Brainstorming
 

Hi ya'll, hoping for some new eyes on this - this is going to be a long post, btw. I'm working on designing a full-length quilt for my king size bed - I've just always liked the look and I love making bed quilts. This is going to be a hugely ambitious project, though. It's going to be fun!

Anywho, I'm trying to decide what to do with the pillow area for this quilt, and also what to do with the corners on the second border (from the inside.) Pic is attached (I hope.) (Pop down to the end for the summary of this long bit.)

Going from the inside out, the medallion is a variation on a Mariner's Compass with rings of flying geese. I'm leaning toward figuring out how I would need to piece these, but if that seems to be too hard I'm not ruling out applique. The dotted lines on the center portion of the pic line out the pillow tuck, which is just going to be quilted with nautical designs (a la sailors' tattoos, perhaps). Above that is the pillow area - I'm not real sure what I want to do with that (see below). The dashed lines (and lighter color) are fitted to the top of my bed.

The first border is going to be just a simple strip, probably mitered corners.

The second border is going to be 8x8 inch sampler blocks in coordinating colors, which is what brings about the wonky corner pieces. I could make my life so much easier by making that border 10" wide, but I think 10x10 is too big for a border. (I'm also open to suggestions for blocks for that border - I've got to choose something like 40 of them or something.) I haven't decided whether I want to keep the blocks to compass and star style blocks, or go ahead and use regular blocks as well (i.e. card trick, 4-patch, etc.) I'm having some trouble deciding how I want to handle to weird fit, and I'm looking for ideas other than using fewer blocks and sashing them.

The third border is just a 2" wide curling ribbon border, and I'd like to keep that width.

The last border is where I'm getting complicated, and I'm not sure if I can explain what's in my brain and make sense. I want this to be a full-length quilt, which by definition drops to within 1/2" of the floor. Problem is that I'm planning on some pretty dense quilting on the top, and I don't really have a good way to figure out how much shrinkage I'll have because of that. So what I came up with is that I'll make the top out to the third border, then quilt and bind. (It will basically be a finished quilt at this point.) Then once I've got the final measurement for that much, I'll figure out how much length I need on the final border and make the wedges individually (quilted and bound.) Then I'll use either embroidery floss or lace thread (whichever looks the best and seems strongest) and sew the wedges together and to the quilt with a loopy kind of stitch so there's a little space between the pieces - 1/4" or so - so it looks a little bit lacy. Triangle pieces will be the same as the bg fabric on the top (and in the 2nd border, though that isn't shown,) and if I can find the right fabrics, I'll probably fussy cut the dresden wedges from...some kind of fabric. Not sure about that part yet. But that will give me a pretty border at the perfect length. Theoretically.

~*~ IN SUMMARY ~*~

All of this nonsense is to ask the following two questions:

1. What could I/should I/would you do with the weird corner pieces in border #2? (If my math is right, I've got 6" to fudge on the sides and 2" on the bottom if I don't have the weird pieces.) I've thought of sashing the blocks (and using correspondingly fewer blocks,) but I'm trying to see if there are any other ideas out there before I decide.

2. The common thing to do would be to use wedges of the mariner's compass in the pillow section, but if I don't really like that. I'm kind of thinking of something like applique wavy lines (i.e. blowing wind kind of look,) but this is a very vague and nebulous idea. Anyone got any others?

And another question that pops to mind as I'm writing this:

3. In border #2 (the sampler block border), should I/would you use just compass and star blocks, or should/would all kinds of blocks be fair game?

Total size of the quilt is 130" x 130".

Whew! That took longer than I thought. What do y'all think? I've got plenty of time to fiddle with the design - it's probably going to take me all year to save enough for the fabric. And I'm really hoping the picture posts.

Quite a challenge....I myself have decided that any bed quilt I now make I will make pillow shams to match rather that the traditional fold over pillows....reason for this is...I purchased from goodwill two lovely heavily quilted gold colored shams( store bought) that I have used on two of my bed quilts....liked the look so,well, have made a set of them for a scrappy nine patch/snowball quilt that I made a long time ago....still had some of the border fabric...phew! Enough for the shams! So that will be what I do from now on....

It will be spectacular .............I was wondering if you can draw, what about in the pillow area doing applique of, I don't know what its called but old wooden ships had carved figures of women usually at the bow. Using two of them facing each other. Just using like brown fabric, and outlining with emb. floss. Of course size and scale is important........just a nautical thought.
And thanks for the prayer...........I needed that too.........

I have a question about the size. Assuming your king sized bed is 78 inches wide, that would give you a 26 inch drop on each side. That seems kind of much. Also, with such a huge quilt, you will end up with A LOT dragging on the floor at the corners. You might think about angling those corners a whole pile more. Try laying a blanket on part of your bed, with the projected drop and see what you think. BTW ambitious project but those are the most fun.

calla, Now THAT is a brilliant idea. I can't draw for beans, but I do alright on a computer or I could probably get a friend to do it. Thanks!

