Piecing borders
#14
I've never joined borders on the diagonal unless it was for a mitered corner. Sometimes I work hard to match a pattern so the seam is "seamless" but it's still a straight joint. Binding is always 45 degree angles.
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,148
I usually sew my seams straight because I like wide outer borders- 8-10" and sewing on the diaginal uses lots of fabric. I usually sew my thinner inner borders on the diaginal. I think that either way is not noticible after the top is quilted.
#17
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
Usually when I was making queen size quilts, I would buy 2.5 yards and rip my border and binding the cut length of the quilt. But for shorter ones, I also just tried to match up fabric print the best I could doing straight seams.
#18
I hope this shows up. I have a friend from S. Africa who was visiting me when a box of fabric came in. She loved it so much that when she married a little later I made her this quilt. This is Bonnie Hunters Scrappy Trips around the world - not so scrappy. I designed this in my head and when it came time to finish the border I had just pieces left - oh no, what to do. I did have a yd piece of stripey border so I fussy cut certain sections out and attached it to my leftover border and by golly it turned out great. Sometimes design decisions just happen and this is one of them.
#19
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4,688
I, too, try to buy enough fabric and tear the borders so I don't have to piece. However, it that does not work, it depends on how much fabric I have and the pattern of the fabric. Stripes, I always piece straight. Solids and prints I try to piece on the diagonal. I generally press my seams open to reduce bulk. If I do scrappy binding, I generally piece straight.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: NH
Posts: 645
For me, it really depends on how wide the border is and what the fabric is. If the border is narrower than 3 inches or so, I will do the diagonal join. But on a wider border, or a plain or tone-on-tone, I prefer the straight join. That seam can get pretty long on wide borders or obvious in plainer fabrics. JMHO.
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