Two questions that I often see on the UKQU Facebook page are “should I add a border to this quilt” or “which border should I add to this quilt?”
I have asked myself this many times over the last 3 years when making a quilt. If I think the quilt needs a frame to emphasise what I have created so far or if I need to make it a little bigger then I will use a border.
If I just want to frame it then I will use one or two straight borders in colours that make the quilt top stand out. I may use a narrow first border and a wider second border and a coordinating binding.
When I first started quilt making, I thought that this was the only way to “finish off” a quilt top, but over the years I have seen some fantastic examples of how to frame a top and how to make it larger.
I have used pinwheels, flying geese, four patches, nine patches, piano keys, slanted piano keys and half square triangles, as borders but there are hundreds of other blocks that you can use to make a border for your quilt. These all make the quilt larger, more interesting and different from straight borders.
I believe that should you choose to add a border, if your quilt top is simple then a detailed border will improve the look of your quilt, but this is just my opinion and you should always go with your own taste and do what you are comfortable with.
The reason that I tend to stay away from straight border strips is despite numerous attempts I can’t seem to avoid getting a wavy or flappy border. So, I tend to not border a quilt unless I think it needs framing.
Anyway, keep posting those pictures of your beautiful quilts so that I can keep drooling over your incredible work and wishing that I had your talent!
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