Quilt Borders? 2 Borders
 

I have 2 borders to put onto a quilt. Can I sew the two of them together then put onto each side of the quilt?

In the past I've done them individually. I just wondered why I couldn't sew them together then onto the quilt.

Thanks!

Doing them individually means each frames the quilt around it's entire edge. Doing them joined will mean that the corner won't be right(I think).
But, if you're going to mitre them then I think it might work?
Somebody else chime in here please with corrections if needed!

Gemrm is right--if you sew the borders together first then put on the quilt without mitering them you will end up with the inner border going across the outer border at each corner. You could do it with them joined if you miter them. If this doesn't make sense, take 2 markers of different colors and draw your quilt on paper and then put the two markers in your hand together and draw the borders like you'd normally sew on a border (for me that is sides first and then top/bottom)

Another thought if you don’t want to miter: use cornerstones. You could sew the two border strips together and wouldn’t have to worry about the issue mentioned above.

Thanks ladies! I totally forgot about the corners!

Ah! That's good to know, thanks! I have trouble with that.

Tartan and Zozee are both spot on. Sew them together and then use cornerstones for some extra wow.

Watson

I have done it both ways. I always miter my corners if I have that option.

When I am putting things together I try to keep the pieces a similar size as much as I can. That is, put half a quilt with half a quilt, not one row on most of a quilt so that makes putting on borders smoothly a bit of a challenge. I pin a lot... about every 2". I use long quilting pins and pin well below the seam line so that the fabric is held securely but no pins in the feed dogs or under the needle. I really believe that my good results come from pinning and pressing all the time every time. I've tried other techniques and I've seen people who do great things without pinning -- but they aren't me and I'm not them!

With multiple borders as already said, you can sew them together and then miter or put in a corner block.

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is with butt joints you can lessen the number of times you go around a quilt with multiple borders. Let's see how well I can describe it:

First attach the first border to the two opposing sides to the "bed" of the quilt. Then sew the two borders together for the remaining sides, and attach them to the bed. Then you attach the final long borders.

Ideally I want to (a) miter or (b) go around more like a log cabin but there are times when I only have so much fabric and don't have quite enough for the long sides and I'll use that technique. I'm happiest when it is a small print fabric and the seams do their disappearing trick, but I've also had to do it with solids. Less happy but always happy to get the top done!

Sorry I just got back to this. It's been a crazy day!

I decided to just add the borders separately. I considered the cornerstones, but I don't do real well with figuring those out. I don't have a lot of practice with them and was afraid they wouldn't all be the same size. Why? I don't recall!

Thanks so much for your wisdom!

Cornerstones would simply need to be the same size as the width of the combined borders. I can see how sewing the borders together first and using the cornerstones would be easier than adding the borders separately. My luck, I'd sew them--at least one of them--on "upside down" though!

Good topic but most of us have the comfort zone of doing things the way we've always done it.

What a timely topic. I have just committed this sin?? transgression?? mistake! I thought I was so sharp by sewing the little wine framing border to the navy one ahead of time. Now I have a huge mess. The first corner came out ok but I have taken out the others and made it even worse.

I just love this quilt, so colorful. But the borders should go on in order and by themselves. I'm not that skilled that I could put cornerstones in.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]603084[/ATTACH]The first corner the only good one.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]603085[/ATTACH]I have this one ripped out and must put an extension on the wine one.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]603086[/ATTACH]This is the kind of mess I am up against. I don't even know where to start on this one. Yes, there is a third corner and it looks like the second one but it is all pinned together.

I have done that. Also used four patch as a cornerstone, matching the opposite fabric against each strip.

This is great advice. I always sew them together before applying -- also, always miter. But corner blocks (cornerstones?) would work, too.