Hey everyone. Asking for some advice. I am working on my first quilt. I have made many mistakes, but the biggest is sewing my quilt up (birthing method) first before quilting. I was going to tie it, but did not like the looks, so decided to breakdown and spend $45.00 on a walking foot. It works great. But after making all of my verticle SIDs, realized my backing was lose and puckering. I started in the middle and worked my way out and yes I had used safety pins. When I got to the edge of the quilt, my lining stuck out lower than the top. (daughter borrowed my camera or I would include pics.) I thought about adding a border or binding to even edges out. I am feeling guilty, but not wanting to rip it all apart. What should I do? It is kingsize, and 14x14 tee shirt squares.

If I understand what you are saying, you left the outside edges sewn together and the top is now larger than the bottom. The only way I would fix it, would be to unsew the edges and put on a border underneath and then use a binding all around.

I'm not much help. If you want it right......you get to take the stitches out. If you can make a save....do that.

Yes. Actually the bottom is longer than the top. Should I wait to finish quilting the blocks horizonal until I take apart the sides, and hopefully smooth out some of the looseness?

birthing method?
Sounds like the hard way.

Yes, I am dumb.... and I am learning the hard way.

That is actually good if the bottom is larger than the top, because the top can "grow" as you quilt it. I agree that you will want to take out the stitching all around and bind it, sorry, good practice taking out (unsewing).

Aww...don't be so hard on yourself. Every mistake made is simply an opportunity to learn something new. It will work out in the end, it always does somehow. Would love to see a pic of your very first quilt when you get the chance to take a pic.

Keep going......!

WHen I first started quilting , I thought the "birthing method " was the easy way to go..... Well I finally figured out it can be unforgiving.. in just the manner you are experiencing.
Not sure how far out the backing fabric is showing, a picture sure would help.

Did you pin it after birthing?

No. Another mistake.....

Thank you.

If you used a 1/4 in seam to sew the top to the bottom, would it be too noticeable to trim around the edges about 1/8 of an inch (just to cut off the stitching) so you will end up with a separate top and bottom (at the edges, anyway?)? Then you could 'square up' the top with the bottom and put a nice binding on it and no one would ever know. And you'd be saving about a million miles off your seam ripper.

Shhhh---I can hear the quilt police sirens coming to get me.

Yes, stop quilting until you unsew all 4 sides, then smooth out the back and pin or baste the quilt to determine if you need to add fabric to the back. If you don't need to add any fabric, then finish the quilting and then put on the binding. It is amazing how binding can fix various quilt problems.

I'm learning a lot so thanks for askiNg!!

That's what I was going to suggest.

I'll run interference with the quilt police, you go help her!

There's no such thing as a dumb learner. ;) You're doing fine! how do you think everybody in this thread knows ways to help you back out of this? lol

when you start in the middle you need to go in both directions- doesn't work to do all the verticals- then the horizontals- you need to do a vertical line- then go do a horizontal line-
birthing the quilt does cause it's own set of problems- if you plan to quilt afterwards- it is a better method for tyed quilts.
when you machine quilt the backing/batting needs to be larger than the top- it is like embroidering or doing applique= the stitching process (draws up) the fabric- that's why we cut our embroidered/appliqued blocks larger- then square up after the stitching is done.
as you quilt the top will be (drawn up) in the same ways...so after quilting is when we square up- trim the edges.
it's not impossible to quilt it after birthing it= but it takes alot more work= so if you thought that would be easier???sorry-
it's easier to just quilt it then bind it.

For a king I'd probably just trim enough to get rid of the sewn edge and then bind with separate fabric once you get everything quilted.

Thanks, everyone... I will give it a try.