That is the worse part for me, for some reason. I seem to have some mental block about putting borders on. I have two quilts ready to put the borders on and it's hard to make myself do it.

I have a 4' long metal straight edge, a builders/carpenters tool, and a very large metal square that I use. I just have a thing with worrying about cutting long strips straight.

The last border I cut I folded the 3 yards in half so it was 1 1/2 yard long, laid it on the floor, and marked the line with the two metal tools. I then slid my 24" mat under the fabric and rotary cut it using the 4' straight edge. When I got to the end of the mat I very carefully slid it further up the line to cut.

How do you do yours?

I am not sure I can picture what you describe.

I cut my borders on the width of the fabric (44 inches), folded in half and piece them together if I need them longer. I never cut anything longer than 24 inches, my longest ruler. I usually avoid directional fabrics for my borders to prevent having to cut on the long side of the fabric. That can make my borders wavy.

Maria

Unfortunately, can't help you there. Most of mine are without borders.

I fold mine, very similar to the way you do it, except I put one more fold than you do. I try to make sure I have folded it exactly right. I usually do not have a problem. I do hate cutting them, too.

For big quilts, I rip them lengthwise.

I do it this way too. I like making the borders tho.

I love quilts with borders, I love quilting borders, but I DESPISE cutting borders. I CANNOT cut a border without making a curvy thing if I cut more than an 18 inch length. If I fold my fabric more than one fold, here comes the dreaded curvy thing. What am I doing wrong? :evil:

I do like Maride, cut widths, and join - with a diagonal seam.

MJ...I get the same thing. I've learned to just live with it. Haven't figured out HOW to eliminate that as of yet.

Oh, and ripping? Nope, can't do it. I tried on a few scraps, but the rips came out crooked. SOOO glad it was scrap stuff!

Whew! What a relief to know an experienced quilter does the same thing! It's ssooooooo good to know I'm not alone :shock:

I always cut my borders across the width of fabric. I piece my borders & I just use a straight seam so that I can center it on the quilt. It also makes it easier for me to figure out how much material I need for a border when I know I'll be cutting WOF. I do use a diagonal seam in my binding as I want it to be continous & not add bulk.

I will try to explain how to get rid of the curvy thing. Please forgive me if I am not very clear. I like to teach by showing. There are too things you can do, but no matter what, it should never be done by cutting the width of the fabric. This is only a suggestion, and on the long run anyone will do what they feel more comfortable with. I am not a quilt police, just an instructor that loves teaching.

When you cut on the length of the fabric you are exposing your bias. We always have on exposed bias when doing, for example, a square, but sew it right back and protect it from stretching. This isnstructions are on the width of the fabric.

1. The easiest way it to determine how wide your border is going to be, add half an inch. Make a little cut across the salvage and rip. If you are cutting across the hole piece (44 inches) few of us are tall enough and no one has the arm lenght to cut it on one shot. Rip as much as you can and stand up. Don't let go of your fabric. Bring the fabric down and put your knee where tou stopped ripping and use your knee to continue ripping. Just put your knee on the Y and pull up. Your edges will be a little frayed, not too bad. Just press them and they will look perfect. Now cut the salvage across and sew your pieces together to make your borber. You can mitter them to make slanted seems or sew them straight and save fabric. Is up to you.

I have to go to work now, but at my break I will post the other way, without ripping.

Maria

Please forgive my spelling mistakes on my first post. I was typing as I think and my main language is spanish. I didn't know I only have 20 minutes to do edits.

The second wasy is to determine how wide again, your border is going to be. Fold the fabric salvage to salvage, wrong sides together and make sure that the bottom forms a straight line. If it does, the fabric you purchased was cut properly, but that is rarely the case. Usually it forms a pocket that looks crocket. In this case shift you fabric left or right until if lays flat. Lay it on the cutting board as it is. This instructions are for right handed, lefties, please switch it the other way. Lay your longest ruler on the right edge of the fabric, usually your 24 x 6 inches. Use the bottom of your fabric to line your ruler straight and cut on the right side of the ruler. Now your edge is straight. Don't lift your fabric, turn the cutting board around. Now lay your ruler along the left edge of the fabric. If your ruler is six inches and you want more than that, add another ruler on the left side. For example: if you want an 8 inches border, put another ruler, on the 2 inch mark against your now left border, and put your longer ruler next to it.

Make sure they are straight and cut along the long ruler, on the right.

If when you open the fabric it looks like a smile, you did not have your fabric straight on the first step. If you feel more comfortable, cut a small strip first and make sure it is not smiling. Cut as many strips as you wish lining up against the left border, because if you don't lift the fabric it will remain straight.

Now you can cut the salvage across and sew your strips together to the desired lenght of the border as I explained before.

This methods don't work very well if you have directional fabrics, specially stripes, because is very rare that the design is printed perfectly on the grain of the fabric. Usually they shift from the grain and you have to decide if you want your fabric to be straight or the design to be straight.
This can make you think that you made a mistake, but in realty you didn't. Fabric manufacturers, specially cheap fabrics, don't keep in mind what you will be using them for. I save those fabrics for fusy cutting, when it really doesn't matter.

