Guidelines for border width???
 

How do you determine the width of your borders? Is there a general rule about the ratio of the border width to the block size, or do you just go with what looks good to you?
Thanks

I just go with what looks good to me. Sometimes, when I start the quilt I envision borders one way and what I end up with is totally different.

I just go with what looks good to me. Sometimes I use a thin inner border to highlight a color in the blocks, esp if that color is darker than the rest of the quilt.

I also use a one inch inner border and then at least 1/2 the block size of the interior block you are using.
If your block is 8 in, use a 4 inch border. There are really no rules, whatever looks good to you is fine.

I don't remember who told me this, but another quilter once told me to create borders that are divisible into the block size. Such as, if you use 12" blocks use borders that could divide into 12 like 1", 2", 3", 4", or 6". Or, if you have 9" borders use 1", 3", or 4.5" borders. I don't always stick to this method, but it does work out fine when I do and the borders always look good.

I try to use some of the dimensions within the quilt , to give an overall continuity to the final look. If have been working with a log cabin for example an the cut width has been 1.5 inches , I will make the first border at that cut width,,, then working out to another diminesion within the block. If the block contains 2 , inch 3 inch or 4 inch etc.. cut dimiensions.. those are the ones I try to work with ... and occasionally after a few narrow will use a finished block width for a additional border that has some detail of the block to tie the design back to the body of the quilt.

usually the bare minumum would be half the block size. just looks more pleasing.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I am making a variation of the tiny turning twenty and the blocks finish at 7" with the widest piece in each block measuring 4" finished. It will be a full size quilt when finished, about 80" x 94". If I have enough fabric, I'd like to make a 1" inner border with a 4" outer border. The piecing of the top is finished and I'm having trouble getting the decision made and actually cutting the fabric for the borders!

When I'm making a bed quilt, I may make some of the outer borders larger for the overhang. I have a very deep mattress and don't like too many small borders hanging over the edge of the bed.

Quilt University has a free sample class that is all about borders. It's quite good and is interactive so you can play around with it.
(click the link in the right hand column under More Information)
http://www.quiltuniversity.com/index.html

i go with what looks good to me. if adding more than one border, i put a skinny one next to the center

Lately I have been noticing some very wide borders (20" +/-) to cover the new deep mattresses and/or to minimize the amount of piecing you have to do. I guess this is when you are really after a bedspread. The other replies are all good.
For my bed quilts I was adding on average 6" borders, but think I will be increasing some of them to 10" for the same reasons.

Beginner and I should had cut my borders at least a 1/4" wider & longer to accommodate for squaring up. Because I can't sew straight, once I square up, I'm going to end up with a finished border (when quilt is finished) of 3/4" border on an 8"x 10" block. (custom memory quilt for son) I've never seen an inner border this thin, lol. Lesson Learned

I like big quilts. My DH is a blanket theif, so if I made my quilts the size most people post, I would never get any of it. So I make my king size 115 inches wide. I make the center of the quilt whatever size the pattern works out to, then add what borders I like to get the width up to 115". When we had a queen bed, I liked 96-100". It is your quilt, do what makes you happy.

I like to use the blocks as my guidelines and use a size that corresponds to the blocks. If my 12" blocks have 3" segments, I can go with 1 1/2" for inner border and 3" or 4.5" for outer. (Or something like that.)
Other times, the amount of fabric I have left over determines the size of the border. If I don't have enough to cut 4.5 it will simply be smaller.
For smaller quilts in particular, the availability of backing fabric may determine how big I will make the top (and the border). Not sure there really is a rule. It's all visual impact and personal choice for me.