Wavy border
 

I figured I would be fine to carefully sew on my last 2 borders. I laid it out on the floor and my borders were bad.[ATTACH=CONFIG]603303[/ATTACH]

I think you know what to do - unappealing as the idea is - - - -

I picked off my borders, measured the quilt center( what I should have done in the first place) chalked a line and pinned the top and bottom of the border to the quilt top. I pinched up the extra quilt top in the center and pinned it the the center border. I then equally distributed the extra quilt top on both sides of the center and put in lots of pins. I sewed with the quilt top on top because the feed dogs would not ease in about 2 inches of extra fabric. I swept the quilt top towards the foot as I sewed with a straight pin just short of making a pleat. Voila, the borders lay perfectly flat now and this is how much I was able to ease using this method.[ATTACH=CONFIG]603309[/ATTACH]

Well done!!!

I usually measure the "center" in three places - take an average of the three numbers (if there is a huge discrepancy between the numbers, there is a problem that needs to be addressed!)

I fold the top into halves, quarters, and then into eighths - and pin or put a chalk mark on the edge.

I usually cut the border "a bit" longer - hardly ever "exact length" - mark off the "length that matches the top" on the borders - I leave a bit "extra" on both ends - just in case - sometimes I need that extra little bit - and then divide the "length that matches the top" into segments.

Then I match up the segments. It's a lot easier to only have to deal with easing in a one to two foot stretch than worrying about the whole side.

This usually works for me.

Thanks for the explanation Tartan and for the diagram Bearisgray- very helpful.

Rob

I cut my borders to fit after I sew them on. If there is a small wave I ease the fullness to the seam and press the fullness fold to the seam and since I quilt my quilts myself I put a dab of glue on it to hold and the quilting always hold it down. No one can tell and not even the fair judges who examine them up close.

Bearisgray, I could have used that diagram and explanation a few months back. I was close to tears trying to figure out a fairly wonky border job on one of my quilts! This is perfectly clear, and reasonable, thanks!

Great job with the re-do. Glad you were able to fix them.

I stay-stitch using a 2.0 stitch length along each quilt edge and each border edge. Give both another press. Then mark and pin as described by bearisgray.

Stitch both together. The extra stay-stitching prevents the fabrics from stretching as they go through the feed dogs and presser foot. It takes less than 5 more minutes to stay-stitch.

Measuring through the center keeps that from happening. I use one strip then use that strip to measure against the border for other side. Do the top and bottom the same way.

Does the glue help with keeping the wave out of the boarder?

Thanks for the tip on fixing wavy borders as I too, have that problems. I may have to use you guys suggestions.

I do the same as Bearisgray (minus the extra on the ends). I know my quilts are never perfectly square, but so far (knock on wood) this has worked out for me.

BUT - it is great to see what others do so that I have other options should I need it! :D

I keep it simple. My quilts are typically square because I measure and square up all the elements as I go. And, yes, I do a good bit of ripping and resewing to achieve this. Having squared up everything as I go means that the borders should be the same on opposite ends, or at least within 1/2 inch of each other.

Regardless of whether I cut the border, length of fabric or WOF, I still mark and pin at each end and on the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 points on the top and the border before I start sewing. Then I snug the border which is on the top as I sew the two together. I have never had a wavy border when I did it this way.

I found out really early in quilting, that if I just laid a length of border on the pieced top and just let the machine pull it in freely, it would wave every time. I think that must be because the bottom feed dogs do pull in a tiny bit more of the fabric closest to them every time they move. This extra pulling ends up with the top being longer than the bottom, so it can only wave.

The "ordinary" machines - that don't have dual feed - do pull the bottom layer a bit more/faster than the top layer.

That's why the saying is that if one has to stretch something to fit - have the layer that needs to be stretched on the top -
or to "sew with a 'relaxed bottom'"

I lay both borders across the center of the quilt and cut them at the same time. If the sides are not an exact fit, I either stretch the border a bit or work in the fabric to fit. This helps to square up the quilt also.