Adding borders
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Using the same sandwiching technique I used to make the squares, I cut my top borders to my finished size adding in the 1/4 inch seam allowance. I cut my batting at least half an inch larger then my top borders. I cut the back pieces almost the same size the my batting. I used spray basting adhesive. I lightly heat pressed the backing onto the batting first then I flipped over the unit and sprayed the batting with adhesive and then gently rolled my top border piece down the batting border smoothing and re-positioning as needed to center my top border piece onto the Border Sandwich. I have already chalked traced my design onto my top border. I did not heat set the top border because I was not sure if the iron would mess up my stenciling or possible set the colored chalk into the fabric.
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I ran a basting stitch around the edges of the Border Sandwich and then began to quilt my design on the border.
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When I quilted the center of the short and long side strips I rolled the front and back of the border into a scroll. I found that this gave me great control and I was easily able to guide the needle. (In the picture above I am quilting the bottom border. I did not take the extra step of basting all the way around the edges. I had found that the spray basting was holding well enough.) I don't know that this will always hold true. *** My personal thoughts are that the denser quilting designs such as stippling or tight geometrical designs need to have the extra hold of the sewn basting around the edges. ***
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I then trimmed the excess batting and backing.
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To give myself room for error I made my top border longer than it needed to be. So at this point I trimmed both sides of the top border in relation to the design of my quilting. Now Im ready to attach the border to my center piece.