I've never worked with striped fabric before, so before I cut and apply the borders to my CW quilt top--does anyone have any suggestions, tricks, tips to make it go smoothly--to make it match up and go straight?

I would seriously consider doing it on the bias so you don't have to make it straight.

How wide are the stripes? Can you do it so you can follow your line of stitching right down one of the stripes?

Here's the fabric. I've never cut on the bias. It's supposed to be wide...I'll have to check the pattern to see how wide. Okay--just checked--have to cut it 7.25".

Hopefully someone with more experience than me will chime in here pretty soon. lol.

I would sort of fussy cut the stripes. Line up the ruller 1/4 inch on one side of a stripe then the width you need then sew straight up that line. Does this make sense? I would cut only one thickness of fabric at a time so I could get it nice and exact.

Karla..I've done exactly what Mary is suggesting. Decide which stripe you want next to the body of your quilt, then add your 1/4" seam allowance to that and then carefully cut your strip...only cutting 1 thickness at a time...that is if you want to use it as a vertical stripe...

Now...if you want to use it as a horizontal and have it look like a piano key border...now...thats a different story :wink:

Yes--fussy cutting will work--goes jsut beyond both strips... perfect. One layer at a time--got it. Thanks!

I have rows 1-6 sewed together--and 7-10 are in rows... I'll finish this week. Boy--sewing the rows on a diagonal has been tricky. :roll: Hopefully by next weekend I'll have this top together.

I'd probably cut it the other way or cut on the white or tan that way there is a little fudge room...good luck your quilt is coming along wonderfully....:-)

If the fabric will tear easily that is how I would do it, as long as the stripes are woven even it would come out straight.

Oh..you are a brave woman...I'm totally scared of tearing...heck, I can't even cut straight, let alone tear it right :oops:

I would cut across the stripes for a really diferent look. I have tried cutting striped borders before by the length of the stripes, and no matter how hard I try, due to fabric differences and printing not being straight, the stripes don't come out even. The diagonal approach works, too, but with that wide of borders you may have way too much stretch to manage.