I am the last one to just decide to slap plain borders on a quilt just to make it bigger and call it done.
But that is exactly what I did yesterday!
I have hemmed and hawed (Just what is hawed, anyway?) over the need for borders on this project, and just what I would do since I first started cutting into my solid scraps to make it.
Evidently I have more solids than I remember having. In every color and hue.
And quilt top center in hand, I was up to trying every color combo I could think of to make this quilt sing.
I took over the back porch with layouts!
And yes, that sun tea actually happened, and it is so yummy!
My mom's trick of tying all 8 tea bags together so they are easy to remove brought back loads of memories. Grab all of the tags, and carefully do a simple overhand knot and pull it snug.
Then screw the jar lid over the string so you don't have to fish for tea bags later.
Thanks, mom!
Apple green and a dark navy/purple for the win!
The thing I was looking for was an inner border fabric that "wouldn't touch itself" as it went around the blocks causing the border fabric to blend and disappear.
The only other place this particular green is used is the inside triangles on the 3rd block down, upper right. So it doesn't really connect. No other fabric I had did this.
From that point on it was choosing something that I had enough yardage of - and something that wouldn't compete with any of the blocks inside.
Though there are quite a few purples in this quilt, none are this dark. And I had enough.
Yep! I like it!
So many suggested black - but remember - I was not putting ANY black in this quilt. I wasn't using any neutrals in this quilt either. And I really did not want it to look Amish.
What's a girl to do when the top is finished and it is only mid-afternoon? (Besides putting all of the rejected solids away?)
Find a non-solid purple back and piece it with one long seam!
I had purchased this batik a couple of years back at Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA. I had pre-washed all 6 yards of it intending to use it for a different project, but found myself using something else instead.
That meant I could use it for this project - and it makes me so happy to have this big chunk find a place to land.
Quilting commenced while the Hubster was mowing the lawn at the Inn.
Lola is supervising!
Not quite fans, and not scaled too small!
I'm quilting with a dusty lavender colored thread that doesn't shout too loudly as it crosses lighter and darker areas.
I got about half-way done by the time we came home, and I hope to finish the quilting today. My plan is to bind in red!
There will be some Memorial Day binding stitching ahead for my long weekend.
The Rhododendron is finally in full bloom!
SO BEAUTIFUL!!
If you look at the ground you can see that the petals are already falling thanks to Tuesday's rain storms. I bet by the end of the weekend it will start to look pretty sad.
We wait all year for this baby to bloom - and the beauty passes so quickly!
If I could pick one color that makes me happy -
It's this one - hot pink and sassy as heck!
How are things shaping up for your Memorial Day weekend ahead?
And did you see that we've got a May '21 Quilty Box Gift-Away happening on Yesterday's Post?
The drawing will happen on Tuesday June 1st - and you could be the lucky winner!
(Sorry, I do not ship internationally. Orders must be shipped to an address within the USA.)
Code MUST be used at purchase to receive free shipping. Not retroactive. No exceptions. Thank you!
Basket Toss is Scrap User's System friendly - I was able to sew up a lot of my smaller scraps, even making good use of rarely-used charm squares for the bigger basket base triangles.
This would be a great quilt for swapping blocks with friends as they are all different and VARIETY is the name of the game!
Quilt Size: 88’’ x 88’’
This price drop is good through May 31st, and will revert to the full price of $12.00 on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Don't delay!
If this is your first time downloading digital patterns from my store to a computer click HERE.
If you intend to download to an iPhone/iPad click HERE.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Happy Friday, Quiltvillians!
Create some beauty in whatever form inspires you today!
It's good for your soul!
Your newest quilt is so crisp and colorful. I've never made a quilt with solids, but I may be tempted to make one after seeing yours. I'm currently working on the Clover Field pattern by Elise Lea. Once again, thanks for sharing your day with us. Your rhododendron makes my heart sing. I think I'll go plant one. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Sincerely, Kari O'Connor
ReplyDeleteHemming and hawing = "chiefly US, informal. 1 : to stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something The question surprised her and she hemmed and hawed a bit before answering."
ReplyDelete"Haw" means to turn left. "Gee and Haw" are commands one gives working horses and sometimes sled dogs. It can also mean to move in a zigzag manner.
Thank you. Englisch is not my mother-tongue, so this was helpful
DeleteYour quilt is lovely, the solids look great! I always chuckle when I make an 'Amish' quilt. People always comment how modern it is!
