it should be close enough to stabilize the layers. don't do it according to what the manufacturer says. That statement means they think the batting will remain stable at a certain number of inches. It also depends on the use and wear and washing of the quilt as well as drapability of the border. If I did'nt want to do much quilting, I might do a quarter inch from seam and probably another in the middle making it a straight line of quilting each 2" around the border.