Squaring up a Quilt
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Hi,
I'm new here, but have been craft sewing for some time. I have a recurring problem, I'm working on a small lap quilt, getting my quilt to be square. I have tried measuring from the selvage and then using a tee square for the sides, but it just doesn't seem to make a perfectly square quilt. Any suggestions? Is buying one of those large cardboard pieces with lines on it an option?
Thanks so much!
Suzy
I'm new here, but have been craft sewing for some time. I have a recurring problem, I'm working on a small lap quilt, getting my quilt to be square. I have tried measuring from the selvage and then using a tee square for the sides, but it just doesn't seem to make a perfectly square quilt. Any suggestions? Is buying one of those large cardboard pieces with lines on it an option?
Thanks so much!
Suzy
#2
http://www.quiltuniversity.com/squaring_up.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPlo79fz6P0
http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/2...-tutorial.html
these are all different ideas on squaring up quilts.
trimming a tiny bit to square is fine. you don't want to cut into your blocks if they go out to the edges of your quilt. borders are fair game but again, not much off the edges please. quilts mostly are going onto beds, so square isn't so important.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPlo79fz6P0
http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/2...-tutorial.html
these are all different ideas on squaring up quilts.
trimming a tiny bit to square is fine. you don't want to cut into your blocks if they go out to the edges of your quilt. borders are fair game but again, not much off the edges please. quilts mostly are going onto beds, so square isn't so important.
#3
Are you checking the size of "each" block that you make for the correct finished measurements? If each block is the correct size & you are sewing accurate 1/4" seams, the quilt sould come out square. I'm not understanding what selvages you would have in a completed quilt top. Selvages are usually cut off before cutting your pieces for the blocks. If you are using selvages, I think they may distort your block sizes.
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Thank you so much to all of you for getting back to me so quickly. I found a chenille backed quilt on a blog. It's one large piece 45"x45" of cotton fabric backed by three layers of flannel. I sewed a diagonal and then stitched 1/2" from that diagonal, and so forth to quilt the piece, essentially. Then I cut between all the channels and am in the process of squaring it before I add the binding. If you want to see the quilt, here's a link.
http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08...ille-baby.html
That's why I'm having trouble and why I have a selvage.
Thanks again. Suzy
http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08...ille-baby.html
That's why I'm having trouble and why I have a selvage.
Thanks again. Suzy
#8
Originally Posted by SuzyMcQ
But, how do you determine your "straight" edge if the selvage isn't straight? Do you guess at straight on one of the sides and then go from there? Sounds like it......
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Glenmoore, PA
Posts: 7,941
Originally Posted by SuzyMcQ
Thank you so much to all of you for getting back to me so quickly. I found a chenille backed quilt on a blog. It's one large piece 45"x45" of cotton fabric backed by three layers of flannel. I sewed a diagonal and then stitched 1/2" from that diagonal, and so forth to quilt the piece, essentially. Then I cut between all the channels and am in the process of squaring it before I add the binding. If you want to see the quilt, here's a link.
http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08...ille-baby.html
That's why I'm having trouble and why I have a selvage.
Thanks again. Suzy
http://www.aestheticnest.com/2010/08...ille-baby.html
That's why I'm having trouble and why I have a selvage.
Thanks again. Suzy
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Glenmoore, PA
Posts: 7,941
Originally Posted by SuzyMcQ
But, how do you determine your "straight" edge if the selvage isn't straight? Do you guess at straight on one of the sides and then go from there? Sounds like it......
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