Off Squared quilt... :(
 

I'm making this for my dd. I added the first solid border and everything looked great. When I started adding the 2nd border, I had to adjust the number of blocks from what the pattern called for because I reduced the size of the center down from 20 blocks to 12... not a problem... when I started on the bottom 2nd border is when I learned that the bottom is a good 3 inches WIDER than the top!!! Here are pictures so you can see my dilemma.
I did starch some of my pieces but no ALL of them...
Ideas/suggestions for fixing this?

can't tell from the angle of the pictures.

How did you make the HSTs on the outer border at the top and bottom of the quilt? Are the edges on the bias? Could they have stretched?

Jan in VA

you may have to trim it to make it better so you can fit a border on it. good luck!!

They are cut on the grain.

It's not clear to me if it's the bottom edge of the quilt that is 3 inches wider, or if it is the pieced border strip you are trying to add that is 3 inches too wide. Which is it?

I don't have any helpful suggestions. Just wanted to say your quilt is gorgeous and I'm sorry you're having trouble with it!

Did you measure the width at various points down the quilt? Where did it start getting wider? That should help you determine where you need to start making some adjustments.

I have no suggestions - but feel your pain!!

It's a beautiful quilt. Did you measure the sides before you added borders? Is the border the problem or is the body of the quilt wider at the bottom? I would probably take the borders off and redo them if it's the borders and not the body. Anyway, I know you'll figure out what you are willing to do. The LQS tells me to measure and cut my borders and make the body fit to it. I don't always do that but it's a good plan usually. Good Luck.... It's beautiful and your dd will love it no matter what the measurements are.

Try wetting only the larger edge with water. Let dry and this should shrink the edge hopefully enough. You can do this by spraying the edge heavily with water. Also be sure you ease the extra on the top INTO the border. Remember to take the measurement in the center not on the edge. Looks like maybe some of the HST edges got stretched. Good Luck!

If I could make a quilt that pretty---I wouldn't care! It's beautiful.

It's a lovely quilt -

The above suggestion is a good one - Maybe start measuring at the center and several other places between the borders - and find an 'average' measurement?

Then when/where something really got off, you could start making adjustments at that point.

Three inches off would bother me, too.

I'd go ahead and just finish it. On a bed, it won't even be noticed.

It's a beautiful quilt. I feel your pain. Good luck.

I agree with the others who say to measure in different places and find the average for what your borders would be. Make sure your borders are those measurements. You may have to take in some of the seams a little to get them to fit. I've also basted the edges of a quilt and eased the stitches to make the quilt fit the borders.
And, I also agree that if the quilt is going on the bed and not the wall, no one is going to notice!!!
That is a beautiful quilt!

I did not measure the center before adding the borders thus making sure the sided were equal before adding the borders... i will be measuring the center from top to bottom center, left and right vertically and horizontally and then cutting the borders to match. Also, I used the selvage which is always woven tighter and can cause this type of problem so I will be cutting that off too.... lots of errors because I was rushing to meet a deadline ;(..... oh well... I'll post pics of a properly squared quilt when I get it fixed and finished.
DD arrived last night and has seen it... Loves it and said she'd like to have it on her bed at Christmas :D.... I think I can get it done by then... we'll be going to the quilter tomorrow to chose quilting design.
Thank you for all your encouragement and suggestions.

I think the quilt if beautiful and anyone who doe not quilt, would never notice the difference. don't try to make it perfect; just make it and let someone enjoy it. It's really lovely.

When adding borders ALWAYS make sides of quilt fit the border instead of the border fitting the quilt. This may mean that you will have to "ease" the quilt top into the border. Do this by matching the center and 1/4 measure of both top and bottom and then easing equally as needed. Also it may help to put the smaller side down as the feed dogs will sometimes stretch the bottom fabric.

I'm making note of all these situations. This is the best board.

Just finegle it and no one will know. (that means cheat a bit) I am sure none of my quilts are really square and no one has every complained...

I am afraid that bias edges are your problem.................Remove the bias squares and substitue a plain border after carefully measuring the top bottom and middle of your quilt. Ease in whatever small amount of fulllness you may have. Good Luck. Incidentally, your quilt is wonderful.

I love your attitude!! :)

It's a beautiful quilt. I would ditch the pieced borders you are starting at the bottom and just finish the quilt with the solid borders on it. As someone else said, on a bed you won't even notice the width discrepancy, and it will make a pretty and cozy blanket for your dd!

Three inch difference is a lot and is certainly noticeable depending how it is used. Personally I don't believe such a difference should be satisfactory. I would go back and try to find where the difference happened and correct it. I believe the maker will be more satisfied and will be a learning experience to avoid next time.

I am a firm believer in " the more ripping out you do the more your pieces will stretch" So try to ease extra into the border with out ripping out.

awesome job

I measure the quilt top from top to bottom through its vertical midpoint then cut my border to that measurement. I measure quilt top horizontal through midpoint then cut my border to that measurement. Ease in any fullness. I revert back to my first quilt class as was taught. It seems to work every time for me.

