My Turn To Seek Advice
 

Before I just go ahead & get it done I thought no, I belong to the QB and can ask these wonderful people what I should do! A world wide resource of experienced quilters at my finger tip! I'll not take advantage of you...

My dilemma: My quilt before binding measures 59 1/2" and 59 1/4" and 59" wide (top, middle & bottom). Same kind of measurements for the length. The problem is that the four corners have sharp star points. How can I square it up when I need to maintain those points?

The only thing I thought of is to leave it and cut the binding on the bias so at least it will lay flat.

What is your advice?

Thank you!

Natalie

Hi Natalie,

Square it up by blocking it! It is not out so much so blocking it (I think that is the correct term) is a real option.

There are tutorials on how to do this, but the basic are that you lay the quilt on a clean sheet on the floor, dampen the quilt and and manouver it until it measures the same all the way down and accross and then leave it to dry!

Hope this helps

Hugs

Caroline

Perfect! I'll do it. Thank you Caroline.

Now how in the world do I keep my dog off it ong enough to dry???

Natalie

I'll need to follow this thread and learn along with you, Natalie. I have NEVER worried about how square my quilt was overall at the binding stage. My main concern was whether or not I had good 90 degree corners so that my binding would make a nice fold at the corner. the differences you cite will not be noticeable to the naked eye (or that infamous rider on a galloping horse...). Yes, you might notice it when folding the quilt because corners will not go to corners, but, really? Waiting now to see what others have to say. :)

I've heard of running a basting/gathering stitch in the seam allowance to aid in easing the long edges in to the smaller measurement. then attach the binding. I'd try the blocking first though.

I've never heard of that one! I'll keep that in my arsenal! Thanks!

I say it's not that much difference from top to bottom, so unless you are entering it into a contest, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd try the suggestions above, and if it still wasn't perfectly square, I think I'd leave it. Cut off points would surely be more noticable than a half inch difference in width from top to bottom.

I would not square it up. The average of the 3 measurements is 59.25 so I would cut your first 2 borders this length and ease in the difference. 1/4 inch either way is not too much to ease in.

This is the way I would do it, too. This is how I was taught way back when I first started quilting.

Another tip: remember: Baggy on the bottom (feed dogs will easy in the baggy). Works every time!

Okay now I'll plead ignorance. Can you take a minute please Stchenfool and explain this technique? It sounds interesting!!! Thanks

your quilt meadurements are not that far off I would wet int put in on the flour on a clean sheet and if you have carpet ust "T" pins to straighten it leave until dry then I measure the middle up and down in the middle cut my border that exact length measure for the middle both quilt and border match and pin good and that half inch can very well be eased in through the length of the quilt then do the same across should work

I would leave it as is - after all, we are not perfect. Did you know that the Amish will make a mistake in their quilts on purpose? Their reasoning is that only God is perfect. I use that quite often - my work is Amish - LOL.

Don't cut the corners to square it up! It's not so out of square. Measure across the middle of the top in both directions. These are your measurements for binding, not the outer edges. Say top to bottom is 59¼ inches, but your edges are 60 and 59½ (forget about these measurements). Add 2 inches to the binding length for a 1 inch extension at both ends. Fold the binding in half and then in half again, and mark with pins or chalk to get the length divided evenly into quarters. Do the same for the top and bottom edges of the quilt. Pin the binding on to your quilt "sandwich." There will probably be excess "sandwich" lengths between the border quarters. Pin this excess in as best you can. When you sew the binding on, have the binding on top and the quilt on the bottom with the backing touching the presser plate of the machine. This helps the bottom layer be worked in. Stitch the binding on. I've used this method for all my quilts and it even works for sewing on binding by hand. Just work/ease any excess quilt sandwich into the binding. Repeat this for both sides. The quilt will be square and lay flat.
SandyQuilter

So do we know the approach taken? Please share.

Forgot to say. Never, EVER just cut binding without measuring and starting sewing from one end to the other. This is a sure way to have wavy edges and the quilt to be out of square.
SandyQuilter

It is a fact of life that if you put the too large part of the quilt right side down on the sewing machine the feed dogs will ease it to match the smaller side on the top. This will work very well if the difference in the two sides is less than an inch. It is done in garmet sewing all of the time. Sometimes on purpose to make the garment fit better.

I vote for this option also. By the time it is all completed, bound, and then washed, that 1/4" will disappear. (I wouldn't be able to keep my cat off the blocked quilt on the floor either!!!)

I had never heard this one; I have always had trouble remembering which way to put the extra fabric. Great way to remember! Thanks

I always make sure to square my top when I add the borders by averaging the length and width and fitting the top to the border average. Then I don't have to worry about it when I add my binding. I always use a border so I don't know how I'd do it without one.

Great advice thanks to all you fantastic ladies

I love that!!

YEP! And you generally measure across THE CENTER of the quilt - not the edge. OR measure across the center and the edges and average the measurements.

Before I bind my quilts I lay them in halves both directions to see how much they are off (if at all). If it's just a bit (and I consider 1/4" a bit) and trimming would mess up the pattern, I accept that it is off by a bit and move on.

Okay ladies this is what I did. First I waited until the dog went to bed for the night (he's an English bulldog so he sleeps about 23 hours a day (nice, hehe)). Then I put the quilt on a sheet on the floor. I appreciated the advice that it wasn't so far out in its measurements. I never considered that 1/4" or 1/2" is still okay, if not entering a judged show. Anyway, I laid it out and it was flat. I could see one place that looked like it needed a little shave. And that's all I did. Charisma did a wonderful job of taking the top quilting to the edges so I didn't need to baste the edges either. I'm in process of binding now and I'm one of those who enjoy binding. Love the quiet time and watching the final touch complete a long and arduous labor.

You are all greatly appreciated!

Natalie