Border Thoughts
 

Usually I make my borders with one long strip of fabric, but with fabric so expensive now a days I really don't want to buy fabric with enough yardage length for making the border one piece.

There are no quilt police, but what are your thoughts in making a border (same fabric) in multiple pieces. With a wide border would you do it with mitered joins or straight joins. I also thought about putting in a 2 1/2" piece of one of the block fabrics in in the center where a seam would need to be, but evenly on each side. Or, just joining the border fabric together to make it long enough. Mostly, it would just be one join on each of the 4 sides.

That's funny as I just came here to ask the question, "Borders or not?" Anyways, I've always pieced my borders with a mitered seam, but, I would just as soon not put borders on unless the pattern makes them a necessity.

I think it’s fine to make do with what is in our stash. So if that means joining a border, why not.
I would do a mitered join. You can always plan your quilting to go over the join if you are
concerned about it showing.

I’ve had to piece borders before. Seems like mostly, once you quilt it, the joins don’t really show up very much. I do press the seam at the join open so it lays flatter, but that’s just my preference. If the fabric is a print, the join shows up even less. Good luck!

I like to make a block for each corner, picking a fabric that is dominant in the quilt. Usually it is all just one piece, but sometimes I will make a 4-patch that goes with the rest of the quilt top.

I have pieced borders many times. If there is a pattern to the border, I do a pattern match, so that is usually almost invisible. Many times, once quilted, it is almost impossible to see the seam. I just did a floral border last night, and didn't miter the corners. Sitting 10 feet away, and looking at it hanging up, I cannot see the joining seams from top to side.

I prefer a straight join. The time I tried a miter on a wider border, it was harder to get it to lay perfectly flat. I don't think a well pressed seam shows very much after it's quilted. I actually like a border cut crosswise better than one cut lengthwise. The little bit of 'give' in the crosswise helps 'fudge' discrepancies in the lengths of the sides of the quilt so it stays square (or rectangle).

I piece borders all the time when I am making larger quilts. Then I press the seams open, like other do here. I frequently do NOT miter the corners and the quilts always come out just the way I want it to.

I do a lot of pieced borders due to using my stash and not always having enough length. I prefer mitered joins and have had no trouble working with them.

I like this idea of cutting it crosswise. It will help too, with it being easier to plan the seam placements too. I think I am going to go with just doing borders like this. It will most likely cut down on the amount of left over fabric too.

I don't do a lot of borders. I mostly plan borders for when I need the quilt to be just that little bit wider/longer than the blocks take me. A sweet spot so to speak on the width and length, not too short, not too long.

I like to make my bed sized quilts to fit more like a bedspread. I can't stand 'blanket's' that pull up and barely cover your shoulders once you are in bed because it doesn't have enough width. I also like to have a quilt that I can put over my pillow, or fold it down some with the pillows on top, showing the back of the quilt.

I will generally join my border seams with a miter and press open. I like the idea of adding a coordinated block where the join would be and may have to try that one day!

I'm going through a mitered border phase, though I used to do straight borders for a long time. I'm just saving the long pieces from the sandwiches I have to do (using 108" backing) and make my future quilts according to the size I get from them. I've got a couple quilts on my to-do list that will only take binding to finish, no need to put borders on them. I think it's just easier now to do mitered corners, it takes a bit more fabric to do them, but everything just looks incredible with them than the straight borders. Pieced borders would definitely give everything a scrappy look, though.

Borders are frequently pieced. Once in the quilt and the quilting is done, few will notice except another maybe another quilter. I would hope they would think you were clever and thrifty to piece.

I always cut borders W.O.F. and join with miter seam pressed open like making binding. I make my bindings the same way.

I made a pieced border from strips i had left over from the arcs of my wedding ring quilt. I am still finishing this up today and started it years ago! anyway i like the border. doing binding right now.

Your quilt is beautiful. Very nice!

Nothing wrong with a pieced border. I prefer LOF for borders, but that is not always possible, I like a mitered join if I have to piece the border, but at the end of the day I will do what the situation calls for, we gotta do what we gotta do.

I can only remember cutting borders length of fabric for one quilt. It was called for in the pattern. It was one of the earliest quilts I made after I retired from work. I was so nervous about cutting into that beautiful fabric. And a funny thing, that is what lead me to this quilting board when I Googled how to cut borders length of fabric! Been here ever since!
Seriously, I don't think I have ever had to do that again. I piece my borders, usually with a mitered seam because I like that look. I agree with others who have said once the quilting is done, not noticeable, either way