How do I keep my quilt square

My first few quilt projects have not hung straight and I am trying to
make sure my current project stays square. I have just now started
attaching the borders and so far everything is square and all of
measurements match up like they should.

What tips do you have for keeping everthing square during attaching
boders and quilting?

I think somehow the quilting on my last project caused the wavy way
the quilt hung. Is there a way to keep the quilting from causing a
warp in the quilt?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Do you measure frequently along the way -- to make sure you stay square from
the get-go?

How do you add borders? Chop off a piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! This is one of the easiest ways to end up with a quilt that
is very wonky (hee hee... a techincal term!). You should measure at at
least 2 (and 3 or 4 is better) spots on your quilt, then average the
measurements together (Hopefully they are the same... but rarely are they!).
Cut THAT length for your border... easing as needed.

My only advice is to measure.... measure... measure. Make sure each block
is square and accurate. Make sure each row is square and accurate. Cut
carefully and straight.

Sorry I don't have any magic answers.

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


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"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
My first few quilt projects have not hung straight and I am trying to
make sure my current project stays square. I have just now started
attaching the borders and so far everything is square and all of
measurements match up like they should.

What tips do you have for keeping everthing square during attaching
boders and quilting?

I think somehow the quilting on my last project caused the wavy way
the quilt hung. Is there a way to keep the quilting from causing a
warp in the quilt?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

One little trick that I use is to cut your binding on the crosswise grain so
it will have a bit of stretch. Lay the quilt out flat and- using small
safety pins- mark any areas that don't lay flat starting and ending about 2
inches from the wobble. When you sew on the binding (sewing the first round
by machine- not the final stitching) you can stretch the binding a bit and
it will make the tiniest of gathers and flatten out those wobbles. This
only works for small boo-boos.... large waves will need more intensive
treatment.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Kate G." wrote in message
. ..
Do you measure frequently along the way -- to make sure you stay square
from the get-go?

How do you add borders? Chop off a piece... sew it on... then trim to
fit? Sure hope NOT! This is one of the easiest ways to end up with a
quilt that is very wonky (hee hee... a techincal term!). You should
measure at at least 2 (and 3 or 4 is better) spots on your quilt, then
average the measurements together (Hopefully they are the same... but
rarely are they!). Cut THAT length for your border... easing as needed.

My only advice is to measure.... measure... measure. Make sure each
block is square and accurate. Make sure each row is square and accurate.
Cut carefully and straight.

Sorry I don't have any magic answers.

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
My first few quilt projects have not hung straight and I am trying to
make sure my current project stays square. I have just now started
attaching the borders and so far everything is square and all of
measurements match up like they should.

What tips do you have for keeping everthing square during attaching
boders and quilting?

I think somehow the quilting on my last project caused the wavy way
the quilt hung. Is there a way to keep the quilting from causing a
warp in the quilt?

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

On Jul 5, Kate in MI said, "How do you add borders? Chop off a
piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! "

I sounds worse when you say it that way. (LOL)

I thought that if I cut my borders "over length" that I would have
extra in case sewing it on changed its length. I was careful to make
sure that opposite sides of the quilt center were the same length
before I started, and tried to sew the binding on with about the same
level of tension (making sure I did not stretch the fabric as I sewed
the binding on).

It sounds like that was all wrong.

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

I know that was a long question. It's amazing the number of things
you do not know when you are a real beginner.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Yes -- measure in 2 or 3 spots across the quilt (both length & width) and
then cut your border strip to the exact measurement (average the 2 or 3 if
they are different.)

Then ease or stretch a bit so that you have your opposite sides the exact
same size. Otherwise... you could end up with opposite sides different
(even an inch or more) and if you are hanging the quilt... it will
definitely show. On a bed... not quite as apparent.

Good luck!

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"MaleQuilter" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 5, Kate in MI said, "How do you add borders? Chop off a
piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! "

I sounds worse when you say it that way. (LOL)

I thought that if I cut my borders "over length" that I would have
extra in case sewing it on changed its length. I was careful to make
sure that opposite sides of the quilt center were the same length
before I started, and tried to sew the binding on with about the same
level of tension (making sure I did not stretch the fabric as I sewed
the binding on).

It sounds like that was all wrong.

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

I know that was a long question. It's amazing the number of things
you do not know when you are a real beginner.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

unfortunately that's not the way it works, if you cut the borders to a
fixed size, determined by the quilt top so far, not the pattern, then
make the ends match, you should get a better result.

You've not mentioned whether or not you square up after quilting. I was
taught to do it this way, though I've seen many instructions that say
trim backing and batting level with top. I've not made many quilts, but
so far they've all been flat and this is what I've done.

cheers
Anne

Howdy!

