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Question about squaring up a quilt

Question about squaring up a quilt

Old 02-28-2014, 05:33 AM
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Default Question about squaring up a quilt

What is the easiest way to square a quilt before putting the binding on? I would love to hear how each of you square your quilts

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Old 02-28-2014, 06:36 AM
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Mine is labour intensive and low tech. I lay my quilt full out on the floor. I use my large 15 inch square in a corner and line up all my rotary rulers up to the next corner. I slide my rotary cutting mat under the edge and trim, moving the mat as I go.
I like the idea of the laser light for squaring up but so far can't justify the cost and I would still need to move the mat and ruler to trim.
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Old 02-28-2014, 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by gellybean402 View Post
What is the easiest way to square a quilt before putting the binding on? I would love to hear how each of you square your quilts

Gellybean402
I use the inner part of the border as my guide and then decide how wide the border can be, usually about 1/4" smaller than it is. Then I put my ruler on the inner part of the border and trim all the borders at the same width.
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Old 02-28-2014, 06:40 AM
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well it usually isn't necessary but I have taken my largest ruler (20 1/2") and placed it in the corner. matching lines of ruler on some seams and seeing if anything needs to be trimmed. I'm talking maybe 1/8 inch to be cut off. I do that for all corners.
now if you mean wetting the whole quilt and "squaring" it up that way, I've only done that once. out in the backyard with a yard stick and long tape. too much trouble for me.
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Old 02-28-2014, 07:32 AM
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Squaring up???? LOL!! In reality I use a large square ruler in the corners and eyeball the rest. Really not techie but works for me. Somehow my quilts always come out within a quarter of an inch each way. Just luck.

Edited to say that I square as I go so by the time I reach the end I'm usually doing good. And my Long armer is wonderful at keeping the square going.
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Old 02-28-2014, 08:45 AM
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I square up my quilts by putting borders on. I measure through the middle of the top, then at 1/4 and 3/4 spacing across the top. I get an average of those measurements and cut my borders. Then I fold the quilt and border into quarters and pin the borders on. I ease the fabric of the top as I'm pinning. Usually the top and borders go together easily, but I have been known to resew a few of the seams right at the ends where the threads have either pulled out or to take in a couple threads. Once the top and bottom borders are on, I do the sides in the same way.

I repeat this for each border I put on.
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Old 02-28-2014, 08:46 AM
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Square as you go. Always. Then measure from the inner border. I wish I had room to lay a quilt out flat on the floor.
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Old 02-28-2014, 09:15 AM
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If it is just pulled out of square during the quilting, I use and 16-1/2 sw ruler to square a corners and then measure from a consistent line in side the quilt and trim up the sides, usually this when cutting away the extra batting and lining.
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Old 02-28-2014, 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackberry View Post
I use the inner part of the border as my guide and then decide how wide the border can be, usually about 1/4" smaller than it is. Then I put my ruler on the inner part of the border and trim all the borders at the same width.
I am guessing you are talking about trimming it after quilting. I use the same technique as Blackberry
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Old 02-28-2014, 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Tartan View Post
Mine is labour intensive and low tech. I lay my quilt full out on the floor. I use my large 15 inch square in a corner and line up all my rotary rulers up to the next corner. I slide my rotary cutting mat under the edge and trim, moving the mat as I go.
I like the idea of the laser light for squaring up but so far can't justify the cost and I would still need to move the mat and ruler to trim.
Yep.
Except I can't "do" floors and am blessed to have a large table and large mat to use.

Jan in VA
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