Help! Freaking Out! Big bump....
 

I had a panel. I sewed three borders around it and then put the final boarder (20 inches) all the way around it. It put it on the floor to admire my work...and ZAP!!! There is a HUGE ripple in the middle of the boarder. Yikes! All of the boarders lie flat. I tried smoothing it, ironing it, shaking it and it can't be "quilted out" since it's about and inch in the middle of the panel. I have to fix it. Any suggestions rather than taking every border off and starting again? It's a huge piece--90 x 90. Any help is appreciated!

Did you measure each border before attaching it?? I wish you had posted a photo. If the ripple is in the first border on just one side, I would just carefully take the borders off on that side. You will have to be so careful when reattaching them in the same order.

The other suggestion might be to remove the border side as a whole, then pressing it carefully with some starch and then start to measure each border and see how much larger it might be to the size it should be. Sometimes when doing multiple border, it is easier to sew them together and the miter the corners.

Good Luck :)

Picture needed to know what a good answer is.

I'm confused. You say in one place the borders lay flat and in another there is a huge ripple in the middle of the border. A picture would help.

Is the ripple in all four borders or just one and if so which one? How did you measure for the borders?

A little more clarification of the problem and the process of applying the borders would help in solving the problem.

I'm confused too. You also say the ripple is in the middle of the panel. If the panel is the problem, I'd just take that out while leaving the borders intact, make sure it's cut accurately and squarely, starch it, and then put it back in the center. Panels are notoriously printed off kilter so that may be at the root of your problem.

I have never bought a panel that was square. That may be the problem. I would take off the first border leaving the other borders attached to it and start over.

Post a picture of it...

This is why I don't like borders - I almost always have issues. I've been able to un-do a portion of the border, take it in (as in adding a seam) and then re-sew the border part back. I hope this makes sense. Once my quilts are quilted, they look fine. As you can probably tell, I'm not someone who likes to take off whole sections and re-do. So far the quilt police have not noticed.

Is the panel "right' to begin with?

If that is "off" - and it might be - that might be a contributing factor to your current problem