How to Determine Borders on Quilts
A border on your quilt provides a visual stopping point between the quilt blocks and the binding. Borders can be as simple or as complex as you want, and their design should be chosen early in the quiltmaking process for maximum effect. A good border doesn't steal the center stage from the quilt block top; rather, it enhances the complex block pattern with a well-thought out, symmetrical design that adds interest and continuity. Repeating some of the fabrics used in the blocks pulls the quilt together into a cohesive unit.
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Instructions
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Decide if you want to use the border to extend the size of the quilt, to frame the blocks, or enhance the color. If your blocks are set on-point, you need a border to fill in the edges of the design. Keep symmetry in mind and don't make the border larger than any one quilt block.
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Experiment with different types of borders by sewing sample border strips together. Some of the most common borders are created using diamonds, triangles, rectangles or square-shaped pieces of fabric. Applique can be added to a border for a tactile sensation. Multiple borders are created by using more than one fabric, or by placing a pieced border between two strips of solid-colored fabric.
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Tack the quilt top up on a wall and hold up the different border samples to see which looks best.
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Choose a corner treatment before cutting the border fabric. Common choices are to butt the corners, miter them, or to insert a cornerstone of a different color. Measure each side and cut the fabric to length and width, adding 1/4-inch to each edge as a seam allowance.
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Pin each border strip into place, starting at the center and working out to the corners. Sew in place, easing any excess fabric as you stitch.
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References
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