Esqmommy

Hi all. Here is a D9P I made this week. it's not totally done. I need to add borders and back. It's very small at this point, and want to make it bigger, but don't feel like cutting more squares and sewing them. Any thoughts on the borders? Also, I'm having a dickens of a time trying to figure out a backing. I don't think I have to stick with modern, and thought perhaps a nice soft chartruese minke, but the last time I used that fabric it gave my machine fits. I'd love some suggestions!!

Esqmommy

Would probably help to know that there is an extremely grey-blue, and also the yellow green is probably chartruese, but then again, not "bright". Sorry about the quality of the photo, I had to take it with my phone as I can't find the "good" camera!!

ScubaK

From the way your picture looks, I would put a nice smokey light gray flannel for a backing with a black binding...
Maybe put a pale yellow piping in one of the borders...with gray, white, black...
Kirsten

Shemjo

Do you have any more of the block fabrics? You could just use them as differing widths of borders. The flannel sounds like an option for the back. A solid color of one of the front colors would be nice for the back. Also left over fabrics from the front could be randomly pieced for the back. It is your quilt, you can do anything you want! :?

Esqmommy

I was just in the other room putting on a border and cutting another. Originally, I was going to piece the border, or put the same fabrics in it. But, I want to "tone it down" so I found a nice grey and did a two inch border, now I'm adding the yellowish as a 3 inch border, but I think I'll put that on the top & bottom only so it'll be a little longer. It's super square right now. I thought then I could really quilt up that big area with black thread and it would look nice. I'm going to do a 4-5 inch black border...I think that'll look good. While I was putting on the grey, I thought it would really look good with grey on the back, so it looks like I'm thinking like you guys.

I'll post a picture when I make a little more progress.

kluedesigns

for borders i would do a series of skinny borders tone on tone or solid - 1 for each color in the quilt.

so cream, grey, green, navy, etc - i'd start with the lightest color and a 1/2 inch in size and then i would add 0.25 (so the next strip is 3/4 inch) to each additional border and of course working from lightest to darkest fabric

sew them all together in a strata and then attach and miter at each corner.

for the backing fabric i would go with a batik with similar colors and design (a leaf or a flower) or a flannel with a similar design.

JoanneS

I wouldn't use the Minke for the backing if it gave you troubles before. It's a stretchy fabric - why use it when there are so many alternatives!