The bright blue blender on the left is really striking, but it draws my attention away from all your beautiful books. Do you maybe have a more subtle solid/blender -- say a dark grey or black -- that would provide a nice separation for the border without stealing the show?

Or I saw someone else who won Judge's Choice at my local show who used a rich brown border & then quilted it with a wood grain to look like a bookcase.

For a wall hanging I would NOT wash it as I like smooth, crisp looking fabric art, not the crinkly cuddly look of a quilt. Here is how I make a hanging sleeve:
i use muslin. Cut your hanging sleeve piece 9" wide and the length of the top of your quilt plus one inch. Fold in both short sides 1/2" then another 1/2" and sew next to the edge making a finished hem on both sides. Fold the long sides together (wrong sides together) and sew with a 1/2" seam allowance, making a tube. Press the seam allowance open. Then press the long tube flat with the open seam allowance centered on the back side of the tube. The seam will not show since it is placed directly on the back of the quilt. Place the tube 1" below the top edge of the back of the quilt with the tube seam next to the quilt. Fold the top of the tube down 1/2" and press. This will create extra fabric for the hanging rod so that it won't 'draw back' the top of the quilt when the rod runs through the sleeve. Hand stitch the long sides of the tube to the back of the quilt being careful to just catch the tube, backing and batting in your stitches.

I have eave read some people put the hanging sleeve in the binding seam, but I have never done that---seems like it would make the binding hard to sew on and would be too close to the top of the quilt and might show when hung.

I like the dark blue, it gives the appearance of a shelf!

Hugs

Caroline

I got a McCall's pattern (the one in my avatar) that recommended sewing the sleeve into the binding. It doesn't show, but it doesn't hang as nicely as the ones I've done following Bonnie Browning's instructions. It just makes the binding a bit bulkier in that section, but the sleeve is caught in the stitching line when you machine stitch the binding down. I guess it's maybe 1/16" closer to the edge, but I've not had issues with it showing once it's hand tacked down on the sides & bottom of the sleeve.

Be sure that the borders are measured properly before attaching them or the quilt will wave.

Another question what type of batting is best for wall hung quilts?

I use W&N for all my quilts, even the hanging ones. I forgot to mention on my larger quilts that have a tendency to wave from the wall, I put on two sleeves, an extra on the bottom and hang a cafe curtain rod thru it too. Since the rods only stick out about an inch on either side, it creates weight and a framed look.

I agree with Bree. A nice rich brown or even charcoal would mimic wood and a shelf. It is a neat quilt and I wouldn't wash it before hanging it. That way nice and flat. If is wants to wave, Toverly's idea is great and you can also use weights, like sinkers and attach them where they don't show.

I saw this tip somewhere and have used it with great success. Make the sleeve as suggested above but make it about 1" shorter on each side. To hang the wall hanging use a dowel and screw an eye-hook in each of the cut ends of the dowel. You make the dowel the length so that with the eye-hooks screwed in each end the entire length is just shorter than the width of your wall hanging. Use two picture hanger hooks in the wall and slip the eye-hook over them. Your wall hanging will look like it is floating on the wall and it is very economical to make.

The dark blue gets my vote.

I like the mottled blue. I think the bright blue is too dominating. I hang my quilts on curtain rods using the clips on rings.