Border or no?
 

First, let me express my sympathies to those of you who are not living on or visiting Long Island, NY, this weekend. What breathtakingly perfect weather we are having!

So, I just sewed up a D9P for our family's next anticipated baby. Should I add a border? or two?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]552893[/ATTACH]

The quilt so far is 27" x 40", just about crib size. But babies aren't allowed to sleep with blankets anymore. I guess it could be used in the car or stroller. A bigger size would be good for tummy time as well as cuddling.

Visually, I'm not sure it needs a border. I've considered a narrow blue or red border with the reverse for binding, but I think it would need a wider second border (yellow??) before adding the binding. Your thoughts?

While I wait for your responses, I'm going back outdoors! :)

IMHO just bind it in green. But if you want a larger quilt then add narrow red, 2-3" print and then bind it in blue. I believe bigger is better for babies/kids since they grow so fast.

Cute quilt! good job!!!!!

I like it just the way it is. Not really fond of borders.

Yes, narrow tonal border to stop the eye. Then maybe a larger border. Beautiful quilt.

Yes, a border! (Or 2) I'd like to see yellow in one of them. But then I'm always in favor of a border! And, no need to feel badly for us out here in SW Washington state! Sunny, green and going to be near 80!

I think a nice white border would frame it nicely. Seldom if I don't add a border, maybe only if it would make the quilt larger than I want.

I say no border unless you need to make it bigger.

In my old age, I just seem to skip the borders altogether. If you don't need a larger size, then just go ahead quilting it and then putting the binding on.

Red narrow inner, yellow wider outer, and bind with green. That would be my recommendation. I'd make sure the width is not going to be wider than the width of a piece of backing fabric so you don't need to piece that. It's pretty, btw.

i like it the way it is

I am a border person. I think that it is like framing a picture - it just seems to bring it altogether and finish it off beautifully.

I think just a binding of a thin black and white stripe fabric cut on the bias (or not) would be cute.

Normally I am not big on borders with this one I feel it needs one or two. Green should maybe one of them or the outer border.

No border and I'd bind it in the red.

Pretty top! yes, I'd do a border or two. My personal preference. Perhaps do a thin green, then a wider yellow. Then bind in red, or a solid blue.
Whatever colors, I'd try to keep the red and green apart so it doesn't look Christmas-y.

Doesn't really need a border, but if you decide on one, I would put a very narrow stop border in black or white, then a little wider border of your choice. That would stop the colors in the quilt from blending into the border.

Infants don't use quilts in their cribs, but toddlers do. Actually as soon as a child can roll over front to back and back to front items in the crib are OK. Most parents now wait until after the first birthday. So after all that, you could make it for a crib but a little wider and it would be a fun tummy time quilt.

First of all, that is a real cute baby quilt. I always like to frame my quilts with a narrow border which I think would look nice for your quilt possibly a red and then you could add a little wider border after that in another color of fabric that you can pull from the colors in your quilt. Whatever you choose it will be cute. Please share a picture of the finished project.

If it were mine, I'd put a pale yellow border, then bind it with the red or green.

I think a nice 2 inch or so border would look really nice in the red you used in the squares. It would really finish it off and make those red squares really pop. IMHO

No border. I like the idea upthread of a black/white bias binding. If the binding is a strong color it will nicely frame the quilt. Very cute quilt.

ditto sewbizgirl

I make a lot of comfort quilts for young people. I buy warm and natural by the bolt. I make my quilts so I can get 2 battings from one length. My quilts are about 43x63. Kids like this size for cuddle quilts. This would be the perfect center for a well used kids quilt if you add some borders. It fits nicely on the top of a twin size bed too. A child would use it for a long time.

Very pretty. I prefer a border.

I'd like to see a black and white zebra print. Depending on how bold it is you might only want a narrow border and then something else wider. Since I saw bunnies bears and giraffes I thought something else animal might be okay.

I'd like to see a border for this really cute quilt. Not real big, but as someone else said, I like a frame, too. Any of these color ideas would look good.

I think it might be a little wider so a border would work well or as other's have suggested a smaller inner border with a little larger border for the outer.I like what you have done so far, but I would widen it a bit....You can still use one width of fabric for the backing. I do it all the time for charity quilts!

I am a border girl...I would use green as a 'stopper' so your eye can rest...and the focus fabric if you have enough for an outer border. I tend to go bigger on 'baby' quilts as they don't stay little very long! Cute quilt no matter which way you decide!

I don't know why I didn't think of green! Good point about a bigger quilt. I think I'll take your advice.

Thanks! The focus fabric is leftover from the very first quilt I ever made. And I still think it's cute!

B&W stripes -- another idea I hadn't thought of! I like it!

Thanks, everyone! I love this board for the wide experience you all have, but also (maybe especially) for the variety of ideas and creativity when there's no "right" answer. I think I'll audition the suggestions here, and then proceed. I'll post a pic when it's done.

I love how everyone has such a different opinion. It gives you lots of ideas for sure. In my mind I would do a narrow of the red and a wider of the print. But I do find what I visualize in my mind doesn't work when I put the actually fabric next to the quilt. If you have enough of any of your fabrics to make borders do it and if you don't just bind. Don't go buying fabric just for border. Cute quilt.