Border dilemma

[HollyinWA]

I have been at a longer stand-still than I like trying to decide on the border situation with my first quilt which is a Double Slice Layer Cake. I bought a layer cake called Swiss Chocolate which was 50% off and this particular fabric is no longer available as far as I can tell. I have only been able to find jelly rolls and a couple of the designs in yardage which I do not want for the border. I am pretty sure I found a brown border (which has a design on it) that will compliment the very busy patterns that the Swiss Chocolate has. I was going to do a light two inch or so border inside and then a 4 inch border in the brown pattern on the outside. I thought I found a light colored cream type fabric that will go (has a pattern as well), but the more I look at it, the more I am not satisfied with it. I have looked in the stores locally for cream, mauve, or any other color that might work and I just have not been able to find the right thing. I do not think I want a plain cream but not sure. The cream has to have the right tone. I would like to find one that is not a complete solid but has less of a design. I am afraid to order online because color tone is not exact in online pictures.

Are there many quilts that are done with just one sized border....4 inch? It may come down to either this or no border at all and just binding. I would like to have a border which I think will break up the constant rectangle shapes within the quilt.

Thank you for any suggestions.

[Bubby]

Re: Border dilemma

I made a JRR quilt from a Swiss Chocolate jellyroll. I added a narrow white inner border and I found a blue print (not from the SC line) that went well with the Swiss Chocolate line for the outer border. Sometimes I can overthink border decisions and I end up not finishing my quilts. I'm trying to break myself from this. I call it "Border Block".

[SewingBuddy]

Re: Border dilemma

I've done both. Can you lay the quilt across the back of the sofa and audition the other fabrics as best as you can (maybe along just one side)?

[HollyinWA]

Re: Border dilemma

I made a JRR quilt from a Swiss Chocolate jellyroll. I added a narrow white inner border and I found a blue print (not from the SC line) that went well with the Swiss Chocolate line for the outer border. Sometimes I can overthink border decisions and I end up not finishing my quilts. I'm trying to break myself from this. I call it "Border Block".

Thank you for your response. I tend to over think a lot of things....like the block placement which I finally settled on. I did think about blue for one of the borders but then decided I wanted to keep it in earth tones. I am going to give this one to my mom. Her couch is a lighter brown color and she does not have blue for accents even though she has been desiring to do blue somewhere. If worse comes to worse, where I can't settle on that second border, have you seen quilts that look nice with just the one 4 inch border? I have not seen enough quilts to know really and since it is not put together I am not 100% sure. I have folded up the fabric and held it next to the quilt trying to imagine it all the way around but my mind tends to want to throw something in there...lighter color inside but at the same time it does not look bad right next to the very busy print top...a good busy.

[HollyinWA]

Re: Border dilemma

I've done both. Can you lay the quilt across the back of the sofa and audition the other fabrics as best as you can (maybe along just one side)?

Thank you for the suggestion. I have laid it out on the table and folded the border fabric and put it next to it. I will try the couch way and see if that helps me decide....as soon as I can kick the dogs off the couch! lol

[HollyinWA]

Re: Border dilemma

Ok, I think I got it figured out. I asked both of my girls and they could not help me, so then I asked my husband and he picked the choice of just the one border...the brown print. While we were discussing it, I found that it will look good with a very narrow border of the lighter cream/tan material that has kinda of a basket weave pattern in it. It gives just enough of a contrast inbetween the quilt top and the outside main border. As far as I can tell, 1/2 of an inch looks good so I will either cut each strip 1 inch or maybe 1 1/8 to be safe. It will give it a similar look to what piping would do but not that narrow.

[LorraineRob]

Re: Border dilemma

What about something like this?

Max & Whiskers Double Slice Layer Cake by ... | Quilting Ideas

[Sharyn J]

Re: Border dilemma

I think a narrow border of your light cream/tan would look great next to your 4" border fabric. It would frame the quilt nicely. I looked this line up on google and it's very pretty.

[HollyinWA]

Re: Border dilemma

What about something like this?

Max & Whiskers Double Slice Layer Cake by ... | Quilting Ideas

Thank you for your post. I saw that quilt on Craftsy before I started my quilt and love it! I wanted to do it like that but I bought the layer cake before I saw that quilt and I did not know that the fabric collection is no longer available as far as I know. I can only find the jelly rolls that are left and a few of the prints in yards. Even if I could find the fabric I did not want to spend on a whole jelly roll for the addition between the borders right now....have had a lot of extra expense lately. I really like how that quilt was done, and I had saved it in my favorites. The next time I do a double sliced layer cake I am going to make sure I am able to get the matching fabric for the border and I will spend the extra money next time for the additional fabric between the boders. She did an excellent job!

[HollyinWA]

Re: Border dilemma

I think a narrow border of your light cream/tan would look great next to your 4" border fabric. It would frame the quilt nicely. I looked this line up on google and it's very pretty.

Thank you for the encourgement. I am not sure if you mean the narrower border that I mentioned above where I got it figured out or the original thought of a narrow border at about 2 inches wide like many do.