I always cut my borders from the length of the fabric. Sometimes I measure sometimes I don't. If I don't measure first I always pull the border fabric a little taut and the quilt top on bottom not pulled. I haven't had a problem with wavy borders unless the fabric was bad to begin with.

I take classes at the local tech college (only $28 for seniors) but I digress. The way I was taught, and does not make wavy borders, is to measure through the middle of the quilt, and cut the border to fit, patting several times (put the quilt and border to make sure there are no ripples or bulges - do not run your hand over the fabric as it may stretch it. Then, once the border is cut, fold the border in half and pin that mark, then in quarters and pin those marks. Do the same for each side of the quilt you are placing the border as well, and match the pins, easing as necessary. I pin a lot if there is lot of easing to be done. Pin the middle first then the quarter marks and then in between. Works for me!

That is how I was taught. Takes a little longer (very little) and you have no waves!! I figure anytime you don't have to unsew and re-do, you did it the fastest way!!

There is a class on Craftsy. I had a wavy border on a table runner and my friend who is hand sewing the binding to the back, she hand baste the outside and slowly pulling the basting brings the quilt side to line up before she sews the binding on. It is a technique she swears by.

Just a thought! If the quilt portion is longer than the border/binding, put the longer portion on the bottom. When you sew it together, some of the excess will normally be gathered up into the border fabric. Hope I explained this correctly.

This is how I was taught at my very first beginner class ...looks like Sandy was an excellent teacher :). I have never experienced waves borders.

Judy in Phx, AZ

Remember that when sewing to a bias edge, to always put the bias strip on the bottom to sew, so the "extra" is taken up automatically. Also, you can draw or baste (if you baste, sew from top to bottom, then stitch the border bottom to top, also helps) along the cut line, stich the border on, then trim to help tame bias edges.

This is the way I learned how to do it. Add Bonnie's method of "measuring" and I think we may have the perfect way to do borders.

I lay a border strip on the quilt center and lightly smooth it out and mark where it touches the edge. Then I cut the other border strip the same way. Sew them to the length and repeat for the top and bottom. When I sew them on I make sure they are smooth. No wavy borders, if you always measure the borders like this.

Staystitching helps, and when you have a lot of bias edges it usually helps if you cut your border lengthwise of the grain instead of crosswise