Sometimes you just don't have enough of one fabric to use for the border. But, you may have two pieces that are very "friendly" with each other. Maybe they're from the same collection, so the greens or reds or browns MATCH! Such is the case with many of the quilts I've been sewing lately. Look at this one from 2020.  Sunshine in My Garden using a block from my Katie's Garden quilt The two greens in the borders are from the same fabric collection, but the prints are different. The top and bottom are kitties and the sides are chickens. I think they're getting along! Then there are the quilts that I make from sets of fat quarters. The longest piece for a border I can get will be 22" - hardly enough for most any quilt. BUT . . . you can piece a border, right? That's what I did with this Birdsong quilt, recently gifted to a friend whose husband suddenly died. Forget the flowers - a quilt lasts a long time and reminds my friend of my love and prayers fo...

Check This Out! Squares In Your Borders (This first appeared in Quilt Magazine, Spring 2004!)   There are times I want more than just a pretty piece of fabric as the outside border to my quilt. But the thought of doing more piecing after finishing the quilt center is more than I can bear. But pieced borders don’t have to be time consuming. A few patches here and there can be the perfect compliment to all the colors you’ve used in your quilt. Here are a few creative ideas to add checks and squares along the edges of your quilt.   First, consider a few strategically placed Nine Patch blocks. This is a fantastic option for those times when you miscalculated your border fabric and find that you are short a few inches. I actually had to do this with one of my Coffee Filter Fans quilts. Here she is before quilting. I didn't have enough of the green batik border without having to piece it! Coffee Filter Fans with 9 Patch borders Just introduce a Nine Patch unit here and there as show...