How To Create A Scalloped Border For Your Quilt

In my last blog post I shared my most recent mosaic quilt, "Whitney Lake".  If you missed it, you can find it HERE.

I like using a scalloped border, whether it is the inner, outer or edge.  

It really makes a plain border, very elegant and special.

I used it on my quilt, "South of France", as the inner border:

and on my first large mosaic quilt," Keyfetti Fish", created while wintering in Key West. This border is scalloped and a facing was used to finish the edge. (It was photographed on a black background.)

35" x 48"

I have used a few diffferent methods to create a scalloped border for a quilt.  The key to them all is, Curvalicious.It's a cutting guide I developed about 5 years ago.  I designed it to make curved looking quilts, but I found out that I could use it for amazing and complex looking borders.

It measures 24" long.  The Curvalicious website shares lots of ways to use it as well as a link to my YouTube video demoing it as a border tool.

When the quilt's dimensions are divisble by 6, a mitered border might be the best method to use.  Otherwise, the method I used for Whitney Lake works well and is pretty simple.

First, I added a 4" border all the way around the quilt.

 After quilting the border, scallop the border using Curvalicious and a 28mm rotary cutter.

 It is a bit of a challenge to cut through all the layers, but it's so worth it. Sometimes you need a little scissors help. To achieve balanced corners, make sure you stop about 6" from the edge.

Using tracing paper or parchment paper, or any paper  you can see  through, create a curved corner.  I fold  the paper in half to make sure it's symmetrical. I use that template to trim each corner.

Then I made a 2" strip of bias binding.  After stitching it to the front with 1/4" seam allowance, I turned it to the back and with the help of wonder clips, I handstitched it to the back.

And Voila!

A border that really frames a quilt.

My Newest Mosaic Art Quilt

40" x 50"

I have fnished my newest mosaic quilt. I could have named it many things, but I've decided to keep it simple and call it Whitney Lake.  We have had a vacation home on Whitney Lake in Hawley, PA for 30 years.  There is so much Lynch  history there.  While our boys were growing up we spent a good part of the summers there.  There was swimming and fishing and blueberry picking.  There were video games on the rainy days and  a gang of boys that hung together and sometimes got into a little mischief. We spent Thanksgiving there and President's weekend ice fishing on the frozen lake.  I have wonderful memories of quilt retreats with girlfriends and students.  There was a little lull in our visits as the boys got interested in sports and headed off to college.  Fortunately, they both dated girls who loved it there too and both of them  married those girls lakeside. So it's a place with lots of memories.

I started the quilt 2 years ago using lots of photos to "stitch" together and construct the scene and thought often about those two empty chairs on our dock.  It has been a long road.  There was a 1 year hiatus where I just couldn't work on it.  Then when I finally returned to working on it I  had some issues with the lake water and contrast.  (Oh contrast, my nemesis!)
Here's an overview:

First the left side and then the right.

And now it's done, and it feels good!

I did debate wether to use a Curvalicious border since all of my mosaic art quilts include it for the border. So I scallopped the border this time and it's just perfect. My next post will have details of the  quilting and borders. You can purchase Curvalicious HERE and watch how to use Curvalicious to create an amazing border HERE:

"Whitney Lake"has now entered the inner circle of my most favorite quilts.
And what would a special quilt be without a special label.

It's a great time to finish a special quilt.