Mary Beth Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I am calling my LQSs first thing tomorrow and ask if I can teach a class on applying borders to quilts!! Do they just run out of time when teaching quilt construction to cover borders...geeez! Got a go, my next quilt is waving at me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 At least it is being friendly...oh yeah that isn't a good thing in this case!:P:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Nope they just don't listen. "t doesn't really matter." I've been telling my classes for 2 years now and they still won't measure their borders. they should know how laid back I am about most things by now and therefore follow the few pedantic instructions I give, really, shouldn't they? I have just had a lady unpick several weeks work on a quilt constructed entirely of borders. She had worked out it wasn't flat and asked why. The first wrong border was only 1/4" out but it was enough. I think she will now do it properly, and preach the message. I won't promise anyone else will listen though. I wish I knew why this just doesn't seem to sink in. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I think they want to be finished with the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I think you are right, MB. Also maybe they are a little perplexed on how to measure properly. And then they have to ease in the border which can be a PITA. Ask me how I know this? I hate easing in those borders, but frankly it's worth the time and effort to have nice flat, square quilts. Totally worth it!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 At least tell them to use a walking foot when stitching the borders!! All the measuring in the world won't help if the pieced inner area is not square when the borders are stitched. If that is the case, you have two options--an unsquare top with flat borders, or a nice square top with borders a-waving at you. Go forth, Mary Beth, and educate the masses!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoleneK Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Tomorrow's guild program is a panel of us long-armers. My topic is going to be on applying borders. Don't think it will help much, but if its sinks in to just one person then that's progress. When I owned the LQS in the beginner classes we taught the proper way to apply borders. Didn't do any good. Borders are still waving at me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 At my guild I was watching one of my customers apply a border. I asked her if she measured the centers and them cut accordingly. She said "Sort of". I knew what that meant and when I was working on the quilt, I had to nip/tuck the border. Nice quilts, just measure the dam border area first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Go for it MB. When you come to Oregon, I'll sign up for your first class. Just let me know where and when! I just made a 9-patch, on-point, which involves setting triangles and a whole lot of bias stretching across and vertical:o. When I went to put the borders on, I had to ease in some places. I was in such a hurry I didn't even look at it overall. I'm hoping and praying the quilting will "cover it up". This type of quilt is not for beginners. Do you find that wavey borders are more common on "on-point" layouts, or is it a universal problem? You'd think that if a quilt was made of square blocks, set square/horizontal, that anyone could measure across top, middle, and bottom, take an average, and ease it in. That should produce nice flat borders. BUT the on-point has so much stretch on bias that those measurements have to be taken very carefully. And then the easing must be done judiciously, dividing and conquering:D. We as LA quilters need to band together and fight for "straight and flat" borders!:cool: Support your local "border" patrol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Mark off the squares you will be cutting the triangles for the setting blocks from, stay stitch them before cutting them. Helps hold them nice and flat and straight. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirabelle Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I agree MB by the time they have reached the borders they just want to finish it. I used to hand out detailed instructions for applying borders but they still ended up waving at you. I think they may be allergic to pinning.....:o I also would not teach "on point" quilts to beginners, they had to have some experience. Oh I must have been harsh:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 We did find that if people don't want to measure, they must NOT pin. It's when they pin they stretch it most. I have a really friendly quilt and roped in two classes to help with testing. If you want to cut corners, you need to be very relaxed about it and let your sewing machine feed the fabrics, no pulling on either of them and no pins. It does work. On lady did 5 consecutive strips like this no error we could measure. Those who carefully pinned unmeasured strips had the worst results. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Most don't measure:o They just stitch and hack it off. Actually the problem, as I see it, is the pattern directions say to cut the border a certain length and that is what they do. They forget that they may not be as precise as the pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 You are all correct but the beginning of it all is that the piecing is a consistent 1/4", with all the gizmos and gadgets to do this why can't piecers have even 1/4" seams??? I've taught these points over and over and explained away to customers with wonky borders or bubbly blocks, some want to be better and others just wanna get it done! Carry on MB, even if you reach 1 piecer today that is one less wonky quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasews Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 It's not just outer borders either. I am trying to finish a Sunbonnet Sue quilt where each of 40 Sunbonnets have a border around the square. It's like trying to quilt a bubble quilt. I've had so many of these lately that I'm ready to throw in the towel and only quilt for half a dozen folks who actually know how to quilt. I know this sounds bitchy, but I am so tired of these "challenges". