i also like to bind in the same color as the last border. i like the 4" border suggestion, but 3.5 would probably also work

I'd go with the thin black border with red piping. I think it would really frame the quilt nicely.

I think I'd stick to the larger border as well. That said, since you don't have enough of the red to do the wider border, what about a combination of either the red/cream or the red/black to make up your 6.5" border and then bind in the red? Put the opposite color on the outside so that your binding stands out? Most times I like my bindings to either 'stand out' or tie in an under-used color in the body of the quilt so it ties everything together. That's just me, tho.

Pretty quilt. I think that the main consideration should be the size that your DH needs for his quilt. If the quilt is already at that size, stop and don't worry about whether it "needs" borders. Lap/chair quilts are seldom seen all stretched out anyway.

In my humble opinion, the quilt could be finished with a simple black or red binding and be done. If you feel the need to add a border, it needs to be twice the width of the sashing as a border serves as a frame for your artwork. I think a red or black would best suit the quilt, with binding the same color.

Well I learned something else good on this Board! I never thought about proportions for borders in quilts but it makes perfect sense to me! Thank you for posting this!:thumbup: