Time for borders....
 

I just finished the center of a Kaleidoscopic Kites quilt (free pattern online). The pattern doesn't call for borders, but I am one of those folks who just must have borders. (It is the only way to give my eyes a place to rest.)

I was thinking of a small white border....2 inches and then a larger darkish purple outer border. What do you think? What size would you make the outer border. (I have no particular size quilt in mind. This is already bigger than I expected, so I will just put it on a larger bed. :) )

You will have to pretend that my design wall is bigger than it is.

Thanks for any opinions.

Dina

Very pretty quilt. Love the colors. I like your idea of the narrow white border with wider dark purple. Another idea is a medium purple with a dark purple border. Show us the quilt when it's done.
Sue

I like Susie's idea of medium purple with dark purple outer border.

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I think it will work well.

I like your idea of the 2" white border followed by a 5 1/2" border.

If you use white as the inner border it will make the center float. I would use the width of the larger squares as the outer border.

That's what I was thinking. I like the floating idea.

Dina

Thanks, folks. I appreciate your opinion. I will post a picture when I finish. I am a bit tired of it right now, but I will get back to it soon.

Dina

I would use while about 3" followed by a single colour 5" border.

I have found that when i make the white border the same width as some of those white rectangular pieces or the lavender squares will keep continuity and balance.

As far as the outer border - audition different widths and see what works. My usual is a multiple of my inner border or siince i handquilt, whatever stencil that I will use in the outer border often determines the width of the outer border.

I made the same quilt from Fresh Lemons site, and I made the binding out of scraps from the kites. I toyed with the idea of a white border of the width of the smallest kites then an outside band of scraps of 1/2 that width. I just ran out of steam and just used the scrappy strip as binding. That fine balance of creativity and urge to finish tilted to finish.

Do you have enough of the dark purple you used in the quilt??? Where is Hot Rod?? Is he getting camera shy now a days or taking longer siestas?? :)

Yes, I have more of the dark purple. That is probably what I will use. (I always have purple, in all shades. :) ) My quilt inspector was sleeping on the job when I took pictures. He prefers posing on completed quilts, anyway. Until the quilt is actually finished, he sits on the back half of my sewing chair, leaning up against me. So his presence is always felt....

Dina

I agree. It seems this pattern needs a border of the background fabric to have the blocks floating. Then whatever choice of outer border would be the quilter's choice.

This is a beautiful quilt.

Beautiful quilt, great suggestions! Thanks for mentioning the Fresh Lemons site, I checked it out and it looks like some fun ideas.

Well of course you're thinking of a purple border, haha! I like your idea of the small white and larger purple.

I love the idea of a purple border as well. I like borders myself. To me, the quilt looks finished with a border.

I am the same way, get tired of the same quilt after a while. I am working on one right now, and not too far from being finished. I will be glad to finish it, and do some other things beside quilting. I have to break from it...

With that narrow flip of white peeking around, have you auditioned a narrow dark purple border and a wider white one? Could do a pretty quilting design in the white. The wider white might not be as serviceable with it being touched more commonly. Love your colors. Very nice quilt!

I would bind in the purple and let that be my border. I get tired of quilts, also. I often finish the top and put it aside to work on another project for a time.

Beautiful, I like the colors.

I would use the background color for a border with no color border. I would use the purple for binding.

Lovely colors in your quilt. Let us see which border idea you choose!

Or small pink border and wider purple border. Or a flanged border. So many possibilities with this lovely quilt!

Great quilt, I might go with the white, then purple border, although Susie's idea works too.

How big are the smaller squares? I think a small white border and then a larger color border is perfect. I would make the color border no larger than the smaller square.