain binding. When I am stretching the binding taut, it is a double layer of straight-grain binding so all I am doing is stretching both layers of binding evenly along the grain. If I do not do this, then the presser foot is likely stretching the top layer of the binding, but not the bottom layer. When this happens, when you go to turn the binding to the other side and sew to finish, you are actually sewing in rippled binding -- because one layer of binding was stretched and the other was not.
Just to recap, I stretch the doubled layer of binding out and up in front of the presser foot (with needle down through all the layers, of course), then lay the binding down on the quilt and finger pin it in place about 5" in front of the presser foot while I sew to the finger pinning.
With bias binding I would do the same; however, because bias can stretch too much, I heavily starch the binding fabric before I cut the binding. That way it won't stretch too much when I pull it out taut in front of the presser foot.
If there are ripples in the binding, even if you are successful in getting them out by blocking the quilt, chances are they will come right back with the next washing. Instead of removing the binding, you can try blocking the quilt, then adding decorative stitching as a design element over the binding. The decorative stitching will keep the ripples under control in future washings.
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,430
I, too, would suggest blocking the quilt to remove the wavy binding. To block the quilt, I pin it flat onto the carpet and then lightly spritz the top. Let it dry for a day or two and then remove the quilt. It should be flat by then. Hope it works.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post