I have done this when I needed more added to the width than to the length. It works fine and looks perfectly ok with the binding all the way around.

I've done it both ways. Working on a king size right now and it will have one border at the top and 3 borders on the others. I love the option!

I agree it makes sense, kind of like a bedspread. But I could never do it. I'd think of it as unfinished...somehow, "unwhole". But I think it's fine for those who wouldn't be bothered by it.

My thoughts exactly. It would always look to me as if I ran out of fabric and just said, "Oh, well. Guess I'll just put pillows over it and hope no one notices."

Besides, I would never want to give away one with only 3 borders for the same reason.

I currently have a store bought quilt on my king size bed which only has 3 borders...and it does make sense as long as you don’t get any fading from sunlight. I have a summer cottage that we just left for the winter and one year I left our quilt on the bed...since our master bedroom does not have any window coverings and the quilt was exposed to the direct sun (all winter)...when we returned the next spring, the quilt hanging over the bottom end of the bed had faded noticeably. : (

I have pondered this before. Somehow it feels kind of undone, but the top is covered by pillows. Then I think about it again and I think it seems perfectly natural (that is the top of the quilt). Most of my bed quilts seem to be almost square. I have considered that it would solve my problem of "which way does it go" as others have mentioned. Maybe one day I will give it a whirl, I am open to it!

Question: if you only border 3 sides, how do you finish the 4th side? Only bind it? I've seen quilts with 3 borders, but somehow can't picture how that 4th side is finished.

Quilts can be useful for so many years and are often handed down through generations. When we make quilts, it seems limiting to think of them only be used on one bed or in one setting for the life of the quilt. It seems to me that you would be limiting the usefulness of a quilt for its use in the future to others to only put on the three borders.

Also, part of the border is usually to help square up the quilt and provide some structure when quilting since it is often one piece of fabric. Four borders give a quilt versatility for future use.