Squaring up a quilt top

Comment

Comment by Debra Miller on February 21, 2013 at 4:14pm

Thanks everyone! My quilt is square and has a skinny inner border and 6" outer border. I am making 2 of these quilts for kitchen curtain panels. It is set on point.

Comment by Mary, Tewksbury MA on February 21, 2013 at 12:58pm

Maybe I'm confused??  Helen gave great explanation of how to add borders but I thought you where looking to square up before adding the borders??  From what she said looks like the borders will square the quilt .  That said are the borders different widths?  

Comment by Prairie Quilter/NE on February 21, 2013 at 6:10am

Helen did a better job of explaining this than what I did.  

Comment by Helen McCarl on February 21, 2013 at 5:48am

If you want to show your quilt, or hang your quilt, it needs to be square to hang straight and flat, and to be judged for a show.   If you are a long way out of square your may need to look at your construction and make adjustments there.

But, if your are an inch or less out of square you can use your borders to square the quilt.   Take the measurement of the length of your quilt through the middle, and on both edges.   Average the three numbers and cut the side borders the length of your averaged number.    Find and mark the center and quarter and three quarter points of both your quilt and your border.   Pin your border to your quilt at the center, the quarter, three quarter points and on the ends.    Now you wil ease in any fullness that exists in the four sections.    Turn your quilt so that the fullness is next to your feed dogs, and your machine will actually do most of the easing for you.    Repeat the measuring, pining, and easing on the other lengthwise side.      Treat the top and bottom  borders the same way, find the averaged length, mark and match the center, quarter and three quarter points, and ease in any fullness.    If you have multiple borders, you have multiple opportunities for squaring the quilt.

Comment by Mary, Tewksbury MA on February 21, 2013 at 3:51am

Sandy's suggestion is great- have to check that out myself.  I was thinking if you're only off inch no one will notice.  My other thought was, do you need borders??  I've seen lots of quilts that don't have them and maybe it'd work with your quilt.  Good luck!

Comment by Sandy Todd on February 20, 2013 at 3:45pm

My suggestion is to Google youtube.com and then type in "How to square up a quilt top".  I just did and there's several how-to videos there that might help you.

Good luck & happy quilting!

Comment by Prairie Quilter/NE on February 20, 2013 at 3:16pm

I was always taught that to get the measurement for the border pieces in order to square up a quilt was to measure the center length and the center width of the quilt and those were your border lengths and widths.

It seems I've read another option (maybe from the Quilt in a Day books) where they recommend taking 3 length measurements (at the center and each side), then averaging them to get the border lengths, then doing that for the width as well.  I've not done that.   

I suppose it would depend on what type of out-of-square issues you are seeing.  

Oh, I just went back and re-read your question.  I didn't realize you were wanting to square up the quilt before you added the borders.  I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions for you in that case.  

Hope someone can help you out.  I'm sure it will all turn out great!

Comment by Barb/WI on February 20, 2013 at 3:06pm

I've fought with this many times myself...sometimes I think I get things skewed when I do the quilting.  Can't wait to see how other people deal with this.  I pretty much use my largest square ruler to start on a corner, and go from there.

Comment by Mary, Tewksbury MA on February 20, 2013 at 1:30pm

How "off" are you?