A border that waved, and how I measure now
Last summer’s bed quilt, 60 by 72 inches before borders, taught me the border lesson that everyone warns about and that I somehow needed to learn in person. I cut the two side borders by laying the strips along the edges of the top and cutting them to match. The edges of a pieced top are stretchy, so the strips came out about three quarters of an inch too long on each side. I sewed them on anyway, easing nothing, and the borders rippled like a flag.
I quilted it regardless, with a walking foot and straight lines a half inch apart in the border, hoping density would flatten the ripples. It helped, but not enough; you can still see a gentle wave along both long sides when the quilt lies on the bed, and the binding on those sides has a slight flare at the corners. The quilt is used every night and nobody else has noticed. I notice every time.
The method I use now is the one I should have used then. Lay the top flat and measure its length through the center and at two points roughly a quarter of the way in from each side. Average the three numbers, and cut both side borders to that average. For the last top those three measurements were 72 1/8, 71 3/4 and 72, so the borders were cut at 72 inches even though the edges themselves measured nearly 73. Then pin: match the ends, match the centers, match the quarter marks, and ease whatever is left between the pins. The stretchy edge goes against the feed dogs so the machine helps gather it.
A few supporting habits that made a difference:
- Starch the top lightly before measuring, so it holds a shape while the tape is on it.
- Sew borders with a 2.5 mm stitch and a walking foot even when the rest of the top was pieced with a standard foot.
- Press the border seam toward the border, then measure again before cutting the top and bottom strips.
The next quilt, a 48 inch square baby quilt with two borders, came out lying perfectly flat with the corners square. Fifteen minutes of measuring saved what was otherwise a permanent flaw in something I spent two months on.