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Decorative Quilt Border Patterns to Add Character to Your Project

As the needle gracefully weaves through the fabric, a story unfolds. Each stitch, each pattern, and each color tells a tale of creativity and tradition. Quilt border patterns are more than just decorative edges; they are a reflection of the quilter’s artistry and passion. Imagine a journey through time, exploring the intricate tapestry of quilt border designs that have been passed down through generations, each carrying its own unique narrative. From the classic simplicity of the Log Cabin border to the intricate beauty of the Feathered Star, these quilt border patterns hold a captivating allure for those who seek to add depth and character to their quilting projects. Join us as we delve into the enchanting world of quilt border patterns, where every stitch tells a story and every border is a work of art.

Scalloped Quilt Border Pattern

Learn how to further improve your quilting skills and beat the fear most quilters have with the help of this pattern that teaches you how to make those lovely scalloped edges on your quilts with a few simple tricks, techniques, and tool suggestions that are all relatively easy to master.

by Shabbyfabrics

how to miter striped border

One of the tricky things in quilting that can be hard to overcome is striped borders, but since they look so elegant, you shouldn’t shy away from them, not when you have this handy explanation that will help you adjust your process slightly but enough to allow you to make perfect striped borders every time.

by Shabbyfabrics

Pioneer braid border pattern

Pioneer braid border pattern

Gain a useful skill that you’ll use to make your quilts even more impressive as you follow the bits of advice in this pattern to learn how to make a wide frame around the quilt edges with many polygonal arrows in different colors that face the same way and give the border a look of a colorful conveyer belt that goes around the quilt.

by Quiltville

applique quilt border pattern

applique border idea

photo courtesy of Quiltingdaily

Those of you who prefer to make quilts with more precise details will love this technique because it allows you to make borders that have gorgeous applique designs on them that will give your quilts an additional realistic set of motifs that aren’t quite common but are beautiful and creative because of it.

wonderful tutorial by Quilting-tidbits

prairie points quilt border

prairie points quilt border

Prairie points are a subtle yet charming addition to your quilts in the form of a border that’s mostly a regular frame, but they have a set of a few triangular wide arrows in a line that point towards the two diagonally opposite corners of the quilt, drawing the viewer’s look not only to the quilt center but also to the edges, making them appreciate its entire surface.

by Sliceofpiquilts

pieced border

pieced border quilt design

This kind of decorative border for your quilts is useful in two ways because it makes your quilt a bit prettier with the thin striped frame around its edges, and it helps you reduce your sewing waste by letting you use your leftover scraps creatively and efficiently.

by Allpeoplequilt

Round Robin border ideas

Round Robin border ideas

Here’s a pattern that requires a bit of effort due to its complex nature but is still easy enough not to be scary, featuring a combination of three frames inside each other, the outer one consisting of diagonally striped ombre triangles, the inner one with icy mountain blocks, and the interior frame that has both pieced and applique elements.

by Sampaguitaquilts

Curvaceous binding pattern

Curvaceous binding pattern

Subtle elegance is the main idea behind this quilt border pattern that shows you how to decorate your quilts by giving them a wavy edge finish that looks a bit like a stretched-out scalloped finish that’s not aggressive enough to draw the eyes away from the quilt center but is pretty enough to make the viewer notice it.

by Quiltscapesqs

9 patch border

9 patch border for quilts

The decorative frame we have here seems like it’s difficult to make but when you look at it simple as it is, you’ll notice it’s relatively easy to make since it’s a set of blocks that feature a 3 x 3 grid of squares in three colors, one for the three diagonal squares, and two for the squares on each side of the diagonal row.

by Quiltingassistant

bowtie quilt border idea

bowtie quilt border idea

Be careful with this one because it can easily steal the show and make the border of your quilt its most prominent feature, with blocks that have four small squares in two colors inside, two solid and two that have a single triangle in a contrasting color in one corner, set in a 2 x 2 grid of alternating squares with the contrasting corners near the center.

by Quiltingassistant

flying geese border idea

flying geese border design template

Here’s a flying geese border pattern that isn’t too complicated and looks great, with its numerous triangular arrows that alternate between two orientations in pairs of two on each side of the frame, placed on a dark contrasting background that makes the arrows stand out a bit.

by Quiltingassistant

Parallelogram Border

Parallelogram Border

When simplicity meets creativity, you get something special and extremely fun, like this pattern that allows you to make four completely different borders with the same pair of half-square triangles in two colors joined into rectangles that you can arrange in four different ways for four different results.

by Quiltingassistant

piano keys border pattern

piano keys border pattern

Brighten up your quilt with the bit of cheerful spirit that this border has, featuring four solid squares in its corners, and a bunch of colorful strips with a single black square near one of the short edges of the strip, set to alternate so they look like piano keys spread between the border corners.

by Quiltingassistant

Modern quilt border

modern quilt border idea

Seems difficult but it isn’t, the border we have here is made up of blocks that have grids of carefully arranged half-square triangles, four of them with sawtooth star halves oriented diagonally that sit in the frame corners, and the rest with large triangles that point away from the quilt interior.

by piecedbrain

ribbon border

ribbon quilt border design

Here’s a pattern that will show you how to make blocks that have four triangles in three different colors inside and then arrange them around your quilt so it looks like there’s a long luxurious ribbon on the frame, twisted around like your hair when you use the curler.

by Sewnwildoaks

No more plain quilts for you, now that you have all these quilt borders design ideas you can add to them and make them look even more professional. What do you think, will you add borders to all of your quilts from now on? Share your thoughts with everyone in the comments and feel free to subscribe to the mailing list if you want notifications for fresh content. Have fun framing your quilts with these border patterns!

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 2 comments
GrandmaSue10 - January 29, 2024

Your border labled “Prairie Points” is just triangles. Prairie Points are made with folded fabric into points. Is some Far Eastern Country doing your work?

Reply
    Helen - January 31, 2024

    I’m not sure if you realize it but what you said was pretty rude, Sue! I researched and posted this myself and these prairie points are made with folded fabric into points.
    Did you click on the link to SliceofPiQuilts below the picture to see the full tutorial? Here’s the link again – https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2017/10/autumn-lattice-quilt.html

    Reply

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