Reconsidering the Quilting on a Border

Because I want the center of this quilt to be the focus, I thought simple quilting on the 6" border would be best.  Simple straight lines, I thought, would be fine.  But how far apart?  I decided 1 7/8".  But now that I have part of the border quilted, I'm not so sure....

This amount of quilting on a border will probably not be very durable and the lightly-quilted fabric will probably not weather the wash and wear necessitated for a baby quilt.  In a word, I would describe the border as flimsy. 

Originally I imagined extending the diagonal lines of the stars to the outer edge of the border.  I didn't do that because the diagonal print on the fabric is at a different angle than the following the lines of the star point angles would be.  Has that conflict ever influenced any of your decisions about simple diagonal quilting?  Or do you (and perhaps I should) just ignore the print on the fabric and quilt across the diagonal print? 

At this point I have to decide where to add more quilting to this border, either so it doesn't detract from the center or enhances the center.  I still have a week and a half before the baby arrives and perhaps a little longer until we're able to meet him so I'm good to add more quilting.  I just have to decide where and how.

Have you ever quilted, bound, washed, and dried a quilt, then decided to add more quilting?  How did that work?

I happened to have this 10" hoop, below, purchased ages ago at a yard sale or thrift store, just in case.  It worked great when I finished quilting the centers of the stars, and I found it easier to take in the car.

I love having supplies and tools on hand "just in case" of a possible future need.  Is that a quilter/creator thing or does everyone do that?

--Nancy.
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Trying to Beat the Clock

I have just another three weeks till grandbaby boy is born.  I'm working overtime, trying to beat the clock, to finish this quilt before he arrives.  (The photo below was taken on the diagonal.  You can see the border in the lower right corner.)

There are twelve 12" blocks and a 6-inch-wide border all around.  I think I'm coming along well until I remember that the borders are almost equal to the center in size and will, therefore, take just as much quilting time.

This is how I've been quilting the blocks, below.  I have 10 of the 12 finished with this much quilting.  But I think the stars need double diagonal lines from the on-point squares in their centers to the edges of the stars, and maybe all the way to the centers of the adjacent blocks.  There's just too much unquilted space, especially for a quilt that will likely get lots of use. 

I thought about quilting with an all-over pattern for this quilt, particularly Baptist Fans, which is one of my favorites, but I couldn't reconcile the points in the stars with the curves of the fans.

Have you ever noticed that too little quilting makes a quilt wear out faster?  I have heard it is so but I haven't used any quilts long enough to tell.

Wherever you are in the world I hope you're enjoying October.  Last week we had temperatures in the high 80s here in central Ohio.  This week it's been in the 40s and we had frost this morning.  I'm hoping the trees change color soon.

I'm linking this post to
> WOW at Esther's Blog
> Let's Bee Social #246 at Sew Fresh Quilts
> MidWeek Makers #145 at Quilt Fabrication

Nancy.
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Just Don't Think

This week I finished sewing my enlarged variation of Kim Diehl's Barn Stars, made with autumn tones for a grandbaby coming in November.  They will finish at 12".  (Kim's finish at about 4".)

I love everything about these stars.  I hope baby's mom will love them, too.  (It won't matter so much about baby because he will be too little to notice till he's a little older.)

All along I thought I would use rich autumn colors for the sashing between the blocks, but when I laid them out with using several fabrics in several colors between blocks I wasn't happy with them.  So unhappy that I didn't take any photos.  (Probably a bad idea since photos often reveal to me what my eyes don't see in real life.)

For this monthly goal finish photo I scooted them close together and suddenly I had a different idea about possibilities.  What if I added on-point triangles in the light squares where the blocks meet to repeat the stars' centers?  Like this, on the left...

...and this, below?  Using all the same fabric?  In light, medium, bright, or dark?  Or repeating the fabrics of the stars?

Then I started thinking of more possibilities.  And then I told myself, "DON'T THINK!  Don't think of possibilities.  Just make a decision and finish this top.  Grandbaby will be here in early November and you want to have a quilt ready for him, right?  Just don't think!"

I'm trying to take my own advice but making quick decisions is not one of my strengths.  So I'm still considering those on-point squares at the corners where the blocks join.  I'm still considering sashing, possibly a light sashing to let the stars shine.  I'm still considering border fabric.  And backing.  Can you see a newborn baby lying on a dark, medium, or bright fabric on the back of a quilt?  Can you imagine a baby on a light back?

As much as I love these stars, I just need to decide and get on with it to have a finished quilt!  Do you sometimes have trouble making decisions about quilts?

This was my One Monthly Goal for September.  Now that it's finished I can link this post to One Monthly Goal - September Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

I'm also linking to Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Myra.

--Nancy.
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