World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of April 5, 2004:

Our question this week comes Tracey:

I'm a first time, wet behind the ears, hand quilter. I have been quilting with a 16 inch hoop and have finished the inside area of my quilt top. My question now is how do I quilt the last 2 inches all around the quilt? If I take it off the hoop won't it pucker the edges?

Trudy Riggens :
You can buy a edge frame to quilt the last of your 2 inches. They sell them in most quilt shops but if you can't find it try the web sites.

Rose :
No need to spend money on special hoops. Just take an old towel and baste (can be hand or machine basted) to the edges of the quilt and your hoop will have plenty of fabric to hold on to while the edges are being quilted. The towel is about the same thickness as the quilt or can be folded for thicker quilts.
Irene :
There are border hoops you can buy. Some are wooden and shaped like D's. You pin the edge of the quilt to the fabric on the rim and snap it together like your round hoop.
There is also a PVC rectangle hoop you can use. These eventually stretch out over time, but they are less expensive than the wooden ones.
Sometimes you can stretch the border in a smaller hoop, too.
Good luck. Happy quilting!
Cheryl :
I take a fat quarter and fold it in half, then pin the folded part to the edge of my quilt. Now, the edge is secure to finish quilting the last 2".
Tansey :
At most fabric and quilting shops you can get a 'HOOP' which is half a circle and should help quite nicely. You can also sew an extension to the quilt layers to give you more woking space and remove it later and bind the raw edges as your normally would. Good luck

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