I'm wondering if its possible to enlarge a quilt by adding another border, after the quilt is finished. I have a lap quilt that measures 36x42 and its just not big enough to suit me. I have been wondering if it might be possible to add a border or two (using Warm & Natural) if I'm careful and get it butted good and tight. Has anyone done this or any other method? Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks. Jan

I have a friend that is trying to figure out how to do that also...I will be interested in the responses. I have heard of people doing the Quilt as you Go method to enlarge but I have never seen a picture of their results.

Not too long ago I asked the same question. Here is the link

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-111488-1.htm

June in Cincinnati

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 would love to see a picture. I also have a quilt that would be a lot nicer if a bit bigger.

I have done that, just as you mentioned. I cut a piece of backing the same size as the border. Sewed it on with the backing right side to the back of the quilt and the border right side of the quilt front. In other words the quilt was sandwiched between the backing strip and the border. Using spray adhesive I inserted the batting and then quilted it. So two long sides and then the two short sides. Bind as usual.

I enlarged DGD's baby quilt a few years ago when she got older and needed it bigger, just made her a new one this year, that's what she wanted for her birthday, love those grands!!!!

I do this a lot with nursery quilts need to be made into big child quilts, etc. Just measure well and make your front and back, either pieced or not, the size that you want. As mentioned above, put right sides together, front and back and stitch, like you would if you were doing a strip of sashing, etc. Cut your new batting the size you need and whip stitch (or zig zag if using a flat batting) to the edge of previous quilt. Press top and bottom pieces out carefully (don't want to flatten your batting). Baste and quilt and bind as usual.

a timely question - I just completed a quilt that seems short & was thinking of attaching a bedskirt for extra drop length.
The suggestions given here are helpful - thanks to all.

All of the above will certainly work. My technique is pretty simple, but labor intensive. It involves a lot of stitch picking. Hopefully, the original quilting was a large meander pattern!

First thing that I do is examine the quilt to see where I can sew a stabilizing line...could be SID between the quilt body and the final border, or (if no border), create my own by running a fairly tight stitched line all the way around the quilt at approx. 4" from the edge. This line is to ensure that any stitching beyond the line won't pull out once I pick out the quilting between the line and the quilt edge.

Remove binding and pick out original edge stabilizing stitches at the same time. Then, pick out the quilting all the way around, between the edge and the "new" stabilizing line I add in step 1, to give me a good 4" of working material.

Once the 3 layers are free again, isolate each layer to add whatever you need (don't forget to make the batting and backing bigger than the top, just like when it was originally made). To add more batting, I simply use a fusible interfacing along the seam to join the 2 pieces.

Then, re-load the entire quilt on the frame and quilt as normal.

Again, labor intensive, but you'll never notice that it was done, once the quilt is finished.

You folks are wonderful! I'm sure I can do it now, due to your descriptions! ;o) But I do love those pix, if you want to post any! Thanks a bunch for all the suggestions and info. jan

[I have done that, just as you mentioned. I cut a piece of backing the same size as the border. Sewed it on with the backing right side to the back of the quilt and the border right side of the quilt front. In other words the quilt was sandwiched between the backing strip and the border. Using spray adhesive I inserted the batting and then quilted it. So two long sides and then the two short sides. Bind as usual.[/quote]

I've got it! I wasn't thinking about adding the extension to the back at the same time as the new border, then inserting batting. Sounds so easy, thanks to your directions. Can't wait to try it. Thanks again. Jan

i love this topic. i have learned so much from y'all. thanks!

I did that to a customer's quilt. It was hand quilted and too small for her bed. I can't remember exactly how I did it though. I also made her a bed skirt and pillow shams to go with it.
Here is a photo of the completed project.

Depending on the quilt and the pattern, you could enlarge it using a quilt-as-you-go technique.

Thanks for the pix. I like the ruffle idea, too.

I would use the quilt as you go method -

I had to do this to one of my quilts this spring. I added two more borders after it was quilted. I cut off the binding and then added the borders like Quilt as You Go, or flip and sew. I needed to make it a Cal Kin instead of queen. It worked out quite well and no-one knew the difference.

Great question!

