Welcome to Oh Scrap! from Diane Harris at Stash Bandit:
Tips and tricks for better scrappy quilts!
When it's time for borders on a scrap quilt, how do you decide? This is my Kittens in Windows quilt top. I added borders this week, but not before some pondering.
I used that lemon yellow sashing to tie all those scraps together. It's a stark bright yellow and I knew it would steal the show, which is exactly what I wanted. The scrappy quarter-stars (I call them StarQuars) are from every fabric imaginable, so I hoped the sashing would detract from their mis-matched-ness. The dark cornerstones serve as a weighty visual anchor.
But now, what border fabric will complement that yellow? The only way to know is through auditions. Not much is off-limits at this stage. I've learned that sometimes an unlikely candidate looks terrific! So I'm game to audition anything that might work, because you never know.
I shot the candidates with a pincushion for scale. I had high hopes for this pinkish purple.
This funky print was promising.
Maybe a stripe would fit the bill.
Something sweeter could work.
But you can't decide by just looking at the fabrics.
You must put them up on the design wall, against the quilt top, and stand back. Take a look at what happens.
😳
Uninspiring at best. I folded it narrower but that wasn't any better.
Onward.
Absolutely not. This one just lays down and dies.
I held my breath for the sweet blue floral. NADA.
And just like that, my heart skipped a beat. THIS STRIPE WAS INTERESTING.
I'd barely had the thought before I realized: A stripe presents questions.
If I sew border strips end to end, will I use diagonal seams, and what about matching the stripes?
Will I miter the corners?
And this is where I landed, as I learned another lesson:
Sometimes what looks great when you put up one strip looks overwhelming when you surround the entire thing.
I may need to trim it down. We'll see.
And now this:
I'm teaching "Tango" on Zoom and you're invited!
Friday, April 8, 11 to 5 CDT
** Tickets are $65 **
I'd love for you to come!
I'm booking programs and classes for 2022 and 2023 now and most engagements will be virtual. I'd love to visit your quilt group via Zoom! Consider booking a virtual trunk show and class: Avoid winter travel disruptions or save your guild hundreds in expenses. Everybody wins!
