you cut your ruffle fabric the length you need, piecing as needed (i have one pattern that says twice as long as the item you are putting the ruffle around) that would depend on how *ruffled* you want it i would think. cut the fabric twice the width of the finished ruffle (+ seam allowance) so if you want a 4" ruffle around your quilt i would cut the fabric 9" --fold in half wrong sides together---so it measures 4 1/2" x length...run 2 or 3 basting lines along the raw edge. you will use one of these to (draw-up) your ruffle. when you have the ruffle--ruffled then you need to find the center...choose a place on the quilt to start-such as the center of one side. place the ruffle (raw-edges together around the quilt with the folded (finished edge) toward the center of the quilt. when you have it all distributed evenly (lots of pins) then i would baste it around the quilt...make sure your pleats are even --go slow--then you can add your binding as usual, over top of the whole shebang--when you turn the binding to the back of the quilt the ruffle will (fold-out) and be around the outside....the binding is kind of like a facing doing it this way....i've put plenty of ruffles on pillows and skirts...but haven't tackled such a big ruffle--you may want to make a little one (maybe a doll quilt or something) to practice, try it out before tackling the quilt-good luck :thumbup: