Easy Steps to Get Flat, Straight Borders. If your quilt borders look a little like ruffled lettuce, you’re not alone. Wavy borders happen to every quilter at some point, usually right when you think the top is almost finished.
Thankfully, the fix is simple and doesn’t require ripping the whole quilt apart.
How to Fix Wavy Quilt Borders (Fast & Easy)
Measure Through the Center — Not the Edges
The edges of a quilt stretch as you sew. The center? Not as much.
Here’s how to get a flat border every time:
- Measure the quilt through the center, left to right.
- Measure again through the center, top to bottom.
- Average the numbers if needed.
- Cut your border strips to that measurement, not the edge measurement.
Pin the border to match those measurements, easing only if necessary. You can also use clips, but pins would secure them better.
Why This Works
Borders cut to the edge measurement add length where the quilt stretched.
Borders cut to the center measurement force everything back into square.
If the Border Is Already Wavy
Whoops! This does happen occasionally. It can be so hard to deal with too. You’ve done all this work and then when you lay it out – the border goes crazy wavy. This is so not what you want to deal with. You wan the quilt finished and on to the next step. There is something you can do for this.
You can usually fix it without removing the whole border:
- Remove one section at a time.
- Re-measure through the center.
- Reattach using the correct measurement.
If it’s a small wave, quilting can hide it. Bigger waves? Trim and reattach.
More Helpful Quilting Tips-
- Why Are My Quilt Blocks the Wrong Size? (And Other Common Fixes)
- Cutting & Measuring Basics for Quilters: Simple Tips for Accurate Cuts Every Time
- Why Are My Quilt Blocks Finishing the Wrong Size?
- How to Fix Wavy Borders
- How to Stop Your Quilt Top From Puckering
- Why your seams don’t match
- How to keep fabric from stretching while you sew
- How to press seams correctly
- How to square up HST quilt blocks
- How to square up quilt blocks
- How to stop your quilt points from getting cut off
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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