But the final proof is in the measurements. (Twice, right? For example, if the quilt square is 12-inches by 12-inches. The illustration shows the two pieces face to face with the top piece extending about 1/2" at the side and have the under strip sticking out 1/2" at the top. So, if you are adding 3" borders and want to add this to the short sides (because this will make the best use of the fabric width), you will have 36" + 3" + 3" + 1/2". 56 + 61 + 56 + 61. equals. The feed dogs will help ease this fullness. Using the proper method, I measured the first border for the Waltz quilt. The steps are: You could also opt to place a diagonal seam between pieced border strips instead of a seam that runs across each strip's width. Some borders are too long and they “lettuce leaf” the edges by stretching them out as they are sewn on. Cut or piece two borders that length. Once cut, it is almost impossible to make corrections. Again, using the measurement of the center of the quilt, add the width of your border twice, plus 4 1/2" inches. You can sew them all together and treat the strip as one piece to cut the lengths needed for each side. The … Strips are usually cut on the lengthwise grain and pieced for length. It's not unusual for the four edges of an unfinished quilt top to all be slightly different lengths because the edges of quilts are often stretched out of shape a bit during construction. Repeat this same procedure on all four corners. They can also be squares which you  fussy cut so that a special motif, like a flower, is centered in each square. Measure the quilt from top to bottom through its vertical midpoint. This method gives you butted corners. One of the most pesky problems for quilters is trying to get borders to fit right on their quilts. For a comforter-size finished project, measure from the top of the mattress to slightly past its lower edge to figure the drop length. If you think of it in small, one step pieces, it is not difficult at all. Janet is the author of the Rodale book "Classic American Quilt Collection: Stars" and has contributed to dozens of other books and patterns as both a writer and editor. Straight sewn quilt borders, also called butted borders, are quick and easy to sew—that's probably why they are the most commonly used borders for quilts. Take a look at the corner. Step 1: Decide how wide you want your borders. So if the border strip has the fullness, sew with the body of the quilt on top. Sewing border strips without measuring is a recipe for disaster. We have added 3" for EACH side border width plus our 1/2" seam allowance. The problem, as you can see in the pics above, is that there is so much waviness that the measurements will not be the same on each side of the quilt. The cornerstones are of a different, usually contrasting, color than the rest of the border and create a structural effect within the quilt's design. Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space. Lay the quilt on a flat surface and measure through the middle from top to bottom. When you pin them together to sew, it is important that you begin by pinning from the middle. Open and check that there is no gap in the stitching and the end pieces come out evenly. Take note, however, that this only works on straight sets. Open and check that the strips meet evenly. Up to 5 borders may be specified with the first border (Border1) being the innermost border. Later, after you have batted and quilted your piece, you will do this again so that the entire quilt is square before adding binding. This border is easy enough for beginners, yet looks impressive with many quilt styles. Determine which borders to sew first to make the best use of your fabric. Would have liked to seen how to do borders on a larger quilt where you would have to add to the border strip to make it long enough to fit the side of the quilt. If you use fabric cut from the lengthwise grain of your fabric, you may end up with unpieced strips. Therefore, I prefer using the method outlined below. Raw edges should be aligned along the quilt's entire side. Cut border strips carefully. If one side of the quilt is just the tiniest bit larger than the border, place the quilt top down on the bed of your sewing machine when sewing the border on. Example using width of quilt to calculate size of borders: I want my finished quilt to be 48 inches in width. Cut two identical strips and attach as above. In the third border, the cornerstones are plain squares of a contrasting color. You would then sew on the two sides and press away from the quilt. Stretch the quilt slightly so that it is square and dampen with a spray bottle of water. Cut 2 strips the width of the quilt plus twice the border width and 2″ inches extra and 2 strips the length of the quilt plus twice the border width and 2″ inches extra. Some quilters prefer to measure a quilt's length and width in multiple spots, add those lengths together, and then divide the total by the number of measurements taken to determine an average. You may also specify the width of the fabric. Use the same method to sew the remaining border to the