Help - Why are the edges of my quilt wavy?
 

When I finish a quilt, I notice that I can never get it to lay flat; the edges are always wavy. I also finished a table runner for a Christmas gift and the edges of that were also wavy. I have been attaching the binding by machine lately, could that be the cause? I'm attaching a pic of my last quilt so you can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

I don't think they look that noticeable but maybe "steam Press" the edges. Love your quilt and the diagonal on it..

I am sure that I have this problem too ..... I guess it just doesn't bother me :) Your quilt looks great

Are you just sewing a strip of fabric on for the borders and cutting off anything left over? Fabric creeps, particularly the bottom fabric because of the feed dogs. Cut borders to fit, and hold on to your fabric layers as you sew so it doesn't creep. It can also make a difference if you cut your borders lengthwise rather than cross grain, cross grain (selvedge to selvedge) has more give which isn't always your friend.

I don't normally pin anything, but I do pin the borders. Pin the center to the center of the top, pin the quarters to the quarter marks, pin the ends together and then where you may need to ease, work from there.

Then when you put your binding on, hold the layers as you sew.

That isn't very wavy. I am wondering if you are stretching your binding while applying it. That could be causing this little tiny bit of wave. Here is a good blog posting about possible causes of wavy borders.
http://www.apqs.com/blog/2013/06/11/...-wavy-borders/

Large waves are caused by not measuring the border fabric before attaching but simply taking a large strip of fabric sewing it on and cutting.

spray it with water and pin to your ironing board to dry. "blocking" it should help.

your quilt is very nice. Try this--lay your two border pieces across the center of the quilt and use pins to mark the length. Then move each border piece to the edge and fit it on using those pins as a measure working in any discrepancy. The quilt often is a bit longer on the edges than it is in the middle of the quilt. You can measure across in the center of the quilt but I'd rather not use math. Doesn't matter what it measures--just so the border pieces measure the same as the center area of the quilt. Do it for both the length and width of the quilt to get your 4 pieces on the edges. I think you will be pleased with the results.

Thank You so much, I appreciate your responses!!! Definitely going to make notes and try them!

Mine usually do that too! Even on quilts without borders. If you find an answer, let me know!!!

I have started using Elmer's glue to attach my binding instead of pinning it. I think that helps to keep from stretching the binding. There is a good tut on youtube.

Sprice is right, Lay you border down the middle of the quilt first and cut to that length, Then pin them to either side and ease in any that needs to be. Then sew and press. then take the top and bottome border and measure across the middle horizontallly and repeat the process. You won't have wavy borders.

[QUOTE=feline fanatic;7036216]That isn't very wavy. I am wondering if you are stretching your binding while applying it. That could be causing this little tiny bit of wave. Here is a good blog posting about possible causes of wavy borders.
http://www.apqs.com/blog/2013/06/11/...-wavy-borders/

This is very good information about sewing on the binding. My edges usually look just like NanaPam and I am always very careful about measuring borders. I think the culprit is how I attach the binding. Thanks, feline fanatiac :-)

Cut borders on the lengthwise grain if possible and then when you sew the border on the quilt make sure the border fabric is UP so the feed dogs won't be able to pull the border fabric faster than the main quilt fabric. Or use a walking foot.

This is the correct reason for large waves. You might want to starch your borders so they don't shift. I use pins on my borders to keep them accurate. You might stitch around your quilt with an 1/8" seam before attaching your binding.

Baste stitching around the edge of your pieced center before adding the borders is a good idea as mentioned along with the Measuring, centering, easing, if necessary, as all mentioned in the prior posts, and using that walking foot to attach the binding certainly is a must.......learned all that after my first few quilts waved at me after finishing.....no more!!!!!

The directions for making and applying borders on this thread are all excellent. One time I couldn't measure from the center of the quilt because it was a twister quilt, and everything was on the bias. With that one I knew that each block was supposed to measure 4.5 inches, so I counted blocks and measured the borders. Worked very well.