ReplyDeleteLove your new solids quilt! Beleive "haw" goes with "gee" when reining a horse....instead of "go left, go right" lol Someone will corrent me....
ReplyDeleteGee and haw are voice commands used to tell a draft horse to turn right or left when pulling a plow or other farm equipment, or to direct sled dogs pulling a sled or sleigh. For horses, in the U.S. "gee" generally means turn right, while "haw" means turn left. In England, the meanings are reversed, but as James Lloyd Clark points out, "Generally, work horses are not subject to a lot of international travel so the fear of great confusion on the farm is minimal." and there you have it! Haw means turn left, in America!!! How it got connected to hemming, i have not yet researched, LOL, thanks for the query... I LOVE the border for your "solid stars" or whatever her name, you came up with the perfect combination and the red binding will be just perfect... IMO... but then i'm not very critical, most all of what you do pleases me! So, have a wonderful "holiday" weekend, being retired I'm almost always on holiday!!!! Oh, one last thing, thanks, i made sun tea yesterday!!! Didn't realize i was 'missing' it... hugs, Cats in Carlsbad CA
ReplyDeleteCats- You nailed it! Our mushers use those terms all the time training and mushing, I have a few teams that run through my yard on my circular drive to turn them around naturally to head the other direction.
DeleteBeautiful quilt, you made those solids sing. Hope you have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe two borders are perfect!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour solids scrap quilt is STUNNING.... that is a lot of blocks!!!! love the green and purple borders - sets off the design by staying in the background and not competing.... miss our NH rhododendron+ years here in Florida ...they are so beautiful... thanks for all your sharing.... hugs prue
ReplyDeleteLove the two colours you chose for your borders - just perfect. Great quilt top which already is well on the way to being completely quilted. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI think the plain borders are perfect! Super fun quilt, and an interesting change of pace.
ReplyDeleteIs this one destined for one of the retreat beds at the Inn, or are you still deciding?
What weight of thread do you use for quilting? Do you use different weights in the top and bottom? I so enjoy making your quilts and learning about your process. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteHere in NW OH we are having one of those day long rains. YOu look out and just know this isn't stopping anytime soon. Its cool and cloudy. Very damp and depressing. so much so we came back home from the lake. I figured I could enjoy the bad weather here at home in my sewing space rather than in a metal box (an RV) at Lake Erie. I still have a few rows of quilting to add to my latest lap size. I used up a layer cake of bold colors and prints for this project.
ReplyDeleteLove your border choices. Always watching what you do!
ReplyDeleteThe trivia I learn from your readers....this is an educational discussion. Love the way you combine fabrics so they shine together instead of fight. That is a talent to be admired. Enjoy the holiday.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, you can’t go wrong using purple. Love the design and colors!
ReplyDeleteGee, I thought tying the tea bag strings together was my unique idea, your mom and I think a like.
ReplyDeleteLove the solid border on the "solids" quilt! Great choice!
ReplyDeleteI love the dark navy blue border on your quilt, oh my, it just sets it off so prettily, it's just perfect! I just purchased the Basket Toss pattern because not only do I like baskets, but that beautiful, wavy border just made the whole quilt sing! I am just a beginning quilter, although I've been following your blog for years; I retired from State government and since then have had a tax prep business for the last 20+ years, so I don't have much spare time to indulge in my quilting adventure, hence my "beginner" status, although I have to say, I've thoroughly enjoyed buying patterns and fabric, ha ha! Before quilting, my sewing was making clothing for myself and my 2 girls, hence I consider myself a "beginner" in the quilting hobby. And thank you for your blog, you have taught me so much about quilting!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant choices on the borders. It really makes this quilt top pop. Have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The two colors do the job perfectly. Sometimes your head can't decide by itself. You have to go play with the fabric. Oddly enough this very same purply navy was best solution on my work in progress this week. Funny how many times we forget the "old" fabrics we had stashed and when we are desperate we find them and they are exactly the color and amount we need now. Like they had been waiting for this moment in time. There really must be fabric goddesses. Kind of eerie when that happens...
DeleteLove your new quilt. The roads is one of my favorite flowers, love yours. New to blogging.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Bonnie, for taking us through your thought process in choosing borders. I just love this solid beauty and think the borders are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteBonnie - those border colors are just perfect!
ReplyDelete