Triple Irish Chain, almost done, need help with border
 

HI everyone, I've been at this for about 3 weeks and it's starting to look really nice. I'll post some pictures to show you my wip. I drew out the blocks in my EQ 5 and with four small straight borders it should come out to be 83 x 97. My question is this.... the other day while I was sewing blocks together I came up with the idea to do a bird of paradise embroidery, which I have from embroidery library, which is for a 5x7 hoop. In the second block you can see the fabric is or looks like the bird of paradise flower. I'm just wondering if I should use a soft pink and darker pink to pull the color from the plant in block, and use it with the embroidery of bird of paradise for the border??? I just can't make up my mind. At first I started with just three rows for border, using the light and dark pink with some green. Anyhow, here's how it's going so far, hope you like my colors. Thanks in advance for any ideas. I'll also post a picture of the embroidery and the fabrics I've chosen. OH before I forget, dear friend Nellie, says I should make a ribbon border, I love that idea too, I'd do it with the embroidery in between ribbon. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, this is my first own quilt creation.

it's very pretty

Can you tell me where you got the focus fabric used for the big squares? It is beautiful and I am looking for fabric in that exact color combination.

Love it! I wouldn't do too much in the borders. It may detract from the quilt. A simple ribbon or vine in the borders would be ok though. Show is a pic when it is done. I can't wait to see it!

HI QuiltNan, thank you for the compliment.

Hi joanneg, on the fabric selvage it says , Daylily Fields by Sue Beevers 2007 RJR Fabrics. I hope you can see get, maybe if you go to their website. I've had this fabric for sometime, decided to use it finally :) hope this helps.

First your quilt is going to be lovely and looks very well done. I admit I struggle tremendously with border decisions so not much help. I agree with Tartan about doing the embrodiery on the pink may distract. I would just try to draw up some options using your software and post them to further the discussion. Always easier to get an idea with a picture.

HI Tartan, I also was thinking of maybe using a pale yellow with this embroidery, I don't want to take the eye away from center blocks, I thought to add some embroidery would make it a bit different from other T.I.C. I've seen on the web. Thanks for the compliment and your advice. :)

HI Luv Quilts and Cats, thank you for the compliment, oh love the idea too of doing a vine, now my head is spinning lol, so many great ideas, I'll keep notes and think about it some more as I'm still sewing rows together. I'll definitely will post when I have the top done, and more pics as I work on it. Thank you on your input. :)

Hi quilt addict, thank you for the compliment, hmm ok I'll do that change the back ground fabric behind embroidery with other colors and see how it looks, i'll post them when I change it. ok I'll be back in abit to show with other colors. :)

Thank you so much for the info. Your quilt is beautiful!

That is stunning!!!

Your very welcome joanneg. Hope you can find it. :)

HI nannyrick.com thank you for the compliment :)

HI again,I'm back with more colors for background for embroidery, here they are. I also plan to use threads for embroidery to match the greens and pinks from blocks. Hmm I don't see an area to post pics, ok I'll start another message on here.

This is a gorgeous quilt. I'm not a green person but I love the way this quilt looks. Maybe it's the focus fabric but I love it.

here are other colors for background for embroidery for border.
 

OH I must also say, that this embroidery is a 5x7 size which I resized it to 4x4. Thank you all for input on my Triple Irish Chain.

HI Vicki I, thank you for your compliment. I seen a Triple Irish Chain quilt in Fons & Porter's Love of quilting March/April 2008, this quilt just caught my eye so this is where I got the idea to make an T.I.C. in green. It's nice to work with greens at the moment, LOL, since it's so white outside, I'm ready for Spring. :)

I think your quilt is absolutely beautiful just the way it is. I would do a small border with the dark green and the a little larger one in the light green. I think the embroidery is too much and would take away from the beauty of the quilt.

If you use the embroidery, I like the pale yellow background best. I really like the idea of the simple borders you had originally planned, but can see how that embroidery would be hard to pass up. I wonder if there would be a way to do the simple borders and work the embroidery in as part of a cornerstone block? Depending on the sizing of the border, you could use 3 color strips for the border and do a 9 patch cornerstone on each corner with the embroidery as one (or more) of the patches.

I'd say at this point, it doesn't matter what you do that quilt will be beautiful anyway.

I can't give you any advice about embrodiery or quilting but I want to say your quilt is beautiful. I haven't seen an Irish chain done with fabric like that. I love it.

I'd keep the background of the emb. blocks a pale color, so as not to detract or distract. Also keep the border simple, as others have suggested too. Love what you have done so far!
I have this same fabric, and I love it! I have kept it for a special project, and it hasn't hit me just yet! :)

Hi Lisa_wanna_b_quilter, Oh I love your idea of doing a cornerstone with the embroidery. I'll have to play with my EQ and see if I can set it up this way. Thanks for your idea, :)

Thank you KSellers for the compliment and the input for my quilt. I'm anxious to see it finish myself. :)

HI GagaSmith, thank you for your compliment, it sure feels wonderful when I read everyone's compliments. I feel the stress of my sewing is all worth it now. LOL. I'm always afraid of sewing the parts crooked or wasting fabrics, I feel when a person makes a quilt, it should be done at it's best. I'm slow at sewing, but it's working out, so back to sewing. Thanks again for the nice compliment.:)

HI Mariposa, I think I will keep it simple, but I really would like to use the embroidery. I'll have to embroider the design and see how it looks, before I make my final decision. I fell in Love with this fabric, I too wanted to keep it for a special project. This Irish Chain has been on my mind for at least 4 yrs, and now I'm finally doing it, and it's coming out very well. Thank you for the compliment and your input. :)