tortoisethreads

I've never had this problem before, but my boarder is wavy. I already took it off and made sure the quilt top was perfectly square and then added those boarders. There are still ripples in them. Is there any way to quilt this. I really don't want to keep taking it apart. Oh and I did measure the middle of the quilt to get my boarder measurements.

Scissor Queen

You can use a batting with a little more loft and add an extra layer of batting to the borders. A batting like Hobbs heirloom has a little bit of loft that helps disguise wavyness. Next time make sure you sew with the quilt top on the bottom and not the borders. Unless you are using an even feed foot of some kind the feed dogs tend to ease in the bottom layer just a bit.

tortoisethreads

I was wondering about the batting...if I could use a higher loft. I will try that.

donnajean

I always cut my top & bottom and then 2 side borders exactly the same length. And then I pin each border starting at ends, center, etc. This helps keep any blocks from stretch out as the border is added.

ckcowl

or do a running stitch all the way around the pieced top before adding the borders this will help it from stretching when you add the borders..

BellaBoo

Borders and I do not get along. I usually glue baste them on first starting from each end going to the middle, easing as I go. There is a neat trick I saw on QnnTV about overlapping the wave at the seam line and it can't be seen. I've used that method for big quilt borders. Also I learned to sew all the borders together and then having only one big border to sew around the quilt instead sewing them separately on the quilt.

kathy

how could you sew the border on in one piece?

Scissor Queen

Maybe she means binding? I've noticed a lot of people seem to say one when they mean the other.

dakotamaid

Wavy borders are a ongoing problem with quilting. This is the way I do mine. I measure thru the middle and both sides, than average those measurements. I repeat this process for the top and bottom. I also sew the borders on with the border strip on the top. The bottom layer of fabric always gets gathered in a bit no matter how well you pin. Another clue is to, when possible, cut your borders from the length of your fabric, there is less stretch than the width. Hope this helps someone.

MadQuilter

Did you measure across the center of your top to get the border measurement? It makes a difference. If you cut to the size of the edge, ruffles are a possibility. I usually mark the center and quarter points along the edge and align my borders with those. That way I can ease any fullness or stretch any shortness evenly across the entire length.