Quilty Crime Friday Borders

Time for Quilty Crime Friday.  I've taken a couple weeks off for one reason or another, but I'm back again this week with another quilty crime!!

Let's talk about borders and quilty super powers

 shall we?  

If I could have just one quilty super power it would be to have the ability to make the fabric fit into the space it is supposed too.  Sometimes, it's too small, but MOST of the time it's too big.  I've got too much fabric and a small area to put it into.

Let's take a look at a few quilts that I worked with recently.  They all are beautiful quilts, but the borders were not put on correctly or the fabric may have stretched a bit but..... I had way, way, way, way, way too much fabric in a few places on the borders.  

When I see seams that don't run parallel with the machine, I know there's trouble ahead.

 

 I must keep the sides on the mark.  If I don't I will have ripples galore 

at the end of the quilt.

Above is the extra fabric from moving the quilt back into square.

 

I will then pin the fabric attempting to evenly distribute the excess evenly.

 

I will stitch the sides into place and then begin quilting.  I'll try to move the fabric to keep the hopping foot from creating a pleat.

Below is a quilt that I have just layed out, and it's going back to the quilt maker for a border fix.  With local customers this is possible.

  

I will run a stitching line across the top of the backing to lay the top of the quilt on it to keep/make sure the quilt is on the backing as straight as I can get it.

 

Sometimes I will add a couple of markings on the sides of the fabric to keep the borders straight.  Locking my machine on a horizontal path I will do something like this....from this point on just click on the photos to see the remarks that I have written.  I feel like I may be repeating myself......

 

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that those are done, here's what a good border 

looks like on my frame.......

I'm just about done with this quilt and no extra fabric was

to be found!  GREAT JOB!!!! Quilt like this make my life

so much easier and the end result is beautifully perfect!

 

 That's it for quilty crime Friday.  Hope you have

a super weekend and there is tons of wonderful

sunshine in your life.

thanks for checking on me....

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say.........