I have a lot more of the following fabrics, going from the top left down: Royal blue small print, loud floral after the yellow, the pale pink marbled, and the pale peach solid. Plus theres lots of strips left that didn't get used, especially from the fabrics in the top left corner and bottom right. :)
I HAVE to put a border of some kind on, all the edges of the quilt now are bias. I had been thinking about a skinny border then trying a braid effect border, using up the floral strips ... but now I'm wondering if that'd be too busy unless I put a wider border. Don't guess I'm trying to make it into any particular bed size either, just whatever looks good.
All suggestions and ideas welcome! How would you border this?
Bedbug, anyone? I finished this block last week. I had taken a class at retreat from Suzanne Marshall, on applique. I'll admit to not really liking applique, but I took the class because I don't really know much about it. It was a good class, and I learned a lot. If I need to needleturn applique something now, I have a better idea how to do it right, but I had no interest in finishing the other 3 bugs on this white fabric that were going to make a kaleidoscope-like pattern.
Rather than throw it away and waste several hours in tracing, applique, and embroidery, I cut the one bug I'd finished into a 6½ inch square. Then I added strips, log cabin style, to make it into a 12½ block I'll eventually add to a 20+ year old UFO, my green and brown king size sampler.
19 comments:
I'd be inclined to do a thin say 1" or 2" border of the pale pink around it first (whatever width your pieces are on the centre really) Then a border of all the strips squared off - so lets say the border will be the same width as the strips are and then a thicker (maybe double or triple the strip width) in the blue and finally bind with the peach - that's my twopennorth if it helps :o) Simple to achieve but tying in all the elements and you've already got the strips partway cut for the squares and it should look really effective
Ok, I think a braided border would be waaaay to busy. My opinion is to put a thin pink border, then a bit wider border in the "loud" floral, then another thin border in the peach, and bind in the royal blue! Definitely, though, a simple border would look best because the center is so busy(but very pretty!)
Also, the bug looks GREAT! WTG
Love the bug & love the floral quilt... I can only "see" a floral applique border...
Simple - vine, leaves, and daisy type flowers. (leaves & vine scrappy dark greens, background a lighter green.)
I love your bug! I am also intrigued by what the original project was- is there anyway you can share with us what it was supposed to be-4 bugs on white making a Kaleidoscope?????. Not ideas about your borders, I'm working on that problem myself.
I agree with Ann. I think the braided border would be too busy but the loud floral would help if you used the pink and the peach. THey would be too soft on their own. I'll be curious to see what you do.
I too would go for a simple border -- something narrow then a second wider one maybe.
I love the fabric in the insect's abdomin, beautiful swirls on it. Sounds like a wise idea to forgo the others and turn this into useful though :-)
I think the braided border would be to much but what about a piano key border? I think seperating it with a thin dark pink border and then piano keys would look nice. Just my thoght.
I'm not a border person, so don't have any brilliant ideas for that. I do like the bug, though!
Well, Jane, much as I'd LOVE to see the braided border, I agree it'd probably be too busy. Like the idea of using up all the scraps in the border, though...maybe the piano keys idea would work, after a plain narrow inner border.
I'm with you on applique...yuck! Do like your log cabin bug, though. It'll look great in your sampler one day...
i agree with the others about the braided border. Would be too busy.
I would use the pink marble as a narrow border and then the loud floral as a wider border. Looking at the photo it looks as if alot of the colors you have used in the quilt are in that fabric.
Lovely quilt. I look forward to seeing what you decide.
Keep it simple and easy on yourself as there is so much going on in the middle of the quilt. Pale or hot pink inner border and something floral on the outer should be fine.
How did you do that anyway--it is on point, right?
I'd put a narrow black breaker border - no more than 1.5" wide. Then put diagonal cut pieces from all that I had left - like piano keys or pickets, but at an angle. At the bottom of each row, that means a triangle, too, to change direction. I'd make the angle the same as the direction the pieces go when they hit each border. I don't know if that makes any sense at all in words. A picture really is worth a thousand words!
I think a plain inner border then possibly piano keys or increasing borders from the other leftover fabrics. Love the quilt so far, can't wait to see what you decide :)
Beautiful quilt. IMHO I think that the braided border would be way to busy with that center. It would detract. I like the idea of a narrow solid border and then piano keys to use up the extra fabric.
What about a border something like the one in the post before...Dan's quilt. Maybe make the squares or maybe bricks a little longer after the pale small border first. That sound give it a tie in but stay calm enough.
I'd use the blue as a narrow inner border, then a pieced border using the other fabrics - either squares or a checkerboard, then a wider blue. I like a pieced border between two plain borders using the same fabric. Here are a couple examples
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7027/1400/1600/Colors%20of%20Autumn%20finished.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7027/1400/1600/Blue%20String%20top.jpg
love the bug. that'll make such an unexpected fun additional to your sampler quilt.
I don't have any ideas for the border, but I really do like the bug. Is it appliquing bugs or just the appliquing that you don't like. Maybe you can add other creatures in the other blocks.
no border suggestions from me, but I wanted to tell you how wonderful it looks!
Post a Comment