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Squaring a quilt !!!


Janette

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Hi

I have completely messed up the squaring up of a hexagon flower quilt of mine and it has ended up as a parallelagram !!! :mad: I am not sure exactly how I have done this as I never usually have trouble, but wonder how you all go about squaring up your quilts. I dont usually bother and it turns out square based on my piecing which isnt bad, however this one is a hand pieced very early in my quilting life - hexagon flowers and it wasnt at all square and quite full. Now I am gutted that I have messed up the squaring, and it has got progressively smaller as I had to redo it and it is still not square! I feel like crying as there are many many hours of hand piecing over 5/6 years !!! I know I shouldnt cry over a quilt, but this one meant more to me than any other !! I never hand piece except for holidays !! and it took ages to get to the size I wanted. I feel so stupid !!!

I would appreciate advise therefore on how you all usually go about squaring your quilts. Thanks :)

PS I am having a bad day I didnt mean to post under MQS 2007 !!!!

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Janette,

Here is a great big (((((((((((((hug)))))))))))))))). Sounds like you need it. I'm sorry your quilt didn't turn out square for you. You can try blocking it. You would wet it completely, lay it out on a carpeted floor if possible (if not get some insulation foam to pin into but make sure you cover it with a sheet first). You will start in the middle of opposite sides and pin to the size you decide is square. Then go to the other two opposite sides and pin in the middle. Now work from side to side working it out to square. Let it dry overnight. Don't give up you can still get it square.

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I'm sorry that you are having a bad day Janette! What about creating a paper template with the size that you want and then using it to know where to cut the quilt sides? If you make a circle the same size as the hexagon, it would help to know where each side should line up. How big is the quilt? I have some quilt tops that I made early on, or that customers have given me which are not square and never will be -- but they are still nice quilts.

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I generally square my quilts as I load them. Let me switch modes here so I can load some pics. You undoubtedly have a lot of bias edges in your quilt, which makes a lot of stretch possible. Force the quilt back into square as you put it on the frame.

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I dont usually mind if my quilts are not square, not many are 100% !! but this one is so far out !! I really messed up with this one. I have already quilted it and cut it down so I am going to try and add some borders to make it larger with the quilt as you go method, although I have never used this method before.

Oh well it is now going to be a lap quilt not a bed quilt !!!

You learn by your mistakes dont you?????

I have bought a large square ruler today and hope to get it more square than it is now without losing too much more of the quilt.

PS I am really pleased with my actual quilting though !!!

Thanks for advice will use my new square ruler more on the frame too !!!

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All great advice, and I have also used a similar method by marking the leaders with blue washable marker on each side however if you have a quilt that seems to be 2" longer one side than the other thereby creating too much fullness on one side, then how would you absorb this into the quilting without creating pleats and wrinkles??

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That's one of the many uses of our L.A.Clips, I used to use tape too, and had to come up with something better. They work great and if the quilt is an hourglass or bellied you can use another two clips for the inner/ outer measurement and keep it centered very well through the whole process. I sew the top seam and then lock the y axis and work my way down to the belly bar and then snap on a clip to mark the edge, then repeat for the other side, you don't even need to measure. Check out our website. Thanx---Dave B.

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