About ten years ago, I made a Sunbonnet Sue (all appliqued blocks, using all the dainty floral or other print, baby rickrack, 1/8" ribbon (on the hats), etc. The pattern also has instructions -- it had two distinct borders/sashing on it, separated by a varigated (pastel colors) eyelet. This is a beautiful pattern. If I had an extra copy of the book, I would send it if you wanted it, but I only have one. What I did (and of course it's not the only way to do it) , I bought some quilt-double-backed fusion material and ironed the applique pieces together, then zig-zagged it in buttonhole stitch all around every piece. I even made little bows and attached them and zig-zagged the on in the appropriate places.
First and foremost, you have to make what YOU want to make! The quilt I made turned out very well, since I was (and am) a rank amateur, but I did hand-quilt it (it took me five months to make since I was and still am working full-time), but I had a lot of fun doing it, and the sore fingers right along with it!
To make a long story shorter, the original size was supposed to be 28" x 36" (or something like that--I'm not looking at the pattern right now). In my ignorance, I said that's not a quilt, that's a lap pad. I doubled the number of blocks and enlarged all the pattern pieces and the white blocks. I'm not saying I would do that again, but it was a lot of fun!
Sorry, I guess I sound like a blithering idiot!
Jeanette Frantz