World Wide Quilting Page
Question of the Week
Question for the week of April 13, 1998:
Our question this week comes from Rose Petersen
When is the best time to choose border and binding fabric - I find that if I choose it in the beginning I sometimes change it and use
another; sometimes (like now) I am struggling to find a suitable border
and am having difficulty. Should you buy all your fabric at once?
bbgunn (gunn442@aol.com :
I usually wait until the top is together then I "let" fabrics audition for the honor of being the border. Often times the fabric that looks perfect at purchase time either detracts from the quilt, kills it, or fights with the rest of the quilt. I usually ask the opinion of my husband or daughter or a friend (if I don't like what they said).
As for buying all my fabric at once, it would be nice if I could get so organized and make up my mind. I do a lot of stashing! But, quilting is fun and relaxing!
Mary :
I choose the border after I have the quillt put together.
I use the fabric colors that I have used in the quilt itself.
I especially love doing the binding.
loree :
I tend to plan my entire quilt with the border. I do buy plenty of all the fabrics in the quilt incase I change my mind on how the border will be done.
Coranne :
I've done it both ways, but have finally decided that what I will do from now on is choose the border fabric when I buy the rest of the fabric. BUT, I will wait to buy it. Even if I go back the next day to get it, I take a "cooling off" period first.
Allyn Humphreys :
I have yards and yards of fabric in my stash that were bought as borders for quilts but were subsequently not used. When I was a beginning quilter, I followed patterns and felt more comfortable buying all of my fabric at the same time. But as I've progressed, I've found that my projects sometimes take a different direction as they're pieced. I'm very fortunate that I live near several absolutely fabulous quilt stores, so I've never had a problem finding a border or binding once I've completed the body of a quilt top.
Anita :
Buy the border fabric first and use it to choose the colors in it for the quilt and binding. If your stash is as big as mine, there is no problem trying to match colors and values.
Karen Carroll :
I almost always buy a larger print fabric and then coordinate the other fabrics to blend in with this print. I use the large print in the quilt and the border.
Debbie Westport Or. :
Rose: I do the same and fine it easier to decide what I want to use for boarders sometimes I need to look a lot to find just the right fabric.I fine I change my mind if I buy the boarder befor the top is together .If I use fabric groups I buy the border fabric at the same time as the rest of the fabric the store has ran out of a special fabric before
Louise Murphy :
Like most of the previous answers I like to maybe plan the borders and binding out after the top is about complete that way it has that added pizazz..However, I make sure to have enough of one of the major colors or two. If you don't end up using it, oh well more for the stash!
Joan Y :
This is a tough decision...my experience has been to follow my "instincts"...If I have a certain color theme I'm working on, I usually choose border and binding fabrics that either match or coordinate with my main piecework or design, and also work out on paper any ideas. I have also been stumped by limited fabric selections and have scourred the countryside for just the right selection. I usually buy all my fabric first, then start my project. It's a tough choice at times, but instinct, intuition, or whatever you call it, helps. P.S. I've changed my choices in mid-stream too! Good luck.
Christine Schnaufer :
I usually buy more fabric than I anticipate I will need. (don't ask how I learned!) But I try to be flexible when I see the pieced area come into full focus. Often I find that I am inspired to complete a pieced border that coordinates with the design area. I may not even use the planned border. I guess my answer is like Donna's. I purchase what I need and if I change my mind....I don't mind having extra fabric on hand!!!
Linda Rogde :
I must say I have done it both ways and I prefer to wait until time to put on borders. I have found the the combination of fabrics and the play of the light can make a big difference in my choice of border and binding. When I have selected all the fabrics in the beginning, I think the quilt has turned out very controlled and doesn't have much sparkle.
Donna Myers :
I usually buy mine at the same time I buy the fabric for the quilt. That way, it's easier to coordinate colors. If you change your mind, gee, that's just more fabric for your stash!! Isn't quilting great?!
Julie from Bellingham :
I usually try to pick out my border fabric at the time I'm picking out the fabric for the rest of my quilt. That way, I won't be in trouble of running out. But often, as in the quilt I'm working on now, the sashing and the border fabric were both chosen again after the blocks were done! Oh well, more for my stash. As for the binding, I 9 times out of 10 end up using a solid fabric that is easy to find so I'll just wait until the top is finished and sometimes quilted to pick it out.
Anthony from Florida :
I agree with Michelle; there's no "right" answer. The classic way is to find a border fabric first and pull colors from it to make the quilt. Like you, I've found that doesn't always work. As the quiltmaker becomes more sophisticated, so does her tastes. Simple solutions can give a simple, almost boring look. I prefer to make the top and have it tell me what border it wants. But, often that causes it's own set of problems. For me, the best solution is often to consider making a pieced border and incorporate some of the key fabrics from the quilt into the pieced border. It really ties it all together. OTOH, perhaps if I can't settle on a border fabric, my quilt may be telling me it doesn't want any border at all.
Michelle from Vancouver :
I don't think there really is a right answer to this question. It depends on the quilt, sometimes the border makes the quilt so I usually wait until its almost finished to decide. But in saying that, I buy extra fabric (of one in the quilt) incase I can't find it again, or I can't find something else to my liking.
World Wide Quilting Page * Question of the Week