Skip to content

Top Navigation

AllPeopleQuilt.com AllPeopleQuilt.com
  • Quilt patterns
  • Bags, pillows & gifts
  • Holiday quilts
  • How to quilt
  • Tips
  • Magazines & More
  • Quilting News
  • Shopping
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletter
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore AllPeopleQuilt.com

AllPeopleQuilt.com AllPeopleQuilt.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Free Patterns for Baby Quilts

      Free Patterns for Baby Quilts

      Little ones and expectant parents will love a handmade crib quilt! These cuddly quilted projects will be treasured for years to come. Read More
    • 35+ Free Quilt Patterns for Beginners

      35+ Free Quilt Patterns for Beginners

      Learn how to make a quilt with easy patterns that will teach you the basics! Each one is simple to assemble and uses basic shapes.  You'll be proud to display the finished projects in your home or to give them as gifts. Read More
    • Free Table Runner Patterns

      Free Table Runner Patterns

      Take advantage of these free patterns for runners to add quick color and style to your home. They are a breeze to assemble and will let you dress your tables for any holiday or season! Read More
  • Quilt patterns

    Quilt patterns

    See All Quilt patterns
    • Baby quilts
    • Bed quilts
    • Quilt Blocks
    • Quilt throws
    • Table runners
    • Wall quilts
  • Bags, pillows & gifts

    Bags, pillows & gifts

    See All Bags, pillows & gifts
    • Bags and purses
    • Gifts
    • Pillows
    • Pincushions
  • Holiday quilts

    Holiday quilts

    See All Holiday quilts
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Winter
  • How to quilt

    How to quilt

    See All How to quilt
    • Quilting basics
    • Cutting
    • Piecing
    • Finishing
    • Organization
    • Machine quilting
    • Hand quilting
    • Appliqué
    • Embellishing
    • Videos
  • Tips
  • Magazines & More

    Magazines & More

    See All Magazines & More
    • American Patchwork & Quilting
    • Quilts and More
    • Quilt Sampler
    • One Million Pillowcase Challenge
    • Quilting podcast
    • Quilt designers
    • Pattern Corrections
  • Quilting News
  • Shopping
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletter
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. How to quilt
  3. Piecing
  4. Straight Borders

Straight Borders

American Patchwork & Quilting Editors June 14, 2013
Skip gallery slides
Pin

1 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Border Basics

Straight Borders

Quilt Designer: Tammy Kelly
Quilt Name: Spring Beauty, American Patchwork & Quilting, June 2006

Just like a picture frame and mat enhance a photograph, borders help show off the center of a quilt. Borders can be as simple as single strips of fabric or intricately pieced or appliquéd. The simplest type is a straight border.

Borders should be in proportion to the size of the finished quilt. As a general rule of thumb, a small wall hanging should have a border of less than 6" while a king-size quilt can handle a 12" to 14" border. Borders that are too wide diminish the quilt center design. To decide how wide to make a border, begin with your finished block size. If your quilt center is made of 4" blocks, try a 4"-wide border.

If you want to change the size of a quilt, avoid adjusting the border only. Unless the change is minimal, widening just the border can make the quilt look out of proportion. Instead, consider adding sashing, pieced borders, or multiple borders to enlarge the finished quilt.

For border inspiration, look at quilting books and magazines for appealing border and block combinations. Study the proportion of the border to the block size and the amount of piecing or detail in the border as compared to the blocks.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Keep It Simple

Keep It Simple

The simplest border uses a single fabric in strips around all four sides of the quilt center. Add the border strips in pairs to opposite edges. For example, first sew strips to the side edges, then add them to the top and bottom edges.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

2 of 11

3 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Focus, Focus

Focus, Focus

Quilt Designer: Mabeth Oxenreider
Quilt Name: Daisy Mania, American Patchwork & Quilting, April 2004

A simple straight border ensures a bright and busy quilt center will be the main focus.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Design Detail

Design Detail

To make the best use of your fabric, cut border strips across the fabric width, then piece them to get the required strip length. Instead of hiding seams, turn them into a design detail by adding a rectangle of coordinating fabric at the center of each border strip.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

4 of 11

5 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pieced Together

Pieced Together

Quilt Designers: Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan
Quilt Name: Coffee Time, American Patchwork & Quilting, April 1996

Pieced rectangles complete this border, allowing the wall hanging to continue its scrappy look right out to the edges. Consider using your own coffee mug collection for color inspiration.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

5 of 11

6 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Corner Blocks

Corner Blocks

For more interest, add a solid square to each end of the top and bottom border strips before sewing the strips to the quilt center.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pieced Corners

Pieced Corners

Using pieced blocks instead of solid squares adds even more interest.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

7 of 11

8 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Four Corners

Four Corners

Quilt Designer: Diane Hansen
Quilt Name: True-Blue Welcome, Quilting Ideas, Fall 2002

Pieced Four-Patch corner blocks pull the design right out to the edges of this patriotic wall hanging.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

8 of 11

9 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Borderless

Borderless

Quilt Designer: Deanna Harris
Quilt Name: City Blocks, Quilts and More, Summer 2006

There's no rule that says you have to have a border! Sometimes a quilt is perfect without one.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Quilt Designer: Kim Diehl
Quilt Name: Promise of Spring, American Patchwork & Quilting, February 2007

Use up all the scraps from your quilt by sewing them together for the borders.

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

10 of 11

11 of 11

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

All Pulled Together

All Pulled Together

Quilt Designer: Darlene Zimmerman
Quilt Name: Fresh Traditions, American Patchwork & Quilting, February 2007

Sometimes the border is an interesting extension of the pieced top. In this quilt Darlene used as solid color...

  • Fabric-Free Quilts
  • Traditions Remembered
  • Quilting Design Gallery

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By American Patchwork & Quilting Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 11 Border Basics
    2 of 11 Keep It Simple
    3 of 11 Focus, Focus
    4 of 11 Design Detail
    5 of 11 Pieced Together
    6 of 11 Corner Blocks
    7 of 11 Pieced Corners
    8 of 11 Four Corners
    9 of 11 Borderless
    10 of 11 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
    11 of 11 All Pulled Together

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    AllPeopleQuilt.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithAllpeoplequilt is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright AllPeopleQuilt.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.allpeoplequilt.com

    View image

    Straight Borders
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.