Patchworkbarb

I’m working on this quilt and my borders are wavy. There is a two inch border before the 6 inch final border. If I cut the smaller border at 2.5 and then followed my inside seam and measured 2 inches all the way around and trimmed at 2 inches, would that fix the wavy border so that I could add my last border wave free?

Im just about ready to pull my hair out. I’ve been at it all afternoon. Can’t post picture, but I have a thread about what colored squares to add from the other day.
Help Needed, Can’t Decide

Tartan

When adding a straight border to a pieced top, you can’t just sew them together. Every seam will stretch a bit as you go and when you sew border to it, you will get a wavy outer border. I lay out my top, measure the side length and cut my border to that length (I leave a little extra at the bottom). I then pin the border to top with lots of pins. I sew with the straight piece on the bottom and ease the top to fit it. Most times I can cut off the extra bit at the bottom and my side border lays flat. I do the other sides the same way.
When doing more then one border, I sew them together before adding them to the quilt. You are less likely to get wavy borders that way. I also sew a row of stay stitches (1/8) around the edge of the top to prevent stretching and control the seam allowances.

sewingsuz

I do the same as tartan and I use a lot of pins and I don't get waves. I did not stitch around my quilt first the 1/8 inch but I will try that the next quilt.

Rhonda K

No, that won’t fix a wavy border.

Stay stitch and then press the quilt and borders.

Check the measurements of quilt and borders. Is the quilt square before adding borders?

Pin border and quilt at each end, center, and about 4 to 6 inches. Good luck!

Patchworkbarb

I know why I never add borders to my quilts, nothing but heartache and frustration. Think I need a good stiff drink or two.

SusieQOH

You're not alone. I'm always fighting with waves!

GingerK

Stop and take a breath!! Now, using paper and pencil (or a calculator for all you gadgetty folks) figure out how long your border should be if every single seam on your top was absolutely perfectly sewn. ( eg six 12 inch blocks plus two 2 inch sashes 12+2+12+2+12plus 1/2 inch for the top and bottom seam allowances=40 1/2 inches.) Cut your border 40 1/2 inches and mark every intersection That means marking the first at 12 1/4, then 2, then 12 etc.

Match your marks to the corresponding seams, pin and sew, making sure that the border fabric is on the top.

Using this method, I have never had a wavy border, even when my blocks had bias edges.

Peckish

Are you sewing the borders on first, then cutting to length? If so, then this is most likely the cause of your wavy borders. You need to measure the top first, cut the border, then attach, easing in any fullness as Tartan said.

quiltingshorttimer

I first check to see if my quilt is square by folding in quarters and seeing if the corners match up or are "off"--if "off" I try to figure out where the problem is (this usually only happens when I've been lazy and not measured and trimmed all my block units)---I do this squaring before I put on borders.

For borders, I measure the two sides and middle and average (hopefully they will be 1/4" or less difference if I'm lucky). I do the same for the top/bottom, and middle. I cut my side borders to the average measurement. I pin at each end; at the middle; and at the quarters--easing in any excess. I repeat on the top/bottom after I've attached the side borders. If I'm attaching more than one border, I will do the same thing or may miter the corners after I've sewn all borders together.

sewingpup

my suggestions are to edgestitch around the whole top to stablize it especially if there are a lot of seams and/or bias edges and then measure the quilt in a few places, cut borders to the proper size based on those measurements pin first in the middle, than both ends, and then more inbetween as needed and use a walking foot to attach the border if you have one. A walking foot feeds both the top and border evenly. I use my walking foot for piecing sometimes especially when stitching long seams and rows together...takes a bit of thought on getting the 1/4 inch seam...but I find it really helps keep everything squared up and flat. I really recommend everyone invest in a walking foot for their machine....I think it is one of the most useful tools you can have.