Which comes first...
 

The sides or the top and bottom. I have finally gotten to the point of doing borders on several quilt tops. A lady I met at guild has "taken me under her wing". I am very much a newbie so the help is much appreciated. I know there's no quilt police but my friend has told me several times the when doing borders, do the sides first then the top and bottom last. She said it would be easier for me to do since I'm basically clueless. I prefer the look of the top and bottom to extend the over the sides rather than the sides extending. I'm not doing cornerstones, just borders. I'm sure this is a stupid question but would like to know. Is it easier for a beginner to do the sides first and extend them past the top and bottom border? I want my quilts to look their best. I don't mind being challenged but I don't want to screw up all the work I put into the tops only to have it look rushed or tacky. I hope this makes sense. And to prepare you guys, I will soon have questions about getting my quilts prepared to go to the longarmer. Thanks!!

I will be interested in what others say. I don't do it one way or the other, just whatever I feel like at the moment. On the one I just did, I did the sides first. As far as one being easier than the other, I don't think there is a difference. I have only been quilting 4 years, so I am certainly no expert. I did just finish my 83rd quilt though...so I call myself an experienced beginner. :)

I know how many quilts I have made because my sister, who has been quilting for 20 years, told me she wished she had kept count of how many quilts she had made, and she suggested I keep count of mine. So I simply mark it on the calendar. If you are relatively new, you might want to know the same thing. I usually just keep the number to myself, but I am a "counter," so I like knowing how many I have made. The 83 is fresh in my mind because I wrote it on my calendar last night. :)

Dina

I always do the sides first, then the top and bottom. I like the look of the borders that way. I have seen some done with the top and bottom first, but it doesn't look right to me.

I prefer to do the sides first, mostly because I don't like pieced borders, and this saves on a little bit of fabric length.

I'm confused about your statement "Is it easier for a beginner to do the sides first and extend them past the top and bottom border". If you do the sides first, the top and bottom will extend over the sides.

I think it's more important to measure your borders carefully, so that you don't get wavy borders. If you friend hasn't discussed this with you, come back and ask!

Good Luck with you quilting journey. It's a wonderful trip.

Generally speaking you do the sides first so you are getting the best use of your yardage. Lots of quilts are rectangular and longer than they are wider. So if you put your side borders on first, you are using less fabric on the sides than if you put the top/bottom on first. Otherwise, in my opinion, it makes no difference.

I normally attach the side borders because they are the longest. I never hear any wise talel as to one way or another. I prefer the top and bottom to extend over the side borders because I agree with it looking better too. You won't have this problem if you miter the border corners.

By sewing the longer sides first, the borders require less yardage (assuming you aren't piecing them). I can't think of any reason why it should matter, whether the top is done before the bottom or vice-versa.

That is what I do to for the same reason. It just doesn't look right the other way.

Oh wow, 83 quilts. I have to think that makes you much more than a beginner. I don't have a count of the quilts I have made over the past ten years or so (a guess really) but nowhere near that number. Congratulations!

I don't think it's any harder to do the tops & bottoms first. It's mostly a matter of preference.