Originally Posted by purplemem
I love quilts with borders, I love quilting borders, but I DESPISE cutting borders. I CANNOT cut a border without making a curvy thing if I cut more than an 18 inch length. If I fold my fabric more than one fold, here comes the dreaded curvy thing. What am I doing wrong? :evil:
I will try to explain how to get rid of the curvy thing. Please forgive me if I am not very clear. I like to teach by showing. There are too things you can do, but no matter what, it
should never be done by cutting the width of the fabric. This is only a suggestion, and on the long run anyone will do what they feel more comfortable with. I am not a quilt police, just an instructor that loves teaching.
When you cut on the length of the fabric you are exposing your bias. We always have on exposed bias when doing, for example, a square, but sew it right back and protect it from stretching. This isnstructions are on the width of the fabric.
1. The easiest way it to determine how wide your border is going to be, add half an inch. Make a little cut across the salvage and rip. If you are cutting across the hole piece (44 inches) few of us are tall enough and no one has the arm lenght to cut it on one shot. Rip as much as you can and stand up. Don't let go of your fabric. Bring the fabric down and put your knee where tou stopped ripping and use your knee to continue ripping. Just put your knee on the Y and pull up. Your edges will be a little frayed, not too bad. Just press them and they will look perfect. Now cut the salvage across and sew your pieces together to make your borber. You can mitter them to make slanted seems or sew them straight and save fabric. Is up to you.
I have to go to work now, but at my break I will post the other way, without ripping.
Maria