Thread: Need advice on sewing quilt panels

I'm currently working on a Hungry Caterpillar quilt for my daughter. According to the instructions, I'm supposed to cut two huge quilt panels measuring 20 1/2" by 20 1/2". However I realised that the quilt panel itself is not a perfect square and no matter how I tried to square it to 20 1/2" by 20 1/2", it would end up loop-sided. The corners of the panel are not perpendicular, if you know what I mean. Hence, I've cut it slightly larger than 20 1/2" by 20 1/2" to include the green borders around it. Even then, I'm unable to get a perfect square and had to cut with the green borders parallel to the white panel.

Now that I'm ready to piece the quilt together, I'm worried about how the quilt may end up. When I refer to the pattern of the quilt, the green borders don't appear at all. How should I trim the panel, in order to get a perfect 20 1/2" by 20 1/2" square? And sew the border to the panel so the green borders don't appear?

Any advice here will be much appreciated!

if you like the green border keep it- if you don't like it then cut it off- it looks as if you have room around the catapiller to cut a square- don't try to line up with edges/frame- find the center of the block and measure from the center to cut your square...and just an FYI---seldom are panals square- they always seem to be a bit (off) because of the printing process--manufacturing- after you use a few of them you get used to (fudging) cutting them to fit your needs

Originally Posted by ckcowl

if you like the green border keep it- if you don't like it then cut it off- it looks as if you have room around the catapiller to cut a square- don't try to line up with edges/frame- find the center of the block and measure from the center to cut your square...and just an FYI---seldom are panals square- they always seem to be a bit (off) because of the printing process--manufacturing- after you use a few of them you get used to (fudging) cutting them to fit your needs

Thanks for your advice. The problem is, the size of the panel itself (without the green borders) is about 19", while instructions say that I should have a 20 1/2" by 20 1/2" square. If I end up with a 18" x 18" square, would it be an issue at all? This is the first time I'm working with panels and hope to get it right.

It shouldn't be an issue at all. If I'm reading your post right, you do not need the green border on the square, so cut it square (without the green borders), and then add the border you want, making it 20 1/2". So if you square it up to 18 inches, add a 1 1/2 border to all sides and you will end up with the 20 1/2" block you neeed. It is such a cute panel, I can hardly wait to see how you finish it. Happy Quilting.

Originally Posted by quilterella

It shouldn't be an issue at all. If I'm reading your post right, you do not need the green border on the square, so cut it square (without the green borders), and then add the border you want, making it 20 1/2". So if you square it up to 18 inches, add a 1 1/2 border to all sides and you will end up with the 20 1/2" block you neeed. It is such a cute panel, I can hardly wait to see how you finish it. Happy Quilting.

Thanks. According to the instructions, the panel itself should be about 20 1/2" square. After sewing on the outside borders using another fabric, I should trim the block to 24 1/2" square. So you are right there. I should be able to have a slightly smaller panel and perhaps a wider border, as long as I trim the finished block to 24 1/2" square.

Originally Posted by Tartan

I hate it when a panel is off center!!! I think I would cut the white square and find a fabric in green that matches the rest of the quilt and sew on an oversized green border. I would then cut it to the size needed. If you don't have the same size blocks as the pattern suggests than all the other block measurements will need to be changed too.

That's what I would do. Cut it off and add a boarder to it in a coordinating color.

Thanks to all once again for your great advice! I've squared the panel and sewed the borders just a while ago. Then trimmed the block to 24 1/2" square according to the instructions. Now I have two beautiful panels finishing at a perfect 24 1/2" square! Looking forward to piecing everything else together!

I was going to suggest spraying lightly with water and blocking it to fix the skewing, but it looks like you've got it fixed already! Good job! Love that butterfly block!