What type of border should I add to my old quilt?
 

I have a 1970's brown log cabin quilt, (made by my late mother-in-law, a "Yours Truly" kit) that over the years, the top and bottom borders have opened, worn out, etc. from "pulling up the covers". I removed them, but now, what to add on? Do I look for old 1970's type fabrics and piece a log cabin type border? Or go to fabric store and try to find something that might look OK? or do some of each? I had thought a piano key type border, but that would be a lot of narrow strips but not really log cabin-ish. It is queen size, and the long sides are OK; I think I had added a fourth border in the 1990's; should I take the long sides off and use them as pieces in a pieced border? Ideas please from all you experienced quilters, please.

pictures would help with ideas. personally i would not use piano keys on a log cabin-but that's me-
is it cottons or something else?
maybe visit your local quilt shop with the quilt & ask them what they think- my lqs is always so friendly/helpful & they sometimes come up with ideas/suggestions i had not thought of.

I have recently had a similar experience with a commissioned quilt. The elderly couple wanted a replicate of a 1970s LC that their niece had made for them. The navy blue had turned mauve-y in many places due to sun exposure and I had to reveal a seam allowance to 'prove' to them that navy had been the original color.:)

Anyway, they wanted 1970s calicoes which I spent nearly 8 weeks searching for, locally and online. Finally came close enough, finished the quilt, and they were delighted. I mostly did this by googling "calico fabrics". Their quilt finished with three borders, each a bit wider than the previous, as per the original quilt.

Interestingly enough, I have recently seen more of this calico fabric style in new collections as I've wandered the internet, so I feel you are more likely to locate something theme and style appropriate for your project. You might try googling "brown calicoes" or doing that search at www.quiltshops.com.

Jan in VA

Take the long sides off and add them as a thin border before you add a new fabric as your last border before binding. Make sure you add a new label to add to the quilts history.