Thursday, December 3, 2015

Another Quilt Top Finish

What a wonderful turnout for the Quilty365 December Linkup! Sooo many great versions of our daily circles. I even spied some when I hopped over to Josie's blog yesterday. Such a surprise! Her friend Sally has been feeling very creative lately! A big thank you to everyone playing along. I am loving the company.
My Scrappy Lone Star quilt now a finished quilt top
Alas, there are other projects that demand attention as well. I've had the green borders done and ready to put onto my scrappy lone star quilt for a couple weeks now. Just trying to find the proper outside border fabric as that could change things up in the middle. It has happened you know and I don't like to use my seam ripper any more than I have to!
I'm renaming this 'Love Me Do' of course and my daughter
somehow thinks I made this specially for her, which I didn't.
Although I do know she loves the Beatles...
As you know, this quilt started out as a square and then I decided it needed to be elongated. Hmm.. What to do? I played with a few ideas and then added the red border, a bit thinner on the sides of course. Okay. Good start. Now what?

While sewing the floral background fabric to the diamonds, I kept having the Beatles song 'Love Me Do' playing in my head. Don't ask me why, but some songs just go with specific quilts and that's that! Well... I do love having words on quilts and this one seemed like a no-brainer, especially considering my quest to make the quilt longer than it was wide.

I dug around and found a brightish but dark, green fabric that honestly I have had since about 2002!, considered my other options and finally settled on a sweet limey green for the letters. I just love how it glows against the darker green. The vine and the flowers were a little more difficult to figure out, but I knew it had to be simple, yet still pack a lot of punch. Leaves or no leaves? I finally said an emphatic 'no' as the rest of the quilt is quite, quite busy. Simple is good. But then I worried. Would the bright red inner border look weird if the outer border of green was only on two sides?
It's a bright happy quilt, with that kind of beachy, cottage charm I love...
It actually made the border fabric a bit of a problem--I had myself a design dilemma! Or not. I auditioned the darker blues, greens, reds, hot pinks, even the orangey tones, but nothing jumped out as me. The greens made the appliqued borders disappear. The reds and hot pink looked brassy and make my teeth practically clench. The softer bubblegum pink, bleh! I threw some of the turquoise floral at the quilt--not happening! I briefly considered making a patchwork border, but then, what if I lost the lovely look of the floral/scrappy center? At one point I noticed the pink/orange plaid fabric with the light background already incorporated into the quilt and a light bulb went off. Ahh... That could be the perfect touch. Large, bold print with just the right combination of light and bright. And of course I only had a couple inches left of my original fat quarter.....

So... I did something I never, ever do and combed the Internet for this specific piece of fabric. It's one of my hard and fast rules. There is never just one piece of fabric that will work and only that piece. Ever! Uh yeah.. About that. It's last years fabric and sold out everywhere. Did I want the green/blue plaid? Finally I found the right color on a site for full price, had it in my cart and then, finally, my brain kicked in. Seriously? Was this the only fabric that would work? I don't think so! So I clicked out of the Internet and went to bed. So sad, boo hoo. Then, a few days later I visited my most local quilt store and would you believe this particular fabric was in their clearance bin!! My eyes about bugged out of my head! Happy dance! So now I just think it was fate and really, I didn't have any choice in the matter after all.*wink
What's hanging around on my design wall right now...
And I've also worked on more of the rising sun blocks, finished the other six out of twelve. Well, sort of. Except for that pesky triangle border they will need and the applique centers. I just thought this was the tricky part!

Also, I've been having computer problems so if I disappear for several days you'll know why. The computer guy is supposed to tell me tomorrow if mine is fixable or beyond hope. Keeping my fingers crossed he can tune it up enough to get me through the winter before we have to buy new!

30 comments:

  1. What a wonderful "happily ever after" border story. I'm so glad you were able to find what you were looking for. I made a quilt a few years ago that just wouldn't settle for anything but a certain blue floral for the backing. I tried everything and it adamantly refused. So I bought 6 yds of a Blackbird Designs fabric and paid full price for it!!! I backed it, loved it, and calmed down. I hope that never happens again - ha!

