Star quilt that needs help
01-04-2011, 10:44 PM
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
Originally Posted by liwilliams
This star quilt being held up by my daughter - although all you can see of her is red hair and some feet. She is being gracious enough to be my design wall for me today.
I really like this quilt - but the problem is, it's not the right size. It needs to be a bit bigger (like 4 to 6 inches on each side) to be a good throw size. I just don't have a wall for it to be a wallhanging.
If this was your quilt what would you do to it? I have small amount of the fabrics left, but not enough to do another border. And I'm was worried about adding more borders and it getting wonky. Help! I just am stuck!
How about a lovely pale sage green frame? Beautiful as is, though.
Any ideas? Thanks for any suggestions.
I really like this quilt - but the problem is, it's not the right size. It needs to be a bit bigger (like 4 to 6 inches on each side) to be a good throw size. I just don't have a wall for it to be a wallhanging.
If this was your quilt what would you do to it? I have small amount of the fabrics left, but not enough to do another border. And I'm was worried about adding more borders and it getting wonky. Help! I just am stuck!
How about a lovely pale sage green frame? Beautiful as is, though.
Any ideas? Thanks for any suggestions.
01-05-2011, 12:12 AM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: England
Posts: 5,048
Turning the quilt on point sounds like a good idea and may detract from the wonkiness. It may still be necessary to trim the corners though if turning it on point does not hide this wonkiness. Best of luck.
01-05-2011, 12:29 AM
#44
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 49
It is beautiful, I think adding another border would distract from how great it looks already (although I am still upset with myself for adding too much border to another quilt).
And, from below - you can also buy cheap plexiglass off Ebay. It is the same stuff as they make squaring rulers from. They are already really square, and you can usually get seconds for a couple of dollars. If you really need your inch markers, print some off on transparencies and tape them on!
No problem. But you may not like the panacea.
You need to unwonk the 4 corners to make your quilt flat enough to quilt.
When you know you are going to add more borders, you need to use a square up ruler. If you can't afford a 12 or 15-inch quilter's square, see if your husband has an L-square out in the garage. If not, ask one of your friends who is an engineer or in the construction business if you can use his Large L-square or T-square. Be sure to return it the next day if possible. Engineers and Construction folks need those squares every single day to ensure their work is not wonky, too.
The easiest way is to use the quilt square.
Open up the worst wonky wannabe 90-degree corner down to the first one. Rip out 6 inches on the top and 6 inches on the side of the angle. You will need a good two millimeter (very small) ripper to get under machine stitches.
Place the square or L-square on the edge. Is it 90-degrees? If it is greater than 90 degrees, cut it down until it is 90 degrees if you can do so without wiping out the aesthetics of your block underneath. If you are using the L-square, use a pencil to mark new cutting lines for your 90-degree corner.
After trimming, resew the first border.
Place the L-square or quilter's square on the new border. Ask yourself the same question--is it 90 degrees? Repeat the process out to the final border.
You should have a perfectly beautiful, unwonked corner.
Repeat 3 times on the other 3 corners of your quilt, down to the offending first area that is wonky. Then go
step by step and border by border to the outside.
When all 4 corners are squared from the first offending non-90-degree corner, add your next border. This time, square the border when it is done. I like to end my quilts with at least one long border, even if it's as narrow as 1.5 inches on the outside as the last border to stabilize the quilt for binding.
Voila. You have the neatest, unwonkiest, flattest quilt this side of the Mississippi. Yours also happens to be quite pretty.
:mrgreen:
And, from below - you can also buy cheap plexiglass off Ebay. It is the same stuff as they make squaring rulers from. They are already really square, and you can usually get seconds for a couple of dollars. If you really need your inch markers, print some off on transparencies and tape them on!
Originally Posted by beautress
Originally Posted by liwilliams
This star quilt being held up by my daughter - although all you can see of her is red hair and some feet. She is being gracious enough to be my design wall for me today.
I really like this quilt - but the problem is, it's not the right size. It needs to be a bit bigger (like 4 to 6 inches on each side) to be a good throw size. I just don't have a wall for it to be a wallhanging.
If this was your quilt what would you do to it? I have small amount of the fabrics left, but not enough to do another border. And I'm was worried about adding more borders and it getting wonky. Help! I just am stuck!
Any ideas? Thanks for any suggestions.
I really like this quilt - but the problem is, it's not the right size. It needs to be a bit bigger (like 4 to 6 inches on each side) to be a good throw size. I just don't have a wall for it to be a wallhanging.
If this was your quilt what would you do to it? I have small amount of the fabrics left, but not enough to do another border. And I'm was worried about adding more borders and it getting wonky. Help! I just am stuck!
Any ideas? Thanks for any suggestions.
You need to unwonk the 4 corners to make your quilt flat enough to quilt.
When you know you are going to add more borders, you need to use a square up ruler. If you can't afford a 12 or 15-inch quilter's square, see if your husband has an L-square out in the garage. If not, ask one of your friends who is an engineer or in the construction business if you can use his Large L-square or T-square. Be sure to return it the next day if possible. Engineers and Construction folks need those squares every single day to ensure their work is not wonky, too.
The easiest way is to use the quilt square.
Open up the worst wonky wannabe 90-degree corner down to the first one. Rip out 6 inches on the top and 6 inches on the side of the angle. You will need a good two millimeter (very small) ripper to get under machine stitches.
Place the square or L-square on the edge. Is it 90-degrees? If it is greater than 90 degrees, cut it down until it is 90 degrees if you can do so without wiping out the aesthetics of your block underneath. If you are using the L-square, use a pencil to mark new cutting lines for your 90-degree corner.
After trimming, resew the first border.
Place the L-square or quilter's square on the new border. Ask yourself the same question--is it 90 degrees? Repeat the process out to the final border.
You should have a perfectly beautiful, unwonked corner.
Repeat 3 times on the other 3 corners of your quilt, down to the offending first area that is wonky. Then go
step by step and border by border to the outside.
When all 4 corners are squared from the first offending non-90-degree corner, add your next border. This time, square the border when it is done. I like to end my quilts with at least one long border, even if it's as narrow as 1.5 inches on the outside as the last border to stabilize the quilt for binding.
Voila. You have the neatest, unwonkiest, flattest quilt this side of the Mississippi. Yours also happens to be quite pretty.
:mrgreen:
01-05-2011, 03:54 PM
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Silver Springs, NV
Posts: 2,404
Beautiful, I agree with the white background or a shade lighter in your purples. I think it would make the focus point stay center and 4 corners where all your beauty lies. You have done a beautiful job.
01-05-2011, 03:58 PM
#47
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 333
Thank you. It's so good to get all these suggestions. It really gives me a good place to start from. (As opposed to starting with nothing! Which is where I was.) And the instructions on squaring up will really help too. :D
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
janice4
Pictures
61
02-09-2010 11:04 PM
