SueSew

I'm doing my first multiple border and instruction calls for each of the 5 borders (A B C D E) forming the real border to be cut from two WOF's for each side of the quilt. That's ok, but...

When A is sewn to B etc., and the whole border is ready to go, the next instruction is to center each one along each side of the quilt with overlap to make the mitered corners. That's ok, but..

What I'm wondering (it doesn't say in the pattern) is:
(a) Should I make a point to make sure that I match the seam at the A-A join with the B-B join and so on so that there is a single visible seam where the fabrics join up and it shows smack in the middle of each side of the quilt's the finished border, OR
(b) should I ignore the part about joining WOFS and instead try to sneak in mitered joins which are differently spaced for the A B C etc borders? That might look too piecey as there will be at least one random mitered join on each A B C etc line and therefore more than 5 separate joins on each side of the border?
(c) OR something else?

the pattern is Cherry Blossom Lane by Blank fabric and it is a 60"x60" quilt when finished, so I do need to make some joins.
http://www.blankquilting.com/FreePatterns.aspx

Please do weigh in with your experience about best practice for multiple borders! I value your help so much-
thanks
Sue

AlwaysQuilting

Personally I don't like to line up all the seams in borders so I would do (b) option.
I hope you get lots of answers to help you decide.

QuiltE

Agree ... I would not line up all the seams across all the borders. The way I was taught was that you make the joins at random, though balanced spacings, and in whatever way makes the most use of your WOF. Something like this .....
-------|----------|------
------------|------------
---|-----------------|---
etc.

I looked at your pattern. If you are using the fabrics as shown, you will need to watch that you match the fabrics well. I think that would be very difficult if you join the strips on the bias. I would go with straight seams and baste the joins til you know it matches bang on!

Nice pattern .... look forward to seeing your picture of it.

katesnanna

Personally I'd go with option (b).

alikat110

Option b. Stagger the seams

kathy

i'll be different, i'd join all my short pieces then join them all at once to make the long piece, if it was one wide border it would only have one wide join.

JUNEC

Option b, staggered seams

SueSew

Thanks all - I am going with b and I will stagger each border. Makes sense to me!!
Advice about matching is great as I want to mimic the pattern's sq-on-sq with 3x7 blocks interspersed with HST's or something sim. I am not using that pattern fabric - my daughter picked Windham Mary Koval Victorian Rose which is lovely but oddly enough for a Victorian doesn't have the traditional matching of stripes and florals. So I will fake the stripes with the background patterns.
It is easy to be confident when you are a rookie. When I did my first quit back in Jan I knew how to sew, so...? LOL
Every quilt I am ready to think about more of the universe of what I don't know.
Thank heaven for this Board!!!