Binding

By all means, use the deep red. I used to always try to match my binding to the outer border, but somewhere along the way I changed my way of thinking (probably because I didn't have enough of a matching fabric!) and realized that not matching could make the quilt a lot more fun. It's even okay to use more than one color!

I'd say by all means you can do a red binding - let your eye be the judge. What is more pleasing when you look at it? A fun thing to do too, and I often do it on quilts, is make the binding with two or three or more colours that are already in the quilt - it comes out very interesting for sure and it helps to use up some fabric you bought for that particular project.

Sharon (N.B.)

I usually have strips of binding left over and I keep all of those pieces in a baggie. I have done two quilts now that have a totally randomly pieced binding. I just start sewing the binding pieces together and use what I need. This is great on a very scrappy quilt and the binding fabrics don't have to match ANY of the stuff in the quilt. I could see Sherry's "Coffee Pot" panel quilt done with something similar only maybe in just the colors of the panel. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

One of the unifying factors with my fourteen small mathematical quilts was to have the binding done with the same fabric as a narrow border on the other side of a 2" border from the binding. I think the effect was very nice. If you want to check it out with actual quilts, you can find the set of quilts on our website. Click on the highlighted phrase with 'mathematical quilts' in it on our home page.

. In message , Sherry Starr writes

I almost never make the binding the same color as the last border. But it's

*definitely* personal taste, and you should do whatever looks right to *you*.

Try auditioning any fabric you're thinking of using as the binding -- slip it behind the quilt, and let as much peek out as the binding would be wide. I'll even do this in the quilt shop if I'm buying fabric for the binding. That way, you know what it will look like. :)

Just as you frame a picture - I always think of binding as a frame for your quilt or wallhanging. You usually don't have a picture frame the same color as the matting. The frame does just that - it frames the picture - puts a finish to it - stops your eye at the edge.

Thanks to everyone for their input. The deep red has been calling my name, so I think that is what it will be. I wonder if that's a bad sign when you hear your fabric saying "pick me, pick me...."

Sherry Starr

it's an artistic decision, there is no should about it, I'm more inclined to make a feature of the binding, so would probably go for the red, but without seeing the quilt I wouldn't know which would be best.

Anne

Why do just one color?

Seriously; it's a lot of fun to make a strip set of several of your fabrics, then slash it diagonally. Not really much work to get a real cool binding.

As for contrast or same.. it depends. Some quilts insist on contrasting binding, but a judge criticized this "uneven" binding...

Frankly, it wasplenty good enough for me. I know he wouldn't have noticed if it was the same as the background. If you are worried about your binding skills, keeping the binding the same will hide it a bit.

susan kraterfield see my quilts: members.cox.net/kratersge

Another option would be to make the binding from the black, but add a narrow corded piping in between the last border and the binding -- that piping would be red. I love that effect. :)