Quiltingboard Forums - Advice On These Borders?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MTS

I think the applique would look lovely, and really enhance the quilt top.

I just have to say this - and I mean no offense - but before you do the applique, please make sure your borders are correctly attached and the correct length....I don't know if it's the picture, but it looks like there is a lot of extra fullness in there.

As you said in your post, you did the sampler blocks to work on some skills. Learning how to properly measure and attach borders is soooooo important. I really can't stress it enough.

I would hate for you to do all that beautiful applique, quilt the quilt, and find out your borders have the topography of the Rocky Mountains. You can't go back and fix it later.

A sampler quilt book might have very generic instructions. I'm sure you can do a search on the board - I did very quickly, but some of the suggestions weren't great, and could lead to even wavier borders. It's so important to understand how do to it correctly.

Feel free to PM me if you want, and I can write out the correct way to do it, and post it here. But you don't just slap them on and sew, not after all that hard work.

Thank you so much. I didn't notice the waves while I was laying it out but after I took the pic I noticed the waves so I went back and smoothed some out with the iron. I hadn't ironed it yet (thus, the wrinkles) and I hadn't smoothed it out yet. After ironing it looks much better but some toward the outer edge were still wavy so I think I must have pulled a little while stitching the borders on or let the quilt drape too much so the weight pulled it so I put it on my table. Tomorrow, with fresh eyes, I'll seam rip the outer edges and restitch.

I think for colors, I would use the reds that are in the quilt for the flowers, a lighter cream for the centers and a nice autumn green for the stems but not sure. I was also thinking of using the darker brown that's in the roof of the "Madison House" block as the stems. What do you think? Also, I wasn't sure if I should be consistent and use the same red for all the flowers or make the flowers scrappy like the quilt. Any thoughts?

Lovely quilt. I would mark my scallops then place my flowers & vines from there. Hope to see pics when finished.

So pretty so far - please post when borders are done!

that should be lovely. mark first, then applique. lovely quilt!! :thumbup:

A small flange of red between the blocks and the border, Just in case/ FYI - a flange is a 1inch maybe 1 1/2 inches strip of fabric folded in half - wrong sides together and placed between the border and another section of the quilt.

I hope this is a welcome comment. I am hoping that I did not step over my bounds.

Edited to add: Do some people do the applique on the border strips before attaching them to the quilt body? It seems to me that would be easier.

i love applique around a border (if someone else is doing the sewing) lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by quilter68

Edited to add: Do some people do the applique on the border strips before attaching them to the quilt body? It seems to me that would be easier.

Yep, and you're right, it's much easier to work with.

You would do the applique on well measured and marked borders, then attach them. You can finish up the connecting "vine" in the corners when they are all attached.

Back to the borders - just adjusting the edges or ironing them isn't going to make the borders "fit" correctly.

I know it sounds drastic, but I really think
1 - you should take them off,
2 - re-measure a few times,
3 - mark the correct border measurements on the border pieces,
4 - mark your border applique so you know it will fit.
4 - do the applique,
5 - and then reattach the borders correctly.

As for which colors to use for the applique, I wouldn't introduce any new colors not already in the quilt. I'd use brown as the vine, or a darker red. The whole feel of the quilt top is very old-fashioned, almost Amish. Keep it simple.

It will be GORGEOUS when you're all done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTS

Quote:

Originally Posted by quilter68

Edited to add: Do some people do the applique on the border strips before attaching them to the quilt body? It seems to me that would be easier.

Thanks! I was thinking it wouldn't feel right by introducing a new color but wasn't sure if the brown would look right. I normally would do the applique first but I want it to travel around the corners (a new technique for me) so I thought I'd do it this way. I was trying to use this quilt to familiarize myself with as many new techniques as possible. Each appliqued heart block has a different technique from hand applique to reverse applique and the Drunkard's Path block was entirely hand pieced :| Not sure I like that method. :lol: But, I wanted to say that I had at least tried it before I "knocked it" as my Gram would say.

great quilt where did you get the pattern?