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.

Rather than binding with bias strips, you can cut strips, and trim to fit the scallops, put right sides together, sew the scalloped edges together, the snip curves and turn. Then slip stitch down the raw edge, turning under, and you're done. Much easier than sewing on bias binding.

KathyC9511 the only advice I can tell you is that I find the size of the scallops to be used just like I would have to adjust any large stencil. Lay out your quilt using larger dinner plates in the corners since they will be a quarter of a circle. Then measure the distance. Choose the size of scallop you want. If your distance is 80", then the best size would either be an 8" or 10" scallop. You have to also measure the other size and slowly decided which size will fit both sides the best.

This is a great thread as I am hoping to add the scalloped border to my Dear Jane quilt - which is going to a friend with a Long Arm business - and once layered I will add hand quilting. I must look at all the links here ! Thanks for asking the question !

I have this ruler but have only made scallops once. I think the freezer paper method works as well but haven't tried it. The ruler looks easy, but I guess that first time had a learning curve. The quilt turned out fine but it didn't go quite as quickly as in the vid. Jenny Doan has a howto with the tool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIHhTxTpMQ0 if youre a visual person and here is the F and P vid for freezer paper with Jodie David that's very good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkt4GQ93z0w. Good luck!!

I have cut newpaper strips the size of the border, folded them in half and then in half again and then free cut very long scallops. long curves, nothing too steep...open it up and if you don't like it do it again with another strip til you get one you like...I usually save the ones I like so I can use them again....I trace the curves with a marker and then quilt pass the lines before triming them...works for me

I've enjoyed reading this thread even though I've never made scalloped edges. It has made me hungry for some nice broiled scallops!! Or the ones wrapped in bacon!

Since the designer has advised you, and you have the wealth of information of some of the best quilters on the planet you should go ahead after viewing the video. I have a scallop ruler and it has been one of the best investments I ever made. If the scallops are a tad smaller in one area I am of the opinion that you will be the only one who knows. Your quilt is going to be absolutely beautiful, be confident and you'll triumph. Just talking about this makes me want to go down to my sewing room, but then just about anything makes me want to do that.

Scalloped edges are so beautiful. Jenny Doan has a Utube video showing how she makes her scallops. The tool that she I using is the one quilt in a day has. I believe Jenny (MSQC) also carries the tool.

Good luck!

I finally figured out how to do my scalloped border. I marked a 45 degree angle on all four corners of the border. I decided that 9" scallops worked good for me. I found a plate that was 9" in diameter and used it to do mark my scallop in the 4 corners. Then I measured the distance between the plate marks from left to right on both the top and sides. Divide each number by 9 to come up with the number of scallops needed. I needed 6 nine in scallops for the top and bottom and 7 nine inch scallops for sides. I then cut some freezer paper 3-3/4" wide and taped the length needed for the top, and did another strip for the sides. I used my June Tailor scalloped ruler to mark the freezer paper. I then use my scissors to cut out my scallops. I pinned them between the marked edge of the top and used a Frixion pen to mark the scallops. Did the same for the sides. Now I am ready to cut my bias binding and bind my quilt. I am happy with my calculations and know my quilt is going to look great. Thanks to everyone who responded to my post.

I plan on posting pictures of my finished quilt as soon as it is done.

One of my friends made a quilt that was supposed to have a scalloped border. She was unsure about how to proceed and decided to call the lady who long arms her quilts for her. The lady who did her long arming asked that my friend just add a generous border to the quilt and leave it straight. The long armer volunteered to quilt in the scallops if my friend would trim out the scallops after the quilting was done. The quilting was gorgeous. It echoed the scalloped edges several inches back into the border. My friend cut the scallops out and did the binding. That was one beautiful quilt!

What I learned from this event is to quilt before you start doing any cutting on the scallops. Drawing where you want them to go will give you the visual aid you need to keep your quilting where it should be if you are doing the quilting yourself, which would be my preference.

Karen Kay Buckley has a DVD on borders and how to do the math. AliKat's method is very close, except she doesn't use freezer paper. I took her class last year at the Houston Quilt Festival and she gave us each a copy of the DVD. You can find it on her website, but I bet Amazon carries it, too.

I only ever did one quilt with a scalloped border, but I didn't use any special ruler, just used a dinner plate . I cut my fabric to the width I wanted, then I put tiny pieces of colored tape on the edge of the plate where I wanted to mark the same size for each scallop. I marked off my borders with a permanent pigma marker, but did not cut them at that time. I can't remember for sure, but I believe I marked the lengths first, then the widths, and mitered the corners to make them fit. When I took the quilt to my LA'er, she thanked me for leaving the extra on, since it was easier for her to quilt around the straight edge, rather than the scallps. After the quilting was finished, then I cut out the scallops and bound the quilt.