What is a floating border ???

[Carolyn T.]

I keep seeing a reference to floating borders... what the heck is a floating border??

I took a look at the BOM quilt but I still do not know what you mean??? by floating borders.

[Carolyn T.]

A border that is the same fabric as the background.

[Carolyn T.]

In this 2009 BOM it's a strip or border of one fabric that is used between two strips of pieced fabrics. Its width varies as needed to make up any descrepancies you might have in the lengths of your pieced strips, in order to make the size end up right. Since this BOM has some very precise piecing, it helps those of us who might be"off just a little" to keep on going and have the outer rounds still fit.

[Judy M.]

Floating borders can be made in the background fabric and used to make blocks look like they're "floating." The borders in the BOM are more of a "coping" strip--used to make everything "fit."

[Judy M.]

Are you given measurements at any one time so you know where your size should be???


I am more interested in the designing process right now then the actual making of the BOM... I have 36 blocks ready to go into a qult and I am trying to figure out the best way to highlight them... the blocks sizes range from 9 inch - 12in- 15- 18 inch... Not sure which will go into this quilt or be saved for another quilt.


Just wondering... Anna

[Judy M.]

Sue does give us sizes as we go along. We are told what the lengths and widths SHOULD be, but also how to adjust it if we have a different measurement. She uses what she calls the "floater borders" to end up with the right finished size at given points and has instructions for how to figure this out.

[Judy M.]

Does anybody know where I can find instructions on how to work out the size to cut a floating border as described by CaroleD above? I remember it was described in one of the BOM patterns but I don't think it is available to download now. Many thanks, Jacky

[Margo C.]

These instructions were in the 2010 BOM Ruffled Roses:



The Math of Floaters
...........
Let’s take a look at the math of floaters.
Starting at the beginning, what, exactly, is a “floater”? It is an unpieced border strip, set into a quilt. It
can add an accent fabric to the quilt top – or it can add to the size of the quilt top so that the next border
will fit precisely, without chopping off any pieced units in it. For example, if you have a 12” block and
want to add a border of 5” squares around that block, three 5” squares would result in a 15” length, so you
would have to cut off one of the squares to make it “fit” the 12” block. Alternatively, you could add a
floater so that the dimensions of the 12” block and the floater, together, equal 15”. How do you do the
math? Take the length of the inside unit (12”) and subtract it from the length of the outer unit (15”).
Divide that number (3”) in half – giving you 1-1/2”. Your finished floater would thus need to be 1-1/2” in
width… but don’t forget that when you cut the fabric, you will always need to add two quarter-inch seam
allowances (i.e., a 1/2”; this includes a 1/4” seam allowance on both sides of the floater strip).

[Margo C.]

Margo. Many thanks for the quick reply! That's just what I needed. Jacky