First I square up the quilt top, then I measure for the borders
(if any), kinda' like this at the bottom half of the page:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-1791.html

Then I square it up again.
To help it Finish as a "squared" quilted quilt, I pin baste,
a lot, closely, carefully. Lots of basting, I don't want this thing
shifting. Baste, baste, baste.
I quilt from the center towards the outer edges in a spiral.
When I get to the borders I try to be very careful to
not stretch that part of the quilt when adjusting the quilt hoop
(I hand quilt); if I'm being extra careful I add an extra (wide) border
to the real border so my hoop hangs onto that extra fabric,
less stress & stretching on the quilt body.
After the quilting (& removing that extra wide border strip)
I sew a line all the way around the quilt to lock in my quilting stitches.
Kinda' like this, except I use the regular machine foot:
http://www.quiltuniversity.com/squaring_up.htm
Then I square it up again, just like this lesson at Qlt. Univ., sliding
a long ruler along the edge, with the table supporting the quilt body
so it doesn't stretch or pull off true.
I make plenty of binding, not measuring it too closely to the
quilt because I've already squared up the quilt before the binding
stage. As I sew on the binding I keep it a tiny bit tight, just to make
sure the quilt sandwich stays the same size/dimension, squared up.
This is what works for me. YMMV

It's that basting to keep the quilting even that makes a big difference
for me to have a "squared up" Finished quilt.

Good luck!

R/Sandy-- watching it try to rain, again, in n.Tx. -- glub-glub

On 7/5/07 5:20 PM, in article
, "MaleQuilter"
wrote:

On Jul 5, Kate in MI said, "How do you add borders? Chop off a
piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! "

I sounds worse when you say it that way. (LOL)

I thought that if I cut my borders "over length" that I would have
extra in case sewing it on changed its length. I was careful to make
sure that opposite sides of the quilt center were the same length
before I started, and tried to sew the binding on with about the same
level of tension (making sure I did not stretch the fabric as I sewed
the binding on).

It sounds like that was all wrong.

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

I know that was a long question. It's amazing the number of things
you do not know when you are a real beginner.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

I hope that you mis-typed the next to the last paragraph here.....
We are talking borders, not binding....G

I always measure the borders to the quilt, and mark centers and quarter
points, by folding both quilt and borders. Always fold borders single
layer, but I do cut them both at the same time-- to make sure they are
exactly the same length. G Often I fold the quilt top in half, fold
the borders in half (singly), line up folds, then lay the border along
the center, and then mark/cut the ends even.

If you keep everything square as you go, then the finished top should be
square. Remember when you sew the unpieced border to the pieced top,
every one of those seams is a chance for "stretching" of the top. For
that reason, I usually cut borders on the lengthwise (non-stretchy)
grain, and sew with the border on the top, the pieced edge on the
bottom. VBG

Works for me.

Pati, in Phx
http://community.webshots.com/user/PatiCooks


MaleQuilter wrote:

On Jul 5, Kate in MI said, "How do you add borders? Chop off a
piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! "

I sounds worse when you say it that way. (LOL)

I thought that if I cut my borders "over length" that I would have
extra in case sewing it on changed its length. I was careful to make
sure that opposite sides of the quilt center were the same length
before I started, and tried to sew the binding on with about the same
level of tension (making sure I did not stretch the fabric as I sewed
the binding on).

It sounds like that was all wrong.

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

I know that was a long question. It's amazing the number of things
you do not know when you are a real beginner.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Pati,
why put the border on top and pieced top on the bottom when sewn?
i'm sure this is clear as could be but my coffee is too hot to drink it and
thus wake up the grey matter.
jeanne
--
Vote B'fly for President '08
san-fran at ihug dot co dot nz
nzlstar on webshots


"Pati Cook" wrote...
I hope that you mis-typed the next to the last paragraph here.....
We are talking borders, not binding....G

I always measure the borders to the quilt, and mark centers and quarter
points, by folding both quilt and borders. Always fold borders single
layer, but I do cut them both at the same time-- to make sure they are
exactly the same length. G Often I fold the quilt top in half, fold the
borders in half (singly), line up folds, then lay the border along the
center, and then mark/cut the ends even.

If you keep everything square as you go, then the finished top should be
square. Remember when you sew the unpieced border to the pieced top,
every one of those seams is a chance for "stretching" of the top. For that
reason, I usually cut borders on the lengthwise (non-stretchy) grain, and
sew with the border on the top, the pieced edge on the bottom. VBG

Works for me.

Pati, in Phx
http://community.webshots.com/user/PatiCooks


MaleQuilter wrote:

On Jul 5, Kate in MI said, "How do you add borders? Chop off a
piece... sew it on... then trim to fit?
Sure hope NOT! "

I sounds worse when you say it that way. (LOL)

I thought that if I cut my borders "over length" that I would have
extra in case sewing it on changed its length. I was careful to make
sure that opposite sides of the quilt center were the same length
before I started, and tried to sew the binding on with about the same
level of tension (making sure I did not stretch the fabric as I sewed
the binding on).

It sounds like that was all wrong.

Are you saying that I should cut the binding the average length based
on three or four measurements, match the ends of the binding to each
end of the quilt side, and then stretch or ease the quilt center or
binding evenly over the distance between the matching ends?

I know that was a long question. It's amazing the number of things
you do not know when you are a real beginner.

Jerry in North Alabama
http://community.webshots.com/user/MaleQuilter

Because, whenever you are sewing the pressure foot will push the fabric
and the feeddogs will pull the fabric. If there is any chance at all of
stretching it is best to put that fabric against the feeddogs. G Same
reason that if you need to ease one fabric to another you put the
slightly longer fabric against the feeddogs.
Hope that makes sense. G
It is hot, and has been a long day. VBG

Pati,in Phx
http://community.webshots.com/user/PatiCooks

nzlstar* wrote:

Pati,
why put the border on top and pieced top on the bottom when sewn?
i'm sure this is clear as could be but my coffee is too hot to drink it and
thus wake up the grey matter.
jeanne