I appreciate all of your comments. No, I am NOT adept at FMQ. I have only just started quilting. My STID is usually right next to the seam, usually about 1/16" away. I am not sure what the sepentine stitch is. And to answer gmcsewr's question; no, the border is not cut on the bias. The fabric is printed on the diagonal. As for a plaid border, I cannot help you there, but I have found that a lot of starch helps on the bias cuts. I learned that from reading here on the Quilting Board.