Adding Borders to a Quilt
I am putting borders on my quilt and thought I’d share a few hints. First of all, when cutting the fabric for the side borders, measure down the center of the quilt. Use that measurement to cut the length of the two side borders. (The width of the border is up to you.)
Fold one of the borders in half crosswise to find its midpoint, using your fingers to crease it slightly at that spot. Find the quilt’s horizontal midpoint. With right sides of fabric together, match both midpoints and secure with a pin. Match and pin the bottom end of the border to the bottom edge of the quilt, then match and pin the other end to the top edge of the quilt. Ease the quilt to match the border fabric.
Ease in the fabric of the quilt while pinning on borders. Easing of the sides of the quilt to match the length of these pieces insures that the quilt will be straight and hang nicely. I have to admit to skipping this step before and you can really tell when I hang a quilt up as a wall decoration. It doesn’t make for a good look. Sew the side borders. I use a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Measure the top and border fabric using the measurement from the outside of both side borders. Cut the top and bottom borders to match the ends of the quilt, match the centers of the quilt to the center of the border fabric. With right sides together, pin and sew.
Sometimes I have to sew fabric together in order to make a border long enough to fit a quilt. It is okay to make a straight seam or a mitered seam. A mitered seam requires more fabric. You cans see the mitered border seam in the second photo.
Press the seam allowance towards the border.
That’s it for me for a week. I’m headed to Florida to visit my daughter! She is going to make me exercise while I am there. Pray for me.
Please show us a picture when you are finished with yet another beautiful creation.
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Well, I never knew to measure down the middle of the quilt! Thanks for this information!
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Borders are one of my least favorite part of building a quilt, especially the corners! Thanks for the tip!
.-= Lisa – Alterity´s last blog ..I Would Go To….. =-.
Wow! Quilting is totally Greek to me, but I admire seeing how The Master does it! It’s looking beautiful, Karen!
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, my blogging buddy ;]
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LOVE the colors!! That will look amazing when you are done!
You make it look so easy. I can’t wait to see the finished product!
.-= Barbara´s last blog ..It’s My 2nd Blog-A-Versary! =-.
What does “easing” mean. I’m just not getting it exactly. Obviously a rookie…
.-= Julia´s last blog ..Goats are Nice People Too =-.
Julia, fabric is not like a board that cannot be fudged. Easing means pushing and pulling the fabric to make it bigger or smaller to fit. I sure wish you lived close so we could work on a quilt together.