No.8 - ADDING BORDERS
To add a straight
border to a block
Instructions
relevant to sewing borders on a Quilt, rather than
the block ilustrated below, are written inside boxes
in this colour. |
First carefully press the
pieced top and measure down through the centre, never measure
the outside edge as this never gives the same measurement
as the centre.
| For
very large quilts it is a good idea to take two measurements
at one third and two thirds down the quilt, average
these two measurements and use that. Write your measurement
down on a piece of paper. |
Measure through centre of
block |
Decide on the width of your
border + 1/4" seam allowance i.e. for a 3" finished
border cut 3 ½" (keep the size in balance with
the units within the block).
| I
usually cut my borders from the width of my fabric
and for a quilt anything over 40"/42" long
would need more than one strip i.e. a quilt measuring
60" x 80" would need 8 strips for the borders
(thats 2 strips per side). If you need to piece strips
together for your borders sew together before cutting
to length size. Remember to cut off selvage edges. |
|
Your can sew the strips together with a straight seam
but some quilters prefer to sew the seam at an angle: |
 |
 |
Cut the side borders to
exactly the correct length.
| For
a quilt cut the side borders to exactly the correct
length keeping the border seam in the centre (if you
need to piece 3 border widths for a long measurement
then you will have 2 border seams - place these equidistant
to the edges). |
Put a marker pin in centre
of the block top and match to the centre of the cut border
strip, match ends and ease the block to fit the border strip
as necessary. Sew the side border in place and press the
seam towards the border.
| 
Cut two side borders exactly to length
measurement |
| 
Add borders matching
centres and edges |
Measure across block and side borders.
Cut top and bottom borders exactly to size, attach
matching centres and edges
|
Cut top and bottom borders
to the new measurement exactly, pin matching centres and
edges, sew in place. Press seam toward borders.
| 
Front view |
Back view |
Note seams pressed towards border,
for closer look click on the Image above. |
For
putting a plain border on a quilt the procedure is
exactly the same as described above although you need
to put the quilt on the floor to measure accurately.
I always put the side borders on first then the top
and bottom. |
For examples of straight borders
see:
Straight borders
with corner squares
Measure block through the
centres both vertically and horizontally. (On this Bears
Paw block I have actually already added a straight border
all round to give the impression of the pattern "floating"
on the background fabric) Below pictures of the front and
back of the block BEFORE adding a final
border with corner squares.
| 
Front view |
Back view |
Measure down and across the block.
Cut 4 borders this length by the desired width.
Cut 4 corner squares. |
Cut the border strips exactly
to the measurement for the 4 sides. Cut 4 corner squares
using the same width measurement as the borders i.e. for
2" finished borders you would cut 2 x length x 2 ½"
and 2 x width x 2 ½" - the 4 corner squares
to fit these borders would be 4 of 2 ½" x 2
½" squares.
Matching centres and edges sew side
edges into place. Press seams to border. |
Sew a corner square to each end of
the remaining 2 borders |
Matching centres and seams
of squares to side borders pin and sew into place. Press
seam of border towards the border and butt seams of squares
the opposite way.
Sew top and bottom
borders on matching centres and corner squares. |
Back view |
Note border seams pressed towards
border, for closer look click on the Image above. |
For examples
of borders + corner squares see:-
Happy sewing.
© Templates 2005 …
Note: these instructions are copyrighted.
It is illegal to copy them, distribute or sell them without
permission.
