Does anyone have experience with those rolls of design that I think are called Borders Made Easy or something like that? I've only done SID so far, but wanted to try a design in the border. I bought a roll, but have been hesitant to use it. Doesn't seem like it would stick well enough, and to be perfectly honest...I'm scared about turning the corners correctly. :oops: Any users out there?

I haven't use that, but I do draw my own designs and trace it onto tracing paper, roll it onto the border and viola'....works great!

I don't know about just sticking anything down, I would think you would want to carefully pin it in place so the design comes out perfectly. As far as sewing on top of the design, its really easy...just go slow and smoothly to start with and you'll be flying along before you know it!

I used the border one time and loved it. You are able to lengthen or shorten the design to make it turn the corner correctly. It stuck done for all the sewing time and the paper was easy to remove. Go for it. You will love it.

i haven't used it because it's so expensive. i just draw right on the border with a chalk pencil.

Well, never mind :lol: I was going to ask if it was expensive, but Butterfly answered that. I'll still research it, because I'd like to start doing the borders, along with the SID, also.

i guess if you're doing a lap or baby quilt, it may not seem a lot, but on a bed quilt it is. it sells by the 25' roll, i believe, for $14.00.

so that's enough to do a quilt that's about 82 x 82. a queen is 90 x 90 nowadays (because of the high mattresses). that means you need two (eeeeek!). i think that's way too much to spend on that.

try this technique: borrow a book from the library re: border designs. trace off one that you like onto saran wrap. repeat as many times as you have to. pin in place. put $25.00 in your pocket until you go to your LQS. shop.

http://jhittlesewing.funoverload.com/sewing/catalog.php

look it up by category. i live to serve. maybe there's a cheaper one.

I've used it once and liked it. However, now I draw my designs on tissue paper, pin around the edges of the tissue to secure it to the fabirc and sew away. I don't like to mark directly on the fabric so this method works well for me. I have a little of the paper border left that I purchased so instead of using that last piece I lay a piece of tissue the length of the area that I want to quilt on top of it, trace and use that for sewing my border. This way I always have my original to reuse over and over. It's time consuming but the tissue is economical so it's worth it to me.

ButterflyWing - what do you use to write on Saran Wrap?? Doesn't it get all tangled up when you try to use much of it? I have to wrestle with it just to cover a bowl! :lol:

Azam - do you use sheets of tissue paper, or a roll of tissue paper, and you don't mean toilet tissue do you? I've heard of someone using that but I don't know how successful they were.

I use gift wrapping tissue. I cut it into the width that I need and tape it end to end for the desired length. Try not to tape on a stitching line, it's a bit hard to remove if you stitch over the tape. There is a waxy side to it don't mark on that side, it may mark up your fabric. Mark on the side that is porous so that it absorbs the permanent marker. Oh yes and use a permanent marker. If you use pencil or an ink pen it gets on your fabric when you stitch on it.

Hmmm, haven't used toilet tissue but it seems like it would have a lot of lint. If someone uses it I'd like to know what they think.

about the saran wrap. you don't have to cut one long stretch. if you lay it out on your table, and wrap the ends around the edges of the table, you (i) slide the book underneath and trace with a permanent marker. keep sliding and marking. when you lay it out, choose a table-top in your comfort zone. have some help you while you lift both ends at once and lay it right on the quilt. the wrap wants to stay there from static electricity, but pin, pin, pin. then do the next run. mark where you left off the previous run and continue from there. it sound complicated but it's not. try it on a small one if you want to. the wrap pulls right out when you're done.

did you try that website link and look up the border prices?

p.s. if the book is too bulky, you can trace off the book onto a flat paper and then trace off the paper onto the wrap.

I've used the Glad Press'n Seal Wrap in the same way that you describe butterflywing. It works great, but does take a little patience in getting the teensy bits out if you are stitching a detailed pattern. (I've also heard that some machine companies won't cover your warranty if you use it because it might push some of those little plastic pieces down into the workings...not sure how true that is though).

I've used it and love it just photocopy the ends because you will have alot left over from the roll and you can get a bunch of quilts out of one roll.

I use plastic stencils and disappearing ink pen. The only hard part is making sure the design fits and making adjustments so that it does.
I only mark whatever I will sew that day as the ink dissapears by the next day or sooner.
I have bought stencils at Joanns with coupons. Make sure to get the ones that turn corners.
I have not had good luck with paper rolls, they tend to wrinkle.