Quilting Border Ideas – Creative Ways to Finish Your Quilt

Quilting Border Ideas – Creative Ways to Finish Your Quilt image 0

Creative Ideas for Quilting Borders

Border inspiration for any quilt design

From my experience as an avid quilter, coming up with fresh border ideas can enhance any quilt’s overall aesthetic. However, finding the perfect border that both complements your central design while adding visual interest is often easier said than done. In my practice, I’ve faced situations where the border seems boring or doesn’t quite capture the style of the quilt. Luckily, with some simple strategies, you’ll be on your way to developing eye-catching borders, no matter what kind of quilt you’re creating.

Considerations when planning borders

When dreaming up creative borders, there are a few key considerations to bear in mind:

  1. Colors that coordinate with or contrast the main quilt pattern
  2. Border width proportional to the overall size of your quilt
  3. Texture and embellishments that are cohesive with the central design and fabrics
  4. Corner elements that transition smoothly at the edges

Overall, you really want the border to seamlessly complement what’s featured in the center of your quilt rather than look like an afterthought.

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7 unique ideas for eye-catching borders

Here are some of my all-time favorite go-to border styles for that wow factor:

  1. Scrappy patchwork borders – Upcycle leftover swatches from your central design for an eclectic patchwork border. This adds a nice homemade touch.
  2. Waterfall cut borders – Stack 2-3 coordinating strips and sew with a gently cascading angle for a fun folded wave effect.
  3. Fussy cut print borders – Fussy cutting involves selectively cutting around a specific motif in printed fabric so it stands out. Scattered blossoms give a dainty appeal.
  4. Prairie point borders – These dimensional triangular folds stitched at even intervals create textural drama all around your quilt.
  5. Folded self-binding borders – Fold over simple borders and topstitch down for tidy tailored edges that require no additional binding step.
  6. Decorative lace borders – Sew on wide lace trims, ruffles or delicate eyelet edges for a frilly, feminine vibe.
  7. Braided cord borders – Stitch braided cording into a continuous loop around your quilt and watch it make those borders pop magically.

I’ve personally made quilts incorporating most of these, and they never fail to add that perfect note of visual interest around every square inch. From my experience, combining patchwork pieces, decorative trims and eye-catching textile effects works wonders for border detailing.

Techniques for setting up creative borders

In my practice teaching quilting, borders are notorious for getting botched if insufficient attention is paid to set them up correctly. However, executing even the most intricate border is surprisingly straightforward when you follow three key steps initially:

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  1. Plan exact border size – Determine the precise border measurements and cut your fabric pieces to size from the start.
  2. Add cornerstones – Inset simple small squares between adjoining border pieces for cleaner transitions with fewer inset seams.
  3. Incorporate interfacing – Fuse a flexible interfacing to border pieces to reinforce edges and add more body for crisper shaping.

Adhering to these preparatory pointers will pave the way for decoratively embellished, structured borders that maintain their integrity over time even with frequent use and handling. Amazingly, something as seemingly insignificant as the quilt’s outer border can make or break the entire impression!

Best fabrics for eye-catching borders

While almost any fabric can be suited to borders with the right treatment, some of my personal favorites include:

  • Floral prints – Scattered blooms or dainty vines
  • Plaids and checks – Crisp lines with striking color contrast
  • Batiks – Vivid saturated hues and decorative wax-resist patterns
  • Metallics – Shimmery surfaces that catch and reflect the light beautifully
  • Scenic prints – Calming nature motifs like leaves and feathers

I highly recommend heading to your local quilt shop or browsing online stores to view prints and textures in person before selecting border fabrics. It’s amazing how different the colors, scale and overall look can translate from a small swatch to full-size yard cuts. From my own memorable experience, I once ordered a soft floral print for a baby quilt border that ended up resembling huge cabbage roses when sewn up!

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Stunning border examples to spark your creativity

While simple self-bound borders get the job done, taking border embellishment up a creative notch or two is often what propels quilts into truly spectacular showstopper territory.

For inspiration, here are just a couple standout border treatments from recent quilts I’ve worked on:

  • Dozens of miniscule yo-yos hand-sewn together into one smooth undulating garland border using gradient shades of purple batik fabric
  • Metallic gold lace stitched down along each raw edge with free motion decorative scrolls stitched inside the open border area for an ornate frame effect

Talk about glamorous! Those decorative touches elevated both piece to heirloom status in my book. And that’s precisely the astonishing metamorphosis possible simply by embellishing lackluster borders.

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So next time you’re quilt has ho-hum edges, I encourage you to reach for the creative possibilities and go for the gold with gloriously adorned borders. Your future snuggle-happy recipients will thank you!

Tips for Choosing Quilting Borders
Border Type Best Uses Average Width
Single fabric strip Simple quilts, highlighting focal fabric 2-6 inches
Pieced borders Scrappy quilts, use leftover pieces 3-5 inches
Mitered borders Angled setting, dynamic look 3-4 inches
Scalloped borders Soft, feminine look 2-5 inches
Prairie points Rustic, pioneer themes 1-3 inches

FAQ

What are some good ideas for quilting borders?

  1. Geometric or graphic prints can make really cool modern borders. Go for bold stripes, chevrons, or abstract shapes to frame your quilt with visual interest.
  2. If your quilt has a theme, carry that through in the border fabric. For a baby quilt you could use cute animal prints. For a seasonal quilt try holiday fabrics.
  3. Echo colors or fabrics used in the main quilt. This helps tie it all together. You could use a thin strip of each fabric pieced together scrappy style.
  4. Frame it with something unexpected! Ruffle trim, a flange or decorative rope cord can make pretty unique borders.

What width should I make the borders?

  1. Narrow borders, 2-3 inches wide, keep the focus on the main quilt. Wide borders, 6 inches or more, make more of a statement and balance out a bold center.
  2. Pay attention to scale. A narrow border can get lost on a large quilt. And an super wide one may overwhelm a small lap size.

How do I figure out border measurements?

  1. It’s math! Measure across the width and length of your quilt top through the middle. Then add the border widths you want.
  2. To have nice even corners, border strips should be cut the exact lengths needed based on those measurements.