Using Border Prints

Making an impressive quilt with lots of visual interest can be done in a variety of ways. Color, texture and value placement are the typical things we consider in planning a quilt project. Another option is to use a fabric printed with channels of design. The “border print” family of fabrics are created for really pushing our imaginations. They can be used for huge impacts and visually enticing designs similar to a kaleidoscope effect.

This genre of print fabrics takes a bit more planning, more yardage and pushes our design possibilities, but can be extremely rewarding. Your instructor Toby Lischko presents some beautiful examples of using border print fabrics along with creative uses for those fabrics that many times are used just as borders for a quilt top.

Not all border prints are the same. Some consist of large channels of design, others have multiple sized channels that compliment each other. No matter the style, your instructor demonstrates things to consider when re-imaging a quilt block. She shows how cutting from different portions of a border print can result in beautiful accents and mirror image framing for a New York beauty block. This process of “fussy cutting” does require additional yardage so that you can cut the number of repeated shapes needed for your particular pattern. The finished blocks or framing of a block is well worth the investment in time and fabric.

Sections of a border print fabric can also be utilized within a quilt block for the kaleidoscope image, creating a new pattern that, then, compliments the rest of the quilt where sections are used as borders for the outer edge of the patchwork top. Mitering corners in those borders even elevates the overall design and creates a beautiful balance to finish the outer edge of a quilt.