The Golden Ratio The ratio, in its simplest form, is 1.6 to 1. This is applied so that each border should be 1.6 times larger than the previous one. One border is 2”, the next is 3.25″ (rounding number to the nearest 1⁄4” makes cutting nicer).
Finding the perfect width for your quilt's borders and sashing is easy if you use the Golden Mean. If you aren't familiar with this term, it refers to a sweet spot in the middle, between 2 extremes. It divides a space so that one side is a bit larger than the other in a way that is harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Border Basics
Borders should be in proportion to the size of the finished quilt. As a general rule of thumb, a small wall hanging should have a border of less than 6" while a king-size quilt can handle a 12" to 14" border. Borders that are too wide diminish the quilt center design.
Generally, the side borders are added first. Measure the length on each side, and also measure the center of the quilt.
The width you choose for your sashing strips will determine the size that you'll cut your setting squares. For example, if your quilt blocks are 12 inches square when finished, a common sashing with would be 3 inches (a number that easily goes into 12 and is proportional to the size of the block).
The Log Cabin block is one of the most well-known and popular of all patchwork patterns. To pioneers traveling West, it symbolized home, warmth, love and security.
Quilts are squared in order to prepare for binding or borders to be added. A squared quilt will lay more flat on your bed. Squaring a quilt will remove the extra batting and backing extending past the quilt top. It also prepares the quilt for the binding to be added.
Cut borders from the lengthwise grain if at all possible. Cutting from the length of the fabric means you do not have to piece the border. The lengthwise grain is more stable so the border will have less stretch than borders cut on crosswise grain.
Fabric Cutting
Decide the width of binding. The standard choice is 2 1/4″ or 2 1/2″ depending on how wide you want your finished binding to look. They are both attached in the same way. Consider the thickness or loft of your quilt as this will affect the finished look of the binding.
Quilters call the process of assembling the three layers (quilt top, batting, and backing) as making a quilt "sandwich." It is best to assemble the layers on a large, flat surface where the entire quilt can be spread out.
One of the things quilt show judges look for is binding filled to the quilt edge. That means the binding feels “stuffed” and not flat. Corners should be 90-degree angles and stitched shut with small, invisible stitches. The thread should match the binding.
Usually, if you're doing it the “right” way, you'll have at least 4” of batting and backing fabric extending beyond the top. Once your quilt sandwich is completely quilted, you'll want to square up your quilt top to square up the project but also to get rid of the excess batting and quilt backing before binding.
No matter how many layers of wool or poly batting you layer it won't matter. The trick is to always use 1 layer of a flat thick weave batting like Soft & toasty, bamboo, or even 80/20. Then you put a layer of a “poofy” batting (low loft or medium) on top of that.
In the beginning, the hardest part for me was getting my fabric cut properly so that it wouldn't go all wonky on me while sewing. I have learned over the years to take my time while cutting so that I can avoid having uneven pieces. It takes practice. Lots and lots of practice to perfect the skill of cutting.
The most expensive quilt ever sold at auction went for $264,000 in 1991. “Reconciliation Quilt” is a Civil War-era quilt now at the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska.
One of the easiest quilts for a beginner to make is a simple patchwork quilt. A square patchwork quilt is made from fabric squares that are sewn together in a simple grid pattern. You can cut squares from your own fabrics, or start with a precut fabric bundle called a “charm pack” or “layer cake”.
Fabric is usually folded right sides together for cutting. The only time it is cut right side out is if it has a design that must be taken into account and that does not show through to the wrong side.
“Cross-cut” means fabric that has been cut horizontally, from selvage to selvage. Fabric cut in this direction has a small amount of stretch and give, and is cut along a single thread of the cross-grain.