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 One of the LQS had a BOM a couple of years ago that I participated in. Each month the pattern would say "scant 1/4" seam". How in the world can you be accurate with instructions like that. One person's "scant" may not be another person's "scant". I agree with Linda and anyone else that says it, you have to make perfectly square blocks from the beginning. That is why it is so difficult to be finicky as a machine quilter. I just think most of the time we will be....as Dawn says, "Making a silk purse from a sows ear." I know we want perfection from the piecer to make our job easier...but I think we may as well beat our head on the wall....cause it ain't gonna happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I totally hear you and have thought much the same way, but in the long run, I just decided that when and if I wanted to work a close to reasonable quilt, it would have to be one that I made from scratch. The ones that I get or got from customers were a bonus.... Of all that were in my customer base, I only had a small handful that were flawless in their quilting, and I jumped when I got those. I tried to help when I could see they wanted it or needed it, but there are to many teachers that teach a scant 1/4 and one teachers scant isn't another teachers. But, it not just the teachers its the sewing machines as well. NOT all have the same style of pressure foot or mechanic inside to put the needle in the same mark... Many students take a class, they don't want to haul their machine to the class so they rent or borrow one from the store....use that 1/4 inch foot or the scant from that machine and then go home to a totally different brand or model and try to keep the same footprint. AND we all know what they get from that. I have a couple of quilts that I may never finish, because I don't have the sewing machine that I started with....or I will need to cut the blocks down because the machines I now use are making the blocks just enough bigger that the points will be lost when I cut them down to match the ones that I have already competed. And I have even looked to see if I have enough to make a wallhanging or table runner instead and that's very likely where these will wind up instead of on a bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I teach quilting and have for many years. Students think that if your quilt is square and then apply a border to one side (unmeasured) and then again to the opposite side (unmeasured) the quilt will still be square. Wrong! I teach them about fabric stretch and how to cut borders along the grain instead of across, then what do they do - cut across just for fun. After their beautiful squares are finished they tune you out. They also think that when it is placed on a bed it will not show. :mad: About the 1/4" thingie: I always tell them they can sew their seams 1/4" or 1/2' but they BETTER be consistant start to finish!!!!! Amen to Bonnie's response below!!!! Right on!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Originally posted by JustSewSimple About the 1/4" thingie: I always tell them they can sew their seams 1/4" or 1/2' but they BETTER be consistant start to finish!!!!! I totally agree what you said about being consistant with whatever you started at, but if you borrow a machine or go from one machine to another EVEN in your own home, you will find a difference in the footprint of a machine. Go to the different sewing machine places and measure the 1/4 foot...you will find that Janome's isn't the same as Brother and neither are the same as a Bernina.... If they are using the foot that DOES not have the little fabric guide on the side of the foot and they are trying to use the edge of the foot only... (without any stacked notes to have a build up guide) they are not able to hold that 1/4 mark. And if they go from one guilded foot to another machine and different model they will get into trouble as well. In teaching I always have them take their ruler...drop the needle down on the 1/4 mark to measure their distance...you will be amazed at how many are not even close to the edge of the ruler or HANG over the side making their 1/4 mark to be almost a 3/8 ...SO whatever their 1/4 foot was is what their 1/4 seams were. Many of the people I have worked with don't have the capability to move their needle to the left or right...they use the older machines that were pretty much just a straight stitch, and they would buy the after market plastic 1/4 foot. And those also don't come out of the mold exact either. So I agree whatever their seams were is what they needed to stick with, but bouncing from one machine to another, was out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyc Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Just call me Heresy Holly. I don't measure quilt borders. I never get a wavy border and they always come out within 1/4 inch of the other side. It's all about how much you pull or don't pull. I admit, I am too lazy to measure, walk around the machine, cut bias bindings, sew bindings on by hand and a myriad of other items. Wavies are easy to fix...send it back home with instructions. MB has a great idea, give a class or print out directions. Life is too short to make other people's problems your priority. (unless you are a nurse...somehow people's problems keep us employed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Originally posted by hollyc I don't measure quilt borders. I never get a wavy border and they always come out within 1/4 inch of the other side. It's all about how much you pull or don't pull. I do agree with you, its how they are pulling on the quilt top or the border when they put it on that makes a huge difference. If they pull they are just adding in a ruffle and next thing you know its waving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Originally posted by RitaR Mark off the squares you will be cutting the triangles for the setting blocks from, stay stitch them before cutting them. Helps hold them nice and flat and straight. RitaR Great tip, Rita! I'll try that. Originally posted by ffq-lar At least tell them to use a walking foot when stitching the borders!! Another good idea! Originally posted by Boni We as LA quilters need to band together and fight for "straight and flat" borders!:cool: Support your local "border" patrol! Yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sspingler Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'm the odd one out. I never measure and my borders lay perfectly flat and I've never been more than 1/4" off any side. I always cut borders from the length of fabric to avoid stretch (unless it's a directional print then I will cut the top and bottom border from the width)........and I NEVER piece my borders!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I love pieced borders if they are done well. They can add so much to a quilt. Of course, the pieced ones are usually an inner border with a solid piece of fabric on the outside. You do have to measure borders, no matter how good your piecing is. If you don't measure, how would you know how long to make them? Gotta be a measurement in there somewhere. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoreW Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I teach classes at my LQS and I'm finding patterns that specify cutting the border WOF. Even if stretch wasn't an issue, I just don't like to see my wide borders pieced so I've been re-working the fabric requirements to allow for borders cut lengthwise. As far as giving instructions, I think there are some students who can get the instructions 100 times to measure borders, etc, but they don't bother because it's more trouble and whoever quilts the top is the one who has to deal with the wavy borders. They really don't understand the issue if the quilter does a good enough job on the quilt. I guess it's a complement to your quilting skills.... Lore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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