Ok, so, in my defence, it hasn't been properly ironed, but I don't think I can coax this one into doing what I want. My boders were not pp (can you tell) so the points don't match up with my center. At least it will be well loved :)

You know what? As long as it is warm, I honestly don't think it's going to matter. I love the pattern, it's awesome!

And you can whip it into submission! LOL :shock:

I think it turned out really nice. I love the design. I'm sure it will be well loved, if not I'll send you my address!

I love it! Love the colours, love the pattern, it's awesome.

By the time you get a backing on it, and get it quilted, and there's that galloping horse thing....

it will be fine! :-)

Love that pattern and fabric. Your friend is going to love it - wonky or not. Press the wonkiness out!!

I'm reminded of something my partner says when I point out the defects or things not working in our classic car (it's a 1963 so regularly breaks down).

He says "it's not a defect, it's character!"

;-)

Melanie ....
Maybe I can be of some help? I'm not trying to be a know it all! I love your colors and the pattern is such a great choice. I quilted a quilt for a lady some time ago and I could not get it to lay right, later I found out she just cut the width for the border she wanted and stitched it to the sides and cut the length. Did you measure the width and the length? Some people take three measurements both ways.
I made a quilt for my husband years ago when I first started quilting, it look pretty much the same as yours. I picked it all apart, thinking I had forgot to square up my blocks...That still thing, that still didn't help! It was black on borders so I was able to hide the error by taking small darts and you can't tell. But it never did end up being a lovable quilt, the batting was wrong and it's like a moving pad... Ugly and not soft!
I hope your able to salvage your work, I showed the first picture you posted to several of my friends at our class last night and everybody loved your choice of colors. It doesn't matter how many years you quilt, or at least not for me... I always make some kind of mistake...

Happy Quilting.... You sure do work fast... I'm Mrs. Pokie, slow slow slow!

I've found that too... I used to just sew the borders on and then cut them to length. But it is much better to measure and cut THEN sew them on, it keeps the whole thing flatter and squarer.

Still loving the quilt, and would love to do this pattern. Is it freely available?

I think that pattern is awesome and I am sure when it is finished it will be a thing of beauty as are all your quilts.

I got it at quilters cache, it's called irish plaid.
http://www.quilterscache.com/I/IrishPlaidBlock.html


thanks everyone, for all your comments and suggestions.
I think I'm going to try to cleverly place some darts and stuff, and with the close meandering quilting I plan to put on it, hopefully it's not going to show up too much.

I was hoping to see you post a picture of this when it was finished! I love how it turned out :D :D :D

I think it's beautiful!
I'm sure you can hide the wonky parts and no one will ever know. :)

Well, I think after it is quilted it will look better. You did a great job on it too!

Put it on a feather-tick mattress where it doesn't have to lie flat. It looks lovely.

Wow love the pattern and colors.....seems like no matter what you do there is always quilts that do that.....

I too measure from the center and that is how long the strip is regardless....cut two the same wideth....fold in half and mark the center and mark the center of the quilt....I pin the centers together......and then match the ends....sometimes it behaves and lays flat and other times I halve to fudge the fabric in or pull.....a little to get it to sew right .......then repeat and do the length ....measure from the center side to side......cut two.....find the center and mark....mark the center of the quilt ...pin centers together and then ends...sew ......This is one of the things I have learned in a quilting class....."How to square a Quilt"........

Don't mean to sound like a know it all ....but you asked....I hope it helps......and it has worked really great for me......but I still once in a blue moon have some problems......Good luck and hope you try this idea......:-)....

Really a great quilt! I love the pattern and I know you will work out your problem.

ahhh didn't mean to sound bossy.......:-(

I had to go back and search for your post, couldn't remember you sounding bossy, and I was right, you didn't. :-)

It's something special about this place, the advice given is always helpful and friendly, never pushy or bossy.

Gee .. I would like to say something too .. to help, not sound bossy either.

I certainly am not a know it all, and I have never taken a class. But... I read everthing I can get my hands on.

I do it the same as gcathie does. Measure across the center, cut the strips that size, pin the center and the ends and then in between. Then if one side is a little more fabric than the other of the pinned seamline I make the adjustment needed by putting the side with the extra fabric (baggy pants) to the feed dogs. It will bring it in to the shorter side and this way I avoid pulling. Oh, I use a stelleto to help guide the top fabric too.

If all else fails, I just say oh it is terrible fabric. Yeah, that's it .. I blame the fabric! :twisted:

Beautiful pattern and colors.
My quilts did the same,untill I was learned the gcathie way.
When paper-piecing, I always use freezer paper and I don´t take the paper away before the quilt is framed all way round. I think paper piecing is easily growing because you not always use thred direction (my poor english). If you use freezer paper it will stick to the fabric, and you will have no stretch in it. When framed, there is no problem.

I get wonky borders because I have up til now just slapped em on and trimmed afterwards but only yesterday I read in a book the method Cathie describes! Will do that NEXT time! Meanwhile back at the quilt - I love it, such a stunning design! So stunning that the wonkiness WILL NOT be apparent when it's quilted - was going to suggest quilting it to death, but you already thought of that! LOL LOVE IT!

