Originally Posted by Jan in VA

PMing you with the following:

May I make a suggestion about the directions on the quilterscache.com page?

When you have sewn your braid and have all those little points hanging off each side, do NOT cut them off! To do so would leave you with bias edges....and we all know what bias edges do -- stretch.:thumbdown:

I found a trick long ago that has helped me often over the years.

When dealing with a long edge like this that needs to be bias:
1. BEFORE sewing the braid length into the rest of the top,
2. on the wrong side,
3. apply very narrow twill tape to the very edges along the line that you would be cutting...in this case, along the "valleys" of the edge.
4. Then cut away those little points leaving the twill tape to stabilize your edge/seam.

Twill tape doesn't stretch and, though it is sometimes hard to find, does come in 1/4" widths and will fit just at the seam allowance. In this case, I suggest leaving it within the seam allowance, and then making your allowance slightly larger than the 1/4" normally used as you sew the braid to the next piecing.

Your quilt will hang much straighter this way when it is bound, especially if your twilled edge is along the outside edges of the quilt.

Jan in VA