Hi Marilyn,
I measure my borders by hanging them over the rail of my longarm but you can measure them by just placing the quilt on the floor, a long table, a banister on a landing and smoothing the section of the quilt that you want to measure. You don't need to have a floor space the size of a king sized quilt, just a length that is as long as the longest length of your quilt.
A coping strip. Lets say you have a quilt and the width of your quilt is 50 inches but you have pieced blocks to add as a border that measure 53 inches. There is no way you can fudge that 3 inches into the quilt. What you do is add a strip of fabric to the opposing sides of the quilt to bring the measurement up to the size of your pieced border. Here is a link to a blog that tells you how to do it. There is also a book (I think) called The Border Workbook which explains the whole process plus has some cool border treatments. The cover on the book is red and white.
http://www.patchworktimes.com/borders/making-a-pieced-border-fit/
This photo show where I added a black coping strip between the body of the quilt and the pieced border. In this quilt I added an outer black border as well to balance the coping strip. Also you will notice that the coping strip on the sides is a different width to the one on the length. I think it worked visually, it certainly did technically. I hope this has answered your question. This one is a difficult one to explain.
Kathy
Calgary, Alberta
"Friendship is like a rose...opening one petal at a time only as it unfolds...day by day does it reveal its true beauty"
Thanks for the explanation Kathy. I wish I'd known about this sooner.
Great Quilt Kathy D. Liked your explanation of a "Coping" strip.
Just to add my two bits to the cutting of strips. I too, cut from fold to salvage. I wash, press and fold my fabric the same as Judy I, does. I don't get the wave at the fold when I cut. When fabric is placed on the bolt with machines as it is now, it doesn't go on straight.
You also need to buy a little more than your pattern states, because by the time you straighten up the edge you will have lost an inch or so. And on some fabrics you will need to cut a new straight edge after a few strips have been cut. Don't know why that is, but it is!
A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars.
Patty Mc
Oregon & Arizona
I love your quilt. It is so bright and festive. Also excellent explanation of coping strips.
Vinton, Virginia
kathy, great explanation on coping strips. i didn't know what they were called, but i have to use them occasionally gini
gini in north idaho
That is a great explanation of coping strips. I've never heard of them or used them, but I'll keep them in mind. I think I have the book you mentioned, too - unless I gave it away! I love your quilt!
Gillette, WY
Kathy you would make a great teacher. I totally understood. So you made your border and to make it even you needed to add to the quilt. So it is sort of like an extra border but it can be different widths if it needs to be from top/bottom to sides. Your quilt is amazing and I would be hard pressed to see the difference in width as the eye travels to that fantastic border
Paris, Ontario
I am so glad you understood about coping strips. I hope that helps many of you when constructing your quilt tops.
Yes Marilyn - the coping strips are like an extra border and sometimes they have to be different sizes. The coping strip can also be a contrasting colour similar to putting a zinger before a wider border piece (as Sandy did on the MQ2)
Also Marilyn thank you for saying I would make a good teacher. However it is not something that interests me. I am way to A type to do that - as if you hadn't guessed that already. I would drive my students round the bend.
Kathy, you don't drive us "round the bend! LOL Thanks for another well-writtten explanation. I will definitely keep this in mind for pieced borders!
I've brought this thread up for Leslie.
Leslie: There are a ton of tips on this thread about cutting, and a coping strip. You probably will have to set the thread to bring up at least a year of posts.
One thing on cutting that I caught myself doing is:
When I cut and I always cut from the fold ( sorry Gini) I found that I was tilting the rotary cutter into the ruler and pushing the ruler off line with the blade of the cutter. I now remind myself to push straight down on the cutter. I find I get true strips that way. I was also taught to put the line of the ruler on the edge of the fabric. If I'm cutting a 2 1/2" strip I make sure that the 1/2" line is on the edge of the fabric, not off of the fabric. Hope this makes sense.
Oh yes thanks patty, I have always wondered where the ruler line should be on the edge or off, i also cut from the fold up.
[Ava, Missouri
Hi...........I have always cut the fabric from the right side. I know that's not the way to do it, but my pieces come out fine. Are there any others that cut this way, and what's an easy way to change the way I do it? Thanks.
judy, i cut from both sides, i think it all depends on what you are used to and handedness giini
I am self taught like alot of you. I am right handed so I have always cut from the right to the left. Not sure how to cut from the left.
Could someone explain that one? I do cut from fold to selvege and even doulble fold so that the strips are shorter to cut. This makes my lines straighter. If I only fold once my strips are wavy.
Cheri