How I put a border on
03-16-2009, 09:02 PM
#1
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Location: California
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Each person has their own way and this is mine.
I lay the top out on the floor using my large builders straight edge and square. I then lay a boder piece across the middle of the quilt. The first edge I line up exactly and pin it real good. It helps to stick the pins straight into the carpet so it holds the border and quilt in place.
I very carefully lay the border across the quilt, not stretching or pulling at all, just lay it on the quilt and smooth it gently. On the other side I pin it to the quilt. I then took my little 6" square and cut the border even with the quilt edge. I unpinned the border and used it to cut the other border the same length.
It's just the nature of a quilt that the edges are longer than the center and when I lay the cut border along the edge there is usually a little bit of fullness in the quilt to be eased in. I pin each edge, pin the middle, and start working on each half pinning the center of the half, the center again, etc. Any fullness I have had hardly takes any finessing to get it the same length as the border. Some tips I have read say to mark the border and the quilt by folding in half, in half again, etc. I don't mark it though.
These pictures have the side borders on and the end bordgers are being done. When sewing them on don't put any tension on the fabric, just guide it and let the machine draw it in.
I lay the top out on the floor using my large builders straight edge and square. I then lay a boder piece across the middle of the quilt. The first edge I line up exactly and pin it real good. It helps to stick the pins straight into the carpet so it holds the border and quilt in place.
I very carefully lay the border across the quilt, not stretching or pulling at all, just lay it on the quilt and smooth it gently. On the other side I pin it to the quilt. I then took my little 6" square and cut the border even with the quilt edge. I unpinned the border and used it to cut the other border the same length.
It's just the nature of a quilt that the edges are longer than the center and when I lay the cut border along the edge there is usually a little bit of fullness in the quilt to be eased in. I pin each edge, pin the middle, and start working on each half pinning the center of the half, the center again, etc. Any fullness I have had hardly takes any finessing to get it the same length as the border. Some tips I have read say to mark the border and the quilt by folding in half, in half again, etc. I don't mark it though.
These pictures have the side borders on and the end bordgers are being done. When sewing them on don't put any tension on the fabric, just guide it and let the machine draw it in.
03-17-2009, 05:35 AM
#2
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Location: Odessa, Texas
Posts: 878
you do excellent work pam, and the way you do it is perfect, but - as i've gotten older, i can't get down on the floor and crawl around any more and couldn't get back up easily either, lol so we older ones have to find somewhere else to pin it other than the floor.
03-17-2009, 07:15 AM
#3
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Sounds like a great way to do it!
Dojo, I'm with you....I get down on the floor and then have to yell....Help! I'm down and can't get up! Especially after pinning the backing and batting. lol
Dojo, I'm with you....I get down on the floor and then have to yell....Help! I'm down and can't get up! Especially after pinning the backing and batting. lol
03-17-2009, 05:07 PM
#6
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Location: Florida
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well, in my mind's eye, I was just on the floor, so got distracted by how'my gonna get up from here?...and how old am I gonna be? :shock:
Pam, this sounds like a good way to do it, and hubby gave me his saw horses and I have wall boards, (paneling type stuff), so when I get ready to do a big one, won't be able to pin it down, but thinking I will either use big clamps or maybe tape, but it's reassuring to hear from somebody whose work is the quality of yours, that you have to ease the borders to get them to fit. thanks. :D
Pam, this sounds like a good way to do it, and hubby gave me his saw horses and I have wall boards, (paneling type stuff), so when I get ready to do a big one, won't be able to pin it down, but thinking I will either use big clamps or maybe tape, but it's reassuring to hear from somebody whose work is the quality of yours, that you have to ease the borders to get them to fit. thanks. :D
03-17-2009, 05:26 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jan 2009
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Thank you for the nice words but my sewing is adequate. I see so many wonderfully done quilts here and elsewhere and can hardly imagine how people get them so perfect. I have thrown out more mistakes than I care to admit, or remember. I have struggled with getting things to match up and resorted to all hand sewing on one because I KNEW that I just couldn't get diamonds right. And I haven't done diamonds since.
I do what works for me. Everything I read says to measure across the middle. I am not going to try and measure something I can't reach across or see that it hasn't moved off the edge while I try and read the other end.
If this way helps someone else who has struggled with borders then that makes me happy.
I do what works for me. Everything I read says to measure across the middle. I am not going to try and measure something I can't reach across or see that it hasn't moved off the edge while I try and read the other end.
If this way helps someone else who has struggled with borders then that makes me happy.
03-17-2009, 08:17 PM
#9
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Location: SW Iowa
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Originally Posted by dojo36
you do excellent work pam, and the way you do it is perfect, but - as i've gotten older, i can't get down on the floor and crawl around any more and couldn't get back up easily either, lol so we older ones have to find somewhere else to pin it other than the floor.
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