wavy borders

[sylkamode]

Hi LAquilters,

It seems a returning problem: wavy borders. The last couple of quilts were so bad, the borders so wavy, that I had to rip them out, one was send back to the quilter who cut about 10 inches of one border, and still it was a bit wavy. Do you have experiences with wavy borders too? And do you always quilt it away, or rip borders off the quilt and sew them back on so they lie flat with the permission of the quilter? Do you charge extra for this?

Hope to hear from you gals, since this is a increasing problem with quilts I receive. I am thinking of having a page at my website, with instructions about adding borders to a quilt, should this help?

Thanks,

Sylvia Kaptein

Syla-Mode

[ffq-lar]

There is a thread about Bonnie\'s starch-and-steam method for controlling wavey borders and hump-y blocks. (BFSSM) It is invaluable for controlling this problem--best done before loading, but it is possible to do on the frame. Search for this thread.

I believe that the classic instructions for applying borders is the main cause of waves. We are told to measure across the top in three places, average that measurement, and cut the border fabric to that measurement. Hello! That means that unless the top is perfectly square the piecer will STRETCH one border to fit and EASE the other to fit. That stretching and easing will always cause one border to wave and one to push the interior piecing out.

If you offer an instruction sheet for adding borders, ask that the piecer check at many steps of the piecing for proper measurements. It is easier to try to make the top square during the process, rather than after the fact.

There, I got that off my chest! Good luck and I hope you find some answers and sympathy here!!

[sylkamode]

I think you\'ve got a point there: they sometimes measure the borders, but don\'t check if the quilt is square or rectangular! They assume that it is, but they don\'t really know that they have to check.

It is different with tops I reveive, that are made years ago, sometimes people don\'t want to quilt and forget about the top, and then bring it here after so many years, but also new quilts that are brought have wavy borders.

I do tell them that I cannot quilt it out, but they just say: do the best you can... don\'t people care anymore?

[chickenscratch]

The one I\'m fighting with now (** I KNOW< I NEED TO FINISH IT) has been a beast. The quilt has been puffy and the border are ruffles. She didn\'t want to take it out. I think she didn\'t really believe me when I called her and mentioned it. I have to agree with her, it did look nice and flat spread out on her floor. I\'m going to try diagonal piano keys, keeping with the theme of the pieced border. Some of them may be a little puffier than others.

Somebody suggested a second layer of batting in the borders. How does that work out? I\'m afraid they\'d be thicker than the rest of the quilt. But, if they\'re gonna be puffy anyway, then they will look thicker - more batting or not.

Just thinking out loud. I\'m gonna try diagonal piano keys. And I\'m going to talk to her again about how she does her borders. I\'ve already advised her to pin from the center and then at the ends, and a few places in between before she sews.

Sylvia, I\'ve never had one with 10 extra inches before. I don\'t think there\'s anything you could have done to quilt that out.

Maybe crinkle quilted borders need to become the new fashion- since bleached out jeans and crinkled fabric shirts are back in style. THen we wouldn\'t have to worry about wrinkles in the borders.

[sylkamode]

Hi Teresa,

Strange fact is that - you are right - the quilts seems allright on the floor, but I saw some waves already, the woman asked me to try it anyway, and I did. On top it was allright, but the further I\'ve quilted to the bottom of the quilt, the more the side borders and specially the bottom borders ( 3 stripes ) waves like crazy.... she didn\'t liked that she had to take it home again, was puffing all the way when she brought it back, but even if the borders were not entirely flat, it was much, much better.... she was glad that I didn\'t try to quilt it, because it would have given much puckers, and now it was \'allright\', so she is happy. I think she will be more careful in the future... thing is, that people don\'t want to buy a long piece of fabric for the borders, and so they use strips from the width of the fabric, which pulls a bit. They also just sew borders on, without checking if they are of the same lenght, after cutting the strips beck tot the size of the borders.... oh wel, a holy task for us to tell them...

[Stagecl]

To me the problem is, if and when people do take the 3 measurements (which most don\'t) they don\'t go back to figure out where the top is off and many don\'t square up their blocks before assembling the top. That is when they stretch or ease in the border or top. I know some quilters that when they read that the border needs to be cut at 54 inches because this is what the pattern says...that is what they do rather than measuring their quilt. Everybody stitches precisely 1/4 inch seams, right?...LOL...wish it was true, therefore the pattern instructions are correct...LOL. People don\'t like to rip and reassemble...if they would do it right the first time there wouldn\'t be so many problems.

Cheryl

[jobuck]

Hello: I also had a terrible experience with wavy borders. I had a quilt 95 x 105 on my machine for 2 two weeks trying to figure out how to handle the "darn" thing. The further down the quilt I went the worse the sides and bottom got. I did use the starch and steam method---took care of at least 60 % of the problem. I did end up taking 3 tiny pleats: one on the left and two on the bottom. The borders were torn from one long strip. I think that made it worse! My opinion of course. The customer was okay with the result, but I was not. She blamed it on the fabric. I now "tack" my quilts periodically as I continue down the quilt and this seems to take care of any irregularities----also no more floating for this girl. All tops will be attached to the top roller. Live and learn. Jo-Ellen

[jmyhogan]

I just finished a quilt that when I put it on the machine was "flat" but as I quilted it the borders became wavy. When I got around to doing the borders I tacked them every so often then went back and did a large stipple and quilted all of the waves out. It was the best I could do.

[qfairy]

I had that problem as a customer of mine loves that fluffy stuff..I can\'t stand it myself. but she was new at piecing and had to explain to her how to attach borders correctly. pull across the top NO stretch plez, then pull down on side borders NO stretch plez...she got and loves how her quilts turn out now. Also found out watch how you put you backing in. make sure the stretchest(is this a word) is going side to side you can control that part, but putting it with stretch in up and down in the rollers it tends to pull and causes all kinds of problems. hope some of this helps. I did send out newsletter on how to attach borders and how to cut triangles and half squares...they loved it and now seeing much better tops.