I am not done with the Pineapple blocks yet, but I am within sight of the end. At this point, I find myself contemplating the finishing of the quilt:
- How will I put it together?
- How will I quilt it?
- What color binding?
- Will I enter it somewhere?
And inevitably, my mind strays to the borders:
- Should I have a border? Plain or pieced?
My original idea was to put the 20 blocks together and a striped binding and move on to the other ideas flittering around in my mind. If I did that the quilt would look something like:
I can’t help asking myself what the quilt would look like if I used my self bordering technique. The Pineapple blocks would all be complete, for one. There would be no stray, hanging centers. I used EQ6 to test out what it would look like:
I like it. It looks really good. It looks finished. It looks framed.
It means much more cutting and piecing. It means 20 more blocks (double what I will have when I complete blocks 17-20). But it looks finished. I will have to think about it… hard. Now that it is has entered my mind, I don’t know how I will not be able to run with this idea.
I am sure you realize, also, that this quilt, if I had 20 more blocks, will be another monster close to 70″x 90″. The piecing so far has taken me about 5 months, so I can look forward to another 5 months of piecing – not an altogether unpleasant thought, but somewhat daunting however you look at it.
So, dear readers, your opinions are most welcome.
Jaye, I almost passeed out from your cool pineapples! That is one of my all-time faves to piece. I made one (and am making another) in a watermelon-y pink and an cantaloupe/creamsicle orange and it broke my heart to give it away. Your dot collection is so fabulous. I have about 60 in the pile now. I laughed at the little piece of ‘Martha Negley’ cupcake fabric in the lineup. Every time I see it I want some… can’t believe I haven’t bought it yet. Thanks for stopping by the blog and sharing your ‘spots’…I do love a quilt all covered in spots! Cami p.s. how ’bout a pointy ring of prarie-points around the outer edge, in all the different fabrics? All those bits of dots to twiddle with… ahhh, fun!
oh sigh. It looks soooo much cooler with the pineapple border. But ack! all that piecing! I don’t know what to advise. Were you planning it for a bed? If so, go for the bigger size. How about come up with another finished looking border that won’t be so tough. Like a half pineapple/half something else….Anyway you do it, it looks fabulous!!
for the binding – if you go w/the smaller one, i’d probably go with a black or reads black frame binding and red binding on the bigger sized quilt.
🙂
and personally, i like big quilts to wrap myself and others, but i’m not the one piecing that badboy!
Sigh. I do love the way it looks with the extra white blocks. Is there some way you can make half-blocks to finish the edges and then add a solid white border to get the same look without as much piecing? The other thing, I’m seeing a prairie point binding in all those fantastic bright colors.
I wonder if you could make 1/2 the extra amount of blocks and cut them in halfm then add a single patch of the outside white? Clear as mud?
Either way it is going to be totally outrageous! RAH RAH RAH!
Cami: thanks for stopping by. I’d love to see your Pineapple. It sounds so fresh. You and Laume both think the Pineapple needs prairie points. I’ll have to think about it.
Julie, It is a lot of piecing, but it really looks finished. Another friend thinks it won’t be so much work because most of the border blocks will be white prints. I am not so sure as it is the same amount of stitching either way.
Kristen! I am going to get you to help me piece it. I like your idea of framing using the binding. Great idea!
Laume: You and Deirdre both thought of the half blocks! You and Cami thought of the prairie points! Great minds! I love blogs, it is so great to get such great feedback.
Deirdre: I don’t know how to make a half block. I’ll have to ask the teacher whether there is a way. It is a good idea. I am pretty excited about how it is looking.
And since you have seen this in your mind, if you don’t follow through with the more intricate finish, you will regret it in the future. It might take lots more time, but wow, what a gorgeous quilt you’ll have when you’re done!
Sherry: Thanks so much for reading! I think you are absolutely correct. the verdict is pretty much that the quilt will be fabulous if I make the Pineapple blocks as a border, so I think I will have to do it.