This is the fabric I thought I would use for a border first. I have it in my fabric closet already, but I only have a yard, so I don’t think I would be able to add it lengthwise (the stripes running parallel to the edge of the quilt). I guess I should have taken a picture of the fabric oriented in the way I was thinking of using it.
Oh well, use your imagination.
I do like the color of it – actually the color feel of it. It has the right feel to go with the rest of the quilt. It is a very restful border. I am concerned that I don’t have enough yardage and I don’t want to be fumbling around trying to make it work. I usually buy enough of a striped fabric for bindings and not borders. A yard is usually enough for a bias binding and if it isn’t, I have no business making a quilt that big.
I bought this piece at Quiltology. I tried to drape it so that you could see how it would look if I added it to the quilt as a border. How did I do? The colors aren’t quite right, but I do like adding a bit of yellow. One thing about adding these types of colors brings out some of the fabrics in the blocks that tend towards green.
I have to say that I am bit concerned about the grey border I added. I thought it would be the final border of the quilt, but then decided that the quilt needed to be finished off with something a bit darker.
My concern lies with the grey. It is very different from the white in the blocks, which is why I added it. I wonder, though, if it isn’t so different that it doesn’t work. I kind of like it, but I don’t want people snickering behind their hands at my poor judgment.
This piece, also purchased at Quiltology, has much more green it. I didn’t realize that it had so much green until I got it home. I think that this is an issue of the type of light I live in. When I saw it in my workroom, I thought it had much too much green, but seeing it in the photo makes me think that it also brings out the blocks with green in them.
Frankly, in the end, I don’t care that much. I would like to be done with this project and I don’t want to spend much more time agonizing about border fabric. alternatively, I don’t want to look at it after it is finished and wish I had done something different.
Again with the artistic angst! I hope this isn’t becoming a habit.
I like the last one best. I looked at the pix before I read the blog. I kept wondering why you didn’t put the border fabric right up next to the quilt. I thought the grey (?) strip was the design wall or a sheet on which you laid it to take the photo.
When looked at very close up, it works (for me)with the white on white squares; but when not zoomed in, on my computer it looks like unbleached muslin.
that’s my 2 cents.
good luck…. I am always stymied by color choices.
I’m not loving the grey – but this opinion could be in part a reaction to the amount of grey in the sky here this summer. It’s hard for me to like grey at the moment. Setting aside my general bias away from the color grey, I think the grey works OK with the blue stripe (stripe 1) but not with the other two.
I prefer stripe 1 overall, which I realize is not helpful since you don’t have enough of it. I know what you mean about the other stripes bringing out the green in the blocks, but I’m not crazy about the yellow in either of them. And if you’re going to use either of them I really think you need to get rid of the grey.
I am thinking of using the #1 stripe for a binding and having the grey quilted densely with blue thread. I agree with you on the other two blue stripes. Too many other colors to really be successful. I was so hopeful!
Everyone will have their opinions and I think you are made of sturdy stuff so you can take them with a grain of salt and do what YOU like best, in the end!!!
Me personally…I don’t like the gray strip border that is already on there. Just my opinion. I would have put a very narrow border in a dark blue, followed by a wider border in another color. OR I would make that border you already have on, narrower. OR when it is quilted, use colored threads in blues to dress up the space of the gray.
Also, if you use strips or fabric that reads stripe-y, I hope you will miter the corners. It adds a classy dimension to the quilt. I like all the colored stripes in your auditioned fabrics. Again this is all just my personal opinion. 😀
I think I will have it quilted in blue with some dense quilting over the grey. I am feeling quite lazy now and may not do anything else to the piece.
I like the gray a lot. Gives a place for the eye to rest. I choose the last fabric for the border- gives it some pizzaz. This is going to be pretty.
Thanks, Valerie!
Hii Jaye – I also love fabric #1. It just feels right for the quilt and it unites the grey border with the rest of the quilt. I personally like the grey border, although it’s a little difficult to determine if the width is right from the photo. Perhaps a little narrower grey with the stripe as your binding…?
Good luck. It’s such a peaceful quilt.
I like it the best, too. I just don’t have enough for a whole border and it is old, so no hope of getting more. 🙁
I think I used the first strip in my infinity quilt. It is very matchy and boring. I really like the second one the best, must be the Cal in me. I also agree that the grey strip is fine but needs to be narrower. Like 1″ . It does give the eye a rest.
I think I will cut the grey smaller and just put a binding on it and be done with it. Am a little tired of the whole process.