K x

That's the way I do it too except I measure both sides. They have been off by as much as 3/8"--how the heck does that happen :shock: Then I take the averge of the 2 sides and cut 2 border strips the same length. Pin in the middle, then on the ends, then just keep pinning and adjusting the fabric if I feel something lumpy.

I'm sure you guys are rght about the brown border, I should have measured across the middle, then cut it, that's the way I usually do it, but I didn't this time.

However, I think my real problem here is the inside border, it's kind of hard to explain on here, but if you look close, you will see that I have 12 identical blocks in the middle, and those are pp, and then I tried to copy the pattern onto the first border and I kind of had to make it up as I went along. You can see that my inner border does not actually line up with my center... I'm guessing if I take off both borders, square up all my rectangles in my inner border, and put it back on, I think it might end up more square. I'm not sure I'm willing to put in that much effort, though, lol!

AAAArrrrgh, ok, maybe I should, I just hate ripping out seams.

I agree and not trying to be a know it all also. This works for me. Also if you have more fabric on one side meaning top or botton of the quilt/border adding on try putting the longer fabric side down to the machine with feed dogs touching. The feed dogs will help take up the excess. But take the first steps as gcathie does. should come out better. You put all the time any money into it I would rip out the borders and redue using this method. Hope it works.

Sorry I didn't see what RG had said. Just trying to help.

I really love your design and you always do such a fabulous job. I have 1 right now that I've just done the exact same thing. The worst part is that I knew better to start with!! I didn't press it yesterday when I finished it, but I think it might be a little wonky when I do. I think you should just bite the bullet, get the ripper out and go for it. You'll be much more satisfied with it in the end. Thats what I'm going to do....GGRRRRR :roll:

I think it looks very nice regardless of it's slight imperfection. That is like the Amish always make a mistake in the quilt so it isn't perfect...because only God is perfect...
[I may have messed up that saying,,,no coffee)

I like it, and whoever you give it to will not know about the problem you had...

I love it just the way it is.

A mistake is proof that someone tried to accomplish something.
Your quilt is really great! A very complex pattern in the block that will only attract more attention to the center than the edges, where I have found ... the final darts end up under my binding. If I were in your place, I would definitely pin the binding, easing in the "flow" of the border to evenly space the ruffling effect.
I have come to appreciate the advice about measuring the center of the quilt both ways and making the border be that size. It is our final chance to control the outcome, and well worth the extra time it takes.
I completed a "Victory" quilt (elenor burns) making myself absolutely follow all of the directions - - she made a believer out of me about knowing the size of the border ... my borders were spot on.
YOu have done a lot of good work on your quilt. Celebrate your accomplishment, learn from the not so perfect parts, and move on. Nothing ever will get anything but better.
Not to be a party pooper, but ... you could take the border off and do the measuring, etc ... there is always that option <g>.

By the way, I don't take anybody's post as being bossy, or "know it all"
The reason I come on here and ask questions is because most people here know a lot better than me :) Everyone always has such great suggestions :P

Plus! Everyone else learns something from all of the good input. It helps to know you aren't the only one who has faced these obstacles, eh?

for sure! lol!

You crack me up.

It is hard to tell if the center part lays (or is it lies?) flat before you put the border on. If it does, then the center-measure method should work fine. If it doesn't, you could adjust or tame the "offending" bias triangles so the center DOES behave. I am in a similar situation with a Lone Star center - it has a slight wave in it and I know that it will not be flat. (So it is in a box until my patience returns.)

I've gone cross eyed staring at the pattern, but I see what you mean, and I think you're right. Re-doing that border and then measuring and re-doing the brown border would fix it.
It depends on how much the ruffle is bothering you. If you haven't gone any further with it, I think it's a good indication that it is really bugging you.
I had one like this, it sat on my design wall for about a month, I just couldn't get the motivation to continue with it, and it was the same reason, things hadn't lined up and I wasn't happy with it. I did end up pulling large chunks of it apart and redoing them, and now I'm really pleased I did. The rest has "flowed", and I'm enthusiastic about it again.

You obviously spent a lot of time making up the quilt. Terrific job with the pattern. Listen to the advice of others on this board. They know what they are talking about.

Don't feel bad! I have been making quilts for 6 years and this is the first time I have had THIS happen. I have always said I hate bias, but now I am sure of it.

I am still waiting for the longarmer to tell me if it might quilt out, and if I should bother trying to add the flying geese border to it.

This is the Old Tobacco Road pattern. It is from Quiltville and I put A LOT of work into this. Now I think it should be called Bumpy Old Tobacco Road.

Cool pattern. Was it like working on a zig saw puzzle?
As one quilting instructor always says, "Press it into submission"! It will be fine and only you will know!
Judith

I have pressed and starched it to no avail!!!

wow nice work
frankie

Remember, only God is perfect, our quilts don't need to be