By using a coping or fudge strip, we can make any pieced border fit our quilt tops. In order to make a pieced border fit your own top, follow these easy steps. Take each step, one at a time, in order. Don’t worry about step 3 til you’ve finished steps 1 and 2. Don’t make it hard — it’s so easy!
- Width of quilt (NOT counting seam allowance): (A) _____________
- Size blocks you want to use in your border: (B) ____________
- Number of blocks that fit closest to your width – divide (A) by (B) = (C)___________ (round up to whole number)
- Multiply (B) x (C) = (D)________________
- Subtract (D) – (A) = (E)_________________
- (E) divided by 2 = (F)______________
- (F) plus seam allowances is the size of the coping strip you need to add to the left and right sides of your quilt to make the desired top/bottom border fit.
You will do the same thing for the length of the quilt and this will be for your top and bottom borders.
Example: The example I’m using is made up of 10″ (finished) blocks and is set 4 blocks across and 5 blocks up and down, with a 2″ sashing.
- My quilt as drawn, is 46″ x 58″. A = 46″.
- I want to use a 5″ block in my border. B = 5″.
- Divide (A) by (B). 46 divided by 5 = 9.2 so I need 10 blocks. C = 10.
- B X C = D 5″ blocks x 10 blocks = 50″. D = 50″.
- D – A = F. 50″ border width – 46″ quilt top width = 4″. E = 4″.
- E divided by 2 = F. 4 divided by 2 = 2. F = 2″.
- Add 1/2″ (1/4″ for the two sides) to the ” (F) measurement and this is the size of the coping strip, which in this case will be 2-1/2“. This is the size of the left and right border to be added to the above example in order to make a top and bottom pieced border made of 5″ blocks fit perfectly. 46″ (width of top as shown above) + 2″ (left border) + 2″ (right border) = 50″. 10 blocks x 5″ = 50″. Perfect!
Do the same thing with your length measurement (in this example it’s 58″) to get the size of the coping strip you would add to make those 5″ blocks fit.
