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