Hello Everyone,
So here is a little throw back to the past for me, otherwise known as a UFO or WIP. The following quilt top I pieced as a sample for a class I was teaching at the LQS about 5 years ago.
I had purchased the lovely molitas from Carol in Panama. At the time, I was unaware she was a quilter but admired all the molas and molitas she had for sale. Admired really isn't a good word, loved is more like it. Sorry she no longer sells them. Anyway they worked out perfect as focal points in this quilt.
I purchased 4 different floral molitas in different colors and just love them equally.
I used Michael Miller Fairy Frosts to frame them up.
Trying to follow the ROYGBIV, but with lights and darks. I did the best I could. Yes, some colors are missing.
The final flower. Now for the big question.
Here is the quilt top. The problem being I don't have a border on it. All these years I have not quilted this top because I just can't decide what to do about the border. So I would love to invite you all to give me any suggestions you might have. I have thought of a small inner border of color then black. Also, black with a colorful piano keys border. But I guess I am not too sure. So I would love to hear your thoughts!
Until Next Time...
51 comments:
whilst i am not a quilter, (not yet anyway) i suggest a small black border followed by a thin colourful border in strips followed by a wider black border
I think 'I Purr-Furr to Craft' nailed it...stay mostly with the black and then one touch of color in a small way.
Hi Jackie. I think the piano keys would be WAY too busy. I'm going to break with the others and suggest a thin white border right next to the stars. Then black. You have to ask yourself, "where's the focus? where do you want the eye to go?" and then make sure whatever you do, you move the eye around to what is the most important. I think a busy border would make the molitas look like an afterthought.
Too bad you don't have a fifth molita to put in the center, because that big black area bothers me.
These are amazing aren't they! I rescued 2 molas from the rubbish dump last year - must have hung in a smoking house - very nicotine stained but I soaked them gently in synthrapol and they came up lovely. They just hang on my studio wall now.
For the border of your quilt I see a narrow inner border - probably in one of the greens because its common across all the panels then a zigzag ribbon border in the 4 colours of the flowers and top off with another small border in the green .. or use this as the binding colour.
Another beauty in the making though!
I was thinking something close to what I Purr-Furr to Craft suggested. A narrow black border, then a narrow one of the colors (perhaps 3-inch strips, but not in a piano-key layout, but as one long strip, maybe even with the strips cut on the diagonal) and then a final wider black border.
How beautiful. I know your quilting will make it even more so. As for borders...I like both of your ideas. Also how about a black inner border of about 2 or 3" and then a narrow peek of one of your colors or a blend of your colors (an inch or smaller) then a wider final black border.
No piano keys for this lovely. I think the small inner border in one of the prominent colors (the hot pink pops for me) and then black for the outer border. Then you can do some beautiful quilting in all the black spaces :-)
My first thought was a strip, something containing the bright colors you've used around the flowers. But after reading the other comments, I think a black border, a narrow pieced border, then another black border would work nicely.
I purposely did NOT read what the others wrote so I would give only MY opinion.
I don't see yellow in the quilt. so I am thinking this is where it can be added. I like the idea of a thin (I am thinking MUTED) yellow band, then outside that the same dark background, with small inset blocks of the colored fabrics in the quilt.
Inset with a dark strip 'x' inches long by 'y' wide, then the inset sections 'y' wide with dark/color/dark in thirds (or maybe offset if you like.)
This will carry the color through the border and add a bit of razzle dazzle - you could also do corner stones with more of the flowers.
(yeah, I can plan some interesting stuff in my head. ha ha)
Jackie you have gotten so many ideas already. I agree with the thin black border around the quilt and then something with some of the colors.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
The molitas add texture just by their very nature, so I think you should add a piped inner 'border' to echo that texture. Then the small colored border and the wider black border can be added.
I did read the other suggestions, and I agree no to the piano keys because I think it would be too busy. I like Gene's border idea the best.
I love mola's also, and have collected a few on trips. Such beautiful and intricate work for so little $$.
Wow! This is a tough one. I would start with a thin black border so that the stars float just a bit more in black. Then maybe squares or strips of the colored fabrics and then more black. There isn't a lot of the background black with the large stars, and I think the stars would show to best advantage when surrounded by more black. Hope that makes sense.
joan
Do you have to have a border? I think it would be lovely with just a pieced binding of the fabrics that you already have.
Or, you could just make a wider black border and then make a strippy pieced binding with all the star fabrics. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea. Sometimes simple is the way to go.
I have 3 WIPs that I love and all are help up waiting for border inspiration! I think this one would look great with a narrow color border and a wide black border with a lot of your great quilting in it - in lots of colors of course!
Oohh! How pretty this is - love the colors! I love the first idea from "I Purr-Furr to Craft" - that is what I pictured as well!
All great ideas, and what a treasure you have. I like a narrow border of either the dark orange or dark green and then black, a little wider. A narrow inner border of black would also work with the color and then the outer in black. Does any of that make sense?
I like the no border treatment then do the binding with a collections of all your colors! Beautiful quilt!
