Always Nice to Make a Decision or Two

All the Vintage Red blocks are sewn together now. I played with several different ideas for layout. First, offsetting the blocks, then considering some simple pieced sashing. Next I removed a couple flowers and insert a plain block or two. And finally, I lined them all back up in proper rows and added a simple light blue print horizontal sashing. Ta da!

Vintage Red

That's it. Exactly what it needs! Even though I was pretty sure at the start of the quilt that it would have some pieced sashing. Can I just say that I really, really had my heart set on some pieced sashing? But sometimes quilts have other ideas. And sometimes I just don't know what I want, until the perfect solution is right in front of my eyes and everything sort of 'clicks' into place.

On to the outside border. Or not? Nah, it needs a little extra on the outside. Okay, more of the light blue print?

Auditioning border fabrics

 Perhaps with some pieced blue triangles? haha  Gotta keep trying don't I?

Possible piecing

Or maybe just the simple red print. Yep. That's the one. This quilt is just really stubborn or else I didn't believe it could be this easy. One simple fabric border? How often does that happen around here, me being the queen of adding-on-a-border. And another. And another....

Or just a plain red

Okay, okay, confession time. I've been debating this for a several weeks. More really, if you count all the time I've had stitching and thinking about the quilt. It's been hard to let go of my pre-conceived notions and just let it be. It's always good for me to have time to simmer, even if I'm pretty sure what the outcome will be. I don't like regrets and/or the feeling of having rushed a decision. The quirky red flowers look like they're more than capable of holding their own in a simple layout and now I'm okay with that.

Time to soak the border fabric in very hot water and some liquid 'free and clear' laundry detergent. There was a teeny, tiny bit of dye in the water within the first couple minutes and then nothing so far. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to red fabrics!

Gotta see if the red will bleed

And I have the two flannel comfort quilt tops sewn up and ready for quilting too. Just need to get my regular sewing machine into the shop before I attack these. This backup machine has a smaller harp space and I just don't feel like wrestling these quilts around without the larger space. Plus, I'm a yard and a half shy of having enough backing fabric. Guess I'll have time to find something to go with what I already have!

Rail Fence comfort quilts

Obviously, it's not Monday, but I thought this would be a good time to link up with Moving It Forward Monday over at Em's Scrapbag! Amazingly enough I've had enough time to check out each of my open ended quilting projects {not just Vintage Red and the comfort quilts} this week. It felt good to take a thorough look at everything I have going on. Decisions have been made, ideas are churning and I am almost ready to dive into a new project or two.*sigh  Isn't that how it almost always goes?