Border proportion size

[Cindy K.]

Kathy, I have my stash stored by color and any extra fabric, be it from the backing 'waste' or piecing, goes there. I plan to empty out colors purple, green, orange and black for the Pineapple Treasure quilt.

Red and turquoise are fun colors.mi would love to see your quilt. How big is t?

Cindy

[Kathryn S.]

it's 77 inches square. I made 64 blocks, each finished 8 inches. Center is 64 inches square. It needed strong borders to contain it!

Kathy

[Cindy K.]

Kathy - My Pineapple ruler came today! I am so looking forward to starting this quilt. I printed out the fibonacci chart someone had posted a link to - I think this is just what I was looking for. At least it is a starting point to plan borders.

Cindy

[Cindy K.]

I am excited about the reference to the Fibonacci scale for determining border size. I had an "of course" moment with myself upon reading that. Typically I use my eye to determine the border size that looks the best but frequently find that it is in direct proportion to the block size. Of course, it depends on how many borders you intend to use--a quilt drowning in it's borders is not appealing. As a basic design principle it makes sense to not have the borders larger than the blocks but I applique in my borders which can necessitate a larger border to accommodate the applique design. The trick is to enhance your quilt without overwhelming it and to keep your eye moving around the quilt--not drawn immediately to the borders. If you use wider or more intricate borders I find that it helps to bind the quilt in a dark color to provide an ending point so your eye doesn't just keep going off the ends of the quilt while following the borders. Good luck.

[Cindy K.]

I am cutting out the borders today. The One Block Wonder doesn't read as a block size and its a very busy pattern/design so the borders will calm things down abit - at least that's my plan. I am going to applique in them too and will post a picture when all is done.

[Rita C.]

http://kennykreations.com/blog/?p=89

Look at this webpage which gives proportions for block size and sashing/borders ! Yahoo! Something new!

Terri, thanks for posting this link. It is just what I needed. My quilting friends and I are heading down to Dingle in Kerry next month to sash and bind our applique quilts. We did quilt as you go and I was trying to figure out what size sashing to put on them as they are 15" blocks. Now I know. I have saved that Fibonacci chart to my desktop for future reference.

Abybrian, I would love to see a photo of your one block wonder quilt when you are done. Kathy did you post a photo of your T2T quilt in the show and tell area? I will go and have a look now.

[Kathryn S.]

Rita, No I didn't post a photo of my Trash to Treasure quilt yet, I haven't taken its photo yet ops: . I'll try to get that done in a couple of days. My design wall is too small for it!

Kathy

[Lois B.]

I am taking all this in because I have that T 2 T quilt on the back burner but it is so loudly calling my name. It is still summer trips, visitors, Super Seminar Rochester and my garden keeping me out of the sewing room. So now I am thinking about the proportions of my borders. All I was thinking about was making it be enought so that it will cover the mattress on my bed. Now I had some other things to consider. Hmm.... Anybody have advice how to balance the asthetics with the functional considerations here? I am also thinking back on the quilts I've made with the border being the width it was because that's how much fabric I had to do the job. Live and learn. The more you make the more you learn.

[Lois B.]

Hello all - Reading this post several days after Cindy's question (and solution) about border proportion, I immediately thought about the Golden Ratio 3-5-8. I did a Golden Ratio Google search and discovered a reference to the Fibonacci scale. Fun to learn something new every day!

Thanks Cindy and Rosemary!

BarbCA

[Rita C.]

Kathy my design wall is too small too. I know what you mean about getting a photo of a big quilt being very difficult. What I have done is to use two or three skirt hangers to hold the quilt and hang them along the architrave around one of the double doors in my living room. You could hang it from a curtain rail if it's too tall for the doorway. Just a suggestion.

Lois, I have always done what you have done too Whatever fabric I had divided evenly to make up the border or if it is for a specific bed then whatever makes it hang nicely around the bed. I don't think that there are any firm and fast rules. I would love to see your pineapple quilt finished though :?:

[Cindy K.]

Update on the OBW 's borders. I ended up putting a 3" black border then a 2" green border followed by another black 5" black border. Well, the border was nice but seemed to suck the pretty OBW's design into it. It was just too big. So, I cut the 3" border down to 2" and the 5" border down to 2". Now, I have a 6" border of two blacks with a green in the middle. Yesterday, I fused some flowers of the main fabric onto two corners of the borders. It really added an extra punch to the quilt.

The good news is - I like it! Now, it's a flimsy. Today, I will start making the backing and cut the binding.
This is my new must do. I find that I stall on quilts if the binding isn't ready to go when the quilt comes off the frame. If the binding is ready to be sewn on when the quilting is finished it seems an obstacle is removed to the big finish.

This is my weekend to work but that is an obstacle I just have to deal with it. LOL

Cindy - MI

[Rita C.]

Cindy, I hope you post photo when it's done.

[Kathryn S.]

Lois, borders are tricky, aren't they? If they are really wide, single fabric, just mean to make the quilt big enough, then they can look funny- but not always. The color of a border can make a difference, too. Some borders I've made have been because that's all the fabric I had! Others, I just put the quilt up on the design wall and play with the width of the border. Even if I make a quilt in a book, the borders need to be selected after the quilt top is made. I guess there isn't any right answer????

Rita, I like your idea about skirt hangers, that may be my answer. I'm off work Tuesday and will attempt to find a spot I can hang them. In my house there are no moldings near the ceiling.

Cindy, I'm wanting to see your quilt now that you've decided on a border!

kathy

[Kathryn S.]

My understanding of Fibonacci's Divine Proportion (or Golden Rule) is to start with your block size, then divide by 1.6, then divide that result by 1.6, etc. You will end up with numbers with decimals. Then convert to inches, rounding up/down to the nearest 1/8th or 1/4.
For example - for an 8" finished block, the results would be 5", 3.13 (3 1/8"), 1.96 (2"), 1.23 (1 1/4"), and 0.77 (3/4"). With your quilt top on your design wall, "audition" the various sizes to see which combination looks best. The intensity of your fabric colors plays a role in deciding what size borders you choose. Your first border might be 2", your second one 1 1/4", and your outer border 5". And 3/4" might be just the right size for an inner border if your fabric is red or yellor or black. This has worked well for me over the years.

Nancy

[Renata L.]

Nancy, (Sparkles65), you're a newcomer to TQS and jumped right into the Forum, aren't you? (unlike some of us, like me, who watched from the sidelines for a while... Welcome aboard!!!