- 1). Plan the quilt top. Use one fabric panel as the center of the quilt and place borders around this panel. Draw a diagram of your quilt top. Determine the width of your borders. Generally, inner borders are narrower than outer borders. For example, your quilt top may have a 3-inch-wide inner border and a 10-inch-wide outer border. Fill in the measurements of your borders on your diagram.
- 2). Iron your fabric to make sure it is smooth and free of wrinkles.
- 3). Cut the fabric for your borders, adding 1/2 inch to every fabric piece for seam allowances. If your quilt is longer or wider than your fabric, you will have to sew two fabric pieces together to make the border pieces. Use the quilting ruler and cutting mat to measure the widths carefully and cut long strips of the fabrics. For example, to cut pieces of fabric to make a 3-inch-wide border, cut 3 1/2-inch strips of fabric (you will likely need at least six strips of fabric).
- 4). Organize your cut fabric strips into groups according to what they are. Place first border strips together, place second border strips together and place outer border strips together.
- 5). Add the first border. Measure the top edge of the fabric panel and cut two strips of the first border fabric to this measurement. Place one strip along the top of the fabric panel, with right sides facing, and pin the strip in place. Sew the strip to the top of the fabric panel using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Remove the pins and press the seam toward the fabric panel. Repeat this with another fabric strip along the bottom of the fabric panel. Measure the side edges of the fabric panel (including the top and bottom border just sewn to the panel) and cut two more first border fabric strips to this length. Place one border strip along the left edge of the fabric panel with right sides facing each other. Match up the edges and pin this in place. Sew the border piece to the fabric panel using the same seam allowance. Remove the pins and press the seam toward the fabric panel. Repeat with the right edge of the fabric panel and the last border strip of fabric.
- 6). Add the second border in the same fashion. Always measure the width of border first, sew on the top and bottom borders, measure the side edges and then sew on the left and right borders. Always press the seams toward the center of the quilt top.
- 7). Sew any other borders to the quilt top using the same technique until the entire quilt top is finished. Press the quilt top well.
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