indymta

I'm still pretty new to quilting. Each time I've made a quilt (nothing bigger than a lap quilt) my cutting and piecing gets better which probably explains my problems before. Now I'm trying to finish a baby quilt. Side borders ok as both sides measured the same. Problem with the top and bottom as the bottom measured 1/4 inch more than the top and thru the middle. Used a walking foot (which was a suggestion I had seen on the board before) and put the bordre fabric on top and the quilt on the bottom so that the fabric could be eased into the border. Still the border was too short. Ripped it out and cut the border long enought to fit. I was trying to do it how it's recommended to prevent waves, etc. Was 1/4 inch too much to ease? Besides being more accurate (my goal) should I have done something else?

bamamama

I have been quilting for years and always just sewed my borders on. I'm a self taught quilter. It always worked out really well but I was hand qulting. Now that I am using a mid arm, it is an issue. I am interested in hearing more about this too.

amma

If you are going to ease it in, you need to fold the border in half,crease and fold atleast 3 more times. Pin the center crease to the center of the quilt. Pin the other creased spots to the appropriate areas of the quilt.

Then you do the "easing in" in each of these sections. So being off 1/4" really isn't much, when divided over all of these pinned areas. :D:D:D

katier825

I find that if I pin it alot, it helps me ease it in better. I probably pin every 4-6 inches or so. Start by pinning the middle, the ends, then in between those.

indymta

I did pin the half and quarter marks and then in between. I tried to ease in during the last quarter and that may have been too much to ease in.

catmcclure

There's another trick if you're doing a small quilt. After you pin the border and the top together put it on the ironing board and steam press the seam before you sew. You can get out a lot of stretch this way. I've done it on a larger quilt when pinning and the border seemed to be way, way too short.

quilter1943

Sometimes I steam it after I pin and it will shrink up a bit, then I sew. Cotton is so fantastic because you can really shrink or stretch it as you need to.

indymta

How exactly do you ease fabric? I hear that but not sure how one gets the extra fabric "in" without creating a tuck or pleat. I tried holding the fabric up at an angle as I've read this helps to ease in fabric but didn't see that it helped.

indymta

WRT ironing, I can see the possibility of stretching the fabric by pulling it as you steam (thanks for that idea) but how do you shrink the fabric?

quilter1943

The steam will shrink cotton. Don't iron it or press it, just hold the iron close and steam it. You can work it with your fingers. It just takes some time and practice, I guess.