At a loss- scalloped border question
 

Well here I am again making things complicated. I just my Anita's Arrowhead quilt top and thought a scalloped border would be beautiful. I am going to enter this quilt in a local quilt show next year.

My finished quilt is 65" wide by 79 inches long. I know there will be less scallops on the width side and more on the length side. My question is do they have to be the same size all around the quilt or can they be a little smaller on the length part.

I have never done scallops before and the calculations are killing me. Any suggestions from those of you who have done scalloped borders on a quilt???? Math was never my best subject.

No they do not have to be the same size ... just kinda close for aesthetics.

The easiest way I know of to make scallops is to make a long freezer paper band of paper about a bit wider than the scallops you intend to make. ex: 2" deep scallops use a 3.5"-4" width of freezer paper. Then fold that band continually til you get the size you want. You can practice with folding in half then half again ... or
thirds then thirds again or half again. The object is to keep folding til you get the size you want. Do this for both the width and the length of your quilt. This way your size is tailor made just for that quilt. If this is a size you regularly make, keep notes.
You can then take a saucer, bowl, dish, or whatever to make the scallop and cut the folded freezer paper. Guess what, you can then iron the pattern onto your quilt as a guide for cutting.

I prefer this method to buying a scallop ruler and then trying to make it fit ... which you can do if you prefer.

The Craftsy binding classes teaches how to calculate (and bind) scallops. It was a great class.

This video may help. I use this ruler for scallops.

http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponline/ruler/9045

I have a scallop tool (not a ruler, more like an individual template) that is adjustable to make all size scallops. I use it a lot either for making a scallop borders/edges or use as a quilting pattern. I often flip it over for a chain effect when quilting.

Unless your quilt is square you most likely will have different size scallops on the sides than the top/bottom. You want to keep them nearly the same size however otherwise it won't look right. You will also want to consider the corners and round them as well. I put a half of a scallop going one way and the other half going the other way on the corner so factor that in as well when you are planning your spacing.

You will need to bind the quilt with bias binding rather than straight of grain binding. I use the same width as straight binding. You'll need to ease around the curves and massage the binding a bit at the in curve but it should fall into place nicely. Don't worry about the tucks in the in part of the curve. They mellow out.

I mark my scallops with a frixon pen and then stitch along on the markings. I then cut close to the stitching and then put the binding on. This stitching stabilizes the edge. If you cut before you stabilize the edge is likely to stretch. I've also seen where some sew the binding on before cutting.

I would invest in this. Going to check the shops for this.

This works well for me, too. If you like to do scallops, it's worth the price.

Anita, I love your quilt design. Ten ladies in my bee made your quilt. It was so much fun!

I have the ruler and that made it doable for me....I still had to think about it but it all worked out fine in the end. The ruler is worth every penny I spent on it

Youtube also has videos. Just seen on the other day by fons and porter.