Can this marriage be saved?
 

I made this rather muddy quilt thinking it would be much cuter when done... I know what I did wrong in the sewing -- I must have sewn each strip the same direction, at least most of the time. Now it varies nearly 2" from side to side and is obviously twisted.

I don't know how to tell those seams which, if I ripped them out and sewed the other direction, would help fix this. Most of the distortion seems to be one one side; I even thought about cutting 8-10" off the width, but am not sure even that would help.

I would love to rip out some seams and magically save this mess, but I'm not sure I can. Has anyone else done something like this and been able to save it?

I would try to press it out with a steam iron before doing any ripping. Sometimes a little bit of stretching helps.

I too would try some good pressing along with some Best Press ...... and blocking it in place.

I press it first with an iron like Laurafet said. Starch sometimes helps flatten things. I have also used a damp piece of muslin placed over the top -- when the fabric gets a little damp you can frequently straighten things out.

Every seam has been pressed. I admit to ignorance of what blocking consists of. . .

I thinks that's what I would do too, but I would first saturate the top in a sink of hot water, roll it up into a thick towel and pound on it with your fists to get most of the water out. Think of it as blocking a sweater. If you have a space with carpet that is large enough, lay out a bed sheet and then the wet quilt top. Pin the top through the sheet and catch the carpet. Pull the edges as straight as you can and then just let it dry thoroughly. Good luck!!

PS - the above process is called blocking:o

When pressing ... you may be able to stretch (only slightly) to straighten, as mentioned by Laurafet. Blocking is basically the same, just that when you press and stretch you pin it in place til it has cooled and dried. Using the Best Press will help with the blocking process, as it not only moistens, but then the starch holds it still too.

Another thing that could have caused your distortion ... did you press? or iron?

or you can do the lazy way that I confess I might, depending on how noticeable my soluution would be - trim some off each side to make it as square as possible, quilt and bind. Sometimes 'good enough' actually is.

Hope I don't get drummed off the board by the quilt police for my heretical suggestion. lol

Actually if you had the strip stick you could probably straighten the whole thing out by just repressing. I use mine when I have to press long straight seams like that. http://thestripstick.com/

You know, I think I wouldn't worry about it. I would just quilt it and pretend it was one of those wonky patterns that was very hard to do! It is a beautiful quilt top!

Dina