Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

[pheestand]

I'm making a lattice quilt with the Moda Town Square fabric. I ordered yardage for the lattice pieces in the squares, as well as the backing of the quilt. I finally have the squares all sewn together and attempted to put the lattice fabric as a sashing along the perimeter of the quilt, with the idea of a border next, then the binding. I cut the perimeter pieces from the length of the yardage, not on the bias, so I wouldn't have any seams. I'm so frustrated with the fact that it wont lay flat! I first misted the quilt lightly with water and allowed the fabric to relax, then gently repressed with sizing to stiffen it up and help prevent stretching. That was a failure. I ripped out the entire length, and re did the light pressing again, and it was flat. I also did the same with the sashing piece. I then ran a small basting stitch the length of the quilt to try and help it not stretch, used pins every 1 " to 1 1/2" apart and it still won't lay flat.

I'm a newbie, this is my first "big" quilt and so I'm looking for any guidance from the pros.

FWIW- I have an old Simplicity machine, nothing fancy- no backstitch even! I did have it professionally cleaned and tuned up before I started the project to ensure everything was working in tip top shape.


quilt 2.jpg

[Muriel]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I am no expert... really just and old newly. Are you using a pattern or did you measure you quilt top up and down in the middle to get the length of the pieces for your sashing? Maybe you pieces are a bit long. I am sure someone will come along who has much more knowledge than I do. That was just my first thought. Good Luck.

[ncmphoy]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I did a mitered border one time. I did start in the middle answer did the miter as the last step. Are you trying to fit it with the corner already sewn?

[pheestand]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

quilt.jpg
I'm sure the border pieces are too long at this point. I laid them on just to indicate what will come after the 1" perimeter lattice.

No, I didn't use a pattern, and I'm OK with the mitering part.

My issue is with the tan/almond perimeter 1" strip around the field of the quilt. I can's seem to sew it onto the field of the quilt without it ruffling and not laying flat so that I can add the 4 1/2 striped border.

[Sharyn J]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

Are you trying to use one continuous piece of sashing all the way around the quilt? That's the way I understood your post. Correct me if I'm mistaken,

Remove the sashing. Don't spray any more water on your quilt. You might want to spray the sashing with some starch or Best Press. Just press with up and down motion.

Measure your quilt down the middle from top edge to the bottom edge. Cut two pieces of your sashing to that measurement; one for the right side and one for the left side. OR, you can lay your long piece of sashing down the middle of the quilt, mark it and cut two. Attach the side sashings. Use some pins or binder clips. You may find that one side is a bit longer or shorter. That's where your pins will help to distribute any fullness. And, of course, that's only if there's a slight difference between the sides. If your quilt is way off square, you should take 3 measurements; one along each side and one down the middle and then use the average of the 3.

You might want to check the amount of tension on the presser foot (not the thread tension). You may have a knob or button to release some tension. If the foot is pressing too much on your quilt, it can cause rippling.

After you've attached the sashing sides, lay your remaining sashing piece horizontally across the quilt and do the same as above, cut two and then attach those two pieces to the top and bottom.

[pheestand]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I am using 4 separate tan pieces for the perimeter, and I cut them all about 4" longer than what I measured just to be sure I wasn't skimping and pulling things to make them fit. My three measurements for width and 3 measurements for length were all within 1/2" of each other, and best I can tell, it's not too far out of square, definitely not perfect.

I will look into adjusting the pressure of the presser foot. And, maybe doubling my quantity of pins!

Can I cheat and just glue it together?? LOL! This is my second ever quilt and I certainly didn't have this issue with my first one, hence my frustration! Thank you for your advice!

[seaturtle]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

How are you sewing it together? Is the strip on top as it goes through the machine or the quilt body? Sometimes, having the strip on the bottom can cause pulling/gathering in the strip. Otherwise, Sharyn gave you good advice and it sounds like you are doing it correctly.

[pheestand]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I had the strip on the bottom and the quilt on the top so I could make sure the seams stayed open as it passed under the presser foot and not against the feed dogs. I will flip it over once I remove it and try again. And more pins! :-)

[quiltingaway]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

If one piece, either the sashing or the quilt, is slightly longer put that side next to the machine. That will help ease in the extra. I also mark both the sashing and the quilt at the halfway mark and the quarter marks. I match those marks up and pin, then I pin between the marks to evenly distribute the fullness. Take a breath and relax. It will be fine.

[jjkaiser]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I would mark the quilt and the sashng pieces at the halfway point. Then I would hand baste the sashing with long stitches before stitching it by machine. Start hand badting at the middle and work towarfs the outside edge. I know it's an extra step but ripping it out is so much work! Just do one side at first and see if it lies flatter--and good luck. Your quilt looks great so far to me!

[Snip Snip]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I would think after the quilt is completed, quilted and washed, it will lay flatter and you will never be able to see where the problem was.

[MRoy]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

If you measure and cut your strips like Sharyn said you can fold the strip and finger press it in the middle and halfway between the middle and each end, dividing the length into 1/4ths. Then do the same to the side of the quilt top, match the markings on the strip to the markings on the quilt, pin and ease in any fullness in either the strip or the quilt.

[JCY]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

Have you considered eliminating that narrow tan border & using just the piano keys border? I'm not sure how your narrow border got so wrinkly. Did you start sewing in the middle & sew to either end? Sometimes that helps. You did a great job with the lattice top. I hope it all comes together for you.

[Deegles]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I don't think you have done anything wrong. However when you cut with the grain that fabric has natural stretch built into it. I would get a walking foot and remove the tan border all together and perhaps sew that to your outer boarder first then miter them all together at once. If you do not want to go that route. Sew your outer border starting in the middle and working out and having pinned the dickens out of it you should be successful. But the grain of the tan fabric is messing you up. After looking at the outer border it looks considerably longer than the inner border. Sometimes when you cut a miter on a 45 degree you can easily fudge up the dimensions by adding a 1/4 inch seam allowance halved. If your tan border measured 36 inches lets say then your mitered border would measure on the inside 36 1/4.

[sassygranny]

Re: Need some help with this sashing before I hurt myself!

I've not had this problem to the extent you are experiencing. But, I think we've all been there at least a little. I'm a big fan of glue basting. A thin line of Elmer's School Glue inside the seam allowance will keep everything in place. No creeping, no shifting. Hit it with your iron before sewing just to make sure it holds well. Gluing takes a lot of the struggle out of this sort of thing for me. I go through a lot of the stuff!