I think Katier 825 and NJ quilter covered border information quite well. I would call myself an early stage intermediate
quilter and agree with you that it is intimidating. After making several baby quilts, it has gotten easier to do the borders.
I think you will gain confidence as you do the first then the second....

Some of my squared up quilts have wavy borders and I made and sewed them the same way I made the borders that lay perfectly flat on other quilts. It doesn't bother me at all. One of my wavy border quilts won Viewer's Choice at a quilt show and the near perfect quilt got a nice job sticker. :D

I am a beginner quilter, perfectionist and intimidated by borders. The Craftsy class on borders was very helpful for me. I learned a lot which gave me the courage to add borders.

I'm so glad to hear so many other people are relaxed quilters like I am, especially considering the quilting mistakes I made yesterday.

She's been a great help to you but now may be the time to become your own quiltmaker. She obviously has strong opinions, some of which match yours, many which don't, and you should feel free, now that you've learned the basics, to do your own thing. Your sewing machine, for instance: if you're happy with it and it works for you, let that subject be closed. After all, opinions are just that; there are no "laws" in what we're doing here.

As for borders, other here have given you great advice on one-border-at-a-time, and borders with mitered corners. I can only add: measure correctly, and just sew that first border on!

I think I was glad of my ignorance when I first began making quilts because, self-taught, I had no idea what I might be doing wrong and consequently, had no fear. I was a long time garment sewer but had never made a quilt. I didn't know what I didn't know, so I watched a few youtube videos, read a book or two, and just plunged ahead. Your issue is that you've aligned yourself with an expert and as helpful as she's been, her knowledge and experience -- and opinions! -- have intimidated you.

Even experts can have some odd opinions.

My, my, my, talk about the quilt border police. Your quilting friend may mean well, but obviously she is causing you to doubt your abilities, and that's not right. There are some great comments here on the QB and I suggest you read them, and then do what you feel right because that's the right thing to do. I had a quilt teacher who advised putting the inner and outer borders together to save time, as you have to sew them together eventually. Quilting should be FUN, not "work", so enjoy the process, do what you feel is right for you - that's the right answer to your question.

First off, good for you for trying even in the presence of a lot of negativity. I doubt I would have ever gotten started with that sort of "guidance".

I am Brother certified and service their machines for a shop in the city. I also service all the other brands at home for my own business and some for that shop. Depending on the Brother machine, some are as good or better than their counterparts. The department store ones can often benefit from a look over because they sometimes could use some adjustments to make them more pliable. That said, that's not just a Brother thing, it's almost all department store machines. They're priced for a certain market and to get that extra bit of brand awareness. The only Brother machines I would avoid are the ones in the 60s - 70s range and that's only because they have a plastic cam gear and I haven't come across one that wasn't broken in the last few years I've been servicing.

Now - borders. I'm a Longarm quilter and a fairly new piecer. I am working on my 6th quilt this year. I piece so I can quilt. My first quilt was pieced and free motion quilted on a 1951 Singer 15-90. It had no borders and no plan whatsoever as to design. Binding was character building on this quilt. It still is. It's my kryptonite.

My second quilt was made for DH. It had straight borders. I had to remove one border while it was on the frame and remove about 2.5". I have no idea how I did that so wrong, but I did. For me, for some reason, it's always the shorter sides I have trouble with. The long ones are typically fine.

3rd was a bed quilt, straight borders. That one taught me to come up with a quilting plan before loading it. It was on the frame for almost 5 months while I decided how to quilt each portion as I went along. As a recovering perfectionist, I learned that this turns out to be the slowest way to quilt a quilt. This is also the quilt I ripped a seam 4 times on to try to get it to match better. I didn't stop until I finally stuck the seam ripper through the fabric. Now I try really hard to adhere to what the lady who taught me to sew and runs our sewing group says: "Can you live with it?" Sometimes I can, sometimes not. But the key (for me, it might not be exactly what she meant) is not "Do I love the way I stitched that" but "Is it the worst thing that happened to me today and what does it affect long term?"

4th and 5th quilts have mitred borders. The 4th is bed sized and uses one mitred border for the outside border and has 15 mitred squares. I have one corner that isn't perfect but I can "quilt that out" when it finally hits the longarm. The 5th is similar to the 4th top in a lap size but I modified it to practice mitres and to help me come up with a quilting plan for the 4th one. 14 of the 16 of the mitres are perfect. The last two I must have been asleep when I pieced them but now that it's quilted, I have to look hard to figure out which ones they are. The 4th quilt is the only one that remains unquilted at this point.

