measuring borders
 

Hi ! When we cut and iron our fabric we can stretch it some ...so if you measure the bottom and top as well as the center, add those three measurements ....and then divide that by three..and cut those 2 pcs. that size , then it will help to square your quilt up ..After you do top and bottom you measure the sides and again the middle add those three measurements together, divide by three and cut those two pieces ..The more precise you are the better your quilt will look as well as lay..I hope this helps as I had a great lady tell me this years ago and even tho it is more work it is definitely worth it..Ladysuds

My LAQ told me how to put the borders on to "square up the quilt" I religiously do it that way (measuring through the middle I cut my borders in strips through the width of my material and piece them using the diagonal seam, which allows a little "ease" as I'm stitching on my borders. I cut the borders to that middle of the quilt measurement, then half and quarter mark my borders, half and quarter mark my quilt then match the half and quarter marks up, pin, pin, pin and sew from the middle out.) It literally squares up the quilt...when you fold the quilt all the corners match, the sides are even and it lays flat when laid out. Almost any LAQ would be happy to explain it or demonstrate it until you understand it.

Same here auntpiggylpn!

I don't measure. I just cut the border strips and lay them across the center of the quilt and cut to fit. In other words, I sort of use the border as a tape measure. Works all the time. Saw this on Alex Anderson show when I began quilting. Also, when applying the binding I put a little bit of stress on the binding and that will take care of any stretching of the border fabric.

Dawn, I used to do the three measurements and take the average. But it was hard to get people to do that much extra work (grin), so now I suggest they just take the center measurement. That is usually truest to size. I thought I recommended the same measurement (center) for both the horizontal and vertical borders, but perhaps I need to make the handout clearer. I'll have to look at it when I get back from the long weekend I'm leaving on this morning :)

And the easiest way to do the borders, especially if you don't have a long tape measure, doesn't actually require any measureing. Just take two border strips, lay them across the center of the quilt (from top to bottom for the side borders) with one edge even with the top of the quilt. Cut them off even with the bottom edge. Now you have two border strips that are the same length and the same size as the center of the quilt. Pin the borders to the sides of the quilt at the center and each edge, then work in any fullness, pinning as necessary. Press those borders, then repeat the above steps for the top & bottom borders.

No QP the OP asked we answered and if you note my answer included the disclaimer that if you don't use a LAQ and you don't show, do it however you want. It really only matters if you are putting the quilt on a rack to be quilted or you want to be judged at a show.

But if you DO use a LAQ or LA yourself and don't bother to measure the quilt for your borders and do not ease them in properly your odds of getting puckers, pleats or wrinkles in the quilting are greatly increased. Then we will see the post of someone lamenting how a LAQ "ruined" her quilt by putting a pleat in the border. Or ended up with with pucker somewhere because that excess fabric had absolutely no place to go.

There are usually reasons for assembling certain blocks, or parts of a quilt a certain way. QP has nothing to do with it. Would you also call someone who advises to strive in any way possible to get an accurate 1/4" seam allowance QP? It is no different.

On a side note by cutting your borders 6" too big then attaching and cutting off excess, you are totally defeating the purpose of measuring. You may be pinning but you are pinning with the wrong size and cutting off the excess so that is no different then just taking an unmeasured border and attaching it to the quilt. Again, if you are doing your own quilting on a DSM or hand quilting it doesn't matter. Just don't expect a LAQ to work miracles for you.

"Quilt police" is an inaccurate and derogatory term to apply to a bunch of people who are trying to answer the original poster in a helpful way. Perhaps you don't understand the term "quilt police," but it has a snide connotation. It's usually directed toward people who are dogmatic about their own methods and throw around the words "always" and "never" in every sentence and with great emphasis.

Sometimes, "close" works just great - I like it myself for some quilts. But, there may come a day when when "close" isn't good enough to suit you any more. :) Maybe you'll want to take your quilts to a higher level of professionalism or "wow factor." Getting back to perfecting the basic measuring and piecing will be the best place to start.

There aren't any quilt police on this thread - and it would be like biting the hand that feeds you to ask for advice and then tell the people who take the time to advise you to take a hike. ;)

Hi AndiR - hope you have a great long weekend away!!! And actually - your handout was very clear. You do take a middle measurement both ways. One way - just the middle, the other way - both sides and middle. I just wanted to double check if there was a technical reason to understand. But I like the reason that most people don't want to take the extra measurements! I often think of skipping it - but as my borders have come out fine, and as my original understanding was that it helps square up the quilt - I keep with it. But - I think I'll drop doing the 2 extra measurements for the first 2 borders and just take the middle. And I like the tips of finding the middle of the borders to match to the middle of the quilt and start pinning there (I pin to the 2 sides first, then make sure it lies flat - and add a few pins in between the middle and each end).

Always lots of ideas and tips and explanations - love it!!

Try doing it your way one time and I think you will have your answer. LOL At least, that is how I found out the answer. Unfortunately, I tried it more than one time. LOL

I asked if stay stitching your quilt edge would prevent stretching and the answer was that stretching had already occurred at that point. In hopes that I wasn't expressing myself clearly, let me rephrase - When the blocks are all finished and the body of the quilt is finished ready for a border to be attached, will stay stitching the outside edge of the body of the quilt before attaching a border prevent stretching? Or am I to assume that when I have attached all of my blocks I have already created a wonky, stretched quilt? Or just sometimes should I assume that I have screwed up?LOL Assuming my quilt body is squared up and true, will stay stitching prevent stretching?