Borders on quilts
Do you like borders on quilts? I’m not sure I do. I think there are times when they are vital and are needed to tie the whole design together – like in a Baltimore Album type of quilt or even my Andalusian Tile quilt – still a work in progress! But I think there are other times when a really great quilt becomes “just another quilt” by the addition of a border. Sometimes it just looks like the border was added because the maker got bored with it and added to a border to make it the right size to fit the bed. What do you think?
Could it be a fashion?
Maybe it’s a fashion thing. I notice most “modern quilts” don’t have borders. By the way don’t take this as a criticism if you really like borders, I’m just musing aloud because I’ve done both myself – even the getting bored with it and adding a border just to get it finished – but I just was interested to see what others think.
An example
My first quilt was a hand-pieced and hand-quilted sampler quilt. I was happy with the blocks, even liked it when I put the sashing on but I hated it when the border went on. I even reduced the size of the border but I still dislike it. Take a look. I don’t think this border does anything at all for this quilt. I’ve fiddled with the photo too just so you can get a bit of an idea of what it would be like without the border.
With border
Without border
If you’re looking for the Art Gallery Fabrics Give Away it’s here. You’ve got till Friday before it’s drawn.
Personally I think the quilt looks unfinished without the border. That being said I must agree the border you have doesn’t do anything for me or the quilt. so perhaps it is just that you have chosen the wrong fabric for the border.
When I teach a class I never give fabric quantities for the border. When the student reaches the stage that they need to buy fabric for the border I then go through the different choices that they can make and together we try laying out fabric to demonstrate those choices with their quilt. The students find it quite surprising that two quilts made from the same design can need totally different border approaches.
Just my opinion though.
Hi Cinzia
Thanks for your input. I hadn’t thought about it looking unfinished but I guess sometimes that can be the case. It a great point. When I signed up for that quilt class I was told to pick a favourite fabric and then choose other fabrics that had those colours in them. To be truthful, at the time there wasn’t a fabric in the shop that really did it for me but this is a Japanese fabric and I quite liked it so I went with that. I was really stunned when it came to using it for the border to see how horrible it looked. Oh well, live and learn I guess. BTW congratulations on your quilt in the show. I thought it was gorgeous.
Cheers
Munaiba
I agree with you Munaiba – in this case the fussy border does nothing at all good for the quilt. On the other hand a plainer, stronger coloured fabric eg the green or the plum fabrics would have complemented the design better. Personally, I prefer a plainer border on a sampler quilt – there is enough busy-ness going on already. Don’t lose heart over it though – it is still a lovely quilt and a credit to you.
Cheers
Jenny
Thanks Jenny. My husband likes the quilt so I gave it to him. 🙂
I also have a hard time with borders. For me it’s not so much adding a border, as finding the RIGHT border. I often find the border I put on a quilt to be too busy, and the eye goes to the border, not the blocks.
These days less seems to be more for me. I’d rather make 20 extra blocks and forget the border. Or my border is more like a sashing – very small. If I do need a wider border, I’ll most likely go with a solid rather than a print. Oft times I’ll pick out a floral or patterned fabric with several colors to use as a guide to pull color choices from for a quilt, but then won’t use that guide fabric at all in my quilt, keeping it simpler.
A tip I learned in a class once is to put the fabric you’re thinking of using around the quilt, then use a door peep-hole to look at it. This gives you a far view of the quilt. If your eye is taken directly to the border, then the border is too busy. If it draws your eye in towards the blocks, then you’ve done a good job!
PS – Sorry this is so long – just had my first cup of coffee and I’m buzzing this morning!
Hi Cindi
Great comment. Don’t worry about the length. I really wanted to start a conversation here. I think you’re points are all well made.
Munaiba
I’m definitely a scrappy pieced borders gal and spend just as much time choosing binding! ;-)))
When I started quilting 25+ years ago, single fabric borders were ‘expected’, and it was quite exciting choosing fabric for them.
But two of my favourite quilts were designed by choosing the (pieced) border fabrics first – then designing the quilt to work with them! And I don’t just have one border, it’s usually 2-3, pieced and varying widths.
So – it’s scrappy for me! And no, they don’t always need borders, depending on the design. I have a mix of both.
cheers
Cait
Hi Cait
I think you’re right. The border needs to have as much thought put into it as the quilt if it’s to become an integral part of the quilt and not just an add-on. I have a quilt with a pieced border and I really like it so maybe my aversion to borders is just plain fabric borders.
Munaiba
I think a lot of people just add a border because that’s what they’ve always done, or have been taught to do. Having worked in quilt shop I know people will agonise for ages over the “right” border fabric, when in my view they’d be better off making an extra row of blocks, or picking a really good binding.
If the blocks are really busy a good border can give the eye somewhere to rest, but a lot of people seem to think they need a really busy print that picks out as many colours from the quilt top as they can find. Some quilts truly don’t look finished without a border, some look overdone with one.
When people are doing their first, often sampler, quilt it is common advice to have them choose a feature fabric and work from there. It helps with colour selection, which is also generally a huge sticking point for beginners. Beginner sampler quilts are a huge learning curve. I know very few people who love their first sampler quilt, from a style perspective, but the sense of achievement is wonderful.
I think your sampler needed the border, but your fabric is very busy. That being said, it’s still a lovely quilt.
As for myself, I try and do whatever the quilt top is telling me at the time. Sometimes with success, sometimes – not so much.
Thanks Kate. I guess the real answer to the border question seems to be “it depends” lol. The quilt itself really dictates what is needed doesn’t it?
Cheers
Munaiba
Good Grief… It must be a punishment for every beginner to quilt a sampler. Mine is exactly the same as yours with a few different blocks, its still sitting in the cupboard, half finished.
While it gave me a good start on how to quilt, its not my style nor are the colours anything I would normally choose, thats why it will never be finished.
But … back to borders. I think sometimes you need one & sometimes the fabric just speaks for itself & doesnt need a border, and then fashion & style also come into play.
As you said, personal preference comes in to play a lot. I have seen lovely quilts with & without.
As Kate said “As for myself, I try and do whatever the quilt top is telling me at the time. Sometimes with success, sometimes – not so much.”
I think that statement sums it up well. I always like Kates quilts though, so we must have the same taste. Then again… when you have made as many quilts as Kate has, Im sure she just throws all the fabrics together & they sort themselves out. Dont you wish!
Catherine