These blocks first appeared on the blog here, in 2008; then I lost enthusiasm for them and they languished in a basket. I had another go at finishing them in 2011, but that didn't take either. It took another 3 years of 'maturing', packed away on the shelf, before I decided what to do with them. I love making this block, it's so easy and effective, and great for scraps. I must love it, as I have a set of multi-coloured ones as well.
I sewed all the pieces together quite happily, but now the border is being difficult. I know I want it done quickly, but something in me just loves to fuss with options and details and maybes. Nothing is ever simple once I get in this mood, but instead of fighting it I should just power through it, choose one thing and then get it DONE!
It's a long narrow quilt, 50 x 70", which I don't like, but I want it to actually fit a single bed, so I'm not going to make it too wide. It needs a border to finish it off and bring it to a useable size, but the question is whether to make it a dark border, or a light border, or something in between. Pieced? A single fabric? Long scraps of different blues?
I remembered a zigzag border I made for another quilt;
being me, I cut out a whole border, sewed most of it together and then decided it was too dark for the quilt. Then I bought a more suitable blue, and used that to make a whole other border.
The rejected bits are still waiting for the right quilt, and I thought this one might be it. However, I think it's a bit heavy, and a bit too spiky.
All those zigzags seem to fight with the centre blocks. I love the border, just not on this set of blocks; I think it will look good on another indigo quilt I've started, so I'll put those two together and see if it's a match made in heaven.
I tried various blue and white prints, but they didn't appeal.
There is an equal amount of dark blue and light neutral fabrics in the
blocks, so I started thinking about fabrics that have the same mix of
light and dark. This coverlet print seems to work;
it's not blue and it's not neutral, and I like the large scale of the print.
Hmmmm, what to do with the dozens of triangles left over from the blocks?
Maybe turn them into scrappy Flying Geese and make a little border?
I like this, even though I'll have to make a lot more of them to go all the way round the quilt. But whatever happened to my quick-fix UFO finish? I'll be making HSTs for the rest of the weekend, and puzzling over how I'll get that border print to go round the corner nicely. I must love a challenge, because I keep setting them for myself. I might learn a lot from solving these puzzles, but I haven't yet learned how to slap something together and call it done. I need lessons in that.....
8 comments:
I love both of the borders you've made.....but the coverlet print is awesome.....so it's a winner! :o) And fussy cutting that border is going to be so fantastic! Keep on going!!! :o)
I enjoyed your post so much. I do the same thing--fuss/plan/audition until I get exactly what I want. Of course I never know what that is until I actually get there! Love your work.:)
maturing on a shelf is a nice way to put it xx loving the final choice xx
The flying geese looks great. It is a LOT of sewing though.... It will be a pretty quilt no matter what!
Your attention to detail is to be admired! Love the flying geese against the pink. The border print is gorgeous. I would have just cheated and put the pink then the border and skipped the geese, but your choices and extra time will be worth it! Trust me, I regret being lazy at a later date!
I want to come spend a night at your house and sleep underneath that zigzag border quilt. It looks so good.
I'm always inspired by your choice of borders. . . Just wish you were closer so you could help me with mine. Thanks for sharing.
I keep going back to the zig zag border .... there is just something about it that draws me in. It would need an outer border to finish off the look, but darn those zig zags are striking.
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