My mom had made me a queen sized log cabin for my bed and then I got a king. So she added a couple of borders with batting and backing to fit my new bed. S yes it can be done. My quilt did not have binding, so I believe it was called the birthing method where you sew around and then turn right side out. We cut the edge open and added the new, just like it was part of the quilt.

OK, here's the one I enlarged for a client. His mom had made this rail fence years before, and he wanted it to fit his queen bed when she passed away. It's hand quilted. Please ignore the blue marker, I hadn't washed it yet

Sure, that will work. Just remove the binding and piece the new top border and backing on. Also whip stitch the edges of the batt together so they don't pull apart after quilting. Do the quilting and rebind.

Sandy

The third quilt I made had a ruffled skirt. It made the quilt too heavy to sleep under. But removing the quilt to go to bed wasn't something I wanted to do every night, and where do you put that pile of fluff? Keeping the skirts unwrinkled was impossible. I ended up giving it away to my sister, but she too wouldn't use it.

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.

This is how I do all my quilts....make the center 1st, sandwich and machine quilt, then add borders and quilt then bind.

I enlarged a quilt for a friend.

I just added a border (just sewed
it to the quilt) and then quilted
by machine.

J J

I have enlarged a small quilt. I added backing, batting and borders to a crib quilt. I made the batting about 1/2 inch smaller than the backing and border material. Then sewed it onto each side of my quilt, just like you would on a "quilt as you go" project. Then to complete my border pattern (because the quilt had already been quilted) I just sewed straight lines about 3/4 inches apart up and down the new border section. Then added my binding and it looked great.

I am planning on enlarging my daughter's quilt within the next week or so-plan on going with quilt as you go and make 16' wide pieces dwon the side and 10' across the top-will be frech seaming it together but on the top not the back as I can work it into the motif I am doing-good luck with yours. Georgia Bonesteel is famous for quilt as you go -try looking her up on PBS.com

If you remove the binding you should be able to easily butt the batting up against it after the new border has been added. I do this all the time on my long-arm, and it works on FMQ also.

Here's one I just made bigger

A customer bought four hand quilted lap sized quilts then asked that they be made into one quilt. I did not take off the bindings. I used strong hand quilting thread and the ladder stitch and put it together like a potholder quilt.

You also made it more beautiful!

I have done this three times. It is a real pain but it can be done and you'd never know it. The first one was a quilt I had made for my son and he got a larger bed, the other two were twin size and when I got the newer thicker mattresses they barely covered them.
What I did was take the binding off, make the addition top, batting and backing. I did each side and then the ends. I first put the backing on, then butted the batting and whipped stitched it,(I laid the new batt on top of the old and cut it so it met perfectly) and then added the top fabric.(I moved it up a half inch or so, so I wasn't sewing in the previous seam) They look fine but I swear it would have been easier to make new quilts. The twin that I made into queen size actually looked better. I had several borders on it but they were thin and the old entire quilt fit the top of a queen size bed then I added the new borders and they were wider and framed the original. I had a little problem finding fabric that looked like it belonged since it was all in dark green and cream .Every year it seems the basic colors have a tint that is just a smidge off of the previous season and this quilt was 8 years when I reworked it. He loved it and still does so it was worth it. If you just have to make it longer, it will be so much easier. Good luck.

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.

Are you taking the binding off? I have a lap size too that I want to enlarge but I keep thinking about how long it will take to remove the binding first in order to add extra borders to enlarge it. It is a "quilt as you go" using four inch strips of fabric (kind of like a large log cabin square). It's a very pretty floral print quilt - just wish it was larger.

Actually, after reading some of these threads, looks like you can either use your ripper to remove binding or just cut it off as someone suggested. That would be much easier.

A few years ago I made a lap quilt for a friend, using standard dimensions. However, she is quite tall and wanted to use it on her single bed as a topper. So, I removed all the binding, the top and bottom borders (including the quilting). Created piano keys borders which I attached to the top and bottom only (luckily still had the leftovers), attached more backing, inserted additional batting and the original borders and finished it off as usual. A real bonus for her was that I made new binding and atttached it much more nicely than I had originally.

WOW, Its gorgeous! I would never have guessed! Thanks.

You gals are amazing! I am so glad I asked!!!!!

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.

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!