World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of July 3, 2000:

Our question this week comes from Janice S

I would like to know how to square up a quilt, after all the quilting is done and you are ready to up the binding on?

Jennie :
THIS HAS BE ON ALEX ANDERSON'S PROGRAM MORE THAN ONE. MEASURE THE MIDDLE OF THE QUILT THAN TWO MORE PLACE. TAKE THE AVERAGE AND MEASURE YOUR BORDERS THAT EXACT SIZE FOR BOTH SIDES. WHEN YOU HAVE PUT ON THE SIDE BORDERS MEASURE AGAIN USING THREE DIFFERENT MEASUREMENTS. THEN AGAIN CUT BOTH BORDERS THE SAME SIZE AS OF THE MIDDLE OF THE QUILT FOR THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE QUILT (THE SECOND TIME YOU MEASURE SHOULD INCLUDE THE SIDE BORDERS.

Linda Rath :
If all the sashing were measured correctly
the quilt should be square. I have my quilts
machine quilted and I have never had a problem
with stretching etc. There is very little that
can be trimmed from the sashing without looking
funny.

Paula - jeepersross@juno.com :
Lay your quilt out on the floor. Measure not only each side for the same measurement, but diagonally from corner to corner in both directions. This will tell you if it is truly square, or if it has stretched into a parallelogram. Even the sides of a parallelogram can be equal, but the two diagonal measurments will not be. If it happens to be off, you can dampen the quilt, and block it--lay it flat after being pulled slightly until the diagonal measurements are equal, and let it dry. This can also be done after the quilt is bound. A large quilt will take more effort to square up, but will also be less noticeable if it's not perfect (unless it's hanging up) than a small quilt.

Janice J. :
Your quilt should be square if you cut the side borders the same length before sewing on and make the quilt fit. Then do the same with the Top and Bottom borders and the quilt should be square.

World Wide Quilting Page * Question of the Week