I need some help Flirting!

I thought that would get your attention.

No, I didn't mean that kind of flirting.

I am participating in a Flickr swap with a group called FLiRTS.  It stands for Fabulous Little Random Thing Swap.  Each participant got to pick a difficulty level - easy, medium, or hard - and pick 5 items that they would like to have made for them.  They were then paired with a secret partner who is to make one of the 5 things.

 

I've been working on my partner's random little thing.  It is going to be a table runner, for which she gave very specific dimensions.

I've been hand working this puppy since last Thursday.  I took it on our outing to visit my college boy.  (His team was playing 2 hours south of us.  We drove 2 hours down; sat and watched 6 hours of baseball; visited for about 20 minutes; then drove 2 hours back.  Those 20 minutes and 2 hugs were worth the rest!!)

 

 

I spent yesterday appliqueing on the birds and embroidering stems.

  

Today I am trying to get the borders on...but am having a little difficulty.

 

All the while I was doing the hand work I was thinking that this fabric would look fabulous.  I even made a special trip this morning to pick up the yardage I needed.  Then I got out my rulers and did a little arithmetic.  Turns out, if I use this wonderful stripe it will make the runner just enough bigger than it's intended perch to be really annoying.  It wouldn't hang over, nor would it stay centered on the table.  (Grrrr)

So, I auditioned two other options.

This option above looks more like my original plan....it would come out being perfectly shaped...but I think it is a tad boring....especially after the stunning leafy stripe.

 

 

 

Idea number 2 is more colorful.  I think if I do this one I will add a skinny dark border between the center and the colorful stripe and then use the same dark fabric for the binding.

 

 

Soooo, what do you think?  Which border should I do?