How can I avoid a nightmare?
 

I am making what I thought was going to be a very easy quilt, however I have just discovered a major problem. I am following a pattern from the Moda bake shop site and unfortunately because it seemed so easy I didn't realize that there is the potential for a big problem. So I am at the point of adding the setting triangles, seriously just about finished with this quilt. I discovered that almost every triangle is a biased edge. We are talking about 20 1/2 inches cut on the diagonal twice which when looking at the diagram puts the actual bias edge on the outside! Is there any way I can remedy this so that the edges are not waving like the flag? This is the first pattern for this designer on there and I tried to contact her but you can't leave any comments or questions at this point. Help!

I would do a tight (about 13-15 stitches per inch) basting stitch 1/8 from the edge along the bias, taking as much care as possible not to stretch it. I don't know if you were planning on a border too, but I would put one, even if it's just narrow, to help stabilize it. With care it will work.

What I do for big bias edges is fuse strips of lightweight interfacing to the back before cutting. This will prevent any stretching at all. I put the strips in a X pattern then cut down the middle of the strips. I learned this from Anita Grossman Solomon. She has the lightweight 1 1/2" strips on her website pre cut on a roll. http://makeitsimpler.com/books-products.html

I agree with Onebyone, it’s a great and works well, I keep several rolls on hand for just this purpose. If not, then starch the dickens out out of them and handle with care till it’s all quilted and bound.

If it's already cut, spray it with starch and press - do not slide the iron - pick it up and set it down in a new place. Let it dry thoroughly and then handle it carefully. Pin the next border and sew with the bias edge on the bottom. I starch any fabric that's going to have bias edges before it's cut. Starch makes good glue.

Can you post a link to the pattern?

I would ignore the instructions and cut the triangles so that the straight of grain is on the outside edges.

Making a square and cutting two diagonals is the correct way to make setting triangles so that the straight of grain (not the bias) is on the outside edge. I think your pattern is correct, and you shouldn't have any problem with the sewing if you're careful not to stretch the bias edges while you're sewing them to the interior blocks of the quilt. The corner triangles are made by cutting only one diagonal through a square of a different size. Look at the pattern again and see if this makes sense to you.

I ran into a similar problem with the Lonestar quilt pattern from the Moda Bakeshop and my quilt turned out less than perfect. The bias edges really threw things out of whack just piecing the Star, even tho I thought I was so careful and had pre-starched the fabric. Sounds like you’ve received some good ideas here. Good luck with your quilt!

No, this quilt pattern does not call for any borders. At this point I don't know if the basting stitch is going to matter.

Yes the fabric is already cut, like I said I was getting ready to attach the setting triangles when I discovered the problem.

It's too late the fabric is already cut. I really don't know how to post links but like I said it is on Moda bake shop.com. The pattern is called Square Dance by Amanda Wilbert. Please look at it and then you will see the problem.

It does make sense Dunster, but the problem is that the biased edges don't attach to any other element. I'm going to try to upload a picture.

Hopefully here is a picture of the problem.

I didn't mark on the picture before uploading but as you can see the setting triangles are all biased edges and I don't have enough fabric to redo it. The thing I don't understand is how she didn't realize what she was doing. I am just hoping that my quilt comes out as flat and pretty as hers did. Thanks to everyone who responded I did try to attach some interfacing on a smaller piece of the fabric on the diagonal and because I was trying to do it on what I already had done it did not work. I hope that makes sense.

use starch--lots of it. And be very careful pressing (let the starch dry first). Then when all together, carefully baste around the edges--you will want to be sure to support the quilt well so it doesn't stretch from weight. When I put a similar one of mine on the LA I did have to restarch and steam to shrink the places where it was wavey.

I went to look at the pattern. Nice pattern. You have nothing to worry about. The edges will be on the straight and cross grain, bias in the center.
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I did it the wrong way and used single cut squares (Figure A) instead of double cut (Figure B) as setting triangles. The hypotenuse (that goes to the outside) is on the bias in Figure A, but on the straight in Figure B.

It does take some imagining, but draw an imaginary red line along the straight edge (or put a pin, if you need to do it in real life), and follow where that ends up on your quilt.

I have done it with bias edges, and as long as you are careful pressing, it's not a problem.

I seriously do not understand why so may people think bias is something to be afraid of and avoided.

The border (inner and outer) was done with ombre fabric cut on the bias and there are no waves in it. And I do not use starch so it's very possible to do. I rarely worry about the bias edge on any setting triangle. I don't think I've ever cut super large squares and cut them double.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psgbyq2a6x.jpg

I totally agree with you.

Macybaby your "Oh my gosh" quilt is gorgeous! How long did it take to make this beauty?

Thanks everyone crisis averted I was wrong the bias is not on the outside such a relief! Hopefully will post a picture when it's complete.

Hope you can breathe more easily now - :)

A lovely quilt!

Try painter's tape
 

If you haven't started sewing yet, you can add some 2" painter's tape close to the bias edge on wrong side of the fabric. Don't sew on the tape but place it really close to your needle - I usually let my metal foot run on the tape. Just lay tape down on the fabric in one piece - you don't want to re-position it because of the stretch. The tape will help keep your edge from stretching and if you sew with a short stitch it should be fine.

Maybe you haven't see all those waves on some quilts. The longer the bias, the easier it is to distort it.
This quilt would have had bias on the entire outside edge. I'm glad she found that that was not going to happen.

Another solution if you are concerned about bias would be to put a narrow strip of stabilizer on the seam line. It can stay there and not be seen after the binding is on.

The crises has been averted, but I may have another solution for anyone else who might run up against this problem. You might put a thin strip of stabilizer near the edge. Use the kind you can sew through and it can stay in there and won't be seen.

maviskw, the quilt I posted a picture of has bias all around the outside edge, with rather large setting triangles.

I did a lot of sewing with tricot and other knits. Cotton on the bias is nothing compared to knits.