Assuming you don't miter corners, putting the side borders on first does tend to save some yardage. But either way works and you can do which ever you like best. But whichever way you choose, the key thing is to measure top,middle, bottom and average (or square the top) and make that the length of the borders (do the same going the other direction, too). That way your borders will be square and not "wave" when the long armer works on it.

Putting the side borders on first makes the best use of your fabric, then do the top and bottom. Although there are no quilt police who will arrest you if you do the top and bottom first; just be sure to measure through the middle of the quilt, length and width so that your border won't go wonky.

When I first began to make quilts I read -- somewhere, either online or in a book -- to do the sides first, simply because it looks better. It frames the quilt better when the top and bottom borders "sit" on top of the side borders.

Thanks for the idea of keeping count of how many finished quilts you have made. I'm worried I'll be at 0 for a while lol!!

My friend told me that say you do the top and bottom borders first they should extend 6" past what the side border width is. I'm not sure what the purpose of it is. She has been quilting for 25+ years but things she tells me and things I've read about here and in books are totally different

If your quilt is rectangular, adding the sides first may feel a bit more balanced visually, but I can't imagine why doing one side first would be harder than the other to do.

hugs,
Charlotte

Thanks for the replies!! I prefer the look of the sides being on first. It makes my eye follow the pattern differently than the too and bottom being placed first. I love this board!! I have learned so much. I have several tops almost finished and ready to prepare for the longarmer. So if anyone has any great links to getting a quilt top ready to send to be quilted please send them my way!!

Because that is the effect that it it has. You can see it easily how it looks using EQ

Long horizontal (put sides on first):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]502901[/ATTACH]

long vertical (put top and bottom on first):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]502903[/ATTACH]

Neither is actually harder to sew than the other. In fact, on occasion, I have gotten mixed up and done the long vertical when I wanted to do the long horizontal (the first one) just because it is somewhat easy to do if the quilt is similar in size.

But in truth, if the border is a print, it is hard to see where the seams are and the end just looks like this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]502904[/ATTACH]

I do sides first as they are the longest at this stage. Then top and bottom which become. Longest.

I usually do sides first Then top and bottom. Also, I like to use straight of grain running length of quilt on sides and the opposite on tops and bottoms. My thinking is that it may prevent unwanted fullness in the borders. Does that make sense to anyone? There have been times when I didn't have enough fabric to do this but I prefer to do it this way.