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  2. It really is the perfect fabric for the outer border of that quilt :0) So glad you could find some more and clearance too! It's such a bold, colourful, happy quilt - I love it!!

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  3. Wonderful! I agree, the rectangle is more interesting than a square and you have the PERFECT border. Bravo!

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  4. Love how this finished up! I was a little leery when you used the turquoise and red flower print for the setting squares and triangles, but your next additions really made everything sing! For some reason this is making me sing "England swings like a pendulum do" - flower power, for sure!

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  5. Imagine how you'd be kicking yourself if you HAD broken that 'hard and fast rule', bought the fabric for full price, and then found it in the clearance bin... 8)

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  6. glad you found your fabric!! your design wall is looking darn crowded isn't it and another quilt finished! doing good aren't you

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  7. The plaid is absolutely perfect, and there really wasn't any other choice -the fabric was meant for you to add to this quilt. Love it when that happens!

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  8. I just love this quilt top and the border really does look perfect! Kismet!!!

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  9. I think, like you, it was fate for you to find that fabric especially at your local shop! Your quilt is so fun and full of bright happy colors. Fantastic finish.

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  10. That border was meant to be! You are certainly busy, busy with all these projects! Good luck with the computer problems, that is always a challenge!

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  11. lovely as soon as I saw it I though the Beatles, works beautifully and so glad you got the border sorted

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  12. What a pretty one this turned out to be! :) Hope the computer guy can fix everything !

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  13. What a pretty one this turned out to be! :) Hope the computer guy can fix everything !

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  14. Love Me Do is delightful! I love how happy and colorful it is

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  15. When a border fabric practically throws itself at you, what can you do but give in? It works perfectly. This is a happy, pretty quilt - love it.

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  16. Love me do - I do indeed. It is wonderful. Love the fabric search story too. Sometimes we just have to let fate take over. Love it.

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  17. The border turned out perfect! And even better on clearance!!

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  18. The border is perfect with this, combining the geometric print with the floral is very effective. And such a bonus to get it on 'special' too! I too try to exhaust my stash options first for something that will work, but it doesn't always work so well!

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  19. OMG, what a brilliant story! Especially when I have just spent last night and this morning also combing the internet for an out of print fabric. But...I did find and buy it online, after much soul searching. But, maybe for the last time!

    "Beachy" and cottagey is exactly right, and I love that look too! Fun finish, and I'm sure your daughter will love it!

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  20. Oh wow so you are the Audrey of the Quilty365 quilt! What a great thing you dreamed up! It has been a lot of fun seeing the circle blocks everywhere.
    Love Me Do looks wonderful. I have the same thing happen to me with quilts and songs.
    Love your story about the search for that fabric and then finding in the bin at your LQS. :)

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  21. Oh love the name ! My daughter and I are big beatles fans too! Love the plaid border you added really looks great

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  22. It's wonderful!! The colors are speaking to me big time and I love the title.

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  23. Sometimes you just have to have THAT fabric - how lucky to have found it locally...and on sale! It definitely was meant to be!

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  24. Love the scrappy Lonestar middle! And I think the aqua w/ rose fab in the corners and the pinky border balance each other perfectly! cheers, cw

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  25. Yes, I love it do! Thanks for sharing the process. I think the song that would have been in my mind would have been Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds! And why do I have House of the Rising Sun going thru my head when I look at all the goodness on your design wall?

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  26. So worth all the angst - it looks fabulous!

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  27. I love your scrappy star! As a resident Texan with just one Lone Star under her belt, you have me thinking a second might be in order. :)

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  28. It was meant to be - that border fabric is PERFECT!!!! It just adds a whole lot of fun without overwhelming the rest of the quilt. Yay!!!!

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  29. I've seen this post a couple of times Audrey, but just not had the time to properly read and comment - but just wow! What incredible serendipity! It looks totally fab - and it must be, because your daughter says so! I love your appliqué text, it turned out so well :) Your design wall's looking good too - bet it's come on a bit since the computer troubles too. Look forward to seeing how you're getting on soon.

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