I just finished a quilt top but it's not squared. When I measure lenghwise, it's off about an inch from one area to another. :( same thing for the width. My husband says you can't tell at all eyeballing it and to just leave it, that by cutting of areas would make it look crooked. What should I do? DO you leave it or try to square it off? THANKS!

I would leave it as it is.

I'd also leave it!!

leave it, you can pull some on the short corner, gelty if you want

I'd block it. Once it's squared up by the blocking process, sandwich it and quilt it. The quilting will keep it square. Pulling on "short corners" is not what you want to do!

Question: How to you "block" it?

Good question. When I blocked my IRR center I pulled on the short corners and pinned it to a board and speryed it with water and let it dry square, Then when I unpinned it it was square.

Here's the easiest way to do it. http://www.greatamericanquilt.com/pd...gyourquilt.pdf For a top, I'd use the dry method. It's faster and easier.

When a finished quilt is blocked, it holds it's shape only until the next time it gets wet. That's fine for show quilts or wall art, but not so great for utility quilts. When a top (or even a single quilt block) is blocked before quilting, it will keep it's shape after quilting without any special treatment. Much better for utility quilts.

Also check this discussion. http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/24112.page

If the sides are even enough for you binding, just let it alone. As your hubby said, you can't tell by looking.

Dio, did you square your top before you added borders? That always helps. Square the top then measure for your borders by measuring through the center of your quilt for your border measurements. When you add your borders, your quilt should be nice and straight and square. (Provided you cut your borders accurately). Unless, I was entering the quilt in a competition I wouldn't go through the trouble of blocking. With experience you will gain more accuracy with your seaming, but the perfectly square top is rare. I can tolerate being off a 1/4 in. and it is not noticeable.

ETA: I square each unit as I build a block, then square the block. That adds to the overall accuracy of the quilt top. IMHO not enough attention or information on squaring is given to new quilters. My DH is handy with construction and in the beginning I learned a lot of squaring techniques from him. He recently taught me how to fit a beautiful quilting motif on a border when I was tearing my hair out in frustration :shock:

Leave it as it. During the quilting process it can be made to behave. Make sure you keep the fullness where it is supposed to be, don't push it into another area. You may need to quilt a little heavier to take up the excess.

What pattern did you use? Is it one where you can trim the wider ones to square the top without losing the pattern? Or does it have a border? Then I would square it.

I would leave it and enjoy the quilt. Remember we learn from each quilt. Part of the fun for me is to see my progression in quilting with each quilt I do.

I'd leave it. An inch off won't be visible to the eye at all - especially not if you plan on putting it on a bed or draped over the couch.

If it really bothers you, add an extra fabric border all the way around and then square it up. It won't be as noticeable as trying to square up and lose points, or parts of a block. :wink:

If it's only an inch off and still a top, you have several options. (1) Leave as is, (2) block the top, (3) add a border to square the top, (4) square up the quilt sandwich before adding binding.

If you choose to add a border, just make sure to measure through the middle of the quilt and cut the border to that exact length. (Measure and fit the longest side first if it is a rectangular quilt.) This results in 1/2-inch of border being eased to the short side of the quilt, and 1/2-inch of the too-long side of the quilt being eased to the border. This amount of easing is very easy to do. It helps to keep the side with the excess fabric next to the feed dogs when you do this.

Even a quilt sandwich can be squared up before adding binding. Zigzag a piece of dental floss along the too-long edge and use that as a gathering thread to distribute fullness before sewing on the binding.

It's for a wall hanging i am giving someone for a wedding present. I am going to leave it i think... If i were to sell it, then definately would want to go through the trouble of squaring it off. Thanks for all the advise. :)

I'd say leav it as is also. It will be much less noticeable as it is now than if you lop off some material from one end.