FroggyinTexas

No set rule that I know of. I like to put an inner border between the pieced or appliqued top and add a wider outer border. If you have enough fabric to play with, try six inches and if you don't like it, you can cut it down to five or four. Have you considered how you want the border quilted? That will make a difference in choosing a width. froggyintexas

Nanax4

So many things to take into consideration....how much fabric is available for the border, do I want to buy more? (usually!), how big do I want the quilt to be, how big is the batting I have available.

Lots of times I don't use a border at all, but choose my binding carefully. mostly in a contrasting color/scale. If I do use a border, each one is no more than 3/8's the block size. If more than one, I often make the inner border narrower, and the outer border wider.

I lay it out and play with it. I start with the fibonacci ratio's, but often take a look at the golden ratio to see how that looks. They're similar but not exactly the same.

No rules...just do what looks good to you. Best rule is: Have fun!

crafty pat

I have added wide borders to some of my quilts to make them larger and have been very happy with the way they turned out.

maviskw

I like a very narrow strip to use as a "stop" border, and then put a wider border on.

I made a six inch border of very large floral, but cut off 1 1/4 inch and put a white strip in there.
The border was going around a white sashing of two inches. (These are finished sizes now.) Then comes 3/4 inch of the large floral, 3/4 inch of white and 4 3/4 inch of the large floral. The binding was the large floral also, so it went right to the edge. Looks "smashing". Breaking up the floral with that white strip looked great. A few years later I did another one just like that.

caspharm

I think it depends on the effect that you desire. The only rule might be how visually balanced it will be, which can even be achieved with different widths on different sides.

tetcha

No rules at all! Whatever appeals to you and your DH.

Craftnut

Glad I could help, luana.

Friday1961

The responses to your question remind me of my mother's reply when I asked, as a young wife, how to make dressing (as with chicken or turkey at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas). Turns out there was no recipe--other than a general agreement about ingredients--because all cooks make it to their own specifications or desires. But that wasn't helpful at to me then!

So I'll say this about borders: Look online and in a few books, if you have them, and if you don't, in a bookstore or the library. That's where I went when I first had your question. Experienced quilters, like some here, will give you concrete ideas and/or even "rules" for how borders are done. My borders, like my dressing, are now done according to my own "non-recipe", as in what I want and/or think looks good. But you have to do a few borders -- and make dressing a few times -- before you can trust yourself to make decisions like that.

Good luck!!