Adding a Border to a Quilt

A border adds a frame to a handmade quilt.

A border or a series of borders can be added to a quilt for interest or to make it larger. The fabrics in the patchwork quilt blocks can be used as border prints. The border requires long attached strips of fabric, which may need to be pieced together for the desired length. Border strips are usually 4 inches wide, and each side of the quilt receives a border strip.

Things You'll Need

• Quilt top
• Tape measure
• Border fabric
• Iron
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Rotary cutter
• Transparent ruler
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Measure one side edge of the quilt and double it. Measure one width edge of the quilt, double it and add 8 inches. Use these measurements to determine the border fabric yardage. Iron the fabric to remove all wrinkles.

2. Fold the border fabric in half widthwise and in half again. Position a folded selvage edge, which is a finished edge that will not ravel, of the border fabric on the cutting mat next to the first vertical marked line on the mat. Hold the ruler on the fabric to guide the rotary cutter and cut off the selvage.

3. Position the ruler 4 1/2 inches to the right of the first cut for a 4-inch quilt border, matching the vertical markings. Cut through the fabric to make the quilt top length-edge border strip. Repeat for the other quilt edge border strip. Piece together strips with a 1/4-inch straight seam for the quilt side measurement with the sewing machine.

4. Sew the left side border strip to the quilt, right sides of the fabric together, with a 1/4-inch straight seam. Sew the right side border strip to the quilt.

5. Measure the width of the quilt with the side strips attached. Cut two 4 1/2-inch wide border strips with the rotary cutter on the cutting mat. Sew the top and bottom border strips to the quilt with a 1/4-inch straight seam.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a mitered corner on the quilt border, add 4 1/2 inches to the side border strips. Sew all the strips to the corner edge of the quilt top only. Fold and press the border strips into a 90-degree angle and trim them with a scissors, allowing for a 1/4-inch seam. Pin and sew the strip edges together.

References

• “Quilting for the First Time”; Donna Kooler; 2004
• “200 Quilt Blocks”; Davina Thomas; 2005