Bake Shop Basics: Quilt Borders

by Anjeanette Klinder

Today our Bake Shop Basics series continues with Chef Anjeanette sharing the proper way to make and attach quilt borders.

Hi Moda Bake Shop! It is Anjeanette from by Anjeanette. I’m going to share one of my favorite parts of making a quilt today.

Do you ever finish your quilt and wonder why your sides are wavy and won’t lay flat? You may not have put your borders on correctly.

Once your quilt top is all pieced and you are ready to add borders, it is tempting to just slap a long length of fabric on the sides, cut off any excess and think you are good to go. You have spent a good amount of time making your quilt top, it is a good idea to take this extra step to finish it correctly. Who wants a wavy quilt?
When you are ready to add your borders, lay the quilt on a flat surface. Measure through the center, from the top to the bottom. Cut two side borders to this measurement length.

Taking one border strip at a time, fold lengthwise in half and then again into fourths. Place a pin at the fold points. You will end up with three pins in the border. Fold your quilt in half and then fourths, and pin the fold points. With right sides together, pin the ends of the border to the ends of the quilt. Match the center pins from the border and quilt and pin together. Match the quarter marks from the border and quilt and pin together. I then fill in between the pins with at least one more pin for each fourth. 

There often is a little bit of excess fullness or fabric on either the border side or the quilt top. Whichever side seems more full, place towards the feed dogs when sewing. The feed dogs will help ease any fullness out.

You may need to gently hold the fabric taught in front of the presser foot as you sew to help ease any fullness out.

If it seems like there isn’t any fullness or excess fabric on either the border, or the quilt top, place the quilt top towards the feed dogs when sewing.

After both side borders are sewn on, press the seam allowance away from the quilt top, or towards the border.
Now repeat the whole process for the top and bottom borders.
Lay the quilt on a flat surface. Measure through the center of the quilt, from one side to the other side. Cut two borders to this measurement. Pin the quarter marks on the borders and quilt. Pin the borders to the quilt matching pins. Pin the ends of the border and the quilt together. Etc.
A few tips:
  • Using a walking foot for these long seams is helpful.
  • It is okay if you have to piece or sew two strips together to make the total length measurement.  Just make sure you are cutting your border to the correct measurement before sewing on.


A perfectly flat quilt with borders.

Anjeanette Klinder

Blogger at anjeanettek.com
When I was a little girl, my Grandma would sew us all matching 70′s awful, brown outfits. She learned to sew and make pretty things from her mother. In the summers, I went with my sister to sewing camp. I took sewing and clothing design classes all through to high school. My mom, sisters, Grandma and I would all sit around large frames and tie off quilts.I have been dreaming in fabric for years.

Latest posts by Anjeanette Klinder (see all)