Ruth B McDowell in her book, FABRIC JOURNEY: I don't want a border that traps my quilt in a tight box. The design must be accessible and it must be able to breath.
I like areas of bright white in a quilt... to keep the design from becoming too dense and to add a feeling of airiness; in fact, I make an effort to search out fabrics with a fair amount of bright white.
One reason to accumulate a stash is to acquire fabrics from other eras... You give your quilt a richer surface.
