Originally Posted by
Daylesewblessed
I have used Ghostrider's method with success even doing 1/8" borders. I use Fray Check on the seam allowance, because I think such a small seam allowance is asking for trouble.
Concerning the issue of maintaining straight seam allowances, the problem is solved on Ghostrider's method by taking a bigger seam allowance than needed, and then trimming to exactly 1/4" or 1/8" (whatever you want) with the ruler and rotary cutter. Then the seam allowance, which becomes your stitching guide is straightened out for you.
Dayle
To clarify, in the method I described, the seam allowances are a standard 1/4", no narrower than any other in the quilt, no matter how narrow the visible strip winds up (and I've done them as small as 1/8" also---the center column of this one for instance
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...ml#post4686713 is 1/8", the ones on either side are 1/4" each). There is no need for fray check unless you use that on all your seam allowances.
Secondly, you do not use the seam allowance as the stitching guide...that's what you do when you sew a regular seam in the normal case. With this method, you use the stitched line (the thread), the seam line itself, as the sewing guide on the left side of the presser foot. The seam allowance, on either side of either seam for the skinny border, has absolutely nothing to do with it. If the first seam is straight, the one you sewed in the usual manner (step 1), the second seam will be straight as well because you are simply tracing it with the edge of the foot.
All it takes is a bit of thinking outside the box, but it's a piece of cake once you try it. And if I can do it on the pictured quilt for a 60" length matching seams every 4", anybody can do it on a border!
