Thanks for all the suggestions. The quilt I'm starting on now has something like 7 borders so I'll have plenty of chances to put them into practice.

I also used to use starch until some one told me that starch attracts silverfish, which are common in our area of central Oregon. I hate bugs! I now use a spritz of sizing every time I press (not iron), and I have no trouble getting every thing to match. I used this method when I made my big quilt (110x112), and every thing fit! It does make for a crisp quilt, but I do not hand quilt, so no problem. It helps when machine quilting so the fabric is less likely to "scootch" on me. The first time I launder a quilt, I get a lovely 'bloom' of the quilting. I hope this helps.

I always attach the sides first.

i was told to set the seams before pressing the seams that it is suppose to help with the wavy problem and not to drag the iron just press

this is the way I put mine on too

Sharon Schambers has a tut on this on You Tube. She tells how to avoid wavy borders. Check it out.

Sorry if I am repeating what anyone else has said. It is late and I'm to tired to read everyone's.

I press with spray starch and steam
I cut down the selvage (not across) it does take more fabric, cut I have a drawer of leftover border fabrics, pulled out 2 today for a scrappy log cabin.
I measure the top and bottom( or both sides). If I running short of fabric I put on the longer sides first.
I have the quilt folded in half, and fold the border fabric in half.
Pin in center and each end, space in the middle (between pins) and pin again at least 2 or 3 depending on the length. I ALWAYS stitch with the border on top, I use a walking foot when attaching my binding.
Let us know how you make out, hopefully with all the tips you will get the results you are looking for:)

I second that! Very important to see that the material doesn't get stretched.

Scissor queen, if you don't put your quilts in rows, how do you put them together?

It's kind of a long explanation and it's on page 2 of this topic.

1. Press quilt with dry iron.
2. Measure quilt through middle (vertically and horizontally)
3. Add 2x width of that measurement and cut border strips to that length
4. Attach top and bottom borders
5. Attach side borders[/quote]

Were you adding 2x width for mitering?

I also try to remember to compare the length of the sides and the length of the ends. If one of the sides is longer than the other side (same for ends) a correction could be made. Maybe just squaring up the corners would help.

I am a newby at quilting, however, I have not had any problems with my borders. I was taught to measure and add sides first by measuring middle and quarters of both quilt top and side borders, then pinning, then sewing. Tops and bottoms done same way. Hope this helps

Shannon,
I measure through the center then cut that measurement, but I use the length of the fabric then tear the fabric for the width of my border. I also take and divide the border into 1/4's and my quilt then pin at those marks and distribute evenly. Once the sides are on I then measure for the top and bottom the same way. By tearing the fabric it is on the straight of grain. I also have started straightening my fabric before ever cutting tear across each end then match the sides if they aren't even stretch on the bias till they are works best with 2 people to do.
Elayne

I do mine this way too. For years I did the measuring the middle process but seemed to have too much or two little border fabric and I was always warned to never just sew a border on a quilt and cut off extra fabric at the end...a guarantee for a rippled border. then I started laying the quilt on the floor and laying the border on top of the quilt to measure. Seems I can smooth out the quilt so much better than trying to measure it with a tape measure. I have had much better success (and it saves time) to lay the border fabric on the quilt to measure. Borders are the one thing I dread in quilting and always try to find delaying tactics to keep from doing them. Right now, I lost my head and an putting 3 borders on the quilt I am working on today. I must have lost my mind. Good lucK!!!

Can someone put a link to Sharon's tut? I do not belong to YouTube and all those oddies going on within the Internet and therefore cannot get into YouTube with registering. Thanks

When sewing your pieces and seams, make sure you are sewing 1/4" only. If you're not, it will throw the entire quilt wonky. I use a shishka-bob stick to help guide the fabric thru the foot and match all the seams. My king size quilt came out even on all 4 sides! The long-arm quilter was impressed. Sew the side borders first then the top and bottom. I don't bother measuring for borders. I just sew and cut off the excess. It's worked so far - knock on wood. Good Luck

I do not measure when putting on borders. I always attach my sides first, then the top and bottom. I cut the strip I need, square off one end and sew it to the quilt top, then, cut it off at the bottom, square to the quilt. That way, its the exact length.

I also always cut my boarders on the length of the fabric, not the width. Too much stretch in the width for borders