Now it's time to make the horizontal pieces. You'll need to cut three 40½" long x 2½" wide strips. Sew each strip between the rows.



Our quilt should now measure 40½" x 54½". Trim to size if necessary.

Now it's time to think about the next stage which is a border. You can add one, two, or three borders and each can be a different size. Once again, it depends on your taste and how big you want the finished quilt to be. For this quilt, I would add two borders so the quilt looks balanced with the sashing.

In a perfect world, we would cut each side border to measure 58½"" x 2½"" and the top and bottom to measure 40½" x 2½". In the real world however, the edges of your quilt will not be perfect. When measuring for the borders, measure the center of the quilt both horizontally and vertically. REMEMBER...MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE!! Make each strip a little larger than the top of the quilt. You can always cut off the excess.

To sew the borders, fold your first strip in half and mark with a pin. Then, fold again into quarters and mark those places also. Do the same with your quilt top. Match up the pins and you should be able to sew your borders on without stretching or puckering your seams. You could make the first border with the same fabric you used to make the sashing, then add another border in a different color. Sew the second border the same way you did the first. Don't forget to measure before you cut so you know how long to make the second border. Press your seams carefully so that there are no lumps or curves.

Our next step is to layer the quilt. Choose a backing material that is a good quality fabric. It can be solid, patterned, or a simple muslin. You may need to buy double the amount of material of your finished quilt, cut it in half, and sew together to make the back. The back should be about 4" larger on all sides than the top of the quilt. Don't forget to pre-wash the fabric.

Batting - there are many different kinds. It would be best to look through some quilting books or go on-line to find out about different blends. If you are in doubt...just buy 100% cotton. The batting should also be about 4" larger on all sides than the quilt top, so make sure you know how big you quilt is before you buy. When you get the batting home, take it our of the package, lay it out flat, and let it relax overnight. It will get the wrinkles out. If your in a hurry, put it in a warm dryer for 2-3 minutes at a time. It shouldn't take any more than about 8 minutes to get the wrinkles out.

Now it's time to sandwich the quilt together. First, lay your backing right side down on a flat surface. The back will need to be taut, but not stretched in order to get rid of wrinkles. This can be done in a number a ways. On a bare floor or table top, use a piece of masking tape around the edges every 6-8". On a carpet, use big straight pins to hold the edges in place. Just make sure you don't over stretch the fabric.

Next, lay your batting on top of the backing and smooth into place. Don't stretch it...we don't want to create thin spots. Finally, lay your quilt top on top of the batting right side up and smooth into place. Make sure you have about 4" around the entire quilt.

The final process before we quilt is the basting, which is how we hold the 3 layers together while we quilt it.

There are several ways to baste:

• basting spray - expensive, smells, (it should be done outdoors), can be quite sticky on fingers, and leaves an overspray. There are several brands available. A lot of quilters do use this method. Just be careful and follow the directions.
• safety pins - use the quilter's pins that are available. Some are larger than others. You will need to pin about every 4", so you need a lot of pins.
• tacking - this is a special basting gun which puts small tacks like the ones from garment tags into your quilt to hold it together. It's simple to use and the holes will disappear if you rub your nail over it. I used to tack from the front to the back but I found that the layers shifted as I quilted. It's best to go in from the front to the back, then back up to the front before you set the tack. Be careful as gun needle is sharp. Test a small spot to make sure the hole disappears.
• thread basting - you can use regular thread (not a dark or red color as it may bleed over time) and make big running stitches. Start in the center and run the thread out to a corner, then repeat until you've made a big sunburst on the quilt.

Depending on the size of you quilt, this might be enough. For larger quilts, go back and make a grid pattern about 6-8" apart. Don't bury the threads. Make sure you leave long tails so it is easy to remove them. Whichever method you use to baste your quilt, just be sure to check the back often so you make sure there are no wrinkles. Quilting is the actual process of sewing the three layers together. The decision to machine or hand quilt is strictly up to you since there are various ways to do both. It's probably best to do a little research on each before you begin. There are several excellent books which explain how to do both. Although I prefer to hand stitch most things, there are times when I plan ahead to use a decorative stitch and my machine to finish a quilt. Just be sure to try both ways a few times before you give up on one or the other.

The final step is the binding.
Choose a color which is already in the quilt or that compliments your colors. The quilting has probably stretched out your quilt a bit, so you may have to resize it a little. You are not cutting off the extra batting and backing yet...just trim the top if you need to. Measure your quilt all around, then cut enough 2-1/4" strips to go all the way around your quilt plus another foot or so. Together, lay two strips perpendicular (a right angle) to each other and sew a diagonal seam. Trim to 1/4" and press. Do this for all of the strips of fabric so that you get one long strip.



Fold the binding in half lengthwise - wrong sides together - press with your iron, and pin to the top of the quilt edge starting about 8" from a corner. Leave about a 2" tail and start to sew a 1/4" seam. Sew to within 1/4" of the edge of the quilt and backstitch the seam. Now, cut your threads and pull the quilt out from under the pressure foot. Fold the binding up towards the way you are going to sew the next seam, then back down and continue to sew.

You have just made a mitered corner. Continue to sew on the binding until you get to where you started. Fold the raw edge under, tuck the starting piece into the ending piece, and finish the seam. Make sure there is no puckering or tucks.

Now it's time to trim the excess batting and backing. You need to be careful. Trim the backing even with the quilt top, but leave about 1" of batting sticking beyond the seam all the way around. When the binding is folded over to the back, the extra batting will "stuffs" the binding. Another way is to cut off the excess backing and batting even with the quilt, then cut a 1" wide piece of batting from the excess and place it in the binding before you sew it down. Flip the binding to the back and pin it down neatly. Hand sew the binding down with tiny little stitches. Again, check a quilting book for better details. Be sure to use the same color thread as your binding.
The final instruction is to label and date your quilt. Remember how we left a blank square on your last block just for this purpose? Or, you can label the back of the quilt. Use a pigma pen and write your whole name, the quilt's name, the date completed, and maybe a message for the person you're giving the quilt to. And finally, take a picture (or several) of your completed quilt and start an album with your quilts in it. You'll be very happy that you did!

Well, a year has gone by and hopefully you have a quilt. I really enjoyed this past year. If things didn't turn out just right, I hope you'll keep practicing. I also hope you have developed a love of quilting that so many of us already have. Don't forget to send me a picture of your completed quilt, with you in it of course!

God bless...and happy quilting.