accent borders and auditions

Accent borders are like a mat with a beveled edge or a double mat on a framed piece of art, just a little inset of color between the blocks and the border to draw your eye into the quilt.

Its hard to sew a very narrow border to a quilt. Which way do you press the seams? The slightest change in seam width or fabric grain makes it look crooked.

Cut  1 inch  wide strips of fabric for the accent strip to go around the quilt, sew with a diagonal seam for less bulk.

trim seams and press open and press in half so it is 1/2 inch wide.

Stitch to quilt with a seam less than 1/4 inch wide. I moved my needle to the right so I can still use the edge of the presser foot as a guide.
I cut a 2 inch strip for the brown border.  Sew all four sides and press.

 I auditioned possible border fabrics again because it does look different with a larger view. As much as I like the stars I eliminated them because the stars are white white and the light fabrics in the quilt are all cream or tan. The stars were too white.

Stitch border on top of accent strip with 1/4 inch seam, which will cover up the short 1/4 inch seam that was used to sew the accent strip to the first border.  Press borders and finish the quilt.  On some quilts I have free motion quilted over the accent border on others I have pulled it back and stitched under it.  This little inset looks even and straight, more so than a narrow border that has been seamed on both sides.

Ready to layer, baste and machine quilt.  Happy quilting, Ann