Definitely like number one! I thought of it this way ... It is like the matting on a picture. The red pasley holds the blocks together and than the the dental strip introduces the border which I love. It is the difference between a single mat and a double mat. This going to be spectacular when finished. Just putting on the pasley cheapens the look of the quilt. It is like I got to get this done so let's sew this on. This is just my humble opinion.