sewverybusy1

I'm working on a hunters star lap quilt & have 3 20" blocks both across & down.( 9 blocks total) I would like to add borders & wonder what thoughts you all might have as to how wide each should be to look attractive.. I'm considering a flange binding but do want to use 2 borders as well.
Before you ask- No I don't have a camera, nor do I have a cell phone to take any pictures.
I'm not looking to have a huge quilt- just one that is not an insult to the eye!!!
I have placed my fabrics on my design wall such that I have flange only & on the next part- 2 sort of widths for borders. Both seem to look fine but did get curious as to what others would do.
Can I please say 'Help??'.
Thank you for reading this & your thoughts.

sewverybusy1

PaperPrincess

This probably won't be much help, but there's really no magic calculation for borders. Often the inner border is narrower than the outer, but I've seen very lovely quilts with the opposite configuration. I think it depends on the fabrics, and the look you are going after. Some fabrics just seem to recede and I use a wider cut than I would have guessed, others seem to overpower & need to be narrower. I use the audition method where I piece the center blocks, then lay them on the uncut border fabric. I keep adjusting until I like the look. Remember to add seam allowance when you cut!

Suezq60

I have heard to follow the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5...) when adding multiple boarders. It is supposed to be pleasing to the eye because it is found everywhere in nature. FMI https://www.livescience.com/37470-fi...-sequence.html

Leaves, flower petals, sea shells and pinecones al grow following this sequence.

Tartan

I usually base my borders on the size of the pieces in the quilt. If most of my pieces were cut at 2-1/2 then I would cut my inner border at that measurement. The larger outside border I multiply the 2-1/2 by 2 or 3 depending on how big I want the finished quilt to be. The're really aren't any rules for the number or size of borders in my opinion.

Peckish

I agree with Suezq. If you're not comfortable with just eyeballing the widths and feel like you need some help, the Fibonacci Sequence (also known as the Golden Ratio) would be a great resource.

To understand the concepts easily, watch this fun Donald Duck 30-minute video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvceKeHl0Sg

If you want to skip to the good stuff and see how it can be used in quilting, see the following links. (I googled "fibonacci sequence in quilting" if you wanted to check out more links.)

https://www.jinnybeyer.com/blog/the-...-golden-ratio/

https://www.jinnybeyer.com/blog/fibo...-golden-ratio/

https://prezi.com/gztzw-gtwupl/quilt...mber-sequence/

http://doyoueq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=453

sewverybusy1

Thank you all for your ideas!! I haven't heard of the Fibonacci Sequence. I will certainly check out all the info you have so kindly provided. My top is still on the wall & I am playing with border widths. From an eyeball point of view- a 1-1 1/4" 1st border and a 2-2 1/2" outer border looks good. Will hold off all decisions until I check out Fibonacci.
As usual, this group is full of people who are so knowledgeable & willing to help those of us who are less experienced. My thanks again for good suggestions.
sewverybusy1

quilterpurpledog

Very interesting thread and one we can all learn from.

Battle Axe

This is not in stone, and I'm just shooting from the hip. I like to see the darkest border outlining the quilt and resting just on the edge of the bed. Then two more borders, the second one smaller than the last one. The binding can even be a contrasting color.

I like the suggestion about the size of the pieces. Good luck.