quilter block

Sometimes that border is the hardest part of all. You can take a fine quilt or painting (or probably lots of other creations) and enhance or ho-hum with the frame. Keep whirling until something says, "Yes"! You can clear out the tornado. One day. If you want to. Polly

"Taria" So I am going to try and finish up some projects that have stopped

I sympathize Taria. I always feel when I have the main part of the top done, it's nearly complete. Then I get bogged down in the border and reality sets in....

Michelle in Nevada

Do you like any of these?

Perhaps that's why I never used to put borders on! I am only just starting to see how to do it. You will find something you like. Try reducing the choices by making a short list (pile) and then putting everything else away! . In message , Taria writes

Well, perhaps the quilt doesn't want borders? If it is a charm type tumbler quilt then they were often just finished and bound with straight cut edges. Remember often these were scrap quilts made by folks who couldn't afford yardage for borders. If you really want a border or two.... what color do you want to emphasize? What color do you want the quilt to "be"? That is the color for your border. If you want a print, then a small "solid" border to separate the center of the quilt from the border is probably a good idea.

Have fun, Pati, > So I am going to try and finish up some projects that have stopped

Which is one reason I often start planning a quilt with the border. The interior may change but if I know what the border is going to be that helps a lot. (Or at least most of the border, there are times I need to improvise if I change the size of the quilt much. )

Pati, in Phx

You mean like "planning"??? LOL! That's a very good idea. I'll need to consider that next time I design a quilt. In the past I've always been so focused on the body of the top that I neglected the border planning. I think partly it's because my first scrappy quilts didn't really have any kind of elaborate border--as you pointed out in your previous post some of the traditional quilts really don't call for them. Now that I've moved on, well the story is different and I need to take that into account. :-)

Michelle > Which is one reason I often start planning a quilt with the border.

Delightful! Wonderful. How unexpected. Yes,yes, yes. Go for it. Polly

"Taria" The colors are my problem. I am working through it today.

Hey, there is name for that. I learned this in the Piece o' Cake applique class. You're not just dragging out fabric and strewing it all over.

You are "auditioning fabrics."

Sherry

On Jan 7, 7:27=A0pm, "Taria" wrote: Okay, let's do a bit of analysis here. If you want to do sort of strippy side borders with applique (Sounds like a really neat idea.... should be wonderful) then you probably want to use a fairly neutral border. (I may be being influenced by the trunk show at the meeting last night. Tonee White was our speaker and she works a lot in "primitive and country" type colors. ) But tumblers tend to speak of sort of early stuff..... more primitive than Baltimore Album type applique. ????? Style not color...... You may want to start with thinking about what fabrics you will use for the applique, and what the applique will be. Then use a border fabric that will show off the applique. For example, if you are using scrappy, "folky" applique then you could use a basic muslin or similar for the border. If you want to use brights for the applique then you might want a black or pretty dark border. That should help narrow things down a bit.

Have fun and hope we get to see pics at some point. (Maybe a pic of the top as is would generate some more specific suggestions???)

Pati, in Phx

Oooh! That sounds really fun, and I bet it looks fantastic. :-)

Michelle in Nevada