Quilt Class 101 - Week 6 - Borders

It has been a very busy couple weeks in blog land.. Blogger's Quilt festival, Quilt Market highlights, Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, The "Middle of Quilt Class Giveaway"...with 1683 Comments and counting.. (Thank Heavens for numbered comments!! P.S. the link to number your comments HERE) The Giveaway will close shortly, so if you haven't entered, you can enter HERE.So, We're back to it!! Quilt Class 101 - Week 6.
How are you all doing?? How are your QC tops coming along? If your new to the class.. You can catch up on the previous weeks HERE.

Today's Class - Borders 

It really is a personal preference whether you decide to add a border to your Quilt or not. I personally LOVE borders on Quilts. It can add the finishing touch. It can nicely frame your Quilt Top.
However, I usually follow a RULE with Borders. If I design my Quilt with a centre block or blocks, then i add a border. Like in these Quilts...             

Sand Castles

Birds Of Paradise 

 Baby Quilt

Christmas Quilt

Star Jewels 

 Kaleidoscope

 Diamond Bouquet 

 Eden's Garden

 If my design is a horizontal design or vertical.. I Don't add a border. Like in these Quilts..

Rolling Meadows

 Hungry Caterpillar

 Sherbet Pips

So for this QC (Quilt Class) Quilt. The design is a horizontal design. A Zig Zag from left to right, I wont add a border.

But there are many times you do add borders.. So Let me share my experience and help you avoid the catastrophes. (Yes I'm speaking from experience!)

In my Quilt patterns and I'm sure in other Quilt patterns, when it comes time to add the border, I give specific measurements to cut your border to the required length. BUT, sometimes... were not following a pattern, and we decide to add a border..

 Here's How:

Lay your Quilt on a large surface.
Measure your quilt length in three places, write down the measurements.

Add these three measurements together

Divide the total measurement by three. This will give you the average measurement and this is the length.

Measure and Cut your strip to that length (Depending on the length of your quilt, you may need to join two strips together, end to end and then measure and cut)

Pin these border strips onto either side your Quilt centre. I place a pin at the top edge and then the bottom edge and in the centre.. I then work down the strip and evenly pin it on.

Sew these side borders on.

Next,

Repeat the above steps, this time measuring across the Quilt centre, including the border you just sewed on.

Measure, add, divide, measure, cut, pin, sew.

I do have a tendency to rush this last step of making a quilt. I usually piece the whole quilt top carefully and then when it comes time to add borders, i rush it and just cut a long strip and sew it on. I have learnt the hard way when one of my quilts was professionally quilted and puckered ALOT in the border.

What happens is, If you just cut a strip and sew it on. You unknowingly add length to your quilt as you sew. Even if its only 1/2" with the first border, if you have a couple... this just multiplies.. and can be inches in the end. Have you ever laid your Quilt on the floor, and noticed its all nice and flat in the centre.. but slightly wavy on the outer edges?? That's why. You need to add your borders, the same way to piece a quilt top. Carefully measure and cut to a specific size.

I love borders... They don't always have to be a solid piece of fabric.. Pieced borders can add such a striking element to the design.This is a quilt Kate, my BFF made. I love the border with the floating blocks.

I also spent some time looking through Flickr. I found these different design ideas for borders..

1. Mary 2. Red Pepper Quilts 3. All that Patchwork 4. 2 Little Banshees 5. Silveria Feltrin 6. Red Pepper Quilts

For the linky for this class...

You can either link up a tutorial on how you add your borders,

OR

 Link up a Quilt that you have made that has a border you like..

 It will be great to visit you and get some more ideas to border our Quilts...