Quilt Border Sizes
 

Until fairly recently, I rarely used borders on my quilts, but I have been adding one border recently. I now want to expand to adding two and up to three borders of varying sizes (e.g., 3"/2"/3"). I am a bit (well, a lot) confused about what the Total width (one border, two borders combined, or three borders) of the borders should be. I read that a border should be no larger than the largest block in one's quilt, and preferably smaller. Is this correct? (To be specific, I have a quilt top that I want to add an inner border of 3", a middle border of 2", and the outer border of 3", (finished) but this comes to 8 inches, and the largest block is only 6 inches finished.

I hope this question isn't too confusing; I'm confused enough myself!

Thanks for any advice you may offer!

Well , there are widths that would be more pleasing to the eye in any quilt but since it is your quilt I think you can do what you want to do. What you describe that you are planning sounds like a pieced border and I think it would look great. Happy planning.

I'm one of those people who have trouble looking at a quilt as finished without a border. But I'm trying. The las two have been borderless. As to width,I use what I have t to get the size I want or to make it look "finished" I never heard of a 'rule' as such but I am not as experienced a most people on here.

I had heard that at one time also. But I have used larger borders on wall hangings and they look fine. Think of your border as a frame on a painting. Is it to finish it off and contain the art. Or is it part of there art used to enhance it. Now with more negative space modern guilts it could be used as either. I usually audition my border fabric and just use what I think looks good to my eye.

I think whatever looks good/nice/appropriate to you is okay.

I have seen tiny pictures with huge mats around them and it seems to work.

I never heard of that but it does seem that a total of 8 inches may overwhelm 6 inch blocks.
Maybe you could try putting some fabrics those widths next to it before you cut and see how it looks.
I love borders- it's a fun way to enlarge a quilt and also do some pretty quilting in them.

I didn't find your post confusing at all and I get confused easily :D

I only follow my own rules for border size. For me, if it is a couch throw, I use either no border, or very narrow borders if the pattern needs it to look complete. For most bed quilts, I make the center that just covers the mattress, then the borders are how much drop I want on the sides. Some patterns still look best with no border though. So no set in stone rules for me. Wall hangings, anything goes as long as it looks good.

I put borders on most of my quilts. Normally the inside border is the smallest and the outside the largest.
I use an App by Robert Kaufman Fabrics to help with the lengths etc...
Mike

I'm struggling with this too. I think what pleases my eye is a dark border framing the piecing, then a light border, but twice the framing border and then a substantial border. If the innermost dark border is 1 3/4 inches cut and finish at 1 1/4 inch, then the lighter border next should be 3 1/2 inches cut and 3 inches finished, then the outermost one would be between 6 and 8 depending on how big the quilt is supposed to be.

But that's my opinion.

I agree with Battle Axe. Smallest border inside with borders getting bigger as you go to the outside is most pleasing to the eye. . However it's your quilt, Do what you like. There are always exceptions to the rule. I would put it up on a design wall if I had one available.

I think as long as a single border width is no larger than your block size it will look proportional with no issues. I'm also of the belief that if you start with your smallest width border and work your way out it would be the most pleasing to the eye.

When I shop for fabrics for a project at the LQS, I usually try to line up the bolts of fabric for the borders in the (rough) widths that I'm planning to sew. If you have various fabrics that you are considering using, fold them to the various widths you are thinking..line them up with your top and see if they are pleasing to your eye. You might need to adjust some colors/widths but folding and lining up with the top might save lots of sewing/ripping. Just a thought.

When I got back into quilting in 2000 I read a lot of books to learn how folks approached quilt design. Several of the books I read talked about borders and the information was interesting (though I do not pretend that I have adhered to the advice at all times). Here are some of the things that I picked up:
-- what is the purpose of the border -- is it to simply enlarge the size of the top, is it to draw the eye out of the quilt or into the center, or is it to stop the pattern so you can maybe do a patterned border as well
-- If the quilt has pieced blocks, no individual border should be as large as the block
-- if there are multiple borders, it is most pleasing to have the narrowest toward the center
-- In planning for multiple borders, and odd numbers are better than even
-- better no border than the wrong border
-- for medallion quilts it is most pleasing to alternate pieced and solid borders so the eye has a place to rest -- alternating the size of the borders is good too.
-- some designers tell you that if the blocks of the quilt are large, the total size of all borders should not exceed the size of the blocks.

