Thread: wavy boarders...

Maybe you could lay the top on a flat surface and dampen the borders. If they have stretched, that might allow them to go back to their original size. I have done that with smaller pieces that got stretched due to opening and resewing, and it has worked.

Measure across the middle and cut both top and bottom the same length and ease in as you sew. then do the same for sides. I used to never do this but I made a quilt and the borders were so wavy. I ripped it out and redid them. I was able to cut off more than an inch from the original border fabric and still get them on and surprise!!! NO waves!

I'm a longarmer so when I get wavy borders on a customer quilt, I'm kind of stuck with them! I have had success with steaming them heavily with my cordless iron and shrinking them up some. I have also had some success with using spray baste and evenly distributing the waves and smoothing them to the batting. But the BEST thing to do is fix it befor quilting it. I like the suggestion given to measur through the middles and less subtract 1/4".

I recently finished a BOM, Stitchers Garden and there were multiple border pieces, one of which was 4" embroidered squares! I knew this spelled trouble and I was ever so careful...I even cut all the solid borders on the lengthwise grain! But guess what? Yep...I had some wave! I used the above tricks and managed them but they can truly be frustrating and amazingly invisible until you're quilting the quilt! Best of luck to you getting this resolved.

Here's a suggestion that might help you tame those wavy borders.
Using this technique below, cut your twill to the length of the correct border, then "ease" in the outer border to fit the twill.

Twill tape can be found at Joannes in the rickrack/hem tape section. It has NO STRETCH and works well to stabilize things like this. Be sure to apply it within the seam allowance.

Jan in VA

I have had a wavy border only one time -- and this also happen to a quilting buddy -- we figured out that we pinned the borders to the quilt top and held the pieces on our laps, instead of laying the pieces flat on a table to pin -- since then I have used a table top to lay border and top out and pin them together without problems of wavy borders -- good luck to you!!

Thank you Jan for reminding me about the twill tape! I took a class where the teacher suggested that method and I totally forgot. I need to make myself a note!