Jeanne S's Modern Floral Irish Twist--Now need border help, please!
 

Jeanne S. posted such a beautiful quilt and generously shared the way she had done it. Here is my version. I was ready for simple squares after two rather complicated quilts and really liked the way it has turned out, so far. [ATTACH=CONFIG]511115[/ATTACH]
My dilemma is that I don't have enough of either floral to enlarge it. It needs to be larger for my purposes. I do have a light and dark floral print in smaller design that compliments the larger, but didn't really like that either. Thought it looked rather mishmashed. I have looked at Google, Pinterest, Eleanor Burns' book, and any other books and pictures I could think of for ideas. Am auditioning a Seminole border. Am wondering if Seminole in some combination and using quilting for texture in the plain borders? Tried green as the stop border, but too dark. Any ideas or insights would be gratefully considered. Here are my ideas so far:[ATTACH=CONFIG]511119[/ATTACH]


[ATTACH=CONFIG]511120[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]511125[/ATTACH]I have enough to use a square of large print in darker background to float the squares.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]511128[/ATTACH]

Or do you think strips of black, pink, black would be better with texture added by quilting. The top is so pretty, thanks to Jeanne's pretty design, that I don't want it to be bordered with "what was she thinking?" My computer and I are at odds so don't know how the final post will look. Bear with me, please.

No idea,but that is one beautiful quilt so far!

I love this pattern and your colours are fabulous! I really like pictures number 2 and 3--the diamonds with the lighter floral background. The darker background plus the black borders looks very heavy to me. I think I would also make the black borders the same width so that the diamond band would be nicely framed. I think your quilt will be spectacular!

I like number 2! Beautiful quilt.

Your quilt is absolutely amazing....just beautiful !!! It's a little hard to see - but i think i like #4 the best....but then again... i think just one black border might be more than enough so as to keep all the attention on the main body of the quilt.
You chose such amazing fabrics..... I really love it.

I love your fabric choices on this design! I am so glad to see it!! I like all your border ideas, and don't think any will look 'mishmashed'. I don't do many borders myself, so I am sure you will get good advice from others here. I am just tickled pink over your quilt!!!

That is one beautiful quilt, I like number 4 but they all look good.

I like #2. If I was doing it I would space the small squares so they line up with the points of the red chains.

I would choose number 2. It's a lovely quilt.

I like either of your top two pieced borders and you could even add a narrow strip of the white/cream like the stop border as well to the outside but would go no larger than your stop border on that. A very pretty quilt and the pieced borders would definitely complement it but I didn't like the ones with dark backgrounds as much as the others.

Beautiful quilt. I like the pattern because it looks like Irish Chain ran into HST !! I would go searching for the floral on eBay or on this board in the Members Only Thrift Shop under the In Search of. Post a closeup of the fabrics and see if anyone has any in their stash. Photo is so small can't tell if I have any of either. Good Luck.

I like what you did in the first picture with the squares in point with some having a light background and some the floral. Then, I would use just a few of the one with the black background to really set it all off. When you lay it all out, you will be able to see in a minute where to put the dark ones. I used a similar method just before Christmas when I had to design a border based on how much fabric I had remaining and it worked really well. Your quilt is lovely and I think the ideas you have presented so far will really work well.

It sure is pretty.

What if you just did the two plain color borders in the cream and the darker color, making them each a little wider, instead of three borders?

It looks to me as if the cream already is the stop border. I would think you need to audition the border using that as part of it.
As for me, I think I would take off the white, put the darkest as the first stop border, add the squares on point, then perhaps another small dark to match the first, and then a large border of the print that matches the inside.
Another way would be to make the white you already have on there very narrow, to look like piping.
There are so many ways to do this. It is soooo pretty, you will find something you will like.

I like the second photo.

I like either of the pieced borders. I am sure whatever you decide will be lovely. What you have already done is beautiful.

I like the first 2 pictures-with the floral print around the squares. Perhaps add smallish, even black borders on your squares row, then attach. Might you be able to add a wide border of the cream-? Help to make it larger.....

That is so beautiful that any border you choose will be wonderful!!!

Just my 2 cents, but a narrow black with a solid burgundy with beautiful quilting would let your beautiful work shine, and allow the eye to enjoy the fancier quilting in the solid color wide border? Kind of like an Eleanor Burns finish?

Oh, I love your quilt! I bookmarked the post with Jeanne's beautiful quilt as well...I was really struck by it! I don't know if I'll ever make one, but I have found myself browsing Hancock of Paducah's catalog looking for florals that would work with this beautiful pattern. You did a great job! (of the the borders you posted, I like #2)

No suggestions, but a beautiful top!

I think the double black border strips are a little overpowering of the top, MHO. I like them but would make them much narrower maybe half what you show in the photo. I do like the magenta on point squares in the lighter background between the black strips.

Very pretty! Can't wait to see your border decision! Some great suggestions here. I have been searching for the "right" floral for this pattern....love your fabric!

While they all are very nice I like 4

I agree with either madamekelly or PenniF who recommended the solid black border. A solid will frame your beautiful piecework.

Beautiful design and colors. I love your fabrics. What about just a plain, wide , black border? I think more square all the way around could detract or compete with the main focal point. Alternately,a narrow black stop border, dark pink solid wider border, and black binding.

My favorite is the top one, but I would do the dark strips both narrow.
Really like your quilt!

first of all - BEAUTIFUL quilt well done!! second - I see some b & w pinwheels hiding behind the magenta... How about continuing that look for border without the magenta?? till you get size you want? Or as stated above just one final black border that your magenta just fades into....

Beautiful Quilt!!! I like #2 for the border.

Once again you made another gorgeous quilt. Love your eye for color. What ever you decide for borders will be perfect.

Q65, you have such an eye for color and fabric and your piecing is spot on. I really think you should trust your instincts because you have proven again and again that everything that comes out of your studio is drop dead gorgeous. So I say go with your first thought of the Seminole border. I really like the first two pics with the on point burgundy square in the lighter floral or the off white, I think I might actually prefer the off white but with so few blocks auditioning, it is hard to say. Either way, I think the Seminole piecing will frame the quilt beautifully and draw the eye in as opposed to drawing it away. Think of all the famous Hudson River School landscapes. They all had/have beautifully ornate frames to showcase those masterpiece landscape paintings. Can't wait to see the finished product. This one is another beauty and for a more simple construction, you sure made it look complex.

It is an outstanding quilt. Love your fabric selections. Could someone give the original title of Jeanne S's post where she tells about her quilt and maybe gives some instructions (reference earlier postings on this thread)? I tried to search for it but my knowledge on how to fine-tune the search is non-existent. Thanks in advance for any help.

Heronlady (love your id name!)
My original post has the title "Floral Irish Chain With a Modern Twist" and was posted on August 28, 2014. if you enter that title in the search window it should pop right up. Sorry I don't know how to do a link to it. In the later pages of the thread I post the instructions on how to make it. Just PM me if you have any questions.