Should I add flowers on the borders?
 

This is my first OBW and I finally decided on how to position the hexis.... well, it's the best I could come up with. And, when I measured across it was 50" x 60". So, I added borders.... the skinny pink, the 3" original fabric and then, a 9" background color. So, my question is, should I add some applique flowers in the border or leave it plain. I'm showing you another quilt that I made with flowers in the border. I'm thinking of something like that one to give it some zip. What would you all suggest?

If it were mine I would add flowers. It is a beautiful quilt, you do good work.

beautiful quilts! I love the flowers in the borders - so I would add them.

Do you have any left over hexagons? I would experiment with either cutting them down to a smaller hexagon or cutting the flower shape out of the hexagon and using these as the flowers rather than a solid. Use them with the vines & leaves.
I love the way it is coming out so far.

I think something in the border would be great, your aplique on the other quilt is pretty! The obw is beautiful, I love how you put the original fabric in the quilt so you can see what started it.

Beautiful quilt. IMHO I don't think that I would do flowers on the border. I would be afraid that it would take away from the super center. Maybe some smaller hexi's. That said the flowers on the second quilt are lovely. You did a great job on this quilt and I know that whatever you end up doing will only add to the beauty. BrendaK

With such a wide outside border, I personally would add something to it. That "something" could be a special quilting design in said border. I usually avoid making any borders wider than 5 1/2 to 6 inches.
Can you make something with your fabric used in the center that show's what the fabric is?

I agree -- to me the plain wide border draws your eye first -- with some applique it would highlight your quilt and draw your eye in.

I think your flowers on the border of the birds in the air quilt are so well done - I would call for an encore! More flowers in the border please.

Think it would look super.

I agree with Paper Princess. If you have any hexi's left, play around with using them as the flowers. Or if you have a bit of material left, you could make some mini hexi's and just scatter them around the corners.

I think applique flowers would be a wonderful addition to help that wide solid border not look so much like an afterthought or something added to get the quilt up to a particular size. You definitely have some very nice colors in your focus fabric that you can bring out in the applique. You can pick up the pink you used in the inner border and also the soft green that is in the fabric for the vines and leaves. Another consideration is using some of the more colorful hexi's to suggest a flower. If you have any left over. I definitely see a couple of hexis that look like a big flower. It would be a neat addition.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I'm thinking I'll experiment a little. .... make some vine, flowers and leaves and pin them on for an audition. I only have a couple of hexis leftover from the quilt and just a 3" strip of the original fabric. But I often have to 'live with' a quilt awhile before it tells me what it wants to look like. I'll be sure and post a picture once it's done.

If you do add flowers maybe the opposite corners like the NW and SE corners or vice versa. Love both your quilts!

I think it would be great with some flowers on it. And it is wide enough to accommodate them. I say go for it.

I would like the flowers...........

Oh you know, that would look nice. I love flowers in borders and keep saying I will do that next time. Flowers in the colors of the quilt will be great!

Beautiful quilts. Flowers would be nice but I like it without them too!!

That big wide border is begging for you to do something with it. I say go for it!
Rodney

flowers would look beautiful on the border

I also think small OBW blocks cut to flowers and stems/vines would be perfect to tie it all together. Love it!

Yes, I'd add flowers on the border so the border as is won't over power the pretty center quilt.

First off, your quilt is beautiful. That being said, it is a modern pattern and in my honest opinion I think the traditional appliqué flowers like you have shown aren't the right ones. I do think you could add something to the borders, but I think it should be something modern in design. Using whatever leftover hexagon pieces you have to make a design in the border would add another interesting element to the quilt and not seem out of place. JMHO

I agree!!!!!

I am not sure that flowers would be the best answer but I do think that you need to add something to the border. Perhaps you could do some FMQ in a contrasting color. However you do want to be careful not to add to much as that would take away from the beauty of the original fabric. I do love the flowers on your second quilt. Really gorgeous!

If you have enough of the original fabric left that you could make some hexis, even small ones, to applique in the border with stems and leaves, it would be super.

I'm with those who would play around with any leftover hexi shapes in the border.... maybe a few randomly placed here and there, or using them as the flowers.
Your quilt came out fantastically!!!

It's a beautiful quilt and adding flowers would give it some "bling". Your second quilt is absolutely gorgeous - you did a great job on both quilts.

My vote, too. :-)

Marysewfun

Yes it would really look even more beautiful with Flowers.

Lay them out and see if you like the effect. It will probably 'make' the quilt, which is already gorgeous. Is gorgeouser a real word? Please show us the quilt again when it's finished. By the way, I love purple.

Love your quilt and think the flowers on the border will look great.