"OCD" Obessive/Compulsive Disorder

I measure the center length (or more depending on size of quilt) and the cut my side borders first, and then measure the width in the center after the sides are sewn on. Much better borders for me doing it that way.

This is how I do it, as well. When I first began learning to make quilts, I read that this was the way to attach borders and have always done it this way.

Unless your quilt is really square, tearing a strip and sewing it on and then cutting off the excess may result in a skewed quilt, or as some have said, wavy borders. I'd say that those of you who do this successfully are very careful sewers, your quilts are even, and that's why it works for you.

This is exactly what I do.

I usually take the 3 measurements and then get an average. However this doesn't really work when doing mitered corners which I did on my last quilt a few weeks ago. I laid it out after finishing the top and realized that a couple of corners looked puckery so I took another seam on the mitered corner to straighten it out. My quilter called me today to tell me that, even though it quilted fine, that she figured out that the borders were actually a little tight for the quilt, which means that I probably shouldn't have taken the extra little tuck in the miter. Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks for the explanation of why it matter how you measure. I guess I did not think it was OK to ease in fullness on a quilt---learn something new here all the time.

I do it the same way. I never have problems with a wavy border.

Scissor Queen, I agree with you, I ALWAYS sew my border with the border fabric on top - I have NEVER had wavy borders doing it this way. Bevster

I do it this way as long as the quilt is relatively small. For longer quilts, I still cut a strip that is longer than the side/top/bottom of the quilt, but sew from the center to one end, then sew from the center to the other end.

So far, I've never had a problem with fluting. But that could change with the next quilt...

You always sew with a relaxed bottom so if you have more fullness in the quilt side sew in the border side and if more fullness in the border sew on the quilt side. One exception is if your border is on straight grain sew on the border side.

Any fullness eased in on the border guarantees they'll be wavy. "Easing" is basically a slight gather. Even slight gathering on the quilt side will guarantee tucks and fullness and mess on the binding side.