Lastly - thread and other myths. There are few facts and real truths in this industry. It's mostly opinion, preference and belief. Just look at all the shops who will tell people to only use X thread. Typically it's not because Pfaff, Bernina, Brother etc tells them that's all their machines will run - it's because they want the sales.

I have heard that museums are starting to recommend poly for surface design on quilts because the cotton rots and we lose the design. Today's poly is not the same as yesterday's poly. Many of the new polys break easier than their cotton counterparts.

It sounds like it's time for you to go out and develop your own opinions and preferences.

Hugggggggs to you and everyone else who has been intimidated by someone who KNOWS the ONLY RIGHT WAY to get your quilt made. Bless your heart for realizing that you are ready to move out on your own and have a little flexibility. So many rules can be binding for sure, rather than reassuring.
You are definitely in the right place, you will get lots of help here on the QB for any questions you might have.
I wish you very good luck with your new adventures in bordering; can't wait to see photos of your projects!!

LOL This is so true! I just put the borders on what is probably my 115th quilt. I do them the same way every time. These borders are wavy. I don't know why, but I can live with it. I would blame it on it being on point and having bias edges, but I've done several of them that had bias edges and were NOT wavy.
I just take it in stride and say it's the way I was holding my mouth.:rolleyes:

Sounds as if your mentor is taking all the fun & joy out of quilting. She's expecting you to sew like she does even though she has 20 years up on you. If you are going to pull the borders off because of a small mistake you'll take a long time to finish one quilt.
"If a blind man on a galloping horse can't see it neither can anyone else.

I hope this little poem may help you:-

Your own ideas are as good as anyone else's
Make yourself happy by making the quilt you want.

I've adapted that from a garden sign (seen when BFF & I went to the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba).
I had permission from the home owner to adapt & use it.

You met your "quilting mentor" through your Guild, right? I'd suggest now is a good time to get more involved in your Guild with other members--think you will find that some will agree with ideas of your mentor, so will heartily disagree and you will actually advance as a quilter by being surrounded by so many different quilters. PLUS you will get to know some great people and have more fun with quilting. You might come to agree with some of your mentor's ideas--but at least it will be after you've heard/seen lots of others ideas, tried out some different ones on your own quilts and developed your own style. And get at least one quilt done and show at the Guild Show and Tell--think you will be affirmed that you are becoming a good quilter!

Whenever I mentor someone on quilting, I ALWAYS show them how I do things, but stress BIG time if they find a better way that works for them then go for it. Every quilter has their own way of doing things. There is no right or wrong way to quilt. It is all about what makes you happy & is easyer for you. We all here has faith in you to do great on your boarders, so go for it.

Oh, my goodness! I, too, am somewhat of a perfectionist, but have learned many times that the saying

'Done is better than perfect."

applies to all aspects of my life, including quilting. It's a humbling hobby, to say the least.

Note that I got over all my quilting phobias when I noticed that a picture of a quilt in a well known quilting magazine had unmatched points! :thumbup: That gave me the freedom to make mistakes!!!

You're a beginner, so have fun, experiment, enjoy the process as much as the finished product. Always keep in the front of your mind that quilting is not a life and death experience. Make mistakes, fix them. My sister and I both have commented that we have made most of our quilts twice: once the wrong way and once the right way. Such is life. That's how we learn.

Sewing two borders together before adding them to the quilt top is ok, depending on what you have in mind for the finished look of the border, although it does increase the possibility of wavy, hard to quilt borders. (Ask me how I know!) But, If it doesn't work out, well, that's why seam rippers were invented. Having said that, I recommend that you add them one at a time and follow your friends directions on how to do them, because it is good to know the technique, even if you don't use it after the first set of borders you add.

I use polyester thread all the time. So far, no one has been brave enough to complain to me about it. Perhaps my angry face would appear if they did!

I LOVE my BROTHER sewing machines! They are work horses. My go-to machine can sew fleece without any special attachments or ball point needles, and does a nice job of it. I found that out because I was too lazy to change the needle. :D

I used to write user manuals for business computer systems,and I can honestly say that Brother machines have the best user manuals I have ever seen/used, bar none - even the ones I wrote.

The best sewing machine for anyone is the one that is both affordable and enjoyable to use.

Your friend means well, but controlling is probably a good description. Forgive her; she can't help it. Then broaden your circle of quilting friends.

