Design input on border fabrics?

[Claire OneStitchAtATime]

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.

[vchale]

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.

[pcbatiks]

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.

[Hulamoon]

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.

[sewlucky]

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

[Sharyn J]

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!

[Claire OneStitchAtATime]

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?

[Kgrammiecaz]

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.

[Mimis-quilts]

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.

[Cat77]

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.