LHQ - Borders

LEFT-HANDED QUILTING - Borders

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Note - these instructions are written in LEFTISH.  If you are right-handed - just reverse the directions.
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I want to show you all my JELLY BEANS Borders.  To the experienced quilters reading this - this post will either raise your eyebrows or have you saying - it's not just me!!

Either way - This is How I Do It.

First I have a confession to make - I DON'T MEASURE MY BORDERS! (Gasp!)

I cut the number of border strips that I need according to the pattern - but after that - there's not a tape measure in sight.  I use a ruler to cut - but not to measure.

After I cut the border strips - I have to decide which one goes where.  This is especially fun when I have fabric with a one-way design.  (You know - the ones you don't realize are one-way until you get them home and it's too late.)  I usually choose one motif and try to have it run "around" the quilt in a "circle" from the top left corner.  You can decide whichever way you want - it's your quilt!  Have fun with it!

Left -

Bottom -

Right - 

Top -

All four -

I do my side borders first.  I was going to show you using the white borders - but they didn't show up real well with all of the white in the blocks.  (You can barely see it here - the white strip going from top to bottom on the left side.)

So I will show you with the green outer borders instead.  These had been cut lengthwise and not pieced.

FOLD -
I fold my quilt top in half - side to side - right sides together - and lay it on my pressing surface - with the fold closest to me.

PAT - 
I take both strips that I previously cut for the side borders - lay them down on the quilt top - and "pat" them down - no stretching - just "patting" - and I leave a couple of inches hanging off each end.

PRESS - 
Then I gently press the strips - up and down - no stretching.

CUT - 
At one end - I slip a small cutting mat under the fabric and cut the border strip even with the quilt top - (and add the scrap to my scrap basket for later use).

At the other end - I slip the cutting mat under the fabric and cut the border 1" - 2" longer than the quilt top.  (Don't tell the Quilt Police!!)

Remove the border strips - temporarily -
Unfold the quilt top - to a single layer -
Put the side I'm working on - right side down - even it up - fold it back a little.

Take the border strip that I want for that side - right side up - and even it up - using the same line I used for the quilt top.

Fold the quilt top back down to match the border strip.

PIN -
Pin - starting at the right end.
At the left end - I should have 1" - 2" extra - I call if my "creep insurance" .  The Quilt Police are probably having a hissy fit right about now - but too bad - for me it's easier than coming up short by 1/8" - I can and will cut it off later.

SEW -
Sew your 1/4" seam - removing pins as you go.
Here's a shot of my pin box - and it's lid.

I take the lid part to my sewing machine - as I pull out the pin - I just put it in the lid.

PRESS -
Set the seam first - with steam.

TRIM -
Trim the end even with the quilt top - in a perfect world - the trim will be the extra 1" - 2".

My world is not perfect - this one "crept" a little.

PRESS -
Reach underneath and pull the border out.
Press the seam toward the border from the wrong side.

Turn the whole thing over and press from the right side.

Do the other side border and the top and bottom borders the same way.

When I'm done I fold my top in half and then in half again.  I use my cutting mat grid to measure it for the longarm quilter (she charges my by the square inch) - and double check that the corners are square.

They usually are.

In this next photo you can see that it's a little big for my design wall.  I have the top right corner taped to the side wall.  (The design wall is at an angle - the side wall is straight.)

Ta Dah!!

And - just so you know - the left border - the one I put on first - is on backwards!!  The motif goes the wrong direction!!   OH CRAP!!  So - now I'm pretending that it was an intentional design decision.  Works for me!!




Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -