Adding borders - tips

Back in 2000 I made my first quilt.  One that quilt I made the discover that you can't just add a long strip of fabric to the edge of the quilt to make your borders, sewing it on without measuring.  Those borders waves like a flag in the breeze!  That was one of my first lessons that sewing quilts was NOT the same as sewing garments.  

Over the years I've seen several different instructions on how to add borders in a way to avoid those rippling edges.  This is my favorite and you do not need a measuring tape or calculator.  I'll also show an easy way to add multiple borders using strip piecing.

Fold your quilt top in half, lining up the edges.  Fold in half again so that the bottom corners line up with the center fold on your quilt.  If you don't meet EXACTLY, you can give them a gentle tug.  Hopefully if your piecing is moderately accurate they will be pretty close.  If they are more than 3/4' off, consider making a few seams just a smidge larger to take up the difference.  Adding a border won't correct that much of a difference. 

Take your 1st border strip, laying it right side down along the edge of the quilt top.  Cut to the width of the top - you can just fold it back at the edge and use your scissors.  

Cut two strips this way.  While it's laying on the top, you can easily pin the 1st edge.  Pin starting at each end, then in the middle, then fill in pins about 4 or 5 inches apart.  Push them in far enough that they don't get pulled out while you move the quilt around.  Then flip the edge back and pin the other with the second strip - no need to unfold the entire quilt.  Take the pinned quilt to the machine and attach the first border along both edges.  Press this border.  I like to "set" the seam first before pressing open. I think it opens better, presses flatter if you iron the edge flat first.

Once these first borders are pressed, fold the quilt the opposite direction in the same manner - in half and then in over again so that the edges align with the folded center of the quilt.  At this point I take the next strip and get a rough idea how long I need for two strips by measuring against the edge of the quilt.  Then I take that strip along with the wider border to the machine and sew them together.  That way when I attach them to the quilt, I've effectively attached the second border at the same time.

Once the two borders are sewn together, I again measure them against the edge of the quilt, fold & cut with my scissors.  

Press the strip set open & pin to the edge of the quilt on the first edge. 

 Fold this edge back to expose the other side & pin that one as well.  No need to unfold the quilt.  

Attach strip set to each quilt edge.  Press open.  At this point you'll have two borders on opposite sides and one on the other.

Refold the quilt in the opposite direction.  As previously, match the edges, then fold again, matching the edges to the center fold.  If needed you can gently tug to get the edges even and flat.  Now attach the final wide border.

You can alternate attaching two borders multiple times, until the last single border.  I find it easier to sew the two strips together and then attach to the quilt rather than dragging the quilt to the machine for each border.  But you need to attach the first and last border singly so that the corners overlap correctly.