This star quilt being held up by my daughter - although all you can see of her is red hair and some feet. She is being gracious enough to be my design wall for me today.

I really like this quilt - but the problem is, it's not the right size. It needs to be a bit bigger (like 4 to 6 inches on each side) to be a good throw size. I just don't have a wall for it to be a wallhanging.

If this was your quilt what would you do to it? I have small amount of the fabrics left, but not enough to do another border. And I'm was worried about adding more borders and it getting wonky. Help! I just am stuck!

Any ideas? Thanks for any suggestions.

Beautiful! I can't imagine changing it.

That is so very beautiful do not change it.

I would get a different fabric (probably dark blue) and add wide borders all around. Could do some fancy quilting in the wide borders, and I think it would frame everything else. An alternative to a solid dark border would be a printed fabric that has a mixture of colors that coordinate with the colors already in the quilt.

It won't get wonky if you pre-cut your borders to size. Measure through the middle and use that measurement to cut your border. Before sewing, match middle of border to middle of quilt, match quarters, etc. When you sew, if you have a little excess border between pins, ease it in. If you have a little excess quilt between pins, ease that in.

I have plenty of wall space for it. Like my address? If you really need to enlarge it, treat it as a medallion center and do other star block rounds. You fabric should coordinate but doesn't have to be an exact match. I agree with Cyn, though. It's gorgeous just as it is.

It is beautiful as is. I'd recommend a piano key border all the way around and then bind it in the darkest fabric.

I love it just the way it is, too. It looks just the right size for your red-headed, bare-footed design wall to snuggle up with while reading a good book or watching tv. She would probably love to use it knowing we all think it is beautiful and that you made it.

No problem. But you may not like the panacea.

You need to unwonk the 4 corners to make your quilt flat enough to quilt.

When you know you are going to add more borders, you need to use a square up ruler. If you can't afford a 12 or 15-inch quilter's square, see if your husband has an L-square out in the garage. If not, ask one of your friends who is an engineer or in the construction business if you can use his Large L-square or T-square. Be sure to return it the next day if possible. Engineers and Construction folks need those squares every single day to ensure their work is not wonky, too.

The easiest way is to use the quilt square.

Open up the worst wonky wannabe 90-degree corner down to the first one. Rip out 6 inches on the top and 6 inches on the side of the angle. You will need a good two millimeter (very small) ripper to get under machine stitches.

Place the square or L-square on the edge. Is it 90-degrees? If it is greater than 90 degrees, cut it down until it is 90 degrees if you can do so without wiping out the aesthetics of your block underneath. If you are using the L-square, use a pencil to mark new cutting lines for your 90-degree corner.

After trimming, resew the first border.

Place the L-square or quilter's square on the new border. Ask yourself the same question--is it 90 degrees? Repeat the process out to the final border.

You should have a perfectly beautiful, unwonked corner.

Repeat 3 times on the other 3 corners of your quilt, down to the offending first area that is wonky. Then go
step by step and border by border to the outside.

When all 4 corners are squared from the first offending non-90-degree corner, add your next border. This time, square the border when it is done. I like to end my quilts with at least one long border, even if it's as narrow as 1.5 inches on the outside as the last border to stabilize the quilt for binding.

Voila. You have the neatest, unwonkiest, flattest quilt this side of the Mississippi. Yours also happens to be quite pretty.

:mrgreen:

Just a thought... The white wall behind your quilt simulates a white border. In my opinion a white border would look beautiful without being distracting. Happy Quilting.

I'd find a matching fabric for a larger outside border. As mentioned above, a white background fabric would look nice.

Turn your current design on point, let it "float" so the current borders do not quite touch the new borders, use blocks in the corners made with what remaining fabric you have - perhaps in the same "compass-type" design, and add finishing strips and triangles around them. Then if you wish you could add wider borders on top and bottom to make the quilt rectangular instead of square.

Jan in VA

Jan, would you explain what you mean by floating and the current borders "not quite touching the new"?

add a dark purple border around it all. ah yes, like Jan said!!!

Very pretty--love Jan's idea!

That is one gorgeous quilt. I have never seen watercolor in that application before. Thanks for sharing.

I would use another floral to match the center colors.

Can't see anything I'd want to change, looks great from here.

nice i think the on point solution is good

That would be great!!!

Looks Great! Unless you get more fabric, I'm not sure what to do! I'd Leave it as is!

Love the pattern my kind of colors too.. I would not change it or add anything more to it , but thats my thought.. you did a great job, thank you for showing it to us..

This is one gorgeous quilt I think I like Jans idea if you want to make it larger!

Beautiful quilt. I think you could add another border and it would be fine. Maybe you could use another floral as a border.
Something with some purple/lavendar in it!

Very pretty. Love the colors especially.

I like the idea of a piano key border. Whatever you do, it will only get prettier, I'm sure!

Very pretty.

Absolutely beautiful quilt! Can't imagine changing it but you could always add another border all the way around. You would have to shop for just the right fabric to keep from spoiling it though. Great work!

To make it float, turn the quilt on point, add corners by making a block and adding half square triangles to each side of it to make a large triangle to add to each side of the quilt. Then put a sashing around each side that matches the color of the half square triangles. Then add a darker border to contain the quilt.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm just going to mull all of them over for a while. I was so stuck on this project, I couldn't for the life of me think of any solutions. I really appreciate all your help.

Another idea would be to use the center background fabric and add borders the size you want and then use the rest of your fabrics to do floral appliques on the borders.

I like Jan's idea to turn it on point. I understand where you're coming from. I don't like to make quilts/throws too small to actually use. And like you said - you don't have wall space for hanging. I definately don't like to make a quilt just to be making a quilt that's not usable as a quilt.

i would piece another border to go around it...maybe mimic the star points in the corners in a mini version ...you could make the small stars put strips of coordinating fabric between them and make 4-6" wide strips to add to it.
it is beautiful!

i always have the opposite problem than this...i have trouble keeping them from becoming HUGE...way bigger than i ever planned ;)

Fantastic idea Jan! :thumbup: although this quilt is beautiful as is!!

It is gorgeous! A perfect lap quilt if you decide not to do any other borders. Some great ideas here to make it a little bigger.

I love watercolor quilts. I have done a few and they are fun, but I've had my fill of doing them I think. Beautiful work.

I think adding to it would take away from it.

I think adding to it would take away from it.

[quote=PWinston] If you really need to enlarge it, treat it as a medallion center and do other star block rounds. You fabric should coordinate but doesn't have to be an exact match. quote]

I think it't going to be beautiful no matter what you decide, but I agree with star blocks all around with similar fabrics. Too much or too many wide borders could possibly take away from that awesome star in the center. JMHO

Josi in FL

Beautiful

I would widen the lavender border and put a thin dark border around the edges.