How to Measure and Sew Straight Borders on Your Quilt

Determine Top & Bottom Border Length

1. Measure the quilt from side-to-side through its horizontal midpoint, including the width of the side borders. Cut or piece two borders that length.

2. Fold a border in half crosswise and crease. Pin the midpoint of the border to the vertical midpoint at the top of the quilt, right sides together and raw edges matched.

3. Continue matching and pinning the border to the quilt just as you did side borders, working with ends first then matching and pinning the remaining length.

4. Sew the border to the quilt with a 1/4" seam allowance. Press the seam allowance towards the border.

5. Repeat to sew the bottom border to the quilt.

6. Repeat all steps if you want to add another border around the first.

Straight Border Alternatives

• It's fine to sew the top and bottom borders to the quilt before you add the side borders, just flip-flop the instructions, measuring through the quilt's horizontal midpoint first.

• Some quilters like to piece border strips together like they do binding strips, with seams that move diagonally across the border instead of the side-by-side orientation produced when strips are sewn together at their ends.