Very pretty Jackie! I think I'd just bind it or do a dark border that the blocks can float on so that you don't take away from the blocks?
lots of good ideas! I definitely agree with a small inner border,and then I love the piping in color idea and then just bind with black.
Lovely lovely quilt!
No one's opinion matches mine. I vote for just a black border with black binding. I think the top "pops" as is.
Stunning! I'm not sure what size it is but this is my idea.
I would do a black border, then a narrow border pieced from the leftover fabrics, then a final black border and then do a pieced binding.
I was thinking just what Anina said. It is going to be beautiful any way you do it, but you don't want to detract from the focal point of the quilt, which is the big squares. Make the final black border wide, with some fancy quilting.
I think a small inner border of green followed by a black outer border...I think it would frame it nicely. It really is special.
Jackie, I'd just add a black border and bind it in black - There is a lot going on and colored borders - especially something as busy as piano keys would take the focus off the blocks.
Gorgeous quilt top so far :)
You have been given lots of good ideas. I agree with the ones that said a thin black border. Then a thin color border to match the blocks. A mottled yellow sounds good to me too. Followed by a black border. A nice bright striped binding to finish it off.
With the black center...maybe you can quilt something in there with a bright variegated thread to match the center motifs?
Can't wait to see what you decide!
I think a small multicolour border (with the same fabrics you used for the blocks) and then a black bigger one, with black binding too...:)
Hugs
Grazia
I like the idea of a first border in black - not to narrow as you really want the colours of your block to pop, and then a multi-colour border, this time not to wide so as not to distract, finished off with a black border. Whatever you decide, it is a gorgeous quilt!
Gorgeous blocks ... what about doing one strip of piano keys (about 2" wide) then followed by a wider black border. Your eye will stop at the piano keys and then go back into the center to look again.
I did not read all the comments so maybe someone suggested it already, but what about a ribbon border like the one used on this quilt? http://kimsbigquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2010/02/st-patricks-day-quilt.html
You could use your scraps of fairy frost for it with the black background. It is a gorgeous quilt with those molitas and deserves a finish for sure!
Hi Jackie,
What a stunning quilt! What about just a black border and then quilt the border and the black outer parts of the blocks as one, such as a feather twirling into the block from the border. You could then perhaps bind in something colourful.
I would just do a wide extended black border (matching the black in the blocks) and then bind it in one of the brights.
If it was my quilt.....I would go with no border and a black binding. Keeps the focus on those lovely molas.
That is a stunning quilt, love the molas.
I would be tempted to leave it all black and use a special quilting desgin to enhance the borders, maybe in variegated threads to match the colors?
Debbie
I love it. I have no idea what you should do with the border. Sorry. I had to tell you how gorgeous it is!
A thin black inner border and the a border of flying geese with black centers and colored wings the same size as the ones in your main block. Don't stack the geese on top of each other, piece them end to end in a long strip to keep the border skinnier.
I also agree with 'I Purr-Furr to Craft'. The black/colored/black border would be lovely without overwhelming the inner blocks.
I would probably forgo the black border as well, but what an amazing looking quilt. So beautiful!
i think a black border with small squares in a row. or small squares on point to mimic the black design in the block.
frame it all in black, then a small color border, then black again. You dont want to detract from the flowers in any way. JMHO
Cherie
So many ideas... if you want some more, may I suggest "the Border Workbook" by Janet Kime:
http://tinyurl.com/y9xy2yl
It is full of great border ideas...
I don't like the piano key idea. how about a square in a square witn the centre square being black and then the outer triangles being matching bright? you already have the 4 black squares that form between the blocks and a big one in the centre. Would need some narrow borders first.
Agreed. No piano border. I like the idea of a thin border of white or a lighter shade of one of the colors already featured and then the black border to finish it off. It's going to be stunning, whatever you decide to do!
Jackie,
I would go with a small black border and binding. The stars pop on their own- they don't need anything to draw the eye away fron them.
They are beautiful!
Add a thin black border to stop the madness. Then cut rectangles and do a scrappy border. Bind and voila!
I haven't read what anyone else has suggested. I like the idea of a narrow black border to float the middle and then repeat the HST shape thast's in the quilt with a pieced border.
I have a small stack of molas I bought when we lived in Panama. I pull them out every now and then and wonder what to do with them. Your quilt is a great inspiration!! It is just beautiful!! I'll be eager to see how you finish it up!
Gosh it is beautiful, and I have been sitting here admiring the pattern and wondering what I would do. First I know I would ad a narrow black border so the star points are distinct. Then I think I would add another small border of color - maybe even peices of all the color around the edge, followed by a wider black border again. I would bind it in black also. Where the stars meet, it forms a type of square in square pattern, and I thought that might be interesting in the corners but would have to play with that to be sure.
Another thought would be to make some bias tape with the colors and do a type of celtic weave around a black border.
I love those Molitas. Lucky you! Have you thought about going borderless? ..or just a 2" black border w/ a line of colorful piping next to a black binding.
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