Friday, May 8, 2015

I was starting to doubt this day would come

I got all those little honking squares sewn together!


Now for the borders.
Which means I'm at a point where I'm actually going to have to think.
Yay.

 Last time I said I'd tried some practice border layouts, and shared this one with you.  (Sunbeam extra.  Void where prohibited.)


I also experimented with a bunch of other ideas, involving both the nine patches and the mountain blocks.  In all my experiments, I first laid down a light color strip in order to float the patchwork.  I plan to use lots of different lights for yet more scrap-happiness.
I tried various combinations.
Mountains facing out

  

and mountains facing in.



 Mountains combined in various ways with nine patches, with and without narrow dark borders thrown in.

3






5

That last one has possibilities...


Today I got down to some heavy duty playing, what with finishing all that patchwork.  This is getting serious now.
This might be the one...

6

or maybe this variation of it...

7

with another dark (ish?  narrow?) border around the outside, and a dark binding.  Or maybe an orange binding, though the back is going to be mainly orange, so I'm thinking a different color for the binding might be nice.
 Sing out with whatever you're thinking.  I'm always happy to get some input.  I'll be taking a few days to make a decision - after all this time, I'm not going to rush into anything hasty!


And with all those blocks being sewn together, I had ample opportunity for leaders-enders.  (I assemble one row at a time.  I've tried multiple rows simultaneously, and the time I spent second-guessing whether I was making a mistake or not made the whole enterprise less time-saving than it should have been.  One at a time may not be the most efficient way, but it works best for me.)
So, in amongst building more blocks, I puzzled out how to piece the side triangles.


And the blocks keep piling up!
When I started the project, I intended to just make enough for a throw - something to cuddle under in a chair by the woodstove.  But the blocks are so much fun to make that I'm having a hard time stopping.  I'm starting to worry that I'll end up with a house cozy...



http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

9 comments:

Judy said...

Border choices for me are 1 and 4b. However, this is not my quilt and I am really curious about what you will do with your quilt.

Melissa said...

I like 5 and 6. Though I really like the dark coming Through were you left space. Maybe yo could make 3 narrow borders if you go with 5 or 2 narrow borders if you go with 6, but definitely dark in all cases.

PaulaB quilts said...

I like 5 and 6 also. I think having the border blocks set off on both sides with either dark or white makes the whole block border more defined. As for the orange, I can't tell without seeing the whole quilt. Don't think it should compete too much with the border itself. A terrific quilt, however you finish it.

Vic in NH said...

The border choices are dazzling in their array! The orange is striking and I like how it brings out the chains in the center. Nice work!

kmkat said...

I like the progression of how you got to the best arrangement(s). It was fun to watch your mind work :-)

How about an I-cord border?

::ducks and runs away::

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

I am going to be no help because I love each of your variations. And all that orange in both of your quilts -Yum! Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Chantal said...

I too keep changing my mind when it comes to borders. It was fun to "hear" your thoughts through the process. I like pictures 1 and 6 the most. Because the Mountains blocks make a star, I don't think they should be in the border by themselves. It looks more like a different block just being added at the end. You know I mean. Anyway, that's my humble opinion. I like the big large orange border but would cut through it with a thin black border. Again, it's only my two pence. The last picture of your leaders quilt is awesome. Good luck with the borders.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Readig everyon's ideas is a lot of fun! I actually liked the one with the mountains pointing toward the quilt. Maybe because I live in Colorado, and love to see the mountains! Who knows? But whatever you choose, I hope YOU love it the best!

Anonymous said...

5 and 6 appeal to me, especially if you already have a bunch of 9-patch blocks made. Both compliment the center nicely.