Determining Border Lengths

To measure for straight, plain borders:

1. Lay the pieced quilt top on a flat surface.

2. Measure the quilt top through the center from top to bottom. Side borders will be cut to this length and sewn to opposite sides of quilt top before adding top and bottom borders.

3. Measure the quilt top through the center from side to side. Add twice the finished width of the side borders plus 1/2" for seams to this measurement to determine the length to cut the top and bottom borders.
Determining Border Lengths
4. Borders can be cut along the lengthwise grain or crosswise grain of the fabric. A lengthwise cut will give you borders with no seams cut the total length needed. A crosswise cut requires that you cut the fabric width into strips to total the length of the border and then stitch them together to make the total length needed.

Note: If making mitered borders, add at least twice the border width to border lengths.