Help this newbie please..
 

anyone experienced with fabric panels? I bought a birdhouse panel 30 x 40" and dont know how to add to it for a small (approx 45 x 65) quilt. I consider adding wider top and bottom borders than the side borders. I have matching printed fabric and several solid colors I can use. Would it look too out of porportion? I've used pencil and paper to try making a design and it always comes out wider than I want if I use same size borders all around....I'd truly appreciate your help.

I'm a 70 yr old newbie and dont have a clue on putting colors and patterns together.

Welcome from Milwaukee. You don't have to use the same size borders all the way around. Add your narrow borders all the way around to make your 45 inches, then add some pieced lines top and bottom to make your 65 inches. It will look great. Just remember, it's your quilt. Do what you want and have fun.

Glad to hear your quilting! I see your problem. I have had the same problem. If I were you I would do what Christine said and add a narrow border first around your panel and then add wide borders to the side and narrow ones to the top. They don't have to match. In fact, the size of each of the side borders don't have to be the same size. That's just my opinion. You'll get lots of opinions. Welcome to the best place for quilters!

You might try piecing some simple blocks (maybe 9 patch) and adding those to the top and bottom - then add borders. It is really up to you. I've done "uneven" borders and had great results.

Hope you post a picture for us to enjoy!!!

Welcome from Texas. I agree with what Christine told you, that would make a very pretty quilt.

I agree with Carrie. Some pieced blocks, top and bottom, would allow you to add however much length you need, while still keeping the borders even.

I prefer to have borders from the same fabric be the same width so I really like the idea of adding an additional row on the top and bottom to extend one direction. You can use pieced blocks, appliqued blocks, or an alternating fabric or stripe. However, the others are right - it's your quilt so do what looks right to you.

I never thought about the fact that all borders didn't have to be the same size, I like it!!! Also welcome to the new quilter, how wonderful to learn something new - age ain't nothing but a number. you go girl.

My first thought was to add some pieced blocks to the top and bottom of the panel but I like the idea of adding a thin border first.

With retro being all the rage, different sizes borders are totally in.

Welcome to the quilting world, it sure is a fun place to be! (Just ask us. :) )

Welcome to the board and the world of quilting! Your quilt, your rules! You can do anything you like. I am currently working on a quilt where the center is a flannel panel and in order for the quilt to get to the dimension I needed I added different size borders, only mine are wider on the sides rather than the top and bottom. Here is a picture, the black border closest to the panel is wider on the sides and so is the border outside the pieced pine trees. It works for me but with this picture you can determine if you want to do this or add a different fabric to just top and bottom in one of your rounds.

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Welcome from outside St. Louis. Just remember when you add borders to any quilt, always measure through the center across and up and down. Your borders wil be much neater that way. Read books and read online and you will learn lots. Good luck.

Thanks to all for the comments and advice, I truly appreciate it. I think I'll add one extra coordinating fabric to the top and bottom to get the length I need. I'll post a pic when I get the top pieced if I can figure how to add a pic.

Georgous quilt! Maybe if I live long enough I'll be able to to that. Thanks for posting the picture, gives me a good idea on how to work with my panel.

Add on some blocks on top and bottom. than do a border all the way around

For coordinating fabrics, choose the colors in the panel that you like. Be creative and enjoy! Welcome from Texas.

Feline Fanatic, this is a great picture to show options for additional borders. Thank you so much, btw I love the top, so colorful yet masculine.

I have completed the first 2 borders...yellow, and a coordinating bird fabric (the dark teal green looks like a border but is part of the panel. Now is a decision to use red or a light green for the next narrow border. Any advise? then I'll add a 4" border of the coordinating fabric on top and bottom
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The quilt is for my DIL for Xmas, if I can bear to part with it....LOL

Oh how pretty. I like both quilts posted. I've never used panels because I didn't know how. Thank you to all for your info and suggestions. Vhord620, Welcome to the board.

I vote a thin border of the red and then the green to get the quilt up to size. Love your panel fabric! You're doing a great job. Welcome to the board from Nebraska!!

You could do a checkerboard (4 patch) on the sides you want to widen and then do the solid border around. This would be a simple yet effective way to avoid an unbalanced look. You could also do a strip of flying geese or any other block... limitless ideas. Cruise the pictures page for ideas.

Welcome from West Virginia and I think you are off to a great start

This looks wonderful Vhord! I love it. So glad you got it figured out how to post photos. You could audition them by laying what you have next to your uncut fabrics. That is usually the only way I can decide on this kind of quilt. Without actually seeing it auditioned I wouldn't know what to do. Sometimes a none of the above comes into play as well. Please be sure to post pictures as you progress.

Wow! Beautiful!

Red border added
 

one more to go, the bird fabric, larger on top and bottom, holding my breath that it will look ok. Binding and backing are blue.
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thanks to everyone for your help. I LOVE this quilting board. I'm learning every day!

Viv

Love the addition of the red - really makes it pop. Good job!

I agree with Christine. I just did it on a quilt! There are no rules on borders! Welcome and show u's the finished project!!

and, no one says the borders have to match eachc other or even be equally distributed. Like use only the left and the bottom. It's your design, you are the artist signing the work

Looks wonderful, you are doing a great job!

Wow very pretty. so many different ways to do it As nycqilter says: you are the artist signing the work and it is unique!

Welcome vhord620 ! This is an awesome board & the members are terrific especially at helping other quilters.
Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous. You should be very proud of it. Newbie - - - - not from what I can see.

Welcome! You're going to like it here. It's a friendly place. Make the borders fit the length and width you need to make it do what you want it to do. Use the colors in the panel to guide the border colors. Good luck and again, welcome!

exactly! welcome and have fun!

welcome vhord and you are doing a wonderful job!

Welcome to QB from another oldy but goody quilter. Put what ever borders on your quilt that you think looks good. that's what makes it a personel quilt.. Have fun quilting don't stress over it.

Wow, your quilt is gorgeous! The red looks great. I'd use a thin black binding after the next border (the bird fabric). Are you going to embellish at all? You did a wonderful job!

Thanks feline fanatic, your picture cleared up a problem for me! I have a quilt with tulips and I put it together too long, now I have to put borders on the sides to make it look right. Now I feel better about it!

vhord720, if anyone complains about your quilt, just send it to me and I promise to love and cherish it! LOL

I'm so glad you asked this question. I too am new to quilting at age 68 and I'm glad to "meet" someone else who got a late start.

I don't like square quilts so I added "migrating geese" to the top and bottom of one to add length then put on the borders. It turned out really cool. [ATTACH=CONFIG]332667[/ATTACH]Because you have a bird themed panel the migrating geese would be fun to add. If you can't find the directions let me know and I'll see what I can do to get them to you.