Quick and Easy Pieced Borders to Transform Your Quilt Design

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All You Need to Know About Creating Gorgeous Pieced Borders for Your Quilts

Whether you’re a beginner quilt maker or an experienced quilter, you’ve likely noticed how much impact borders can have on the finished look of a quilt. While plain borders work just fine, pieced borders take your quilting to the next level by adding beautiful design elements, intricate patterns, and decorative flairs.

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know to craft spectacular pieced borders that will make your quilts stand out. From fabric selection tips to piecing techniques to creative design ideas, by the end you’ll be fully equipped to add show-stopping borders to all your quilting projects.

Choosing Your Pieced Border Fabrics

  1. Consider the fabrics used in your quilt center. Pick border fabrics that coordinate in color and print scale without exactly matching. Too close a match will blend the border in, too unmatched will clash.
  2. Look for directional and one-way prints if including them in your piecing plans. Make sure the prints all flow in the same direction when sewn together.
  3. Mix solid, tone-on-tone, and medium to large prints for visual interest. Large contrasting prints alone can be overwhelming as a border.
  4. As with any quilt, consider your intended room’s color palette when choosing border fabrics to ensure cohesion.

From my experience, it’s best to select a few coordinated fabrics rather than dozens of prints. Too many choices can complicate piecing and undermine the border’s cohesive look. Stick to a balanced color scheme and purposeful fabric grouping.

Piecing Techniques for Borders

There are infinite piecing patterns you can use in borders, but here are some basic approaches:

Straight-Grain Rows: Sew fabric strips together end to end in straight lines. Add sashing strips between rows if desired. This creates a classic pieced border look.

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On-Point Borders: Cut triangles from your fabrics and arrange them in angled rows resembling a triangle block. Pay close attention to directional prints.

Compound Units: Construct small pieced blocks – like Four-Patch or Nine-Patch – and sew them together to form larger border units.

Y-Seams: Use the Y-seam technique to piece complex diagonal layouts without unsightly gaps. It takes practice but yields amazing results.

No matter the pattern, always press seams open or to the darker side for a smooth, professional appearance when complete. Take your time to ensure accurate 1/4″ seams.

Getting Creative with Border Designs

There are endless options for bringing unique style to pieced borders. Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:

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  • Incorporate geometric or curvy motifs like circles, stars, and spirals.
  • Piece graduated stripes that increase/decrease in width toward the corners.
  • Alternate narrow and wide border strips for visual movement.
  • Add an inner border strip inside the pieced outer border to set it off.
  • Weave complementary fabrics through pieced diagonal rows for extra dimension.
  • Trim the borders with a narrow self-binding or facing to finish neatly.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment! Break the rules and let your artistic vision guide the design. From my experience, some of the coolest borders result from improvisation. Share mockups with trusted quilting friends too. Outside eyes often see solutions you may miss.

    Applying the Finished Border

    Now for attaching that fabulous pieced border you’ve labored over! Here are my tips:

  • Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing and baste or pin the layers together well.
  • Mark the center of each quilt side using a fabric marker or chalk pencil.
  • Pin one border piece right sides together at each center marking, easing in fullness as needed.
  • Stitch border onto quilt side using a 1/4″ seam. Backstitch at each end for durability.
  • Press seam toward border, then edge stitch in the ditch to secure seam allowances.
  • Repeat for remaining borders, mitering corners neatly as you go.
  • Taking your time with these steps will result in perfectly aligned borders that enhance rather than detract from your quilt‘s beauty. So don’t rush – a few minutes more for a polished finish is always worth it!

    I hope these tips have given you some great ideas and strategies for crafting show-stopping pieced borders for your quilts! With careful planning and execution, your borders are sure to become true statement pieces that elevate any quilting project. Please let me know if you have any other border questions. Happy quilting!

    Quilt Pieced Border Design Options

    Style Difficulty Focus
    Straight set Easy Even measurements for simplified look
    Cut unit Intermediate Repeating geometric shapes for decorative effect
    Curved Challenging Organic flow adds visual interest
    Corner design Varies Customize individual corners for uniqueness
    Applied trim Easy Ready-made fabric band hides raw edges simply

    FAQ

    1. What is a pieced border?

      Basically, a pieced border for quilts is one that’s put together from various small fabric pieces rather than a solid strip of material. It lets you add some interest around the edges.

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    2. How do you make a pieced border?

      To make a pieced border, you first cut your border fabric into strips of varying widths – maybe 1 to 2 inches each. Then you piece them together like a patchwork to form longer border strips that go all the way around your quilt. You sew them to the sides and top/bottom of the quilt center.

    3. What kinds of piecing designs are there?

      There are endless designs you can use! Some popular ones are variations on squares, triangles, circles – basically any shape. You can do fancy piecing or keep it simple. Get creative with scraps! At the same time, use low-sharp triangle designs sparingly unless you want to show off your piecing skills.

    4. Is piecing borders harder than plain borders?

      Piecing borders do take more time and effort than a regular solid border. However, the outcome can be stunning! If it’s your first time, perhaps start with a simple strip-pieced border to get comfortable with the technique. That way you can avoid any potential frustrations that come from overly complex piecing designs. Nevertheless, piecing borders are worth learning as a way to showcase your quilting skills.

    5. How much fabric is needed for a pieced border?

      The amount of fabric needed can vary a lot depending on the size of your quilt and the border design. In general, you’ll want to estimate needing about 1 1/2 to 2 times the width of your finished border strip in fabric. For example, if you want a 6 inch wide finished border, plan to have about 9 to 12 inches of fabric. It’s always smart to buy a little extra in case of mistakes too!

    6. Where can I find pieced border ideas and patterns?

      There are tons of pieced border ideas online and in quilt magazines/books! On the other hand, some amazing modern ideas come from Instagram quilt artists. You could also look to vintage quilts from the 1800s for inspiration – many historical patterns incorporate piecing. As the old saying goes, good artists copy but great artists steal, so steal liberally from all the amazing pieced borders you see! Just be sure to cite your sources.

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