Quilt borders are the perfect finishing touch to frame your quilt top—but getting them just right can be tricky! In this short video, I share the story of how I finally figured out the best way to add borders (spoiler: it even helped square up my quilt top!). Watch the video, then follow along with the step-by-step photos below to try it for yourself.
Now that you’ve heard my story, let’s dive into the step-by-step process to get those quilt borders looking just right—every time!
Oh, and here’s a photo of my king-size quilt with the six borders I mentioned in the video. Of course, Maggie Moo, our Basset Hound, couldn’t resist sneaking into the shot—she never misses a photo op when there’s a quilt involved! 🐶📸💕
One quick thing before we dive in—no judgment, okay? 😂 This quilt top is a little wonky, but hey, that just makes it a great learning experience.
Step 1 - Measure your quilt top properly.
I like to add my side borders first, so I need to take three measurements to make sure they fit just right. Here’s how:
1️⃣ Measure from top to bottom on the right side, the middle, and the left side of your quilt.
2️⃣ When measuring, come in from the edge about ½ to 1 inch to avoid any stretching or uneven edges.
Once you have all three measurements, add them together and divide by three—this gives you the perfect length for your side borders!
Here’s an example from my quilt:
📏 My three measurements were 44 5/8", 45 1/2", and 44 3/8". To simplify the math, I adjusted slightly and used 44 1/2", 45 1/2", and 44 1/2".
📏 Adding them together: 44.5 + 45.5 + 44.5 = 134.5
📏 Divide by 3: 134.5 ÷ 3 = 44 7/8"
So, my side borders should be cut at 44 7/8" to keep my quilt nice and square!
Step 2: Pin Your Quilt Borders to the Sides and Sew
Now that your borders are cut, it’s time to pin them to your quilt top before sewing. This extra step may seem small, but trust me—it makes a big difference in keeping everything even and smooth!
First, Mark Your Borders & Quilt Top
1️⃣ Find the center and quarter marks on your border
Fold your border in half and give it a gentle finger crease to mark the center.
Fold it in half again and crease to create quarter marks.
Open it up and mark the crease points with a Frixion pen, chalk, or a light pencil.
2️⃣ Repeat the same process for your quilt top
Fold in half, crease, then fold again to find the quarter marks.
Mark those points just like you did with the border.
As you can see in the photo, when I lined up my border and quilt top markings, my border ended up being slightly longer than my quilt top. This can be a bit trickier to handle than the opposite issue, but here’s what worked for me:
I lightly spritzed the edge of the quilt top before pinning, which helped relax the fabric. Then, as I pinned from the center outward, I gently moved (I hate to use the word stretched 😲) the quilt top fabric while making sure the edges lined up perfectly. When sewing, I placed the quilt top against the feed dogs (not the border) to prevent the border from getting eased in.
This little trick made all the difference in keeping everything smooth and even! 😊✨
Now, Let’s Pin!
Skipping the pinning step might seem like a time-saver, but it often leads to uneven, wavy borders—so let’s do it right!
📍 Start by pinning at the center (match your quilt top’s center mark with your border’s center mark).
📍 Next, pin at your quarter marks on both sides.
📍 Then, fill in with more pins between those marks, ensuring the edges stay lined up.
Taking the time to pin properly means your borders will be smooth, even, and professional-looking.
Step 3: Sewing Your Borders
Sew you side borders on and press.
If your quilt top is slightly bigger than the border strip, gently ease in the fullness as you sew—this prevents puckering.
If your border strip is slightly longer, lightly stretch the quilt top while sewing or pinning to help match the lengths.
Once you've sewn the side borders on, press and repeat this process for the top and bottom borders.
Now, it’s time for the top and bottom borders! Measure across the top, middle, and bottom of your quilt just like you did for the sides. Then, follow the same folding, marking, pinning, and sewing steps to keep everything even. Take your time, and soon you’ll have a beautifully squared-up quilt top! 😊✨
As you can see in the photo, adding all the borders made a big difference! It’s not completely perfect—about ½" off—but that’s where my longarm quilting skills come in. ✨ I can’t wait to pick the perfect panto and thread to bring this soon to be stunning Zen Cabin quilt to life for my dear friend!🧵
Wrapping It Up
Adding quilt borders the right way can make all the difference in how your quilt lays and looks.
I hope this guide (and my little border story) helps you feel more confident the next time you add borders to your quilt top.
Now, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever struggled with wavy or wonky borders? Do you have a favorite trick for getting them just right? Drop a comment below and let’s chat!
Piece be with you, Lisa
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