I just finished the quilting on a patriotic quilt, and I can't decide on a binding color. Please help me! I really want to use one of the colors already in the quilt, but if you have a suggestion, please let me know!
This is my first quilt on my "new to me" KenQuilt short-arm machine. If I ever get good enough to quilt other people's quilts, I want a LONG-arm machine. This one only has about 6-7 inches of usable space (but I'm getting pretty good at re-rolling forward AND backward).
Thanks for looking, and thanks for your opinion. Please be kind......

red or dark blue

Debbie, that's a beauty!!! I think any of the fabrics would make a good binding but my choice is the floral :)

Thank you Ladies, I thought about any of those 3 choices, but my DH said "White"! So, I'm still undecided.

Sue is right the floral would look nice too. I'm afraid the white might get dirty, well, at my house it would ;-)

I would bind with the red, to bring out the red in the quilt. I feel there is already enough blue in the quilt, or I would have suggested the blue. I would not use white for a binding, as white will get very dirty, very fast.

Any of your fabrics would be nice on it, even the same dark blue would work.

If you wanted something else, look for a fine stripe in red, white and blue, and cut your binding on the bias.

I think the white would really pop. But if you don't like white, red would be my second choice.

I've had good success using ALL the fabrics from the quilt in my bindings - use about an 18 inch piece of each and end up with a multi colored binding.

You could do what I am about to do. Cut a 1" strip and press it in half. Lay the raw edge toward the edge of the quilt and baste it a shy 1/4" from the edge. Then bind as usual with the red or the blue. Hubby will have the white and it will set the binding off.

It is a beauty so if you use white it will stand out. It will need to be sewn on perfectly. Blue will keep the white popping and red sew above on white. What was your first choice? Go with it as it is almost always correct!

I w would use a dark blue.

i vote for red

It would be RED for me!

I'd go with the floral or the red. As others have said, IMO, there's already enough blue and the white would get really dirty, really quickly (certainly here!).

Lovely quilt. I would bind in red.

[quote=Kas] You could do what I am about to do. Cut a 1" strip and press it in half. Lay the raw edge toward the edge of the quilt and baste it a shy 1/4" from the edge. Then bind as usual with the red or the blue. Hubby will have the white and it will set the binding off.

I think I'll try the small strip of white, then put maybe the red for the binding. The floral was my first choice, but I think the red will be better. I really thought about giving it to a bachelor uncle (he bought a box of yarn for a friend, and it was on top of this fabric, and he gave the fabric to me when he found it). I may keep the quilt though, and give him the next one.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I just love the encouragement you all give! I hope to have this quilt finished in the next day or two. I'll post pictures when it's finished.

My first choice was the floral, but for a patriotic quilt, I don't think that is a good choice. My second choice is the red. I think there is enough blue already. That is just my opinion, and I think your quilt is very pretty.
Sue

I like the idea of the white but not practical for binding in my opinion. What about a thin white piping between the quilt and binding? (my binding choice is the floral or red) piping is not the correct term maybe, can someone help me explain? Saw this on Fons and Porter and I did this on a quilt helped give the framing a little extra pop.

I vote for red, white and blue in short pieces on the bias.
Love the pattern and nice work.

I can't wait until it is done. Show us a picture!

Tell DH he's crazy. White on a binding is not a good thing. Either the red or the blue would be stunning. ;)

I forget what it's called, but I did it on one of my quilts. I would rather sew on piping though. At least my invisible zipper foot has a track for the binding to run through. :thumbup:

I'll try to post one tomorrow. I've started putting the white piping strip on, but I feel a headache coming on. I'll work on it some more tomorrow. Time to head for bed with some moist heat on my forehead, and my neck roll for a pillow (the BEST invention for people like me with lots of headaches). Thank you all for liking my quilt!

I vote for red.

I agree the floral! :) It is beautiful!

Lovely quilt. Since you asked.... I like the floral or red for the binding

I thought of white but then, It may show dirt faster as the binding is what is handled a lot. I like the idea of the floral.

I would do a red border followed by a skinny white and then the blue or floral!

Very nice work!! For the binding, the floral would be my first choice and the red would be my second choice. Just my opinion.

Red.

I would use white. It would make everything stand out.

As I scrolled down the picture of your quilt my first impression was use a blue - a bit darker than what the quilt color is. I think that would frame it in nicely.

I vote for dark blue! Very pretty quilt and good job quilting!

I try to put dark binding on my quilts so they don't show the dirt so fast, but it also depends on the quilt. I would say the blue in your case.

I would absolutely bind with red !

red great stippling

Isuggest the red, think that would make a great binding
for your quilt. Betty Lee

I think red binding to match your red on the quilt and the floral as your backing....Your quilt is really pretty!

I would use the flower fabric for the binding as it needs more contrast to the plain darker fabrics.