GingerK, atm I've got the corners rounded w/the radius starting at the corner of border #3 (the gray bits around that border are supposed to be empty space, sorry). My CG software claims that would put the corner drop at about 29", which still may be too much. Side drop is 25", measured from the seam on the mattress to about 1" above the floor - my mattress top measures 80" from seam to seam. I imagine the extra couple are due to the cushioning on the mattress.

I am going to test that drape with a bit of muslin, but since I'm doing that last border at the very end, I can always fudge it if I feel the need.

P.S. I calculated the length as 30" for pillows + 15" for pillow tuck + 60" for the main bed +25" drop. The extra length in the pillow section is b/c we have high loft pillows, and the 60" I measured off from the bottom of the pillows to the end of the bed.

I got nothing except anxious to see it when finished.

My question back is can you quilt 130" square quilt?? I believe that is a bit larger than the frame of most LAQ. I like the way you have eliminated the wide border on the pillow top but recheck your measurement to make sure you measurements are correct. You might do the same quarter compasses in both of the top corners of the quilt. Good Luck

Are you planning on quilting this yourself or sending it out? How good are you if you do it yourself? I would be tempted to leave the pillow area plain as far as piecing is concerned and do some really fancy quilting in that area. But then I enjoy doing the quilting.
As for piecing, how about a couple of stripes of flying geese across the width of the quilt in the same colors as those around the compass. Maybe each with a narrow border of the gray (used in the outer border) on each side.

Did I mention that I hand quilt? I anticipate the quilting to take rather longer than the rest of it combined, but aside from the hassles of managing the bulk while quilting in a hoop (no, I don't know of any 130" quilting frames), there isn't really any limit to size. Unless you're counting the thickness of the skin on my fingers!

I figure this is going to be an evening sewing project for so long I might as well give it a name. I'll probably be holding whole conversations with it before I'm done.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to having a long-term project again. And I'll fiddle with the design and see if I like the compass quarters on the pillow top.

Thanks!

If you leave off the corner blocks the quilt will hang better.

Will be really awesome whatever you decide I'm sure! How about a miniature mariners compass or some type of star in each of the blocks surrounding the first border? Just my opinion, but those blocks need something.

Those blocks are going to be sampler blocks (I'm just not up for the work of drawing them all out lol), and yes, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of making them just star and compass blocks, though I'll do more than just mariner's compasses. My local library has a copy of Jinny Beyer's The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns, and that book has a slew of different compass patterns.

Sorry, which corner blocks? :?

Many years ago I saw a bedspread quilt, that had been made to fit the bed it was on. Instead of a pillow tuck, the quilter had added a second layer of quilted "fabric" at the head area (approx. 24" x width of quilt) before the binding was done, so that to make the bed, you just pulled the quilt up into place, then lifted the second layer and slide the pillows under it, then smooth it over the pillows, (it extended a couple inches past the pillow edges.) I loved the look and the idea, and some day I will have developed the skill to do the same. What I liked best was the extra layer forms an extra layer of warm at the shoulders as you sleep under it.

Why couldn't you make your sampler blocks 8" x10" to eliminate that wonky corner issue. There is no rule that says they have to be square. Or you can go with the 8" square and add a narrow strip between each one to use up that space.

I know you want a unified look - but - just for something more to think about

I hate those full size bedspreads/comforters that go to the floor when we stop at a motel. They are heavy and uncomfortable to me. (But that is my opinion on that that.)

How about making a quilted tailored bedskirt with the mariners design - You could make them so they tuck in between the mattresses

Then make the quilt/spread so that it hangs about three inches below the top mattress.

Then have a set of pillows that are always in the pillow shams to make it look "complete" - that you toss off the bed at night. Or you could get - or make - a body type pillow that could go across the bed.

You could still get a lot of the design elements you mentioned in the "set" instead of one big unit.

I prefer a "unified" look - such as the blocks from Jinny Beyer's Moonglow quilt - the blocks are varied, but have a common theme.

Is this something you plan to sleep under? Or is it mostly for show?

WOW! What a great quilt! I am anxious to see it, and would love to see updates as you go if you are up to that. Here are my thoughts, for what it is worth.

I like Calla's idea of the bow heads and immediately thought of going to Google images to see if you can find something there you could trace.

I also like your idea of sampler blocks and would include all kinds of blocks that would 'tell the story'. If you are telling a story with this quilt, such as a sailor leaving home, sailing away to other lands, etc. I would include a log cabin block and find what I could to interpret the story. You could do repeats of the blocks if you wanted to. I also would keep all the sampler blocks in the same colors as the compass. On the back of the quilt, you can write out the story.

Can you tell I am a quilting librarian!? Just an idea. I'm sure you will come up with exactly what you want.