One key to longarm quilting success is have a square quilt back and quilt top. The manner in which borders and sashing are attached to a quilt can affect how a quilt lays on the frame. Often if you cut a long strip of fabric and start sewing at one end, and then trim the excess when you get to the other end, you can get fullness in your borders. This is when the border is wavy and doesn't lie flat because the exterior of the border piece is longer than the quilt itself. If borders have fullness, it can lead to puckers and tucks in your final product. I have a few tricks to help reduce it, but if it is extremely full, puckers and tucks are inevitable. This could also lead to extra time for me to complete your quilt, which could mean an extra cost to you. I would like you to have your beautiful work finished in the best way possible. So on this recent quilt, I snapped a few pictures to show you how I sew borders.
First of all, begin with a quilt that is squared up with straight sides and corners. Then measure across the middle of one direction. As I am measuring, I am smoothing the quilt under the tape measure, but not stretching it tight. This number is the length of how long your border should be. (If needed, you can also measure both ends and average the three numbers if they differ.)
Then I lay out my border on a flat surface and measure and mark my border. I am smoothing the fabric as I go, but not stretching it.
When I pin the border to the quilt I first pin the two ends and the middle.
Then I put a pin in the middle of one half and continue filling in the pins by dividing each section in half.
Once you have the two borders attached, then measure through the center going the other way, and repeat the same pinning process.
Here is the quilt top loaded on the frame. You can see how it lays pretty flat on the quilt back.
So next time you have borders to add, try this technique and see if it helps you with your borders.
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