This is a great way to arrange sampler blocks!
We were awed by a recent trunk show of quilts featuring specialized borders. Heirloom Creations’ team member Deb S. and a group of three close quilting friends got together over the last year to work on improving the outcome of their quilts by adding spectacular borders to already spectacular quilts.
Deb presented the following collection of 23 quilts all which had wonderful stories of how their borders came to be.
Many of us work so hard of the center of a quilt top that we are so ready to be done with it that we slap a border on it and call it done. For most people, borders are meant to enlarge the quilt to the desired finished size. But not these gals! They used borders to create an extra element (or two or three or four!) of interest to the middle of the quilt. While helping to hold these quilts up, I realized that many of them were originally only intended to be a lap or throw size. But after meeting up with the “Border Brigade” they are now queen or even king size quilts!
After deciding to continue on beyond a basic plain 6″ – 8″ fabric border, the next question is how to make the border fit around the existing quilt. That is where you see quilters add in extra sashing or coping strips. These do two things. First, they help the next border fit the current size of quilt, and second, it helps separate the middle of the quilt from the next element.
Inspiration came from the following books:
1. Nickel Quilts & Borders by Pat Speth
2. 60 Pieced Quilt Borders by Judy Laquidara
3. Pieced Borders – Judy Martin & Marsha McCloskey (out of print)
See this quilts on display in upcoming quilt shows (along with additional quilts that are still in progress) at:
Brookings, SD Quilt Show – April 12 & 13, 2014
After enjoying this trunk show of magnificent quilts, I will never just slap a wide border on a quilt and call it done! Though many of us are sick of the quilt by the time the center is pieced, these gals made it their own personal challenge to not stop there. So promise us…the next time you make a quilt, take time to explore additional border options. You might just find your new love!