I just finished a quilt top but it's not squared. When I measure lenghwise, it's off about an inch from one area to another. :( same thing for the width. My husband says you can't tell at all eyeballing it and to just leave it, that by cutting of areas would make it look crooked. What should I do? DO you leave it or try to square it off? THANKS!

I would leave it as it is.

I'd also leave it!!

leave it, you can pull some on the short corner, gelty if you want

I'd block it. Once it's squared up by the blocking process, sandwich it and quilt it. The quilting will keep it square. Pulling on "short corners" is not what you want to do!

Question: How to you "block" it?

Good question. When I blocked my IRR center I pulled on the short corners and pinned it to a board and speryed it with water and let it dry square, Then when I unpinned it it was square.

Here's the easiest way to do it. http://www.greatamericanquilt.com/pd...gyourquilt.pdf For a top, I'd use the dry method. It's faster and easier.

When a finished quilt is blocked, it holds it's shape only until the next time it gets wet. That's fine for show quilts or wall art, but not so great for utility quilts. When a top (or even a single quilt block) is blocked before quilting, it will keep it's shape after quilting without any special treatment. Much better for utility quilts.

Also check this discussion. http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/24112.page

If the sides are even enough for you binding, just let it alone. As your hubby said, you can't tell by looking.

Dio, did you square your top before you added borders? That always helps. Square the top then measure for your borders by measuring through the center of your quilt for your border measurements. When you add your borders, your quilt should be nice and straight and square. (Provided you cut your borders accurately). Unless, I was entering the quilt in a competition I wouldn't go through the trouble of blocking. With experience you will gain more accuracy with your seaming, but the perfectly square top is rare. I can tolerate being off a 1/4 in. and it is not noticeable.

ETA: I square each unit as I build a block, then square the block. That adds to the overall accuracy of the quilt top. IMHO not enough attention or information on squaring is given to new quilters. My DH is handy with construction and in the beginning I learned a lot of squaring techniques from him. He recently taught me how to fit a beautiful quilting motif on a border when I was tearing my hair out in frustration :shock: