Quilt Borders Ideas to Inspire Your Next Sewing Project

20 Gorgeous Quilt Border Ideas to Enhance Your Quilting Projects

If you’re working on a quilting project and want to take it to the next level, consider adding an attractive border. Borders can help frame and finish off your quilt, drawing the eye in and tying the overall design together. From my experience as an avid quilter, borders are an important finishing touch.

Why add a border?

Borders serve several purposes:

1. They define the outer edge and give a quilt a polished look.
2. They balance patterns and allow for an easier sewing surface than raw edges.
3. They add visual interest and tie color schemes together.

Believe me, a simple border can lift a quilt from nice to stunning. The possibilities are endless once you start experimenting with different styles, fabrics, and techniques.

Choosing a fabric

When selecting border fabrics, consider how they’ll complement your quilt top. Pull a color from the quilt to anchor the border, or use a neutral like white, black or gray for contrast. Fabrics with small prints or textures also work well so they don’t overwhelm the quilt center.

Alternatively, you could add interest by using a bold print or different color family than the main quilt. But is it worth it to steal attention from the focal points? You’ll have to find the right balance.

Common border ideas

Here are some popular border options to try:

1. Straight strip borders: Easy to piece straight strips of fabric in various widths for a classic framed look.
2. Mitered borders: Create the illusion of corners meeting at 45 degree angles using triangle shapes.
3. Scalloped borders: Edge fabrics with curves for a whimsical touch. Draw templates first for consistency.
4. Pieced borders: Incorporate patchwork motifs like squares, triangles or stars around the quilt perimeter.
5. Cornerstone borders: Place distinct panels of fabric at each corner to anchor a quilt.

Kind of like frames for art, the right border style can totally change how your quilt appears. At the same time, simplicity has its appeal too.

Unique border ideas to try

If you want to get creative, here are some outside-the-box ideas to jazz up basic borders:

1. Rope/braid look: Sew bias strips together in a rope-like twining design.
2. Ruffled edges: Gather long strips of fabric with elastic thread for puffy ruffles.
3. Piping: Add a cord inside a tunnel of fabric for cleancut definition.
4. Bias circles: Cut circles from bias fabric and appliqué them along the border.
5. Freeform curves: Draft irregular curved borders that zigzag across.
6. Embroidery: Stitch floral vines, leaves or motifs along border edges.

These unique borders require more planning and piecing skills, but sort of amp up your quilt’s “wow” factor, if you know what I mean. They make a real statement.

Using borders to your advantage

Borders offer a chance to resolve issues with a quilt top too. For example:

• Cover uneven piecing or add length if squares are too big or small.
• Disguise seams that don’t quite match up under appliquéd bands.
• Camouflage stains by painting or printing designs onto the border fabric.
• Frame different quilt blocks or colorful sashing inside border panels.

So even if all else fails, a smart border can salvage your labor of love. I’ve faced situations where borders made the difference between an so-so quilt and a true showstopper.

Customizing quilt border ideas

Remember, borders are your opportunity for personal expression. You can remix any of the ideas here to suit your tastes:

• Combine pieced and solid borders in a layered look.
• Stitch two borders of complementary fabrics for visual depth.
• Break up long borders with inset panels or colorful blocks.
• Mix prints and textures within one border for variety.
• Echo quilt motifs or themes in the fabric choices.
• Get inspired by your quilt’s pattern name with logo letters.

The possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Really, there are no strict rules – only what looks and feels right to you!

Finishing techniques

Once you’ve pieced your dream border, a few final steps will pull it all together:

1. Stitch the border to the quilt using a 1/4″ seam and pressing seams open or to one side.
2. Square up the quilt edges if needed by trimming away excess fabric beyond the border.
3. Apply binding to cover the quilt back fabric and border seam allowances neatly.
4. Finish with your choice of quilting, whether it’s straight lines, fancy designs or tying knots.
5. Attach a hanging sleeve or labels to properly care for and show off your work!

