anniemueller Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I have this lovely quilt top (customer's) that is shaped like an hourglass, in both vertical and horizontal directions. I'm going to load it in the vertical direction because it has some directional prints to my eye. And luckily the body of the quilt has little variation in the vertical. However, the borders do vary from sides to center. The horizontal direction varies in the body and the borders from top and bottom to center. I like to float the top. I'm thinking that I should line up the body of the quilt to be square using channel locks and ease to the center dimension. SID or pin to nail that down. Then align the dark blue small border to channel locks to. Finally the outer border, easing that in to the center dimension. Proceed to quilt and realign the sides in a similar manner with each roll. The part that scares me most is at the bottom, where the body is 2" wider than the center of the body which is 72", and the border to border measurement is almost 4" wider than at the center, which is 88". Customer knows that there is a "slight" problem with the borders because she had to add fabric to each corner (?!), and I think she will be reasonable with whatever outcome she gets. It's a gift, not a show quilt. I'm just trying to pay more attention to these measurements and do a better job with making quilts square. Am I on the right track? Can anyone offer their hard earned experience to help? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Personally I'd take the borders off and redo them. It is a really pretty quilt and she just add too much fabric in the borders. It would be so easy to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 It sounds like you have a good plan, Annie. Other than taking off and re-doing the border, I would do the following. Stop quilting when you are about 12" from the bottom edge of the quilt top. Using a square and your hands, manipulate each of the bottom corners into a generally square position with the quilt and pin in place. Then ease in and pin the remainder of the bottom border. Using a longer stitch, baste down the edges. Then channel lock and do borders. Seems like perhaps you were already planning to do this? Other thoughts for taking up excess borders: doing piano key quilting or actually taking in a seam. I agree with Heidi, this is a nice quilt and the quilter obviously didn't know what she was doing when she tacked on the border. I'd take it off, redo it, and charge her for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 It's a nice quilt! If you don't want to take borders off, make sure you use a lofty batting and if the borders are still too full after trying to sort them out then slip strips of extra batting in if necessary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Rouse Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I agree with Heidi. It would be less work in the long run to just take the borders off. If it would work out, I would treat all three borders as one unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I would do the same but I'd give her a call and let her know what the options are and what she would prefer that you do with it...that way the outcome is her call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 The only thing I would add to your miss or plans is that I would steam and starch the WHOLE quilt and work out as much as I could before I even put it on the frame....you will be amazed how much of that mess will correct itself with a bit of steam and stach....your wrinkles in the borders will disappear, and your hour glass won't be as large as it is right now. I have saved myself many a time with this method with WAY worse that what your dealing with right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted March 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Thanks for all your ideas. I'm traveling this weekend and will ponder what to do. I hope to load it next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted March 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Originally posted by Bonnie The only thing I would add to your miss or plans is that I would steam and starch the WHOLE quilt and work out as much as I could before I even put it on the frame....you will be amazed how much of that mess will correct itself with a bit of steam and stach....your wrinkles in the borders will disappear, and your hour glass won't be as large as it is right now. I have saved myself many a time with this method with WAY worse that what your dealing with right now. Do I need real starch or will Mary Ellen's Best Press work? I haven't tried this method yet and I don't use starch much at all. Do you have any basic how-to tips to pass along? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 If she doesn't want to do the border revamp, I would do everything everyone here said and maybe add hooking up the bottom with and add on piece and don't free float this one. The filler strip will allow you to baste the bottom edge and I find on the hourglass quilts the added bottom tension on the fabric helps some to straighten it as you fill in the patterns and quilting. It also keeps you from over correcting on the sides as you quilt. I would even roll it all they way up on the take up roller and slowly come back to the start position trying to get as much adjustment as you can on the way up the quilt top. Using the 12" thick batting doesn't hurt either--LOL-- Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Originally posted by anniemueller Originally posted by Bonnie The only thing I would add to your miss or plans is that I would steam and starch the WHOLE quilt and work out as much as I could before I even put it on the frame....you will be amazed how much of that mess will correct itself with a bit of steam and stach....your wrinkles in the borders will disappear, and your hour glass won't be as large as it is right now. I have saved myself many a time with this method with WAY worse that what your dealing with right now. Do I need real starch or will Mary Ellen's Best Press work? I haven't tried this method yet and I don't use starch much at all. Do you have any basic how-to tips to pass along? Thanks I only use real heavy duty starch....I personally don't care for Mary Ellen's.....its great for pressing a blouse, but I don't get the results for quilt that I want. I would just say to buy my CD, but in this case if you just spray and iron, that should be enough.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 If you're going to take all the time to startch and iron, just take off the border. This is a really pretty quilt, and it isn't worth worrying about while you're quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Regarding taking off the border....I disagree....one often I have just starched them and all the ruffling goes away. Unless she has really stretched it or cut it to long and then tried to make it fit the starch should take it all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyA Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Let me know how it went. I had lone star that was an hour glass by 4 inches on the sides and down the middle. the results were not pretty - so anything i can learn is appreciated. Oh wait, Yes, I know. Return the quilt to be fixed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 It doesn't look that bad. Just use a big square ruler as you go to help you square it up and do a little pinning and steaming. BTW - quilts like this are the main reason I DO NOT float. Having that quilt attached to the quilt top roller can really give you a lot more control than just letting it hang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 This one quilted beautifully. I chose not to starch and steam, or replace the borders. I floated the top and kept the sides straight using channel locks. The extra inch or two across the top eased in easily. The bottom was a little fuller, but still eased in without too much trouble. As for the mitered corners, the two at the bottom were way out. I was able to take a pleat (or tuck?) right over the miter seam and it squared up nicely. I hand basted the pleat, then quilted over it. I'm leaving the hand basting so my customer can stitch it down by hand herself. I talked to her before doing this, and she was fine with it. All in all, I think because it was such a large quilt to start with, the amount that it was off was easy to deal with. Had it been a lot more, that would be a different story I am sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 More pics. I put wavy piano keys on the outer border because I was worried about how much fullness there would be. It turned out to be not necessary, but I liked the look anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 another close up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 and the back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Annie, that turned out gorgeous! I love your choice of quilting designs. The sashing design is wonderful, and I especially like the curvy piano keys in the outer border. All freehand?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Mostly freehand, with circle template in the big blocks and wavy edge ruler on the border. I used the CL hearts template in the red cornerstones. They don't show up much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Beautiful! Love your quilting choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Another stunningly beautiful quilting job by YOU, Annie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Ahh, thank you, thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o2b Quilting Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 You must have a "magic wand". The quilt looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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