Design input on border fabrics?

I'm making a Jacob's Ladder for quilt class at my LQS & went to look at border fabrics today. The blocks are pretty traditional & I'm wanting a more contemporary look for the whole project. The main colors for the blocks are blue, white, & grey but the blue has little dots of orange in it & since orange is complementary to blue on the color wheel I'm considering having some orange in the borders. Want to give some opinions? Sticking with blue or grey would be a safe choice, but I'm wanting something bolder.

The quilt store staff have been cleaning out the back room & were somewhat cranky today; also their taste is more conventional than mine I think. So it wasn't the funnest shopping experience, sadly -- buying fabric should be fun, right? -- & they're not that supportive of the orange. They'll let me do what I want, but there was a lot of "well, it's your quilt"--translation: we don't like it but we won't stop you! They would encourage something tamer I think.

Opinions invited! The class design has a skinny inside border & a wider outside border but sometimes people do three borders, two skinny, one wide. Pictures attached including some options.

I like that red/orange in the second picture that is under the blocks, reads like a solid. I might think about doing a narrow border of cream or white and then a wide border with that one. Love your blocks. It's going to be a gorgeous quilt. Is it for you? If so, I would do what I like regardless of what the ladies at the shop say.

Hi Claire.......what about 2 borders of the orange background......a thin and a thicker one with a thin blue or gray border in between. I like the idea of adding the orange. It's going to be pretty.

Pretty! I'm not a fan of three borders. If it was mine I would do a skinny orange (the solid looking one) and a wider one of your blue.

I saw what Lorie/Hulamoons saw. I would bind with that white/cream with the orange in it. I think it will be awesome!

Terri

I'm a nonconformist too, with a bit of traditional still in my soul! A narrow orange inside border would really pop the quilt! A second small border of turquoise or navy in your printed fabric would be pretty next to an outside border of the dark blue fabric if you decide on three borders. Guess you'd have to audition the zig zag fabric to see how it would work.

I love the Jacob's Ladder pattern. There are so many variations and I've been considering doing one with my Kaffe Fassett fabrics! Oh, oh, they'd probably turn up their noses at my LQS too.........what? nontraditional? Brights? Do whatever you like to please YOU!

Great ideas, people! Keep 'em coming. It is for me, & I don't want to be disappointed when it's finished. I think if I stay in the blue/grey/white color range for everything it could be pretty & classic but it won't be very me. But I do see that the orange is a bit out there & I get why the LQS ladies don't like it. And even though I don't share their taste they do know a lot about quilting & it's hard to ignore their opinion totally!

There was another lady shopping at the store who liked the one that reads like a solid too -- she even suggested an asymmetric sashing with that one -- & a couple of husbands hanging out who thought a skinny blue, a skinny cream/orange, & then a wide blue was the prettiest. The LQS lady said I could sash if I wanted but it wasn't part of the class & if I was going to do it I was on my own. She doesn't know I have you guys & gals. On my own. As if.

I love that other orange with the yellow leaves in the first picture but sadly I think the LQS ladies are right about that one -- it's very, very, bright for this quilt. Would it be so wrong to buy some anyway for my stash?

It is never wrong to add to your stash. I would for sure

I think I like the idea of a thin orange border and wider blue. Giving that touch of orange brings the eye there without taking away from the beautiful jacobs ladder pattern

Nice quilt. Please show us when you are done.

I think I would do a gray toned border first (1.5 -2 inches), then add the orange (2-3 inches) and then do the final border with the blue (3-4 inch). That way you would get the orange in, but it would over power the beautiful Jacob's ladder pattern. You don't want to pull the attention away from the main part of the quilt.

Hmm, not sure.

Maximum I would do in orange is a small inner border. But I'd choose an acutal solid orange, not a print. It would be too distracting and take away from the actual blocks. Maybe you could use the same one for the binding as well (I'd check how it looks like once the top is finished).

For an outer border I would go with the bright blue that is in the lighter of your main fabrics (in the petals). It's quiet bright as well and will give the quilt a more modern look.

Here's what I think would happen with the orange. Your eye would be immediately drawn to the orange. I think a border should not compete with the blocks and in this case, it definitely would compete for attention. It should frame the picture, not be the focus of the picture.

What about that Light colored background with the fine orange/blue geometric large border, a grey or blue skinny border and that fun orange print Claire likes as the binding???

Jean has a good point.

Terri

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jean Sewing Machine

Here's what I think would happen with the orange. Your eye would be immediately drawn to the orange. I think a border should not compete with the blocks and in this case, it definitely would compete for attention. It should frame the picture, not be the focus of the picture.

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So what would you suggest, Jean? It's hard to match the blue in the petals in the floral & we did look at some samples with that blue but it is so different from the darker blue none of us really thought it worked. At least, not with the fabric range there, & since it's their class, I feel I should buy from them.

Listening to us is just like your store staff. Do a little 'audition" and see what "you" like. :)

I like the orange in the second pic. I would do a thin orange border, then a larger blue border and possibly bind in orange. You should audition some strips to see what "speaks" to you.

Using the materials you have displayed, I would do three borders. First, a narrow dark blue, second, an even narrower orange, and third - either dark blue again (and bind in either orange or dark blue) - or the lighter colored fabric in your quilt, bound with the dark blue. I LOVE the cream colored fabric with the orange and blue in it, but I think the design doesn't compliment the other fabrics in the quilt. I would, however, consider using it as my backing.

Update. I bought the orange in the second picture for the first narrow border, and the dark blue that is in the blocks for a second wider border. Also will bind in that dark blue. I bought the geometric orange/cream for the back, with a little extra so I can try out a second skinny border in between the darker orange & the dark blue. I'm not sure if I'll like it as a border. We will see!

And I bought a yard of the bright orange with the leaves & seeds for -- well -- because I love it. For someone who started Second Hand Rose & joined Shop your Stash First there is a teeny bit of irony there. But I love it. So my stash is growing. So sue me.

Use something from your stash WITH the new purchase - that's a win win!!

Two borders - My choice for the first narrow border would be either a narrow black or narrow white border (probably black). The second border would be wider in the dark blue print. Another choice might be narrow white border with a wider black second border. I see there is some orange in the quilt but it is so minimal that I don't think going with the orange is the best choice. I agree with Jean.

I love the idea of being bolder with colors! I'm not the biggest fan of multiple borders (Just for my own projects, love them with what others have done). The top fabric from the first picture is really pretty and catches my eye. I would personally go with a slightly thinner border.
Also thought that maybe do a blue border (maybe a light blue to match the specks in the dot flowers) and use the orange for binding. The orange would really pop but not over power the quilt itself.

Jacobs ladder is a personal favorite and yours is very gorgeous! Can't wait to see it complete :)