When I finished the last sampler block of the Ameliorate Sampler, I set it aside and started thinking about a layout and borders for the quilt. I had these three ideas for layout:
I was leaning toward the first design because it is different than I usually see with samplers, although I did like it on point too. Either way, it means coming up with a lot of filler before getting to the border and that means this UFO won't be getting done quickly. But thinking of that first layout, I went to the nearest local quilt store (nearest being forty-five minutes away) on Thursday and bought a blue floral background fabric along with more of the same off-white Moda used in the original blocks.
That morning before I left, a lady texted and said she was having a big sale on all her remaining fabric. She had closed her local quilt shop last year. And when I saw local, it was right here in my little town. How I hated seeing her close that store. I texted her and asked if she had any civil war fabric, but when she didn't reply, I went the other one. After I got home, she texted back with a picture of four or five bolts of reds and browns. I thanked her but told her I had gone to the other store.
That evening, I got out the blocks and started squaring them up and soon found that they weren't the same size. I thought it was because I had messed up, being brand new to quilting when I started them. But I had just finished one of the blocks and it was pretty near perfect. So I dug out all the instruction pages and sure enough, some of the blocks are 9-1/2 inches and some are 9-1/4 inches. Why on earth would they do that?!!! So now I needed to come up with a plan that included borders around each block so they would all be the same size. I did this with Microsoft Paint, so it is far from accurate or professional, but here are my three plans again, but with larger blocks and the blue floral outer borders. Just a few blocks for an idea, because doing this on MS Paint was time-consuming. I also left out whatever I would make for the center of the medallion.
When I showed these samples to Hubby to get his opinion on the colors, he said he liked the traditional layout best. Well that puts a kink in my plans. He seldom tells me he likes anything about quilts one way or the other that I am now reconsidering the traditional layout. To make a long story longer, the next day (yesterday) I went to the local quilt store and bought some of her civil war fabrics. She has a one yard minimum, so I bought way more than I needed, but I didn't want to make another ninety mile round trip and her prices were low.
I decided to make an inner border out of a color that went with the colors in the block, and an outer border of the off-white to make it stand out against the blue background. Here it is along with a sneak peak of my new design wall. Now I need to go to JoAnn's to buy enough flannel to cover the rest of the foam boards. But not on Saturday.
My One Monthly Goal for February is to finish Ameliorate Sampler into a flimsy.
Linking to:
UFO Busting at Tish's Adventures in Wonderland
One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts
I was leaning toward the first design because it is different than I usually see with samplers, although I did like it on point too. Either way, it means coming up with a lot of filler before getting to the border and that means this UFO won't be getting done quickly. But thinking of that first layout, I went to the nearest local quilt store (nearest being forty-five minutes away) on Thursday and bought a blue floral background fabric along with more of the same off-white Moda used in the original blocks.
That morning before I left, a lady texted and said she was having a big sale on all her remaining fabric. She had closed her local quilt shop last year. And when I saw local, it was right here in my little town. How I hated seeing her close that store. I texted her and asked if she had any civil war fabric, but when she didn't reply, I went the other one. After I got home, she texted back with a picture of four or five bolts of reds and browns. I thanked her but told her I had gone to the other store.
That evening, I got out the blocks and started squaring them up and soon found that they weren't the same size. I thought it was because I had messed up, being brand new to quilting when I started them. But I had just finished one of the blocks and it was pretty near perfect. So I dug out all the instruction pages and sure enough, some of the blocks are 9-1/2 inches and some are 9-1/4 inches. Why on earth would they do that?!!! So now I needed to come up with a plan that included borders around each block so they would all be the same size. I did this with Microsoft Paint, so it is far from accurate or professional, but here are my three plans again, but with larger blocks and the blue floral outer borders. Just a few blocks for an idea, because doing this on MS Paint was time-consuming. I also left out whatever I would make for the center of the medallion.
When I showed these samples to Hubby to get his opinion on the colors, he said he liked the traditional layout best. Well that puts a kink in my plans. He seldom tells me he likes anything about quilts one way or the other that I am now reconsidering the traditional layout. To make a long story longer, the next day (yesterday) I went to the local quilt store and bought some of her civil war fabrics. She has a one yard minimum, so I bought way more than I needed, but I didn't want to make another ninety mile round trip and her prices were low.
I decided to make an inner border out of a color that went with the colors in the block, and an outer border of the off-white to make it stand out against the blue background. Here it is along with a sneak peak of my new design wall. Now I need to go to JoAnn's to buy enough flannel to cover the rest of the foam boards. But not on Saturday.
My One Monthly Goal for February is to finish Ameliorate Sampler into a flimsy.
Linking to:
UFO Busting at Tish's Adventures in Wonderland
One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts
However you decide to finish your quilt, it's going to be lovely--love those blocks! It's crazy that there were two different sized blocks in the pattern though--someone wasn't thinking--lol!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blocks, and as says Karen, whatever your choice will be, it's going to be an amazing quilt
ReplyDeleteI love your fabric choice. Good luck on finishing your goal.
ReplyDeleteI like the block border plan, I had to do the same for the Vintage Dresses quilt, the blocks didn't all finish to the same size. Looking forward to seeing this come together into a finished flimsy.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a beauty with those two borders.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.
ReplyDelete