Don't Just Slap On A Border

That's what we as quilters are told.  "Don't just slap on a border." The border should enhance the design of the quilt, not just make it bigger.

So it was with lots of trepidation, that I slapped a border onto my homespun braid quilts.  But I had worked on the two twin size bed quilts for 2 of our quilting getaways.  My goal was to use up my homespun stash.  I thought they would make great quilts for our place in the Pocono Mountains. Frankly, working on the 2 quilts at once and sewing piece onto braid and piece onto braid, over and over again, I was just so bored.  When I sewed the braid strips together, I had this sinking feeling.  The quilt tops were just too short.

What I wanted to do, was just drop them off at my long arm quilter, Susie Racobaldo, and be done with them.  But I knew they were too short.  I couldn't bring myself to doing a little seam ripping and then lengthening the braids.  So I slapped on a 10" pieced strip of fabric along the top.  Now I did a little bit of machine applique.  On one quilt I added "Our Cabin"  and on the other I appliqued "In The Woods".

At least the quilt was long enough now, but I was still a bit concerned about this slapped on border.  Susie recommended this amazing quilting pattern of pine needles and pine cones.  She used an olive green thread.

I intentionally used a flannel backing and Warm & Natural batting to make the quilt heavy, because that's what my family likes.  I tried to use up a bit more of my stash making a bias binding from a black homespun.  I love a plaid fabric on the bias for a binding.  But before I could sew it on, I had to move my helper.  You would think she would know her place was on the Princess pillow.  (Maybe I have to make one out of pink velvet!)

 After putting the binding on the quilt, I thought it looked really good and I was very happy.  The bedroom with the twin beds was going to look perfect.

And the best part was that I did not regret slapping on that border.  The machine quilting with the dark thread looked fabulous on the tan pieced border.  It was the perfect solution to integrate the border with the quilt. Now I could say that I knew that would happen, but I would be lying.  I am just relieved.

Another Scrappy Braid Quilt

Our guild challenge for this year is a baby quilt. The only requirements are that it measures 40"x40", no cheater cloths and it must be quilted and bound. After being displayed at our June quilt guild meeting, the quilts will be exhibited and sold at the West Chester Growers Market to benefit a local women's organization that helps needy mothers. Check their website at the end of May for the date.

I have returned to my favorite scrap buster quilt of the moment - the braid quilt. I cut up a bunch of 3"x8" rectangles and sewed them into braid strips, separating the pink and the brown to make a cute little girl quilt. A thin strip of brown fabric on the top and the bottom was used to separate this section from the top and bottom borders. My only question at this point is why when you cut up a bunch of scraps, it never seems to diminish your piles of fabric?

For the top and the bottom border, I pulled the softest fabric, called minkee, from my stash. I had bought it a while ago and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. This challenge was it. I couldn't think of anything softer next to a baby's cheek. On the minkee borders, I appliqued the letters using fusible applique and a machine blanket stitch. I chose not to border the sides. I like the vertical look that you get with only borders on the top and bottom.

Getting ready for machine quilting, I basted the layers using a spray temporary adhesive product on my design wall. I have found this method to be quick and easy for small quilts. First I pinned a bed sheet to my design wall, making sure that the sheet covered part of the floor. (The spray adhesive can be a nasty product if it is not contained. )

Then I pinned the backing fabric, wrong side out to the sheet. This was done with lots of pins and pretty taught so that it didn't shift. I sprayed the backing mainly focusing on the 4 edges. The batted was smoothed onto the backing starting at the top and working downward and outward. This was then repeated for the quilt top.

Free motion machine quilting was used with an all over daisy chain pattern and pink cotton thread. In the minkee borders, I just quilted around the letters.. I didn't want to make the minkee stiff.

A little baby girl will be so lucky to get this adorable quilt. And the women's organization will benefit as well. Winners all around.