Border opinion needed
 

Hello all,
I'm really bad at visualizing things, so I thought I'd reach out to you amazing people for some advice.

I have this quilt center constructed. The pattern calls for a 1" border then a 5" border. I plan to make the 1" border black (a no-brainer for me). I have a fair few scraps left over from the bright fabrics in the quilt center, and was trying to figure out how to/whether to incorporate them into the 5" border (and then finish off with black binding). Would it be too much, do you think, to construct a scrappy 5" border using the same bright fabrics as the center? I was thinking about piano keys, but I don't have quite that much fabric, so I would really have to make the border out of long-ish strips (about 18") of each fabric in order to eke out the scraps around the whole quilt.

For reference, the blocks are 9.5" square (finished, as you see them), and the bias strips are about 1" wide.

Any tips, ideas, insights, inspirations?

Thank you!!

First of all this is a gorgeous quilt! Very impressive. I looked over the various colors in your quilt and a couple stuck out as possible borders. One is a multi-color rick-rack looking print and the other a gold with close together lines. One or the other with the black borders would be great IMHO. Of course you as the quilter have the final say. I can't wait to see it finished.

I agree that your quilt is gorgeous. Kaffe Fassett fabrics? I think a narrow black border would be perfect and it could be the binding if the quilt is already the right size. Otherwise to make it bigger use the black as the stop border and then a border in the green or yellow fabric that is used in the quilt.

Wowzers! great quilt!! I bet that was very tedious to make it.

First, do you "need" it to be bigger?
For me, I see it as is, plus a black narrow border, a little wider than you mentioned.
Perhaps 2" or so?
Then a black binding with a multi-fabric flange.

If you "need" it bigger, agree with Tartan.
Lay some fabrics and photo, to get a sense as to how it would work out.
Do you have enough fabrics to do them in the same square sizes as the blocks?
That would flow well with the centre of the quilt.
... though would make the quilt a wee bit bigger yet.

Wonderful quilt! I don't think it wants a border -- that would confine the flow. I would bind in black.

Votes for exactly these suggestions, depending on the finished size needed. It definitely wants a narrow black border, and if only that, the flange of multi-color with black binding. If you go larger with Tartan's suggestion, it would only need a black binding.

Very pretty, but no opinion. If fabric is limited I would just come up with what I had. Your quilt your way.

I love that quilt!!! I like the idea of a thin black stop border. I don't really like the idea of a piano key border. i think the linear-ness of it would conflict with the curves in the body. I vote for no border or a border of one single fabric.

Here's another vote for just a narrow black border. the quilt is gorgeous as is. I really wouldn't object if you posted what the pattern is either.....