When I ordered the new solids for Farmer's Wife, I also threw in a border option for the Sawtooth Stars. I always try a rainbow border on rainbow quilts, and I never end up liking it. Maybe I need a different rainbow? I thought a nice grey batik might be the perfect neutral option. My family says absolutely not, too mottled, too neutral.
I also grabbed this nice neutral dotted batik for the back, again I was told it was all wrong. So what to do with borders and backings? Any opinions? Suggestions? Help?
16 comments:
Are you planning to carry the diagonal chain design around the edges - above the star blocks? It looks kind of chopped off in the pictures you posted. Maybe the border could just be a continuation of the chain/4 patch variation blocks?
I agree with Angie about continuing the chain into the border. You obviously have more experience with rainbows and I went back and looked at your past quilts and it seems like you always go the extra mile with your borders. Maybe its just a hurdle to get there? Although very bright, rainbow quilts tend to have a subtle secondary pattern that needs to be reflected or resolved in the border too.
Yes, you need to continue the chain into a border - and then call it done.
I find black always works nicely with bright quilts like your rainbow quilt. It makes the colors pop even more.
How about a 2 1/2" border in the background color all around then come back with your rainbow binding. Put the neutral as a backing.
I'm planning to continue and finish the chain in the border of mine around the stars I think following the color scheme... then a little of the backing - maybe 3 inches to add a little plain border for stitching and then a rainbow binding. Not sure how my corners will turn out though. Your original drawing had just the backing to finish it off... that would work too. Good luck.
I make a lot of rainbow quilts and have found a pretty medium blue or green print that reads as a solid to work nicely as a border. It has a calming effect and creates a nice finish to a rainbow quilt full of colorful blocks. Sometime a narrow inner border of white or yellow before the solid outer border works for me too.
I like the above suggestions, too.
I like the suggestions to continue the chain into the border. Then finish it off with a bright purple binding (well, I love purple, so that's what I'd choose). It's going to look great.
Others have already made the suggestion I had: continue the chain blocks to create a border. Another solid color/single fabric border might be added after that if the maker desires.
I have no suggestions for your quilt. I found you blog this summer and have been following along with your rainbow progress. This is going to be a very pretty quilt. I'm thinking of jumping in for next years rainbow scrappy project.
I was looking at my quilt top to date and I was thinking I'd like to take the alternate blocks out into the border in a similar fashion to the pluses/crosses quilt I finished in September. I'm not sure what to do after that and will no doubt try several different fabrics to see what works best. This idea is similar to the earliest suggestions in the comments. Great minds and fools???
I'm going to border mine with skinny silver strip and a wider blue!
( a silver lining around my rainbow in a blue sky!)
Borders are always hard, especially for the RSC quilts. Which is why I only have one done out of 4 made. So I'm not help. Sorry.
If I had done that RSC quilt (I tried, but my skill set was not there yet), I would use a solid bright border. Red. Or blue. Why over-think it? For my Rainbow Orbs (wonky log cabins with white & black as the contrast to the colors), I plan to use a basic black and white stripe. But if it doesn't look good, I'll switch to a solid color.
I also think that you should extend the chains into the edges using the same background fabric and call it finished. Of course, that would only work if you have enough leftover and usable scraps. You could still add another border but not all quilts need to be framed with a separate defined border.
is your quilt big enough for its purpose? I too agree to have the chain extend into the border......then maybe a rainbow piano key if you need it bigger?
if it is big enough then just the chain extension and maybe a rainbow binding.
very pretty quilt
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