Since there are no quilt police, I use these concepts as guidelines then do my own thing.

Those are very interesting points, Quiltnlady. I'll try to remember some of them.

For myself, I like to use two borders. The first one I like to make a narrow 1" border and the second I like to make about 4"-5", depending on the design. The quilt I am working on now has a 6" border. It's feels a bit big, so I am quilting feathers in it to make it look better, like it has less "negative space" as some people say. (But how space is negative is still beyond me!:D)

Try different sizes on your quilt by laying the fabric in the width that you want next to the finished top. I like quilts with borders because it frames your work like a frame frames a picture. Our quilts are works of art, so they need a frame.

There are quilts with very wide borders all the way to no borders - it is what you prefer. My suggestion is to lay the top out on the bed (folded in the middle) and audition border widths on both sides. Leave it there and each time you enter the room note which side is more pleasing to you.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]582237[/ATTACH]Here is one I'm currently working on. The little squares are black and so is the narrow framing border, then a beige scroll fabric to show high contrast to the black and then a darker honeystone fabric to tie it all together. I tried to pin those pieces to show approximate proportion. What do you think?

Marcia

That is a stunning quilt, battle axe. I also prefer the borders to go up in width, but I have seen some where a narrower border is in the center of the border. It would add more interest imo if each border strip was a different width with the outermost being the widest. If the first two borders are relatively narrow 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 (for example) then the last border could be wider 4" (for example) and I don't think it would overpower the 6" block.

When I get to the border stage, I lay out the fabrics and fold and smoosh until it feels right to me. It is generally an intuitive process.

IMHO- the outer brown border is too dark. Do you have any of the lighter gold left for a border? Or you might want to do a piano key border.

It is a very pretty quilt! Pattern please!

I have used a 1/2 or 1" flange on several of my quilts. It adds a small pop of color without adding a actual border. I have even put a flange on both sides of a inner border and pressed it so it is facing in toward the inner broder. It is your quilt and there are no quilt police!

I have to admit that I usually have to audition various widths of borders to see what pleases my eye. I do usually start w/ some multiple or divisor of the size of the block size. I think it makes the relationship between the border and blocks work better.

Mountainwoman, blaze a new trail. Do what you suggest, then post a picture. I don't think many of us follow someone else's rules to the letter. No reason you should. Looking forward to the results.

I don't follow 'rules' either. Sometimes what I do may seem to follow the rules, but it's not intentional. The design decisions I make are often ruled by what I have on hand.

Thanks for your response! I think that I, too, like the looks of a smallest-to-largest border, although in a log cabin throw I am ready to add borders, I want the largest border in the center to seriously pick up the main floral fabric in the quilt. As I said, I'm inexperienced in using borders, so this is a learning process. Anyway, could you share with us the App boy Robert Kaufman Fabrics that helps with lengths, etc.?

First, let me just say your quilt is just wonderful! I like the choices you have made for your borders; I note that it appears you will be going from smallest (the black) border to middle to the outside border being the largest, or at least that is what I think you are doing.

Thanks for your input AND the photo!

Thanks for your advice! I am afraid I tend to look for "rules" --born out of being a barely than more "novice" at quilting. My quilting group (we meet twice monthly and make quilts for those in need) is forever telling me there are no rules, or very few, and each quilt is a creative adventure!

Yes, that method makes sense to me -"starting with some multiple or divcisor of the size of the block size." That is a very helpful way for me to think about deciding on border sizes, followed by the advice several have given -audition potential borders and go with what looks good to me! Thank you so much for this helpful advice!

Thanks for your advice; it is advice I am given frequently by my quilting group. I'm trying to follow it; I just get in my own way sometimes!

Thanks! I am quite pleased with my quilt designs, usually, anyway, but I am having trouble trusting myself in terms of the use of borders. I will try! Thanks for the encouragement!

I like to think of "rules" as guidelines of what has worked in the past, but not inclusive of the only things that work. I agree that it is mostly intuitive and what looks good to you on any given quilt. I generally like a small framing border first, but not always. I think that is why the audition step is so important.

Do what you love and it will show!

Like someone else said, I think of borders like a picture frame. Big and bold in most cases to highlight design in the middle. I use borders on most all of my quilts.

Thanks for the input! I have never made a quilt with flange, although I did watch a video on this technique; it is definitely something I will try at some point. I really like the look of it!