Now that I have been working on quilting this quilt, I like it better now. I want to apologize to it. I think the sandwiched quilt is the ugliest stage, and I left this quilt in its ugliest stage for 20 years. I can see beyond the ugly stage now and see its potential.
I have a conundrum about the border for my Olympics quilt. When I pieced the quilt, I added borders to make it big enough for a twin bed. To do that, I pieced a border, but didn't have enough fabric to go around the quilt so I added the pieced border on one side, and on the all the sides, I added a large blue border and the same size black border.
My problem is that the borders do not look correctly proportional. Having the inner and the outer border be the same size just looks wrong to me. The blue border looks like it is too wide for the quilt too. I no longer care about the size of the quilt.
My plan was to finish quilting it and trimming the blue border. I am thinking of leaving a five inch border, but I may think more carefully about the size if I go this route. This plan, let's call it Option #1, means that I will be cutting off the pieced border. This is not a big problem, because I do have a spare parts box and I could easily add it to my orphan block quilt when I get around to making it. This is the easiest fix although the border looks pretty boring
Do you see from this picture how cutting off the blue border doesn't really allow for keeping the pieced border?
Option #2 is to keep it as is, even though the border looks disproportional.
Option #3 is to get out the seam ripper. Don't even think about it.
Option #4 is to leave the top blue border the size it is and trimming some blue off the other three sides. Some of the pieced border will be cut off, but not very much.
Option #5 is to keep the blue border and narrowing the black border. I am used to seeing the inner border more narrow than the outer border.
Option #6 is to applique a narrow black border inside the blue. There will be three borders then but since the background is black the rings will float more. This will make blue look narrower than the black and I can keep the quilt the size it is. If I do this, I think raw edge applique will be fine for this quilt.
Option #7 is some other idea or combination I haven't thought of.
What do you think?
2022: 15 Minutes to Stitch Week 8
I spent my week quilting the Olympics Twist quilt. My plan was to try to finish it by 2-20-22 or 2-22-22. The deadline helped add the motivation to get this quilt moving. I don't think either will work since I am working now and I need to think about and implement the border decision. My new plan is to keep working on it, giving it the amount of time it needs.
15 minute days this week --7 out of 7
15 minute days this year -- 51 out of 51 days
Success rate = 100%
Linked with:
If you are interested in seeing how this twist block looks in more scrappy colorway, head over to Quay Quilter. Seeing her quilt is what motivated me to dig out mine and work on it. It is the second of the three projects she shows on that post. The third quilt she shows is also on my mental list of quilts to make.
7 comments:
I think option #6 would fix it.
So nice that you have given this quilt new enthusiasm and hope. It will be sensational after quilting. Have fun!
I, too, think the 6th option is the best, but it is your quilt, and you have to make the decision.
I have another idea. Just take off the top black border and let the pieced border be the top. That's the easiest option for sure. Also, I recently finished a quilt and it's blocks were made in 2006. I put two same sized border around the center pieced blocks. It just looked wrong somehow. I eventually narrowed the inner border a little and then added the remaining outside border. Much better.
You've given this a lot of thought. Whatever you decide it will be good to have this quilt finished.
I have a different thought. About the pieced border. How about un-sewing on each edge and cutting off one one and 1/2 'x'....then replace what you cut off with back bround fabric. Till the rest is just floating there. I think it would look better cut where the fabrics cross each other rather than 'open' at the end. The you can trim the inner border and keep the pieced border which is really nice. I know I would not like two borders the same size. And I don't think I would like the outer one smaller either.
I hope you understand what I mean.
I like Rose's suggestion. Or just trim the outer border to be narrower. Since it's dark, like the center of the quilt, it would become a nice frame. There is no rule that says your last border has to be the widest. Congrats on all the stitching time, it's hard when you are working.
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