dunster

And sometimes, sad but true, the border width is even limited by the amount of that fabric we have left.

QuiltE

.... oh so true!
and sometimes the need for binding of the same affects the border size.
Or a contrasting binding that has only so much fabric available!

stillclock

generally from a design perspective i like to have to borders be somewhere from half the size to 2/3 of the size fo the blocks. it strikes my eye better.

for the one i just finished, once i got the 3 6" borders on i felt like it needed a stronger frame, so i added an additional 2".

like so many things, the quilt tells you what it needs

aileen

AliKat

The design of the quilt is what influences me the most. I look for where the quilt is going to be used, the purpose of its life, and what is most aesthetically pleasing from my point of view. Which means I audition different options. If in a hurry will use EQ to see the finished product.

However, I don't always like to use borders but colorful binding to complement the quilt. I don't believe every quilt needs a border, or needs 'to grow' by adding one.

ManiacQuilter2

It is all a matter of proportions. I audition a size by folding the border fabric to a width and seeing if it looks proportionally correct. And sometimes, Duncan is RIGHT when you can ONLY use what you have. That is when inside borders come into play. Good Luck !!

Lafpeaches

Hope your husband is doing okay. I add enough borders to get the size i want usually starting with a 2 inch then doubling each one. I do what i looks good to me.

QuiltnNan

if i have two borders, i like the inner border to be about half of the outer border... but that is just me

cathyvv

There is no set rule that I know of. I generally use borders of about 3 inches deep, but have made them up to 6".

Questions I ask myself before I cut borders:

- How big is the quilt? How big do you want it to be? This has a very big influence on the size of your borders.

- If I already have batting for the quilt, the batting sets the maximum size of the quilt + border.

Do you want one border or two, or more? Contrasting borders can add interest to the quilt and draw the eye out to the edges.

How much coordinating fabric do you have? This is an important question, since how much fabric you have available sets the maximum depth of your border. If you have two yards, you can usually make a wider border than if you have 1 or 1.5 yards. Mitered borders take more fabric.

- Do you want to use the border fabric as binding as well? Depending on the size of the quilt, that could be up to a 1/2 yard (or more) of fabric. So if you want to use the same fabric for binding and border, keep that in mind when you cut the border.

Good luck.

Craftnut

A good guide is to use the Fibonacci sequence when deciding on widths of borders. This is the sequence of numbers beginning with 0 and 1, then advancing by adding the last two together. So, 0-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21 and so on. If my block is 12 inches, I usually take a quarter of that for the first border - so 3 inches. Then the outer border would be five inches. This sequence occurs in nature on leaves and flower petals, so it will 'feel right' when you see it.

luana

Craftnut, I'm saving this post. I appreciate a concrete starting point for making something that looks right, and Mother Nature knows her stuff.