Adding multiple small borders
 

I have the main part of the quilt done and am now adding borders, which will be about 5. The first set is a 1" black, 6" gray and a 1" black, followed by a 6" red and the last TBD. When adding that many borders, is it easier to do them as a group? I mean by sewing the borders together in a strip set and then adding to quilt (mitering the corners)? If you plan on mitering the corners, how do you measure to get the right length? Borders are definitely not my best skill in making a quilt, but am getting better ;) There is a recent post that has great tips, but still a bit uneasy adding so many borders. TIA, Rose

There is no absolute right or wrong here, really just personal preference. But if it were me, and I were mitering each of those borders, I would add them one at a time (which is actually how I do it even if I'm not mitering - but again personal preference). :)

This is the way I do multiple borders, but I leave 4 inches or more on each end for getting the miters right.

If you sew multiple borders you have to remember to add some to each successing border. The general formula is the widh of the additional border plus an inch or bit on both ends. This allows for the angle as the border gets wider.

Ditto to much of the above.

Remember that the mitre is a 45° and thus, why you need additional beyond the length of the main part of the quilt.

Being that you are creating such a wide border, perhaps draw it out to scale on some graph paper, to calculate the amount you will need. (and as said allow a little extra for the "fudge" factor!)

I would join all the borders and do one large mitre ... you'd have a smoother, straight seam.
Whereas if you add each border and mitre them separately, chances are they won't be continuous, no matter how hard you try ... and then you lose some of the beauty of the mitre!

Yes, JIMHO! :)

I prefer to do them in strip sets and motet the corners.

I would add the borders in strip sets. In order to get the accurate miter, remember to add the width of the set plus at least one inch to the length of each side.

After completing a top with 5 borders (4 at 1 inch each plus on at 4 inches) I was ready to shoot myself, well actually that happened around strip 13... Someone suggested a mitered border might have been easier to do, and I am keeping that in mind for the next time I approach a quilt with lots of borders. Sorry I don't have any advice about measuring for that though. The quilt is here and in later posts - I'm finally applying the binding to it. http://quiltingcorgis.blogspot.com/2...unner-and.html

Cheers, K

If you don't feel good about doing a mitered corner....you can sew all your borders together than put a block in each corner.