Borders
 

Silly question, but does every quilt need to have a border? I made a twisted bargello, will try and post a picture of it shortly since I don't have one on my ipad....anyway, debating on whether I want to put a border on it or just sandwich and do a simple hand quilting.

Rosie the Wyldwytch

in short, no. some quilts look great without borders. Always your choice.

Lots of quilts don't need borders. If you google bargello quilts you will see lots without borders. In many cases, the only reason a border is added is to increase the size of the quilt.

I don't like strip borders at all, just straight strips added to make a frame. I don't think it does anything to add to a quilt except make it bigger. I like pieced borders or applique borders but most times I let the quilt pattern float or go all the way to the ends. Julie Herman has a quilt book called Quilts Without Borders. The patterns are for non border quilts. It's a very nice book and well written.

I have only made 2 quilts WITH borders. i, personally, don't like them. If you look at the quilts made by most of the young up and coming quilters, the young moms, the bloggers, the gals in the Modern Quilting movement MOST of them don't have borders at all. Go borderless I say!!!

Not required. It's how you feel about it.

Your quilt. Your choice. I like borders. I think a straight piece of fabric is easier to bind. I've made quilts both with and without borders.

It's your quilt, do what you want.

I think it depend on the quilt. Some look so much better without borders. I think my quilts are about half with borders and half without borders.

Do what you want There are no quilt police besides I feel like all quilting "rules" are made to be broken or changed.. I don't feel like a bargello always looks like it should have a border. I have a bargello ready to start if I can ever egt the time. I have had all of the fabric for a year. Please post a picture. I love bargellos.

Your quilt your rules. I like borders to frame the quilt and give it a finished look. Just what I like.

I would audition some border fabrics that you think would work and then audition your binding and see what you like best. Your quilt, your choice.

No, depends on the quilt and what you want!!!

I will add some pictures tomorrow. i wanted to today but got lost in front of the machine making pillowcases for the extra pillows on my bed. Now tomorrow I am going to finish the last three and make a roll pillow with the fabric that is left over for under my knees. I have a bad back so sleeping with a special pillow should help a bit.

Thank you for all the opinions, I thunk the quilt is big enough without borders since it covers a twin size bed and ever so slightly drapes over the edges, I will look at it again tomorrow when I take pictures, it is hanging in the closet right now.

Rosie

I agree!!!The binding will end//frame the quilt.

All depends on the quilt and what you like. I have many quilts without borders, a few with pieced borders. Many quilts I do an inner and an outer border, the inner sort of like the matting on a picture frame.

Ok, I finally had some time to go into the closet and pull out the bargello to take pictures of it. Here it is laid out on a king size bed, the next time I decide to make one I am going to make sure that I have enough material to probably double the size, depending on the pattern. I would like to make one large enough to drape slightly past the top mattress of a king size bed and have enough to do the pillow tuck. Than I will make an accompanying dust ruffle to cover the box springs. Ok, here it is, if I decide on a border I think I am going to go with a solid ivory and than perhaps do some needleturn applique in batiks.

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/...ps30fb9284.jpg

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8f21f88e.jpg

Enjoy...

Rosie the Wyldwytch

Beautiful, and it sure does not "need" a border, but I like the idea of an ivory border with applique. I often do that. Not fond of plain borders. Depending on the quilt patten, I often do no borders.

Thanks Humbird, I think the only reason I want to do a border on here is to 'even' it out. To me it's a really odd size, too big to be a throw quilt yet not big enough to really be a quilt for a bed. I might be able to get away with it on the twin bed in the spare bedroom without putting borders on. I guess once I clean the spare room out I will see how it lays on the twin bed. If it looks good on there without borders than that's where it will be used since that bed doesn't have a comforter or bed cover on it.

Rosie the Wyldwytch

I prefer borders - it's like a picture frame framing the piece of art!

As you say, it's the right size for the twin bed. If that's where it'll go, it doesn't need borders.

If you want it on another size bed, it may need borders.

"Slab" borders look like you got bored and just added slabs to make it bigger, IMHO.

When I've run out of enough material to continue the pattern, I've made borders that continue the lines into the border with the fabric that gives the most POW, if there's any left. So the idea here would be to make a section that continues the bargello into the border. the colors above and below this continuation of the pattern can be the same or different. Here's another saying,"Make visual decisions, visually", I first heard this from Ruth McDowel in her class. So, lay out the quilt with border fabric options, then lay squares of the bargello fabric over the border to get the idea of how it will look.