By the way, I see my borders as frames and rarely ever use heavily printed fabrics on the borders. I tend to use a solid color, or a fabric that looks like wood. I like to hang my quilts and think of them as framed art.

Please let me know if this is clear.

Maria

Maride -- your instructions were very clear. Thanks :wink:

I do cut mine just like Maria described. I've never had a problem...until...this last quilt. I did it exactly the same way, but I have 1 side of the quilt that is just waving away at me. :( I don't know what I did wrong...hopefully it won't carry over into my next quilts :?

Ripping on the crosswise grain (selvage to selvage) as suggested by Maride, will stretch the fabric edges and is not recommended by most professionals. Crosswise grain is much less stable than lengthwise grain. If your fabric is folded on the true straight of grain, you will not get a dogleg in your cut.

Ripping on the lengthwise grain is accurate and is the easiest way to prepare long borders for quilts. Scared to try it? Try tearing off just the selvage to see how it works...and feels!

I have only done two quilts with borders longer than 40 inches and I ripped lengthwise and ironed and they were even. I have been (told this was a newbie thing) putting up ninepatch cornerstones and wide borders to add length. I have tried cutting the folded fabric WOF, but always get that "smile that makes me frown." Maribeth

I rip all my long borders. They come out perfectly straight. You have to rip off a small piece first to get a straight edge (just like squaring up the edge if rotary cutting). Clip off the strings, spray starch and press. If you get crooked rips after the first rip, it's the fabric that is messed up not you. Always rip down the selvage edge.

I'll try ripping off a selvedge first and see how it goes. That will be SOOOO much easier than trying to cut it.

It needs to tear on the regular weave, so go about a quarter inch or more inside the actual selvage (which is more tightly woven). Good luck!! :)

I have torn through my border barrier!!! I took the 3 yards for one quilt border, made a little clip past the selvedge, and tore it off so cleanly! I did the same to the other selvedge, matched up the perfectly straight edges, tore it in half, then in half again.

They are just perfect! I will clip off the strings, starch and iron as suggested. Now I need more brown thread for the long sewing to do.

Thanks so much. :D

Thanks for all the information. I love boarders on my quilts, but like everyone else I hate cutting or tearing them.

Congratulations, pittsburgpam!! [img]http://www.pic4ever.com/images/greenstars.gif[/img]

Wow Pam!!!! I'm impressed! I have to make myself do it....its just that its sooo pretty....do you think it felt any pain when you tore it? :lol:

Me, too, Moonpi! It's the truest straight you can get AND (bonus for me) I don't have to try to get down on the floor or up again. I can't imagine that sliding your cutting mat wouldn't make the fabric shift, Pam. I get wavy centers if I don't rip them, to frequently. :wink:

I have a wood working metal square ruler I use, too! Love them tools and my husband bought it for me especially for my quilting. He got tired of having me say 'clean that thing' when I was using his. :lol:

Sharon

i like mine lengthwise also. i just bought myself a 36" ruler just for that purpose.now i fold on the straight grain as much as i need to and rotary cut. YEA! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I have read that ppl 'rip' before, to stay on grain...but doesn't this stretch the fabric?

posted while on page 1.
I have a question?
Can I just make a template with freezer paper and press to fabric and either rotary cut or with shears? I don't want my borders pieced. I want to cut down the selvedge edge, in fact I have some cut now and I don't think they are crooked, but maybe tomorrow I will unfold and look. I hope it doesn't smile at me. was parallel to selvedge, and was folded.

i think if you rip off the selvedge edge itself, you will have a straight edge.
how you then cut that second edge determines whether THAT edge is straight.

huh?

rip off the selvedge, measure in the amount you want. either rip or cut at that measure. if it smiles, then you cut it crooked. the selvedge is always straight. if it's crooked, you can always straighten it out by recutting or re-ripping on the edge that you originally cut. don't touch the selvedge edge.
if you only ripped it, it's always straight.

if you decide to rip that second edge, it may stretch a little. press it out.

i also have another idea i may try. I'm not ready to rip just yet.
I kept piece of door stripping, brand new, never used. it's got to be 6-7 feet long and I have a 48 architects ruler too, and squares etc. men's tools are cheaper than ours.
anyway, i don't see why this metal stripping wouldn't be like a super long straight edged ruler. gonna see how i do with freezer ppr first. That is, if my current way did not work. I think it did. (the usual folding)

one thing about using metal is that it can hurt your rotary blade. if you use it to draw a line, it can slip and slide.

the other thing is that if it is narrow in width and thin in mm's it can warp, so be careful. maybe you should check that against a straight edge first.

i just treated myself to a 36" ruler for rotary cutting and i haven't used it yet, but i just got tired of looking for makeshift fixes. it will pay for itself in headaches.

