Friday, May 1, 2020

Borders and Bindings

Thanks for stopping by to read about my version of the Borders and Binding Challenge for Island Batik Ambassadors. 


I love that Island Batik challenges us, and provides gorgeous fabrics for us to use for the challenges.  
In April of 2017, I started the applique part of this top.  
Here's the blog post about it, and the inspiration, but I'll share that again.  During a visit to the The Cloisters, part of the Met museums,I saw a number of Tiffany inspired Stained Glass windows.  I love the look of stained glass, and the quilts that can look like them.  I found this bookmark in the gift shop that day, and wanted to make a quilt based on the glass and this bookmark.  

I started the top, and had finished all of the satin stitching around the applique and "leading", the black Clover fusible bias tape.  And couldn't decide how I wanted to do the border.  When this challenge was announced, I had tons of ideas, but couldn't pick just one.  I played around with a few designs, and realized that most of them centered around a panel.  But making masks, dealing with my mother's Covid-19 diagnosis (she seems to only have had the fever and possible taste/smell issues, no cough) trying to finish other quilts, shipping 2 quilts to Island Batik for Fall Market, and trying to do everything else, I decided to finally finish this Stained Glass design.  My idea was to make it look like you were looking through an Arbor, or Trellis, to see the branch of Dogwood blossoms.  I went to EQ8, and searched for trellis blocks, or arbor.  There wasn't anything specific I saw that really struck me, until I found this X block called Overlapped Snowflake Corner.  I didn't see a snowflake, but the shape worked.  I played, and with making the front X bar white, the "back" one grey, and the triangles sky blue (similar to the background of the branch, but not the same), I could get it to look like a trellis.  After measuring the top, I realized it was short of the size I would need to make the 6" blocks work.  So, I added a side and top, as if you're looking through the frame of an arbor.  I even played with the idea of making a picket fence gate instead of trellis blocks at the bottom, but decided to stick with the trellis block.  I used mostly fabrics from the Basics collection, but the pink came from scraps of another group, and the blue for the border blocks was from Stash Builder rolls.  Solid White and Grey make the blocks.

To make this block as 6", you'll need a 4 1/2" block of blue, cut diagonally in 4.  (X).  You need 2 2 5/8" by 4 1/2" pieces of grey, and a white rectangle 2 5/8 by 14 1/2".  I figured this out by printing out the foundation piecing block, but didn't want to use the paper.  It's actually pretty simple.  

First, sew the triangles on both sides of the grey pieces. 
I kept seeing a rocket design, but you need to line up the triangle with the flat short side, and stitch 1/4" seam.  Press towards the grey. 

Finger crease the center of the grey between the blue triangles, and the center of the white strip.  Line the Rocket unit right sides together on the white, at the center and stitch.  




 Next, square the block.  Make sure the 3 1/4" lines are at the intersection of the X, the point of the blue triangle, and trim to 6 1/2" square.  Try to notice where the center diagonal line is on the white strip, too.  I pressed to the grey/triangle units, so if the blue triangles line up, the seams nest.  Not all of mine did line up, but I'm okay with that.

To finish the quilt, I put it on the Long Arm and used a ruler foot and Ditch ruler to quilt the seam between the blue sections and the "trellis" part, and did a Free Motion stipple on the stained glass part.  I used 40wt Aurifil in 4663, Baby Blue Eyes.  I used a piece of Warm & White cotton batting, and Island Batik White solid for the back.  I didn't quilt the grey or white sections, except for stitch in the ditch.  I love how it turned out.  I sometimes think less is more.  I don't often quilt something to death. lol. 

To finish this off, I did a Facing style binding, and added hanging loops.  I pinned the loops on first, then added the triangles for the corners, and the facing strips.  I just googled and found info on All People Quilt, for the specifics.  

Although I wanted to take this and the Storm on Point quilt someplace for good photos, today was not a good day for it.  It was really windy.  I did get a few more shots of this outside, on a chair, and hanging in a room.  




I also finished the March Island Batik Challenge, featuring the Accuquilt GO! BOB Storm at Sea die.  I did an on-point setting, after playing with the design on EQ8, and used the Steampunk Gears panto from Intelligent Quilting.  It's not an easy panto to use, and I've learned so much by using it on the 2 quilts I made with the gear print fabric.  This one is Graphic Gems.  I also used Aurifil 40-3 to quilt it, in 4670, Silver Fox.  Even though the panto is a challenge to use, it looks so perfect with the fabric.  I used purple for the binding, and a wide Cuddle fabric for the back, in grey.  This has Hobb's Heirloom Natural Cotton with Scrim for batting.  Look at that texture!  It measures about 69" square.  




This quilt also has something "fancy" for border, using the center Square in a Square block for the corners.  Sometimes just adding a little something to the border adds so much.  


Thanks for reading this far.  I also wanted to let you know that Island Batik Ambassadors are doing a blog hop in May.  Details will be out on the Island Batik blog tomorrow, and there will be chances to win fabric.  We're featuring Home Dec ideas, for the new collections that should be arriving in stores soon.  So, if you see something you want, please check with your local LQS, who can really use your support now, or check with me, in my Etsy store.  If you need a group that you can't find, let me know, and I'll see if I can get it.  

Please have a great weekend, spend time doing something you love, and keep the faith that the restrictions will lift soon, and we can enjoy Spring.  Thanks! 
Maryellen

3 comments:

Kathleen said...

I love your tiffany project - so perfect. That storm at sea is gorgeous too. Looking forward to the hop - always so much creativity!

MissPat said...

I'm thankful to hear that your mother's case of Covid-19 was fairly mild. It must have been very worrisome. I love Storm at Sea quilts (I've made two) and yours is a good one.
Pat

Emily said...

The lattice was a great idea and the flower center is lovely! A stained-glass style quilt is on my quilty bucket list.