confused about measuring borders
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 365
measuring borders
Can anyone explain to me why when measuring borders you can't just cut them a couple of inches longer and trim the ends after sewing them on. why do you have to measure from the middle of the quilt and cut the strip exactly as so many people seem to advise ? I figure there must be a good reason I don't know about.
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Greenwood, AR
Posts: 456
My LAQ told me how to put the borders on to "square up the quilt" I religiously do it that way (measuring through the middle I cut my borders in strips through the width of my material and piece them using the diagonal seam, which allows a little "ease" as I'm stitching on my borders. I cut the borders to that middle of the quilt measurement, then half and quarter mark my borders, half and quarter mark my quilt then match the half and quarter marks up, pin, pin, pin and sew from the middle out.) It literally squares up the quilt...when you fold the quilt all the corners match, the sides are even and it lays flat when laid out. Almost any LAQ would be happy to explain it or demonstrate it until you understand it.
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Slidell, Louisiana
Posts: 6,951
Okay, I am going against the majority here. I don't measure my quilt before applying the border. I guesstimate the length and just make my borders strips longer than what I need and I trim the excess off when I am done. I don't cut my borders the length of the yardage but width of the fabric so my borders are always pieced and I am okay with that. I've never had a wavy border doing it this way.
#34
I don't measure. I just cut the border strips and lay them across the center of the quilt and cut to fit. In other words, I sort of use the border as a tape measure. Works all the time. Saw this on Alex Anderson show when I began quilting. Also, when applying the binding I put a little bit of stress on the binding and that will take care of any stretching of the border fabric.
#35
I was taught to measure the quilt across both ends and the middle - and then to cut the strips to match the measurement (and since my quilts are not perfectly square, usually one measurement is slightly off - so I take the average). So I've always done it that way, it has worked well so far.
I have a question about your handout. For the first 2 borders it says just to measure across the middle. Why only the middle? And why not just the middle when measuring for the last 2 borders? Always hard on the knees, measuring this on the floor. Would be happy to drop 2 measurements out from the first 2 borders. :-)
I have a question about your handout. For the first 2 borders it says just to measure across the middle. Why only the middle? And why not just the middle when measuring for the last 2 borders? Always hard on the knees, measuring this on the floor. Would be happy to drop 2 measurements out from the first 2 borders. :-)
And the easiest way to do the borders, especially if you don't have a long tape measure, doesn't actually require any measureing. Just take two border strips, lay them across the center of the quilt (from top to bottom for the side borders) with one edge even with the top of the quilt. Cut them off even with the bottom edge. Now you have two border strips that are the same length and the same size as the center of the quilt. Pin the borders to the sides of the quilt at the center and each edge, then work in any fullness, pinning as necessary. Press those borders, then repeat the above steps for the top & bottom borders.
#36
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
Sounds like a lot of quilt police on here! I agree that measuring the length of the middle of the quilt and adding borders that exact length is more accurate. But... I've had wavy borders that way because I had to "ease" them to fit.
I usually cut my borders about 6 inches too long, lay them RST flat on the quilt, and pin every few inches from the middle to the ends, never from top to bottom. At least that way I'm close....
Tell the quilt police to take a hike and do it your own way!
I usually cut my borders about 6 inches too long, lay them RST flat on the quilt, and pin every few inches from the middle to the ends, never from top to bottom. At least that way I'm close....
Tell the quilt police to take a hike and do it your own way!
But if you DO use a LAQ or LA yourself and don't bother to measure the quilt for your borders and do not ease them in properly your odds of getting puckers, pleats or wrinkles in the quilting are greatly increased. Then we will see the post of someone lamenting how a LAQ "ruined" her quilt by putting a pleat in the border. Or ended up with with pucker somewhere because that excess fabric had absolutely no place to go.
There are usually reasons for assembling certain blocks, or parts of a quilt a certain way. QP has nothing to do with it. Would you also call someone who advises to strive in any way possible to get an accurate 1/4" seam allowance QP? It is no different.
On a side note by cutting your borders 6" too big then attaching and cutting off excess, you are totally defeating the purpose of measuring. You may be pinning but you are pinning with the wrong size and cutting off the excess so that is no different then just taking an unmeasured border and attaching it to the quilt. Again, if you are doing your own quilting on a DSM or hand quilting it doesn't matter. Just don't expect a LAQ to work miracles for you.
#37
"Quilt police" is an inaccurate and derogatory term to apply to a bunch of people who are trying to answer the original poster in a helpful way. Perhaps you don't understand the term "quilt police," but it has a snide connotation. It's usually directed toward people who are dogmatic about their own methods and throw around the words "always" and "never" in every sentence and with great emphasis.
Sometimes, "close" works just great - I like it myself for some quilts. But, there may come a day when when "close" isn't good enough to suit you any more. Maybe you'll want to take your quilts to a higher level of professionalism or "wow factor." Getting back to perfecting the basic measuring and piecing will be the best place to start.
There aren't any quilt police on this thread - and it would be like biting the hand that feeds you to ask for advice and then tell the people who take the time to advise you to take a hike.
I usually cut my borders about 6 inches too long, lay them RST flat on the quilt, and pin every few inches from the middle to the ends, never from top to bottom. At least that way I'm close....
Tell the quilt police to take a hike and do it your own way!
#38
Dawn, I used to do the three measurements and take the average. But it was hard to get people to do that much extra work (grin), so now I suggest they just take the center measurement. That is usually truest to size. I thought I recommended the same measurement (center) for both the horizontal and vertical borders, but perhaps I need to make the handout clearer. I'll have to look at it when I get back from the long weekend I'm leaving on this morning
And the easiest way to do the borders, especially if you don't have a long tape measure, doesn't actually require any measureing. Just take two border strips, lay them across the center of the quilt (from top to bottom for the side borders) with one edge even with the top of the quilt. Cut them off even with the bottom edge. Now you have two border strips that are the same length and the same size as the center of the quilt. Pin the borders to the sides of the quilt at the center and each edge, then work in any fullness, pinning as necessary. Press those borders, then repeat the above steps for the top & bottom borders.
And the easiest way to do the borders, especially if you don't have a long tape measure, doesn't actually require any measureing. Just take two border strips, lay them across the center of the quilt (from top to bottom for the side borders) with one edge even with the top of the quilt. Cut them off even with the bottom edge. Now you have two border strips that are the same length and the same size as the center of the quilt. Pin the borders to the sides of the quilt at the center and each edge, then work in any fullness, pinning as necessary. Press those borders, then repeat the above steps for the top & bottom borders.
Always lots of ideas and tips and explanations - love it!!
#39
Can anyone explain to me why when measuring borders you can't just cut them a couple of inches longer and trim the ends after sewing them on. why do you have to measure from the middle of the quilt and cut the strip exactly as so many people seem to advise ? I figure there must be a good reason I don't know about.
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bosque County, Texas
Posts: 2,709
I asked if stay stitching your quilt edge would prevent stretching and the answer was that stretching had already occurred at that point. In hopes that I wasn't expressing myself clearly, let me rephrase - When the blocks are all finished and the body of the quilt is finished ready for a border to be attached, will stay stitching the outside edge of the body of the quilt before attaching a border prevent stretching? Or am I to assume that when I have attached all of my blocks I have already created a wonky, stretched quilt? Or just sometimes should I assume that I have screwed up?LOL Assuming my quilt body is squared up and true, will stay stitching prevent stretching?
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