Help with wavy border
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,340
Help with wavy border
So, I have a quilt that I'm getting ready to sandwich. I made it a couple of years ago, before I understood why you MEASURE and CUT your borders to the size of your quilt. Needless to say, it's making me seasick it's so wavy! Short of tearing out the borders and starting over (lazy much?), do you have any tips on just making this work so that I can move on?
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Posts: 1,063
I don't do show quilting (yet!) but I have certainly had to deal with the wavy borders before. You could try spray starch and a hot iron, or just lots of steam. I just did one like that last week (and I measured! still came out wavy). I used a stencil in a "C" or wave shape (from Joann's) and nothing more. I think the light quilting makes it easier to ease in the wavy parts. Best of luck with it - send pictures!
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
I agree. There is NO quick fix. If it is really wavy, then you will need to remove it, starch it, measure it and put it back on. I usually use pins or a mark on the measurement and then have a little extra on the ends (at least I do), find your center and pin center of quilt to the center of the border and then pin from the center out. That way I know there will be any waves. We have ALL made this mistake at least once.
#7
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
Personally, I'd take them off & re do them, but it depends on how much extra fabric is there. You can add an additional strip of batting just under the border & then quilt piano keys (straight lines from the quilt out to the edge). You can ease quite a bit of additional fabric.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nawth o' Boston
Posts: 1,879
I vote for the redo - unless you can take tucks in it at the corners if the corners are mitered?
I was taught to measure for the first pair of borders at top, midpoint and bottom width of quilt, and AVERAGE - do not take the highest number! Once that pair of borders had been cajoled into position, then do the same thing for the next set. My quilts tend to be a little - maybe 1/4" - 3/8" or so less in the middle so the difference is fudged. It works.
The time I didn't do it, back when I was wildly experimental, I had mitered borders and had to do some ugly tucking-in. What works in other areas of sewing is sometimes just not enough to make the grade for quilting.
I was taught to measure for the first pair of borders at top, midpoint and bottom width of quilt, and AVERAGE - do not take the highest number! Once that pair of borders had been cajoled into position, then do the same thing for the next set. My quilts tend to be a little - maybe 1/4" - 3/8" or so less in the middle so the difference is fudged. It works.
The time I didn't do it, back when I was wildly experimental, I had mitered borders and had to do some ugly tucking-in. What works in other areas of sewing is sometimes just not enough to make the grade for quilting.
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,052
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post