i got it at joann's 40% coupon 'sale'.

there are no easy answers. just challenges.

wow, thanks, butterflywing, these are things I hadn't thought of. Using the metal i was going to have to lay it out and drag out my 'wallboards'. We were going to redo bathroom and bought some wallboard and when we decided to make space a closet, I snagged it for basting etc. have sawhorses, but it's a bit of a bother just to cut borders.
I didn't know rulers came in 36" lengths. I better check that 48" metal/carpenters ruler I have for accuracy. It will still come in handy for measuring.
I have to be careful about when I start to make a cut, not to get my rotary blade on top of clear ruler at the corner of it. Hard to see, but my sandpaper dots for slippage is a visual barrier too.
That clear...can't remember name...but a while back, put this stuff on one side of rulers, it's clear, for slippage. Didn't work for me.

when i cut norders I measure the quilt top bottom in thru the middle take the average and cut across the fabric ($$inches) not the lenghtwise. join on the angle to get the right width or lenght I need , find the middle of the strip put tp the middle of the quilt side and pin then pin the ends and makte the rest fit to the average measurement. Make the two sides the same also top and bottom I hope this helps and you can understand . my directions . also check Fon and porters site they have great directions for doing this Good Luck Happy Quilting Andie

I cut mine on the straight of grain.
I carefully fold the fabric aligning one selvage edge.
Fold it into thirds, fourths, whatever, to get it to fit under the 24" ruler.
Cut away.

Good luck with your borders.

i wish that worked for me. it just doesn't. i think i have a very heavy hand. when i handle crossgrain in long strips i always end up stretching it against the quilt and then again against the binding. i end up with wiggles in the edge of the border. now i cut lengths of border first. usually too much, but that's ok. than i cut my pieces from the rest... whatever gets left behind is stash.

well, butterfly wing, that is basically what I do, is cut down length, parallel to selvedge edge. I cut longer too, so I have enough when it comes time, and no short surprises :shock:
i read that ppl cut borders exact lengths etc. ahead of time, and we have to 'square' quilt up at some point. I am not brave enough, or, knowing myself, dumb enough, to cut exactly that far ahead.
For me, knowing that my stuff probably isn't going to be just so, at least for now, until i get better at this, it would be dumb.
It's reccommended that if you piece your backings, that you use at least a half inch seam for strength. Guess we all use quarter inch seams on front, bc pioneer women had to make the most of what they had. I think I should give myself more leeway for a bit. I don't know. I'll see how this quilt I've just about got ready to sew goes. Just waiting for new surge protector to come. :D

After tearing the strips, ironing and very lightly starching, I got them sewn on last night. They are very nice strips, nice and straight, and it only took a few moments to tear each one. What a time and aggravation saver. I realized one advantage that if the pattern is printed well, tearing it makes the edges follow the repeat at the same point all along the length. That could really come in handy, especially if you are matching pattern on a mitered corner.

I think I would use this for piecing backing too. That's also a mental block of mine, worrying about cutting them straight.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/17766.page

Hi,

So, it IS possible to get past the fear of ripping? Great, I'll give it a try; have a long border project coming up. Thanks for all the great suggestions here.

One I'd like to pass along is another reason borders might wave is due to the way they're machine quilted. It's important to keep the density of your quilting similar over all the quilt. For example, if the body of your quilt is densely quilted, but your borders are only lighted quilted, they will likely wave. Ask me how I know! LOL Wish I could remember where I've read this, but it does seem to be true. If anyone knows differently, please advise. Thanks so much.

Happy quilting,

I used to get wavy cuts and it was because I was not "walking" my fingers up the ruler as I cut my strips. If you only hold your ruler in one spot for the entire cut, the ruler has a tendency to shift just slightly and there will be a small wavy area where you were holding the ruler. I learned this from an instructor and I have never had that problem since. I also was instructed that you can cut WOF for sashing strips but borders should be cut LOF to prevent wavy borders. Sometimes I try it LOF if I have bought enough fabric but I do not find much difference as long as I have been careful in walking my fingers up the ruler as I cut. For the newby's, walking is like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" walking by always moving your thumb up to meet your fingers, then move your fingers forward. Another tip is to always hold your pinky finger off the edge of the ruler against the side of the ruler to steady it on the fabric. It is probably just as important that you put little dots of sand paper or Invisigrip or something like these products on the bottom of your ruler so it adheres to the fabric. These little tips saved me so much time and ruined fabric because my ruler was always sliding on the fabric when I would cut. I hope some of these tips will help you. I do not use a metal ruler only because I am fortunate enough to have the Omnigrid (and others) rulers so I do not know if these tips will help you when using the metal rulers but you might try some of them. Good luck.

Mine used to wave too until I realized the most important thing when folding to cut....make sure the fold is straight! That is what gets rid of the wave. If your fold at the bottom is straight it will cut straight. You might even have to cut both sides of the fabric to straighten it....but the fold is the most important in being striaght.
Good luck.