Thread: Has anybody enlarged a finished quilt?

Originally Posted by Joanne9of12

The quilt as you go (QAYG) method will work, but will look best if you have some similar lines in the original quilt. For example, if you have a small inner border or sashing, adding a QAYG "bridge" or connector strip will look ok. I did this a while back and the inner border was 2" finished. It really looked too big, compared to the QAYG "bridge" so I simply added two rows of quilting to that border, making it look like it was three smaller strips. Unless they looked closely, no one noticed that I did this. Good Luck!

I love old fashioned cross hatch quilting, so that should be a piece of cake to carry over from the main quilt to a new border. I do not do LA and either machine quilt on my Brother or hand quilt. I love vintage patterns and most of the pieced ones lend themselves to cross hatch or channel quilting. My appliqued quilts usually get SITD around the blocks then echo quilting around the applique.

Originally Posted by JCL in FL

Originally Posted by BarbZ

my daughter wanted me to make her queen bigger i hd made her a few years ago. She is getting a king. My answer to her was get a plain white bedspread and use the queen quilt as a topper. I will even buy the bedspread. I knowwwww, I am lazy, but I am not ripping out a binding and rebind.Nope not me. LOL All the methods sound good though.

After having done it several times, I do not think you are lazy but really smart, your solution will definitely be the one I recommend the next time enlarging a quilt is mentioned.

Thanks for the response. I needed to hear it from someone other than me. Now I can let go of my guilt feeling. :lol:

I added a border after my quilt was quilted. I removed the binding and added a 10" border by using three layers backing, batting and border piece to the quilt. then I did a diamond design in the new border. On a quilt I did for my sister I added 10" and then did lines an inch apart in the new border, My sister thought it looked great. It sounds hard, but it isn't. Just takes time.

I think it is entirely possible but I would remove the binding first then make the quilt sandwich of the border quilt it then add to original. Just my take on this idea! :-D

Sorry double post!!!!

Originally Posted by NorBanaquilts

I'm actually just finishing up a quilt that I'm enlarging. I added four 9" borders so it fits the bed better. I did the quilt as you go method and I'm just finishing the hand sewing on the binding. I could take a pic if you want.

I agree I have joined borders on using the quilt as you go method. I works out a great way to do it.

Originally Posted by quilterbabe

I took a wall hanging that no longer fit in the room's decor and enlarged it into a lap quilt for Hospice. I saw a video by Sharon Pedersen on THE QUILT SHOW. She sewed the "new back" and the "new front" onto the existing quilt (right sides together back to back, front to front). Then in the existing seam allowance she added the "new batting" by doing a serpentine stitch WITHIN the seam allowance - don't go too wide and go into your new seam. I've done it, it's easy, and it works well. Then, you can quilt your added portion, trim it, and bind. I oversized my added portions so I could trim them evenly afterwards for binding.

Thank you so much for that information. It was exactly what I needed to enlarge my grand-daughter's baby quilt to a single bed size quilt.