How crazy is this?
09-03-2014, 07:51 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Lebanon, Missouri
Posts: 602
You said it is a plaid print, I agree bias would be best. Yes, starch the daylights out of that fabric being very careful not to stretch when PRESSING. Do not let the fabric "hang" from the ironing board. Put it on another table or surface to give it support. Same goes when you are cutting and sewing the bias. This will prevent stretch of the fabric. You may want to consider starching the fabric twice. First, give it a good spritzing, let it dry, and then spritz again as you are pressing. You will get some flaking but that will brush off and wash out.
I starch ALL of my fabrics before cutting and usually starch again while piecing. The fabrics cut much easier and cleaner after being starched and piecing is a breeze.
I would be sunk if ever Sta-flo was taken from the market.
I starch ALL of my fabrics before cutting and usually starch again while piecing. The fabrics cut much easier and cleaner after being starched and piecing is a breeze.
I would be sunk if ever Sta-flo was taken from the market.
09-04-2014, 04:47 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Central Wisconsin
Posts: 4,391
Starch is important, but be sure to measure and cut your borders using the measurements in the center of the quilt. When you have the outer straight grain border cut correctly, MAKE THE BIAS FIT. If it is well starched, there won't be too much easing.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
09-04-2014, 06:03 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Hamburg,Western New York State
Posts: 4,856
Originally Posted by kristakz
Good luck. I did a 2" bias border on one of my recent quilts, and it worked great! Stretching is indeed the biggest concern. I did my borders mitered, which meant that I attached all the borders together before attaching them to the quilt. I think that helped minimize any possible stretching, because I didn't have the full weight of the quilt on the strips before I had both edges of the bias sewn. I don't starch, but I'm sure it would help to do that. And if you are afraid of the border reacting differently, just starch all of them the same way. That wouldn't hurt anything.
I also cut my borders in 2 sets, one set leaning in each direction. That way I could get a continuous stripe pattern without it changing directions at the corners. Hard to explain but if you cut a stripe (or plaid I think) on bias,and attach one piece to the top of the quilt and one to the bottom, then the stripes "lean" in opposite directions on each side of the quilt. I wanted my mitres to blend the stripes without interrruption.
Here's a picture of my corner
[ATTACH=CONFIG]490163[/ATTACH]
And the whole quilt with the stripes all leaning to the right
[ATTACH=CONFIG]490164[/ATTACH]
I also cut my borders in 2 sets, one set leaning in each direction. That way I could get a continuous stripe pattern without it changing directions at the corners. Hard to explain but if you cut a stripe (or plaid I think) on bias,and attach one piece to the top of the quilt and one to the bottom, then the stripes "lean" in opposite directions on each side of the quilt. I wanted my mitres to blend the stripes without interrruption.
Here's a picture of my corner
[ATTACH=CONFIG]490163[/ATTACH]
And the whole quilt with the stripes all leaning to the right
[ATTACH=CONFIG]490164[/ATTACH]
09-04-2014, 08:30 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: JAX
Posts: 673
It's going to look smashing! I would stitch the well-starched bias border and the outer border together before stitching them to the quilt. I have had lots of success, when using multiple borders, in joining the borders -- as many as you want to use -- and only then attaching them to the quilt.
I read this somewhere long ago and it works.
I read this somewhere long ago and it works.
09-04-2014, 08:56 AM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,111
Just an update on my comment . It's when you turn the corner that the direction changes - so the top/bottom lean different from the sides, unless you cut the sides from bias strips leaning the other way.
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gypsyquilter
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