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Inside: The right way to Sq. Up a Quilt
Do you know that the quilting course of can make your completely pieced quilt prime un-square? This occurs as a result of quilting can stretch a quilt out of being sq.. This tutorial will train you easy methods to sq. up a quilt.
True confession right here. My very first quilts weren’t squared up following the quilting course of. As an alternative, I used the quilt prime as a information, trimmed the surplus batting, then slapped on some binding. They have been all types of uneven.
I do know higher now and I’m right here to indicate you easy methods to sq. up your quilts and assist you forestall this from ever occurring.
What’s Squaring Up a Quilt?
As soon as the quilting is full it’s essential to trim away the surplus backing and batting earlier than binding the quilt. That is referred to as squaring up a quilt; it’s the course of of making 90-degree angles in any respect corners of the quilt and constant straight edges between the corners.
What occurs if you happen to don’t sq. up your quilt? You might have a nook (or two) that curls or probably the quilt by no means lays flat and at all times appears to be like a bit of wonky.
Nonetheless, when correctly squared, your quilt will lay completely on a mattress or fold neatly with the entire corners matching.
Professional Tip: Add borders or widen borders in your quilt tops as a result of quilting can shift and alter the form of your quilt. When squaring, you could have to trim away greater than anticipated. By having a bit of additional border it is possible for you to account for these inconsistencies and nonetheless have a sq. quilt.
Need an ad-free, printable copy of this tutorial? Scroll to the underside of this submit for extra particulars!
Provides
With a purpose to accurately sq. up your quilts you will want just a few provides.
*About Sq. Rulers: Probably the most generally used sq. ruler is 12.5″, nonetheless, there are bigger sq. rulers (15.5″ and 16.5″). For those who plan to make numerous quilts it will be worthwhile to put money into one in every of these bigger rulers.
Step 1: Iron your Quilt First
That is one thing I’ve just lately began doing with all of my quilts and it has made an enormous distinction in how precisely my quilts are squared.
Quilting creates wrinkles and shifts the quilt prime and backing. I like to recommend you frivolously spritz your quilt with a bit of water and iron out all of these inconsistencies. It will set your stitches and go a good distance in stopping any wonky-ness whenever you begin the squaring course of. Plus, you get an opportunity to look over all the quilt to examine for quilting imperfections which will want an adjusting.
Step 2: Squaring Surfaces!
One of many points with squaring a quilt is having a big sufficient floor to do that nicely. For mini quilts or child quilts, you need to be capable of sq. your quilt on a big desk. Nonetheless, laying a big quilt out on a clear ground goes to be your absolute best possibility for getting an precisely squared quilt.
Why a ground? Utilizing a raised floor can create uneven edges. This will occur whenever you permit your quilt to hold over the sting of a desk as a result of it pulls on the quilt and there could possibly be bowing alongside your quilt’s edges.
For those who don’t have a big open area with a fair floor you possibly can roll up or fold the sting not being squared onto the quilt, however ensure that it’s flat and even on all ends.
Step 3: Squaring the Quilt Corners
Squaring the corners is step one and important in precisely squaring your quilt. Comply with the steps under to completely sq. the corners of your quilt.
- Begin with the corners first. Place a slicing mat beneath the underside proper nook. Be certain the slicing mat is beneath all the space you’ll be slicing. You don’t need to come off the mat when slicing!
- Place a sq. ruler within the nook (I’m utilizing a 16.5″ ruler). Remember to double examine the alignment of your ruler. There could also be locations the place a number of the quilt extends past the ruler and different locations the place there’s batting exhibiting. That is regular and can get sewn into the binding.
- Be sure to discover the place the 1/4″ line on the ruler is hitting your quilt. For quilts with factors on the edge, make certain they’ve a 1/4″ seam allowance so that you don’t lower off any factors, even when it means you might have batting exhibiting. This batting will probably be sewn into the binding and can disappear when you bind the quilt. This enables your binding to be stuffed and never hole.
- Utilizing a rotary cutter and mat, trim each exterior edges on both aspect of the sq. ruler.
Professional Tip: Borders will be your finest good friend when squaring up a quilt. Within the picture under, discover how I trimmed greater than a 1/4″ from the sting. When including a border, I like to extend the border measurement by 1″ permitting extra margin for squaring. Borders are additionally helpful as a result of the seam strains offer you a second place for ruler alignment.
- After trimming the primary nook, flip the quilt to the following nook and repeat these steps on the opposite three corners. Easy out the quilt till it’s flat earlier than putting ruler and slicing. It will assist you keep away from by chance slicing off a few of your quilt.
Various Concept: You can even use a contractor’s framing sq. and draw the slicing strains. I did this whereas I used to be rising my quilt provide stash. WORD OF WARNING: It’s not protected to make use of a contractor’s framing sq. with a rotary cutter; it’s only for use for marking the slicing strains. Use a quilter’s ruler for making the cuts alongside the strains you’ve drawn.
Step 4: Trimming the Quilt Sides
Now that the corners are good and sq., it’s time to trim the perimeters.
- Be certain the slicing mat is beneath the aspect getting trimmed. Relying on the size of the aspect being trimmed there will probably be some adjusting. It’s finest to observe the saying, “Measure twice, lower as soon as.”
- Utilizing the 6.5″ x 24″ ruler, line up the the 90-degree nook you chop in Step 3.
- Utilizing a rotary cutter and mat, trim the aspect of the quilt the size of the quilt ruler(s).
Discover how the quilt’s backside edge and the border seam additionally assist with lining this up.
- Slide the mat, quilt, and rulers alongside the sting of the untrimmed aspect. If there’s nonetheless a niche of area between the primary trim and the 90-degree nook on the different finish, add the sq. ruler within the nook and one other ruler, if accessible.
- Repeat these steps till all 4 sides of the quilt are squared up.
Professional Tip: Add the sq. ruler within the nook if the size of the aspect being trimmed extends past the size of the ruler. Place the 2 rulers collectively to get a wonderfully straight leading edge.
Step 5: Ending the Quilt
As soon as your quilt is correctly trimmed and sq. it’s time to connect the binding and name your quilt completed.
I favor to machine bind my quilts. I’ve a tutorial that walks you thru easy methods to machine bind a quilt. There’s additionally a recap video embedded within the tutorial.
Bear in mind, handmade quilts are by no means excellent! The squaring course of takes a bit of observe so don’t attempt for squaring perfection. As an alternative, observe these instructions and also you’ll have corners which can be sq. and straight sides. And, these minor imperfections grow to be a part of the quilt’s allure that can by no means get seen.
>>> Need a printable model of the submit? Click on the pink button, and obtain the Printable PDF directions.
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