Quilting bordes? Order and turning?

[Hockeyrabbit]

Hi-

I was just wondering how ya'll quilt the borders? Do you start by quilting the one at the top, and then continue quilting the border as you go down the quilt, or do you TURN the quilt after finishing the top and bottom border, and then do the other sides??

JC

[Judy Bland]

The short answer for me is, I Never turn a quilt, tried it once and didn't like it!!

Depending on the style of border quilting, I pin baste or long stitch baste as the centre of the quilt progresses and do the border continuously once the centre is done, eg rolling feathers etc.

If I'm cross-hatching or piano keys or something that can be managed in sections, I do the border as I do the centre.

It means some stops and starts and maybe a bit more time but less of a pain than turning, imho.

Hope that helps.

[cmoore1223]

After watching Mindy Wylie's video, I've started quilting the borders first then the center.

I first stabilize everything, then do the borders and last the center. I may or may not turn the quilt depending on the design.

[LibbyG]

I work from the top down. But will wait and do inner borders all in one pass when I've finished the quilt top.

[Snowflake]

Dawn says if you are going to turn it, you always go clockwise. if you've done the "center" already, you should work from the center to the outside edge, to prevent puckers.

[lnieland]

So far I haven't had to turn a quilt to do the borders - whew! I generally do the top border, then do as much of the sides as are visible and reachable. Then I do the center and then advance the quilt and repeat. Most of the time I'm doing piano keys or crosshatching, so this method works well. If I were doing something that required more continuity in the stitching, I think I'd SID along the border to stabilize the quilt, pin or baste the edges, then do my stitching in the center, then go back and do the borders, advancing the quilt as needed. That sounds like a lot of work - I think I'll avoid those kinds of borders!

[DoryJM]

I've turned a few times. Its a pain, but its the only way to quilt swags. I've also found out, just today in fact, that I can't use Deloa's Rope a Dope in anything but a horizontal position. So...I turn.

If I'm not turning, I quilt the borders as I go down the quilt. The borders and then across the middle and then the other border. Or sometimes, both borders and then the center. No rhyme or reason...just me.

[Quilting Heidi]

It really depends on the quilt and the design. Piano keys or other borders that can be done easily in sections I do as I go. If it is a detailed scrolling border then I would turn. Usually I can figure out a way to do them as I go but sometimes it just has to be turned and it actually quilts quicker for me doing the entire border.

[fineseams]

I'm still learning, and so didn't think about possible problems with a small quilt I did recently. I did the top border - a scrolly/flowy freehand pattern. It looked great. I did the center, stabilizing the border, did the bottom border and then rolled back and did one side border, then the other, rolling as I moved down. It worked, but I must say that it was difficult to get the same smooth flowing movement on the side borders working from top to bottom rather than left to right. I have never turned a quilt, but after this experience I think next time I do such a border I will turn.

[Anette D.]

DeLoa has a book on borders (Border Patrol) and she talks about doing the borders as you do the center of the quilt, thus not having to take the time to turn the quilt. The book is on her website.

[newellyn]

I only turn if absolutely necessary cuz it's a real PITA. Leader grips or red snappers make turning much easier though.

[Butterfly]

I have only turned the quilt 2 times in my almost 3 year career. Both times it was because I was doing those backtracking feathers on solid fabric, and I do a better job on those when I go across horizontally.

Jess

[Quilting Grammy]

I will have to agree with most everyone it just depends on the design if I turn it or not. Although I do like doing borders in one long pass.

[dlnewell]

I turn quilts sometimes, depending on the border design. Certain templates work much better if you can travel the length of the frame and are less time consuming than advancing back and forth. I've even just pinned a quilt to the take up roller and draped it across the front backing roller and used the plastic roller clamps, that way I have to pin only one side instead of both ( works only when backing is extra long).