Getting the edge of a quilt right is important. For me that means the edge will be easy to handle as I stitch the binding on, both by machine and by hand, and the quilt will lay flat — no ripples. There are two things I do to achieve this. First, I stitch the edge of the trimmed quilt with a multi-stitch serpentine pattern. I narrow the stitch to a width that ensures it will be hidden by the binding and, using a walking foot, I stitch as close to the edge as I can. Don’t use a zigzag stitch, that will bunch up the edge and create a mess. The multi-stitch pattern moves in tiny increments from left to right and flattens the edge.
Then I block the quilt. I lay the quilt on a dressmaker’s cutting board — it is cardboard and has a grid printed on it. I line up one edge of the quilt and pin every 2 inches or so. Notice that the pins are aimed at the middle of the quilt with the heads angled away from the center. Next I pin the opposite edge, pulling and smoothing as necessary. Repeat this process for the remaining 2 sides. Now steam is applied. I fill the iron with water and set heat to cotton. The iron hovers closely over the top of the quilt while I give shots of steam to make sure the water is penetrating the quilt. Note: I often use marking pens on the surface of my quilts — water-soluble and heat-sensitive types. During the blocking process both kinds of marks disappear. I just love this multi-tasking.
We’re on schedule to make the deadline. Whew! Next week I’ll have photos of the finished quilt. I can guarantee some surprises.
I learned something from how you block-thanks for sharing.