Panels
 

When using a panel, how do you trim around the panel and make sure your cut is straight when the panel is 46" long? I'm going to be adding other blocks with it but I'm afraid I won't get the panel cut correctly. How is this done?

Clear as mud?

Thanks

I'm curious about this too :)

I guess you are talking about a printed design on a piece of fabric ? I just made some quilts that had panels and I had to cut each one of the panels out separately mainly because they were not really even. I would definitely not assume they are even and use your rulers without seeing the entire panel. I have even used my scissors on smaller panels, to cut them as perfect as I can. I hope this answers your question.

I open the panel up, lay it on the cutting mat and put the ruler against the border line or edge of the design with a 1/4 inch over for the seam allowance so when I sew a border on, it lines up correctly.

I just finished a panel quilt, I had to cut each square as it was not square, I was happier with it. I know if I would not have done it, each time I would have looked at it, I would have asked myself why I did not do it.

I have never met a panel that was printed perfectly square. So cut each individually and carefully - usually with scissors.

I have used panels & pillow tops that are preprinted. Older ones were true to grain. Newer ones are NOT. size doesn't matter. Before cutting straighten old fashioned wAY-- 2 people, each holding corner of cut edge, puu with both right hands (diagnol) then with other hand doesnt always work, but usually helps some.

LQS owner says distortion happens when fabric is wound on boards.

After I press the panel, I use my large square and my long ruler to see where the cut would fall. Sometimes I simply pick a line and stick to it. If the panel is printed crooked there is no straightening. Putting a pieced border on it that draws attention away from the crookedness is always a good idea.

Wash and press the fabric to remove the manufacturer stretching, then cut it scissors. Now you can pull on the diagonal to straighten it. If all of this doesn't work, adjust the width of your borders. I've only done 22" squares, but it worked.

I also have never had any panels that were cute perfectly to begin with. I just had to do the best I could.

I do the same as hopetoquilt says.

On wonky panels stretch them while they are wet and pin them in place. That usually works.

I just did this with a flannel panel that was approx. 23" x 42" and it came out great. I squared it by pinning it to my ironing board (24" x 48"), sprayed it with water until wet, patted it into shape, let dry and repeated with a spray of Easy Press. When dry it was perfectly square. I then set my 12 1/2" ruler in the corner and extended the sides by placing my rulers end to end to the length of the panel. Now I can frame the panel with the blocks I made and the whole quilt will be square. Hope this helps.

I wash/dry the panel, then spray with a mixture of 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Gets the wrinkles out. If it's tiny panels, like the morrison kitty panels, they were just an 1/8" longer than wide so I use the Hole in the Barn Door quilt block pattern then it was not noticeable that the block was longer. If it's a long panel that you want to use in the center of the quilt like a medallion, then I add a wide border to it then trim it to a workable dimension like divisible by 2 or 3. Makes it easier to use block patterns after that. I just did one that that's what I did. It winds up framing the panel.

My 4' T-square from the hardware store was one of the best investments ever made for my sewing room. About $20 dollars at Lowes or Home Depot. I also use it to mark my batting to cut from the roll.

If you pull it, and stretch it and press it to make it square. . . . what happens after it's done? The first time you wash it? Does it get all wonky again and make your quilt look really bad??

Quilting .... will hold it in place!
Of course, you can't expect 4" apart to hold it together .....