Adding Borders

I haven't posted anything about my pickle dish project lately but I have not forgotten about it. After I quilted the entire middle section of the quilt, I am now going to add borders around the outside of the quilt. I found some interesting decorator samples that I am repurposing into an unexpected border frame.

Because the center of the quilt design is quite simple, I thought a creative border was a perfect way to finish the quilt. I could piece all these together into a nice straight fabric border but wouldn't it be more fun to vary the positions of the pieces up and down to create an uneven edge? What do you think?

Still Untitled

Bordering the quilt is the finishing touch for the quilt top. Additional hand-dyed silk, the same as was used for leaves, seemed to add color without taking away from the center of the quilt. The dark brown helped to enclose and finish the look. Because the light is coming from behind the trees, the dark border is perfect. To me, it is the vision of first light as I awaken.

Now it is time to prepare for the true glory of a quilted piece and that, of course, is the quilting itself. I have the edges pinned and have fused the batting to the quilt top and backing. (I am using Fusi-boo, a fusible cotton/bamboo batting for this project.) Even though the batting is fused in place, I found that it is still a good choice to hand-baste the edge of the quilt to keep the layers straight and in place.

Now to awaken the piece with quilting.

Recyled Pillowcases

I had a pair of pillowcases that had seen better days. The centers were thread-bare and they were no longer used. I had only saved them because of the lovely hand embroidery on the pillowcase edge.

I chose to cut the embroidery into smaller sections and used it as the center of log cabin blocks. (It did take a bit of courage to slice through the designs, but I kept thinking what was the alternative? Throw the pillowcases away? Given that option, I took my rotary cutter out and slashed away.)

Now my decorated pillowcases will live on in a new form.

What have you saved today?

Fusible batting

Things went quite well using Fusi-boo cotton/bamboo fusible batting. I used it on a project that was 3' x 5'. I did lay out the quilt backing, batting and top as I usually do. I put some pins in to keep things together. I then took it to my ironing surface and steamed it according to the package directions.

Since my quilt had multiple narrow lines, I tried to really make sure I was keep my lines straight as I pressed the layers together. As I quilted, I was impressed that things stayed straight. As I got near the end, my layers did seem to have come apart, so I took my quilt back to the iron and re-fused the edges.

I will use the fusible batting again. I'm thinking of those quilt tops with a lot of bias that want to stretch and pull as I stitch. This could be a wonderful solution for a frustration-free quilting experience.

"Green" batting

Going with the green (sustainable) theme, I am going to try a new batting in my next quilt. Fairfield's Fusi-boo batting is made from cotton and rayon fibers made from bamboo. I have used bamboo batting in other quilts and thought it worked well.

I will give the fusible bamboo batting a try and see how it goes. Have you had good results with it? I am not on board with fusible batting in general so ... the results are questionable.

By the way, I did get an offer of foil candy wrappers from a package of Rolo candies. Somehow, it is much more appealing to be forced to eat the candy first!

You've Been Wallpapered

What can be done with an interesting collection of re-cycled/re-used parts? When you are a quiltmaker, the options are endless. This is creativity at its best.

In addition my previously mentioned collection, I've added one more thing. When I was visiting my friend Mary, she was in the midst of removing dated wallpaper from her hallway. We started coming up with wild ideas for the re-use of wallpaper. In the end, I couldn't stop myself from coming home with a piece, with the challenge of using it on a quilt. (The wallpaper was heavy with threads running through it, quite substantial.)

Here it is, Mary! Your wallpaper has become the background for my re-cycled quilt project.

To this, I've added the embellished foil candy wrapper, the cuffs from the silk shirt and, of course, the matching buttons. The leather jacket donated its sleeve and buttons. An abandon shoe lace completed the picture. (And not seen, a used linen dish towel became the quilt back.)

What a fun project! What have you tried lately?

Recycled materials

Now I am thinking of making a "green" project using more recycled materials. In addition to my used candy wrapper, what else could I incorporate into my quilt? I have several old silk shirts and an old leather jacket. Could these be used?

What about old linens? Eco-friendly bamboo batting? Outdated neck-ties, re-used buttons, trim or lace?

What would you suggest?