But when I apply binding, I stretch it. Not really stretch hard, but I smooth the quilt edge out for the next few inches of sewing, lay my binding over that and pull, just a little, enough to make the binding taut. Then I put my finger down on that to hold it in that position and sew those few inches. Smooth the next piece of edge, lay the binding taut, and sew again. That way you are taking up the slack on the edge that the quilting did in the middle. I don't have wavy edges on my quilts.
(When I'm smoothing out the edge of the quilt, I have to make sure the backing is under there. Once in a while it decides to fold back away from the edge.)

I had this same problem before I took Quilt University Class 101. You have to have a perfectly squared quilt top before you add the borders. Measure your quilt top and measure again. Use a walking foot to sew on the borders. I have not had a wavy border since doing this.

Because you aren't squaring them off. Once a quilt is done you need to measure the sides and middle, which probably won't be the same, each side is normally different as each end. Kind of average them out. I'm not good at explaining it but there are great tutorials on squaring them up. The main thing is, when you put the sides on, both side strips will be the same size, you may have to ease the fabric in so that you don't end up with pleats and you do the same with the ends. If your outside strips are all the same size then your quilt won't be wavy. I hope someone can explain this better but this is your problem. A lot of people just sew a strip of fabric down the side and cut off the end, and they do the same with the end pieces, then you get wavy ends because they are different sizes.

I love your quilt and didn't notice anything wavy!! I think we are all our worst critics!!

Measuring your quilt from the middle in at least a couple of places, then use that measurement for the borders, this should eliminate most of your waves. Also, if you cut your borders using the length of fabric, which isn't always possible, there should be less waves as well.

I don't think the edges look wavy - and I love your quilt.

I love your quilt, it looks very pretty!

This is how I do. Always measure across the center of the quilt top and cut borders to that measurement. Then measure up and down through the center. Always works for me.

I measure center and both ends, if same, good; if different, add up and divide by three....gives the average and that's the number I use...

Thanks so much for all the input!! I do measure across the center of the quilt and then up/down for the borders. The quilt never seems 'wavy' until the binding is finished. So, I think it's with the binding that I get 'into trouble'. I love all of your ideas and definitely will be putting them to use!! <3

Our guild stressed doing this when applying borders. Cut the borders, then mark with a pin the center of the quilt where the border will be. Mark the center of the border; match, then pin the border on. Do this on all 4 sides, doing the sides first. This has worked for me, and also pressing as you go.
Carol Doak in her book, "My first Quilt Book," gives very much the same directions.
Mariah

There is a trick to both cutting out your borders and applying them that will keep them from being wavy. The important thing in cutting them is to never double fold your fabric. That means don't take the fold and fold it again width wise. Even though it looks like you are cutting them even, they will be a little off if the fabric is double folded. So, start with a single fold. Then, after cutting no more than two of the border strips, line up your fabric on both the fold line on your mat, and the cut edge on your mat. Usually, you will find that even though your fabric seemed to be cut straight, there will be a sliver over the line on the cut edge. Take your ruler, line it up on the line of your mat and cut off the sliver. If you will do that after cutting no more than two border sections, you will end up with straight borders. (when I say no more than two border sections, I'm assuming you are cutting across the width of the fabric, and will need maybe 5 to 10 border strips, depending on the size of your quilt, which will require piecing together before they are sewn on).

Next, measure the middle of your quilt, the top of your quilt, and the bottom of your quilt. Then, take the average of the three measurements, and cut your pieced border strips to match the average of your measurements. For instance, if the middle measures 42, the top measures 41 1/2 and the bottom measures
42 1/2, then cut all your pieced border strips 42 inches. On the top, your will pin it and ease in the 1/2" fullness and on the bottom, you will pin it and stretch out the 1/2" lack. I promise you, if you will do these two simple things, your borders will be straight every time. :))
Marcia

this real works. try it

Great suggestions!!! Thanks so much!