My
One Monthly Goal for October was to play with border possibilities for this Burgoyne Surrounded quilt, including no border, plain border, applique border, etc.
At the beginning of the the month I was strongly leaning toward appliqueing oak leaves and acorns around the border, but in some arrangement other than with a vine. I researched oak trees, oak leaves, acorns, etc., for colors and shapes and sizes.
Robin left a comment on my post with
a link for a photo of scrub oaks that grow in her area, and they won my heart for fall colored oak trees. I edited my fabric collection for autumn oak leaves. Finally, I cut out oak leaves from white and brown paper (not wanting to squander fabric when I was still uncertain) in several sizes and started laying them out on the border fabric.
I think it's hard to do a foliage or flower border without a vine, and oak twigs didn't do anything for the leaves.
At some point in this process the thought came to me that I had one applique quilt in progress already, but I kept trying out ideas. Finally, a few days ago, the question that came to my mind was,
Why exactly are you starting another applique project now when you have one in progress and hand quilting in progress? You'll have more handwork than you can finish in a year! What you need is blocks to cut and sew! At that point I started to reconsider an applique border and think about making enough blocks to go around two sides of the quilt to enlarge to full size. And that's what I'm going to do. (With 15" blocks, as these are, a 4- x 5-block quilt will measure approximately 75" x 93".)
So here's my tentative plan for eight more blocks--tentative only because the color arrangement may change.
I am not in the least heartbroken over not making an applique border of oak leaves and acorns for this quilt. I can either make another Burg.S. quilt or I can applique oak leaves and acorns to a different quilt, or no quilt at all. I'm happy to have taken the time to consider the options and possibilities. It may be that at some time in the future I'll come to see oak leaves with a vine as a perfect choice for a quilt.
I'm linking this post to
October One Monthly Goal Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts. Thanks for hosting, Patty.
Also linking to
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework. Thank you, Cynthia.
--Nancy.
Your process for deciding on borders is similar to mine. I would love to add an appliqué vine and leaf border to most of my quilts 😊 and I play with ideas and sometimes it does happen! However, given the time commitment that requires, reality sometimes demands I choose something else. Your choice to enlarge the quilt and skip the oak leaf border seems a wise one to me!
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered how you audition and choose borders for your quilts, Gladi. They are always beautiful and often have so much detail. Thanks for your vote of confidence about making more blocks and skipping the appliqued border. I think I'll be happy with only blocks for this quilt.
DeleteLove your leaf fabrics! It's fun to play like that. ~~Kathy S.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy. I like choosing play without having a deadline. It makes it much more fun and light-hearted.
DeleteNancy, I love that you're working on a Burgoyne surrounded quilt! That project is on my (long) list of projects to make. Burgoyne is a family name and I feel like it's just something I need to do. Yours is just lovely, and I think you've made the right decision to piece the border rather than applique it. If you weren't feeling the love for the applique, there is no point pushing on with it.
ReplyDeleteI'll love to see how you progress with it.
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)
Thanks so much, Tazzie. This has been a fun quilt to work on--many, many small pieces to make a big impact when finished. I like the idea of an appliqued border but the timing was wrong. Maybe I'll make another and put the oak leaves around it. It will be fun to see your Burgoyne whenever you get to it.
DeleteI love the colors of leaves in the first picture but as I saw each variation for an applique border I noticed that the border was getting all my attention. I wasn't giving any regard to the Burgoyne blocks. I'm so glad you decided against doing the border on this one because the actual blocks are lovely enough on their own. I love the colors of fabric your have surrounding your other twelve blocks. It's going to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your vote of confidence about my decisions for this quilt, Robin. I think it will be a great quilt without an appliqued border and if I continue to wonder, maybe I'll make another.and applique a border. And I hope the whole quilt will be perfect!
DeleteI LOVE the leaf border, it is outstanding and makes the quilt so exceptional. Did you google ''applique oak leaf borders" [below] and Minick and Simpson borders before giving up? Were your layouts too static? As for the time involved, you could work on it now and then, plus there are options for faster applique, such as machine app or raw edge running stitch applique. You could add acorns [must!]--and maybe a squirrel or a bunny etc. Or you could do corner applique with plain borders and pretty hand quilting.
ReplyDeleteIf you go w the blocks, of course it is your choice and will be a beautiful quilt that shows off your lovely hand quilting.
-highlight and right click
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS931US931&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=oak+leaf+applique+border&fir=Tl7vXcQBkqr2qM%252CXanZoQvLmV8XnM%252C_%253BnLCyOoPURu3qsM%252CjROoTbG6dBfh8M%252C_%253B7px-Hxwh6ZFkMM%252Cq5qt-UVx77KtoM%252C_%253BIeOkM5pn8bTvAM%252Cl29Ag5jV7OWi3M%252C_%253BoncNDLejb5x2RM%252CqCSDE4HM0Hp7gM%252C_%253BqpgbHXOAxzMENM%252CJPeA_j8z5b9_hM%252C_%253BloTWoSUrVx8zEM%252CnkyIUxZ3hcqEoM%252C_%253Bi6qUM438qrQ50M%252CSsxcNAqI1-fKlM%252C_%253Blu_VY1cVuJatDM%252C7nFiHwdUN3i9QM%252C_%253BZYr3LG2N2iEkCM%252CXWfCMs7kHLVMBM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQDzwiLeOGIWQBf3BZuhVHtcHYqSw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJkIbF6oP7AhVeGVkFHeodBbEQ420oAHoECAoQDQ&biw=962&bih=611&dpr=1.5
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this quilt and suggestions of options for applique, Lizzy. Yes, I googled border ideas, and you know, the problem wasn't being able to choose a border arrangement for the leaves. It was the commitment of two applique projects to work on at the same time, along with just starting to hand quilt another quilt. The great thing is that I can make another sometime and applique leaves on the border.
DeleteThat's a good choice, though I did like the first one with leaves, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. I'll probably continue to think about a border with leaves and use the idea on another quilt sometime.
DeleteOh, I'm SEW glad you decided on more blocks over the applique border! I think your quilt will be MUCH happier with that decision. It's going to be a beautiful finish!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joy! I think the quilt will be just fine with only blocks, though I may do another Burgoyne Surrounded and surround it with leaves. Sometime in the future, maybe...
DeleteThe creative decision making process is sometimes long! All the possibilities seem wonderful to me!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy. You are so right about creative decision making taking a while. And I seem to be especially slow about finding the best option.
Delete