What's the difference between a Binding and a Border on a T-shirt Quilt?
- A binding finishes the raw edges of a quilt. A quilt must have a binding to be complete.
- A border is part of the quilt top. It's an optional design element.
We are frequently asked what the difference is between a binding and a border on a T-shirt quilt. If you are unfamiliar with quilts and quilting terms, this might be a question you have asked.
To answer that, let’s first look at the mandatory parts of a T-shirt quilt.
The Mandatory Parts of a T-shirt Quilt
- Quilt Top
The quilt top is the front of your quilt. If the quilt is a T-shirt quilt, top is made up of T-shirts blocks that are pieced together. - Batting
The batting is the “stuffing” that is in the middle of a quilt. - Backing Material
The backing material is the fabric you see on the back of a quilt. - Binding
The binding is the material that goes around the outside of the quilt. About ¼" of the binding is seen from the top, the side and the back of a quilt. The binding is used to hide the raw edges of the quilt top, batting and backing materials.
As you see, the binding is a mandatory part of a T-shirt quilt. The binding finishes off the raw edges of the quilt top, the batting and the binding.
Discover more about having a quilt made with your T-shirts or other clothing items.
Our T-shirt Quilt Buyers Guide can help you know what you want your quilt to look like and what to look for in a quilt maker.
About the Binding
- All T-shirt quilts will have a binding and if there is not a binding; it’s then called a blanket.
- You can see the binding from the front, back and sides of the T-shirt quilt.
- Bindings are typically the same size from quilt to quilt. If you are looking at a Too Cool T-shirt Quilt, the binding is about ½" wide on the front and back of a quilt.
- Typically, bindings are made out of 100% cotton fabric.
- Bindings can be the same color as the backing material. They can also be made out of a contrasting color or even from a printed or batik material.
- A binding does add a thin frame around the entire quilt.
So a binding is a mechanical part of a T-shirt quilt and one will be on every T-shirt quilt.
About Borders
A border, on the other hand, is purely an aesthetic part of a T-shirt quilt and thus you have a choice to add one or not. A border is a frame that goes around the outside of the pieced T-shirt blocks and is actually pieced as part of the quilt top. As such, the border is quilted, as is the rest of the quilt.
A border is on the face of a quilt and thus, you cannot see the border from the back of the quilt. Typically made from T-shirt fabric, a border can be a simple frame or it can be designed to accent the colors in the quilt. Borders can be various widths – from 2" to 12". They can be made from one solid color material or from pieced blocks of various colors.
Borders are optional, but can add a pizzazz to any T-shirt quilt.
Choosing a Border ... or Not
Is a border right for your quilt? Consider using a border if:
- You want a larger quilt than your T-shirts will allow.
- You would like your quilt to stand out.
- You like how a border looks.
- Your budget allows you to add one. Adding a border increases the price of a quilt two way. They increase the size of the quilt which translates into a more expensive quilt. It also increases the price because of the added work the border entails
Don’t opt for a border if:
- Your quilt is already the size you would like.
- Your budget does not permit the additional cost.
- You just don’t like the look of a border.
A T-shirt quilt looks great with or without a border and adding one is your choice. But, a binding is not optional – it’s an essential part of any quilt.
Too Cool T-shirt Quilts has many border styles you can choose from for your quilt. Remember a border increases the size of a quilt and increases the price. Read more about adding a border to your quilt here.
Discover more about having a quilt made with your T-shirts or other clothing items.
Our T-shirt Quilt Buyers Guide can help you know what you want your quilt to look like and what to look for in a quilt maker.
Back to: Planning Your T-shirt Quilt