Everyone has said what I'd say about your mentor, enjoying the process and so on.
As to you having a Brother machine...hey, if it works for you and you like it...the heck with what other people think!! The best story I have about this is when the Executive Officer on my husband's ship (DH was a lowly commissioned warrant officer) came home early. I had a Featherweight and his wife, of course, had a mega-machine. His comment was, "What will your machine be when it grows up?" What a twit. My Featherweight is still going strong, but I bet her machine isn't. And why was he home early, anyway? So if you like it, use it and enjoy. You'll know when you want a different machine.

rules? I didn't know there wee rules and neither did all the quilters of my mother's and grandmother's generations. Are you planning on entering competitions? If not I suggest you break all the rules and be creative and do what pleases you. Look at all the wonderful scrappy quilters and the historic Alabama GEE quilters and as if they really cared about rules. Only rule I have is to have fun with the fabric!

you need to see all our first quilts! practice makes better. stop being so hard on yourself YOU MADE A QUILT! HOORAY! Now, some tricks. If you are concerned about seeing a 'mistake', make your border pieced. Large piano keys, squares, HST if you are feeling adventurous. You can break the eye with a small (1") solid border and then a larger pieced border. This will hide any little wobbles or weebles when you add the border. Be careful not to stretch either fabric. I am not much of a pin person, but for a beginner it would probably be very helpful. Also using a walking foot is very helpful. But, most important, stop being so hard on yourself.

I have a couple of adds....be sure your top is square before applying borders....that will take you a long way toward nice fitting borders. Trim up if you need to. Also, starch, starch, starch your borders and top to stabilize everything and minimize any stretching, etc.
And now to be the devils advocate....this woman who so willingly helped the OP may be a perfectionist and may be OCD ( I should know, I'm both) but y'all have sliced her up one way, down the next and sideways. Jeesh, some of it has been down right nasty. We don't know this poor quilter and while she may be making some mistakes in her tutoring, hasn't everyone who posted admitted they've made mistakes while quilting? Let's be a little more charitable and compassionate for someone who helped another learn to quilt...no matter what the "quality" of her teaching, lest ye be called the quilt teacher police! ;)

I have a Brother 650Q quilting machine. There is nothing wrong with your machine. Others will tell you theirs is better, and it may be, but your machine will do whatever you need it to, so buying a different one should be personal preference not because someone said to. Your machine will last you years as long as you keep it cleaned out, particularly under the foot feed plate. Clean it at least once a month or more often.

Many of us told her to thank her teacher and move on. I alwys felt sorry for the people who signed up for my beginning photography class at the night school in Harvard Square. I pushed so much down their throats that 2/3s of the class would be gone by the time the class was over. And that wasn't the idea.My job was not to cram two years of photography school down these people's throats, but to instill a love of taking photographs in common every day people. I did fail but I learned. Such is with a mentor from your guild. She is trying to impart so much knowledge to you, she loses sight of the objective. Learn to quilt and LOVE it. Some of her advice was sketchy, like about the sewing machine. It takes simple basic tools to make our art spectacular. We all get into gadgets, new stuff and even new machines but you can never get lost in AQES (Aquire Quilting Equipment Syndrome). Just quilt until you hit a problem that can be solved with technology. And then think about it very hard at first before purchasing something new. Do you have the tools required to get the result you desire? tim in san jose

I made a quilt for my great aunt who has been a quilter her entire life. It had wavy borders, pleats, bad FMQing, mismatched/unmatched points and I had to had extra fabric here and there on the borders and backing fabric. She literally cried when I gave it to her because no one had ever given her anything made specifically for her. I was touched by her reaction and it made the sleepless nights so very worthwhile. A quilting friend of hers saw it after I gifted it and proceeded to point out some of the more obvious flaws. She said she didn't care because it had been made with love and that made it perfect in her eyes. I can only hope my mother will be so gracious with her quilt. I am not a beginner but everything I make has an issue or two but finished is much better than perfect.

Forgot to mention that I used thread to quilt with that *gasp* showed instead of blending in with the fabrics on both the front and back of the quilt. Her friend also pointed that out. Blending the thread would have been impossible given the variety of fabrics and colors used on the front. She still loves the quilt and shows it to all her visitors.

I agree with others. Thank your mentor, make some more friends in the guild, keep your Brother until you're ready to upgrade (if ever) and get going on the borders. It'll be fine and if it's not then the galloping horse test rule comes into play. Can't be seen from back of galloping horse from 200 yards away then it is fine.