Any ideas for a really different border? The blocks themselves have been in and out of their UFO home in a pizza box for at least 12 years! For me, the hardest part of the whole quilt was arranging the darned blocks! Cutting and sewing was easy - trying to get them to at least look like they were playing together - not so much!
Every once in a while when i felt guilty about the unfinished state of the quilt i would throw the blocks on the design wall or on the floor and try to arrange them. They always ended up back in the box with no solution until one New Years Eve when it was snowing and blowing so hard that i could barely find the house again while out walking the dogs, i decided to try arranging the blocks one more time. I already decided that i wasnt making any more blocks for this one because it was so hard to come up with a layout, so i would work with what i had to make a smaller quilt or a wallhanging. I must have been really bored (or maybe the 51st time was the charm) but i finally got something i could live with! 😊
But then... i really wanted a different border on the quilt than the customary one we all have seen with 6” borders of yardage of the original fabric. I dont think there is anything wrong with that, but for as many years as the finish has eluded me i really wanted to go out with a bang instead of a whimper! I am thinking that the finish should include enough of the “mother” fabric to be recognizable, but maybe not overdone. I also have yardage of most of the key colors found in the blocks for some kind of accent waiting on inspiration! The top is back in the box now aging appropriately
Somewhere in my mind (a dangerous place) i kinda see maybe having a wider border on just one side and/or the top or bottom utilizing the “mother” fabric in some way. Then maybe the remaining side and/or top or bottom might include my accent fabrics and small fussy cut blocks on point of the bear, eagle, etc. i know im probably making this harder than it needs to be but the poor thing kinda needs to finish with some kinda fanfare...
The “mother” fabric is from the Moda National Park Series (Yosemite). My husband and sons are wildlife enthusiasts and it just seemed to be a good idea at the time. Hopefully they have all forgotten about it by now and until i can come up with something to get it outta the pizza box one last time!
You all are so creative and accomplished (and encouraging) i thought maybe you wouldnt mind if i bounced this off of you... thank you for any thoughts or suggestions. The “mother” fabric tends to be pretty dark in most places with some welcome sparks of color. All of the dark blocks made it really hard to arrange but i did the best i could. I am thinking that because it “reads” so dark that i probably should attempt to make it “pop” a little by incorporating the complimentary yardage in the borders in some way?
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