Your friend's method is almost certain to produce wavy borders, which are a PITA to quilt without getting tucks or pleats, at least on a frame quilting system.

I have two ways of cutting borders.

The first is measure each dimension of the quilt in three places (each edge and the center) and average them, cut the borders to that length, quarter-mark the top and the border and MAKE it fit.

My other, used with sampler style quilts (12" blocks, 2" sashing, for example) is to add up what the quilt is supposed to measure and cut the border to that measurement, and again quarter mark both and MAKE it fit.

It's fabric, and unless you're wildly off on seam allowances, it should work.

I wouldn't use her method on a bet, LOL. But I admit to being fussy. I am fussy, and I prefer things flat and square - even on purely functional quilts. It doesn't take that much more time. I'd much rather deal with a bit of fullness in the blocks than wavy borders.

I can't do slipshod - my OCD comes out! LOL

I just sew fabric on and cut off the extra on the ends. Measure, measure?? What's that.

My method is similar to toolgranny's. Sew it on. Trim it off. But I square up the finished quilt before I put the borders on.

I lean toward fussy too, Mary. It makes things a bit frustrating sometimes .... Guild members are asked to donate a specific block pattern each month & it is amazing the number of blocks that don't measure 12.5", or are poorly sewn, seams every which way, not pressed, seam allowance used as part of the fabric,,, on & on...

My tongue is close to bleeding sometimes, but I have learned..... patience! LOL

Thanks for your response, Mary & I can see your point about the wavy borders.

I'm not fussy and do it that way too. I square everything up as best I can.

I would love to know how to make my own bias tape for binding though. I always buy it from Wal-mart and it has got so expensive! I get the widest I can find.

Deb

Bee,

My tongue bleeds often, LOL. Patience is a lovely virtue, and needs to be in our lives. I still find it a trial, LOL.

When I make a quilt from donated blocks - I FORCE them into submission! It makes my quilting experience much more enjoyable.

And, honest to goodness, I can't fathom that people do not measure the quarter seam allowance, and sew them all the same! It's not exactly rocket science. A quarter inch is a quarter inch - it's not 3/8" or 1/8".

This is for debn - I never buy bias tape debn and I do a lot of stained glass type quilting which uses miles of bias tape. I use a little gadget made by Clover called (you guessed it) a bias tape maker. They are used to make tape from 6mm (1/4 in) to 50 mm (2 in)wide and cost about $7 or $8. They are very easy to use. You merely cut a strip of fabric (a little less than double the width) and feed it through the gadget ironing as you go. You can also apply double-sided "sticky tape" at the same time for use in stained glass type use. For some simple projects I have used home-made bias as binding. The great thing is you are not at all limited to color.

I hope this has helped?

goldie

Here is a link that might be useful: Clover Bias Tape Maker

After having a very nice wavy border, I now measure and mark like mary does. And as an instructor said at a quilting class I took: "I 'make' it fit!"

SharonG/FL

I also measure as Mary does and make it fit.

I used to do it the easy way but after seeing the wavy borders on my wall, have started doing it the right way. It is more work, but worth it. Actually measuring, cutting and sewing borders on is the thing I like least about quilting.

Debn:

I make my own bias binding also, but I use the "magic square" formula to know how much and how to make it. If you'd like to know how, please let me know and I will be happy to provide you with the information that I have. It's actually quite simple to do, and I don't need a bias tape maker although I must admit that I was tempted to buy one at first. But I am not limited to the width of the little gizmo with my method.

As for measuring for the borders, I generally measure across the middle of the width and the length. That should be the measurement of my horizontal or vertical borders. But I also cut mine extra long so that I can miter the corners (which is what I prefer) and the borders need to be long enough to accommodate the borders that are perpendicular to the one I measured. It's complicated to explain, but I don't think I'd use beeohio's Red Cross friend's technique.

Odessa

Odessa - please share your "magic square" formula & techinique.
Thanks!

Oh yes Odessa I would love your formula! How kind of you to offer to show/tell me how to do it! I remember Mama making her bias tape cutting fabric then pinning it together and then cutting it in a circle...I think that is how I remember. Not a circle exactly but I remember her going around and around. Sounds dumb but that is what I seem to remember.

My email is:

d.nicewonder@mchsi.com

Thank you soooooo much!

Deb

Deb: Perhaps this will turn out to be the same as Odessa's magic square, and I have not tried it yet, but the endless tape method intrigues me!

Here's another site for it:
http://www.fiber-images.com/Free_Things/How_Tos/free_how_to_make_bias_tape.html

Reading both may make the process easier.

Of course, the binding of a quilt doesn't necessarily have to be bias cut, which is probably why I have gotten along so long without trying this new technique.

Here is a link that might be useful: Continuous bias

I user Bonnie Hunter's No Measuring Tape method:
Quiltville Bonnie Hunter's Border Tips, including mitered borders (opens in new window) That wavy-edged quilt in the photo is a doozy.

Basically, you prepare the border strip, lay the quilt on the floor and smooth it out, then lay the border strip down the CENTER of the quilt and cut it the same length as the center of the quilt. I spend the time to quarter or eighth pin-divide the border strip and the edge of the quilt, then I pin and ease and tweak if needed. This has worked well for me, and I don't have to measure anything.

Why use only the center measurement? (It would have taken me dozens of wavy-bordered quilts to think of these reasons.)
Bonnie Hunter says:

"Some people take several measurements across the quilt and average that measurement for borders. (hear me gasping in fright here!) I *NEVER* "average" when measuring for borders because they can still flare, and where they are going to flare the worst is at the center of the quilt sides...That's why the CENTER measurement is the one to go for. If the 'averaged' measurement is longer than the quilt CENTER measurement, you are GOING to have a flared border. If the 'averaged' measurement is smaller than quilt center measurement, you are going to have borders that are too tight for your quilt center, and the center of your quilt is going to balloon out. Just use the center measurement and your quilt will lie flat!"

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: Another link to Quiltville Border Hints page

I lay my quilt on the floor. Lay my border down the
middle and cut off. Quarter it and put a pin in. Do the
same with the quilt edge. Match up the pins and make
it fit.
Mayme