opposite side of the quilt. In this case, you would measure the center of the quilt in BOTH directions, without sewing on the first set of borders. Measure the mattress width and add twice the drop length. Repeat to sew the remaining border to the quilt. Beautiful. It is possibly (although not likely) that the side of the quilt bows further in than the ends (concave). The feed dogs will help take up the slack. You need to trim so that all the sides are straight, the corners make right angles and the quilt, when folded, will meet exactly in the four corners. Sew the border to the quilt with a 1/4 inch seam. This should put a fold exactly in the middle of the quilt corner at a 45° angle. Then cut the cornerstones to match the width of the strips. Click: http://www.craftsy.com/ext/YT_9_3 to learn more about Jenny Doan's class, Quilting Quickly: Patterns, Techniques & Tips! Tip:  Since I always square my units as I go and then square my blocks before assembling the quilt, I trust that a 12" block is really a 12" block and not 11.75" or 12.25". Measuring For Borders. Sew carefully–it’s easy to get off track when sewing larger quilts. In the second border, they are pieced 9-patch blocks. For example, if you have made a landscape quilt and wish to have the border mirror the nearest color in the quilt, you would have to measure that area and cut a strip that was the right length. She has published over 350+ articles for The Spruce Crafts. This kind of seam uses more fabric than a butted seam. NEVER JUST SEW FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER WITHOUT PINS! Sew with the quilt border on the bottom so you can make sure quilt seams don’t get flipped in the wrong direction. If your quilt is 5 blocks across by 3 blocks tall and if the blocks are 12", the vertical measurement is 3 X 12" = 36" + 1/2" for seam allowance. When you are satisfied, you can trim to your normal seam allowance. It helps if you put the area with fullness against t… Stitch to within 1/4" of the edge. Measuring tape Sewing machine Rotary cutter. Place the border along the side of the quilt, right sides together and midpoints matched. Lay the quilt on a flat surface and measure through the middle from top to bottom. Press the seam allowance towards the border. The amount of yardage for each border is rounded up to the nearest 1/8 of a yard. Some quilts are made of long strips or other types of joined units, such as Bargello. When measuring for borders on your quilt, begin by spreading your quilt out on your work surface making sure that it is laying flat but not pulled tight. Continue matching and pinning the border to the entire side of the quilt, pinning at close intervals if you must ease in fullness to coax the two lengths to match. Each border will have the width of the last border added to its main measurement. Once for each side.). Pin the middle of the strip to the middle of the quilt, pin the ends, then pin the remaining areas, easing in any fullness. If the quilt is skewed a bit and you measure the sides of the quilt to determine border length, the quilt will be just as out of square as it was before borders were added. Watch this instructional quilting video to account for small changes that occur in the sewing process to … I actually draw myself a little sketch,  adding each border, and then I can visually SEE that there need to be TWO sets of numbers added, one for each side. (And yes, before you ask, you can do it the other way around and put the top and bottom on first and the sides on last.). Step 2: Measure the length of your quilt top. NEVER JUST SEW FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER WITHOUT PINS! Thank you for your demonstration on borders. Pin through both layers at the match to keep fabrics from shifting. Fold a border in half crosswise and crease. Pin the midpoint of the border to the vertical midpoint at the top of the quilt, right sides together and raw edges matched. Match and pin the bottom end of the border to the bottom edge of the quilt, then match and pin the other end of the border to the quilt. These instructions for measuring and sewing straight borders to a quilt can be used to add any type of border. The ends of each border unit will look like stair steps, since each successive border piece will be larger than the one before it. The two borders are in different colors so you can clearly see that they come together at a right angle. We have plenty of quilt border ideas and simple quilt borders. With these, the edges may be quite uneven. Unless otherwise indicated, all other content is the property of Arbee Designs LLC. For instance, for a quilt that measures about 60 inches x 80 inches, six 10 inch blocks across and eight 10 inch blocks down will fill the space, requiring 48 blocks. This only works for butted borders. Cut two identical strips and sew on. To Determine the Length of Side Borders Measure the quilt starting at the top edge to the bottom edge through the middle row. Use the same method, but measure horizontally first and start at the Short sides. 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