Do you struggle with planning borders for your panel quilts? Panel quilts are a quick and easy option, and often feature gorgeous artwork that wouldn’t work for traditional yardage, but what to do about the borders? I loathe calculating the exact math for quilt panels, so if you are like me, keep reading for a fun, no-math border that looks amazing!

I didn’t have a solid plan for this quilt when I started out (as is often the case when I work with panel quilts), but that didn’t stop me from just going for it, and the final result turned out better than I could have hoped for. I love when that happens!

The fabric used in this quilt comes from The Littlest Family’s Big Day collection designed by Emily Winfield Martin for Riley Blake Designs. The adorable prints feature charming characters and illustrations from the children’s storybook in a soft, timeless color palette.

The focal point of my quilt is this 36” x WOF (width of fabric) fabric panel. At the center is the sweet little family standing in front of their tree home. The panel looks as if it is a pieced quilt, and the size is perfect for a baby blanket, so really you could take the panel, add batting and a quilt back, bind it, and be done! I opted to incorporate the panel into a larger quilt which ended up measuring approximately 57” x 64” — perfect for a toddler bed or throw.

The first thing I did was add a 1 1/2” strip border using Riley Blake Cloud Confetti Cotton. It is a little creamier than the white sashing in the fabric panel, but I love the softness of the creamy white, which I think works perfectly with the rest of the fabric line.

The second strip border is made with the Coral Flowers print and measures 2 1/2” wide.

The third strip border is 1 1/2” wide Cloud Confetti Cotton.

After adding the easy strip borders, I decided I wanted a “Book Shelf” border to complete the look. (Can you tell it was a very snowy day when I took these photos? I felt like I was taking The Littlest Family on a winter adventure!)

While I used the rows of books as a quilt border, you could just as easily make rows and rows of them for an entire Book Shelf Quilt. Fun, easy, and a great way to use up your scraps!

Watch my video tutorial to see how I created my Book Shelf Border, and feel free to comment with any questions you may have.

The best part about this border is that you don’t need to plan out the math, and you can adjust the length and width for any project you are working on. For the quilt binding, I used the same Coral Flowers print. I love how it frames and defines the quilt!

If you haven’t tried working with fabric panels, I encourage you to do so. They most definitely deserve a spot in every quilter’s repertoire. I am completely smitten with this one and can’t wait to see your own Book Shelf Borders or Book Shelf Quilts! Share by tagging me on Instagram @bayhillstudio. Happy Quilting!