How to Figure the Borders on a Quilt

Quilt borders provide the finishing touch to a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

A handmade quilt can be a treasured heirloom, a functional piece of bedding or a thoughtful gift. Designs can be simple or complex, traditional or modern. While the block layout and color scheme are important, borders complete the design. A border frames the quilt using complementary or contrasting fabrics and brings unity to the overall piece. There are many border styles to choose from, but beginner quilters may want to start with a straight border, which is the simplest to calculate and add to your quilt.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Measuring tape
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Acrylic ruler

Instructions

1. Calculate the width of your border, which should be in proportion to the overall size of the quilt. According to Better Homes and Gardens' "Complete Guide to Quilting," a small quilt should have a small border whereas a large bed quilt can handle a 12- to 14-inch border. To decide how wide to make your border, look at your finished block size. If your quilt center is 4 inches wide, try a 4-inch wide border. Add ½ inch for seam allowances.

2. Lay the assembled quilt top on a flat surface so that you can measure the length and width easily. When taking measurements, lay the measuring tape along the center lines to ensure accuracy. Do not measure along the edges, as these may have stretched during assembly.

3. Measure the unfinished quilt vertically (from top to bottom). This measurement is for the side borders of your quilt, so you will need two strips this length in your desired width. For example, if your quilt length measures 40 inches and you want a 4-inch border, you will need two pieces of fabric 40 inches long and 4½ inches wide.

4. Measure the quilt from side to side for the top and bottom borders. This includes the width of the quilt plus the width of the side borders. Add twice the width of the side border, then subtract 1 inch from the seam allowances. Continuing the example above: if the width of the quilt is 20 inches, you will need two pieces of fabric that are 4½-inches wide and 28 inches long (width of quilt + width of 2 borders - 1 inch).

5. Cut the four strips of border fabric using a rotary cutter and mat. Cut the strips on the lengthwise grain of fabric so it stretches less and provides more stability to the quilt. Use the acrylic ruler to hold the fabric in place while you cut. You can use scissors for this step, but a rotary cutter will give you a cleaner and more accurate edge.

6. Mark the center on each border strip. With right sides together, pin the side borders to the quilt top, matching centers. Sew in place with ¼-inch seam allowances. Repeat this step with top and bottom borders. Your quilt top is finished, leaving a ¼-inch seam allowance on all sides for attaching the binding.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you have mastered the straight border, you may want to consider more intricate designs, which include mitered corners, scalloped edges, pieced borders and multiple borders.

References

• "Complete Guide to Quilting"; Better Home and Garderns; 2002