Still Sew N

I'd really like to understand the math behind pieced borders. So I'm looking for a book or great instructions for different types of pieced borders. The reason I can do it now is because my husband does the math for me and it always works out. I'd like to be able to figure this stuff out and I truly need help. If there is a book that someone can recommend, that would be awesome. Thanks!

Tartan

No math help here. I always use a cheater border strip of fabric between my quilt top and pieced border. I adjust the size of my cheater border so the pieced border fits.

juliasb

None from me either. I am trying to figure out Prairie Points right now - ! Whenever I am making blocks it is a guessing game for me. Fortunately my stash is substantial enough that there is usually enough of any fabric I might need.

Iceblossom

Two books of interest:

The Border Workbook by Janet Kime
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sh...order_Workbook
Lots of good discussions/charts for fitting borders and some nice fun and useful borders.

also more math, and a good discussion on Prairie Points
Happy Endings by Mimi Dietrich
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sh...-happy-endings

DeltaMS

I used Judy Martin and Marsh McCloskey book "Pieced Borders The Complete Resource" with success. It was a very basic one called "chain of squares", but it worked, and I was blown away that I was actually able to do it..

Iceblossom

Heehee, I deserve my own post...

Often when I am faced with border issues I turn to partial or adapted blocks without any sort of separating strip next to what I call the bed of the quilt. In that case I work my border to fit my blocks which makes the math much easier -- and I piece the borders onto the blocks during construction, not as a long unwieldy length of fabric next to a solid lump of top. Of course, sometimes I want the look of that strip for quilting, but I can also get that by a plain strip on the outside of the pieced work.

Here's some pictures of partial block borders. First one is about 15-20 years old, it was hanging in the house I had given it to and I snapped a picture. Quilt is Storm at Sea, I call it Stars at Sea. Second is an all stash I'm calling "Not Quite Y2K". I stabilized the outer edge of the all those little seams with a line of stay stitching. Third is a houndstooth, half blocks and then plain fabric around the edge.

QuiltnNan

those are great ideas

sewbizgirl

So many great ideas, here! Thank you, ladies. I am also math challenged by pieced borders, so these suggestions were a great help. I'm not the OP, but appreciate this thread! I went to Ebay and bought the Judy Martin book....

TouchOfRustic

I’ll second the Judy Martin book. In addition, Sally Collins has a book: Borders, Bindings, and Edges that goes into the math as well (all of Sally’s books are excellent.

Rhonda K

Thanks for the book recommendations. You may be over-thinking the process. I do that sometimes. It's the number of pieces with added seam allowances. Make them to the length of the quilt.

I like cornerstones on borders. They get me out of situations. LOL.