With pride of ownership, I think you’ll see your quilt elevate to a true “forever” piece with all these touching details. Borders really are the perfect finishing flourish.

In summary, quilt borders present a sort of creative opportunity. So don’t be afraid to experiment, think outside the box, and make unique accents that reflect your personal style. Just remember – the goal is to enhance rather than detract from the overall design. Finding that balance takes some trial and error, but the results can be amazing. Having seen zillions of homemade quilts in my time, a standout border frequently spells the difference between good and great. I hope these ideas inspire you to design one of your own!

Quilt Border Ideas

FAQ

1. What are some good choices for quilt border fabrics?

   Plain, solid colors are kind of basic but they kinda work well. You can’t go wrong with light or medium tones of blues, greens, reds or yellows. But if you want something more fun, prints with small or medium sized motifs look nice too. Flowers, dots or geometric designs are good options since they don’t distract from the quilt center. Not sure if bold or large prints would compete with your quilt top. Maybe try something lighter weight for the borders so it doesn’t overpower the quilt. Although heavier fabrics could work if you use a narrow border.

2. Should borders match or contrast with the quilt center?

   This one’s a tough call – there’s good arguments for both! A lot depends on personal taste. Borders that match the quilt center materials sort of minimally frame it and can work well for simple designs where you want the focus to remain on the pieced or appliqued shapes inside. On the other hand, contrasting borders certainly draw attention and make a statement. They basically make a bold frame around the center. I’ve seen amazing quilts using either approach. At the end of the day, it’s about figuring out what looks best to your eye for that particular quilt.

3. What width should quilt borders be?

   General guidelines suggest border widths between 2-6 inches are the most commonly used. Really skinny borders under 2 inches can appear a bit lost on larger quilts. Oversized borders over 6 inches run the risk of clashing with the quilt top rather than complementing it. Nevertheless, wider borders can also emphasize certain designs well. I’d say try draping different width fabric strips around your quilt center to see what looks best. You might change your mind based on the size and busyness of your quilt pattern.

4. How can I keep borders straight and aligned?

   Staying precise is key, right? Some tips that may help are using a long acrylic ruler and rotary cutter to trim your border strips perfectly straight before sewing. Another option is to pin borders in place while leaving an inch or two extending beyond the quilt edges so you can align them under the machine foot easily. Some experienced quilters also might swear by taping the borders down with painter’s or masking tape before stitching for super accurate results. And of course, slow and careful machine quilting is important too.

   

5. Should borders be sewn on before or after quilting?

   This one has some pros and cons no matter what way you go. Sewing borders on before quilting lets you quilt all the way to the quilt edges for an awesome finished look. However, it requires careful handling of the bulkier quilt sandwich to prevent distortion while working. Doing borders after quilting is less unwieldy, yet can result in wavy or wobbly borders if your quilting pulls the center fabric out of alignment. Some quilters basically do half the border, quilt, then the other half to find a nice compromise. Go with what works best for your specific project and skills, I guess!

6. Is hand or machine quilting better for attaching borders?

   Both methods can yield good results, so it’s not really a question of “better”. Hand stitching borders may appeal more to some people since it allows custom adjustments along the way. On the flip side, nothing beats the speed and consistency provided by machine sewing – just watch those corners! If you’re new to hand quilt making, machines are less forgiving of mistakes too. It really comes down to your preferred technique and laziness level, honestly. Some quilters sew borders by hand but use the machine for other steps to find a combo that works.

7. Any tips for mitering border corners neatly?

   Mitered corners seem really tricky but they’re worth mastering for a polished look. One method is to fold the border strips in half lengthwise and press a sharp crease before sewing. Then line up the fold with the quilt edge and stitch, allowing the border to fold at the corner. You can also pin borders right sides together at a 45 degree angle before sewing to test the fold placement. Taking it slow and using short straight stitches near the point helps get nice smooth miters too. Sometimes it takes practice to get pro level corners though, so be kind to yourself if they’re not perfect!