Border issue
 

This started out as a backing, but it was obviously going to be all wrong for the quilt, so it ended up as a top of its own (I'm not sure what I was thinking with all that pink). I didn't know how to deal with the third pink border at the time and just wanted to be done with it, but I'm really bothered by it now, looking so clumsy at the corners.

How would you have gone about getting this fabric to match up at the corners? I have some of the fabric left, but not enough to do the whole border over.

I never have tried matching a backing with a top. It is so difficult unless it is a wall hanging size. Just so many other quilts that I feel necessary to complete than to spend time trying to match a back & a top perfectly.

I would just leave it alone. I like your quilt! It looks good. Look at your quilt, without looking just at the corners. See. It looks okay.

Dina

I would have mitered the corners but the quilt looks fine as is. Reminds me of Shabby Chic and Bohemian.

I really think I'd leave it, looks good to me. I might be tempted to use cornerstones on the last pink border. I'm dealing with that right now. I don't have enough fabric to miter the corner (my pattern calls for a mitered corner). What to do.

I'd leave it but next time would probably use cornerstones if I didn't have enough fabric to miter. Remember when it's on a bed it will drape and the corners won't be noticeable at all. I like it.

I often use cornerstones when I am faced with that challenge! Plus, it adds a nice design element! I don't know how you can mitre the corners and get a nice match if the repeats don't work with the size of your quilt on a print like that, although perhaps it would be a more muted transition at the corners if mitre do. I think your quilt looks great!

I think it looks fine. I'm sure I wouldn't notice it if you hadn't pointed it out.

I'm guessing you're talking about the wavy connection between the outer 2 borders. If so, in the future, seam together all of your borders first, then sew them onto the center as a unit & miter the corners.

If you're instead talking about matching up the repeat, that depends on the fabric itself. If the quilt is finishing as a square, it's quite easy. You just find the center of the quilt & lay the borders so that the center of a motif on the border lines up with the center of the quilt; pin & sew. I'd figure on having some waste fabric on that & would seam together my borders first -- taking care to line up the center motif on each one -- so that way the borders would lie nice & flat.

For a rectangle shaped quilt, you really need to have both the length & the width of the quilt divisible by the length of the repeat (that is, the repeat should end at exactly the same place whether you are laying it on the long or short side of your quilt). In that case, I would sew each border on individually. As this point, even if that was possible originally, I don't think it would be worth it to re-do the borders.

There are a couple of classes you might find helpful that have sections about mitering borders:
Jinny Beyer's free Craftsy Class (note: this is a 90x90" square quilt): http://www.craftsy.com/class/2015-cr...khiu&_ctp=4816

Bonnie Browning's iQuilt Class: https://www.iquilt.com/course/border...shing-touches/

if it bothers you a lot you could unstitch the outer border and put in a square of something else so you don't have to match design, then restitch the outer border. otherwise the quilt looks good to me.

"For a rectangle shaped quilt, you really need to have both the length & the width of the quilt divisible by the length of the repeat (that is, the repeat should end at exactly the same place whether you are laying it on the long or short side of your quilt). In that case, I would sew each border on individually. As this point, even if that was possible originally, I don't think it would be worth it to re-do the borders."

Thanks for explaining that Bree123! So if I understand correctly, you have to plan ahead when bordering out your quilt top to match the repeat in your chosen border fabric you want to match at the mitred corners when working with a rectangle. I'd have to think ahead.... It sure would be a stunning finish to have it work out!

I'd leave it! :)

Kwilter,
It would also be easier if you picked a shorter repeat.

You just need to match the centers for a square. Here's a basic no-math set of instructions (http://www.rjrfabrics.com/media/file...b8b0ba38a7.pdf).

I do use math to cut mine. The formula is

Length of side + (2 x width of border) + 1" = how long to cut strip for mitered border

So, for example, if the center of my quilt measures 65" square & I am doing a 1" border & a 3" border, I would have:

65 + (2 x [1+3]) + 1 = 74" long strips for my borders -- making sure to cut so the center of the middle repeat lines up with the center of my quilt. Yes, this method is much more wasteful.

Then, I'd seam together my borders, press them & then line up the centers & sew to the edge of the center piece, mark your 45 degree lines, and line up the marked lines. You sew right on the line & trim the excess down to 1/4". They are stunning, but require much precision/attention to detail.

Thank you all for your input, and the instructional links! Am I right in thinking that if I wanted to match up as a mitered corner, I would have to have the print cut the same way all the way around? That is, cut it all on the length of fabric, rather than the sides on the length and the top and bottom across the width?

Yes. Cut it all the same way -- either all lengthwise or all crosswise -- making sure to measure from the center out to right edge & center out to left edge, not from edge to edge.
Also, I re-discovered this Jinny Beyer video about how to do rectangles. She pieces it together in the middle so you supposedly don't have to make the repeat fit. I saw it after the last time I did a patterned border so I don't know how it works. I do wonder whether it would work with a larger repeat, but might be worth a try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNPOkcyrMSg

I would leave it.

[QUOTE=Dina;7535521]I would just leave it alone. I like your quilt! It looks good. Look at your quilt, without looking just at the corners. See. It looks okay.

I agree. First thing I looked at was the overall colors and pattern. Then when you mentioned the third border, I admired how you matched and centered the design within the border and matched it going horizontally and vertically. I wouldn't have even noticed the corners if you hadn't mentioned it. I would leave it alone but follow the recommendations you got here for mitering the next time. Nice quilt!

Thank you for all the encouraging comments! I will leave it as is. Now I know what I should have done, and next time I can do it right.

I think you are being too hard on yourself. It looks great and once quilted even you won't notice the corner I love all the pink and it looks fantastic with your flower picture on the wall.

I looked at your quilt a while and asked myself - what's wrong with I it then saw what you were referring to with the close-up of the corner. Unless the quilt is going to be judged, I would just leave it. It's fine.

I like it too. Aren't we our own worst critics most of the time? I would put it away for a few days, then get it out and look at it with "fresh eyes".

I didn't see it until you pointed it out. I love the floral center!

I'd leave it because when it is quilted, almost no one will notice.

What she said. If the corners bothered me -- as they clearly do you -- I'd rip out the corners, set in cornerstones, using maybe one of your other fabrics, or a solid pink if you can find one to match. It will look great!

I think it looks good the way it is and you should leave it as is.

Looks good to me. Many times we are our own worst critics and concentrate on little mistakes we might have made. Not all quilts can be best of show but I know someone will really treasure this one. Good job.

Welcome to my world. I would not have noticed if you had not pointed it out. I get myself in these dilemmas all the time. I just have to accept the fact that I like to sew but it just isn't going to turn out to be "show" quality. I usually give my quilts away to non quilters and mot times they appreciate all the work that goes into it.

I agree that cornerstones would work if you are really bothered by the corners. Personally, I think they look fine as is.

I would have cut all of my border fabric strips in one direction, either all WOF or all lengthwise. Then I would have mitered the corners or used a solid block in each corner. This way the pattern would have flowed around the quilt. Trying to keep the pattern in one direction on the finished quilt is what caused your problem.