I agree. I was always taught that if it is worth doing. It is worth doing right. There is a lot of time and dollars invested to do an, oh well!! Job. Find the source. You will be glad you did

remove the bottom row thats not equal to the top, make another row to match the top last row. that's the only thing I have to suggest.

3 inches is a BIG difference and will most likely quite noticeable and difficult to fix without ripping....you definitely want to get fixed before quilting as ripples are a nightmare to quilt, LA or fmq.....I would take off the borders, then measure top to bottom in several places, specially in the middle....then do the same side to side.....this will give you an idea if the problem is in the pieced top or the borders.....also measure the individual blocks to make sure all are the same.....as posted before, cut borders to length specified in pattern......I like the pieced borders, but make sure you are keeping the little blocks all the same size after piecing together....bias edges can be a pain to work with, but starch will help.....good luck with the fix, the quilt is very pretty and worth the effort!

I have no suggestions for you. But wanted to tell you that my mom's middle name was Leota and my daughter who is due at the end of Nov. is thinking seriously about naming her baby Leota if it is a girl.

If the top was laying flat BEFORE you added the borders then that could be the culprit. I ALWAYS measure across the center and use that measurement for the borders and I have NEVER had a wavy top. If it is a large quilt and you are in doubt, you can measure across each end and across the middle then take the average of those three measurements. I guess mine were never far enough off to do that. It is very pretty and I think you'll figure it out.

I'd take the borders off and measure the top in three places...this to be sure the quilt is not the issue. Then check the triangles used for the borders...it's impossible that all the triangles are straight of grain...a diagonal cut makes at least one side of that triangle on the bias. I also see on the last triangle of the bottom block, that it is not a true diagonal, or else your seam allowance is not a true 1/4" throughout.

It's a very pretty top, and worth fixing the borders.

When I put on borders (especially pieced borders), I measure the quilt in 6 areas... upper top from left to right, middle from left to right, bottom from left to right. Now take those three measurments and add them together, divide the total by 3...this is the side length of border needed. You will cut your side borders that length and pin to the side of the quilt at the top edge, bottom edge and in the center and ease in any fullness as to stitch the side borders onto the quilt.....repeat but from the upper left down to the bottom, middle top down to bottom, upper right down to the bottom. Also add the 3 measurements together and divide by three...this will be the width of the top and bottom border. Pin at each edge and in the middle and stitch the borders on easing in any fullness.

If you have problems with borders, you may want to pin first & ease in the fullness before you stitch the borders on.

When doing a pieced border, always press as you go. And if you have to remove stitches..spritz with water or spray starch and steam press the pieces before you resew them.

If you have to sew 10 half square triangle pieces, then sew them together, and you are 1/8" off on half of the seams...you are going to be several inches off when done...all seams need to be exactly the size of seam allowance the pattern calls for.

And I hope I'm not seeming to critical...I love your quilt, you did a nice job...which is why I really think you need to redo those borders...this will one day be an hierloom for your grandchildren. We have all (well 99% of us) had the same issues working with half square triangles...I sure have, which is why I can honestly say I've been there and done that...it's also why I have a half dozen seam rippers around my sewing area...and I've been quilting for over 40 years! My seam ripper is my most used tool.

As someone who has experience in making mistakes...I would suggest going through each block, and measuring it. You can try it on top of the quilt, and see if every thing is equal. If they seem to be equal, turn over your quilt and look at the seams, are they all 1/4 inch? If you find by measuring each of the 'larger blocks' that some are off, reverse stitch and fix. I would guess it may be your 1/4" seams. That's what it would be for me!

You probably know this, but you will get a truer quilt when you cut your strips on the length of grain. The WOF (width of fabric) stretches a good bit, this also could be your problem.

The quilt is beautiful! I can't even tell if something is off square.. but believe me I do understand how hard the "artist" can be on oneself. You probably see things that I would never even notice

Update on the Winter Lace (or my case Winter Storm)....
SEVERAL units in the body of the quilt are off mega bad... thus literally disassembling the entire quilt.... keeping the perfect pieces and using the usable bad pieces to make good smaller pieces (thus not losing all that "perfectly good fabric") and then cutting new larger pieces that are perfect. Also, I will be cutting each piece with my quilting ruler at 1/4" seam allowance so that it is accurate (not using the edge of the paper pattern as my guide - error #1) Then I will make sure my stitching is exactly 1/4" (error #2) which SHOULD mean that my points match. Then when I complete a unit, I will measure with my 6.5" quilter's ruler to make sure that the unit is square (error #3) After construction of 9 units, I will measure to make sure that the 18.25" x 18.25" block is square (error #4) When I have joined three blocks together, I will take the measurement across the top and again across the bottom... they should be equal (error #5)... If I do all of this with every step, this quilt should be quilt contest ,blue ribbon, best of show worthy! No I'm not entering it in a competition... just going to be as accurate as I can be so that I can say I did my best.
Oh and dd said she'd like it by Christmas (she didn't say WHICH Christmas - ha ha)