Sometimes You Just Have to Step Back

Novelty fabric strip border

      Well, I am back from vacation, the weather is getting a bit cooler (but it is still in the 80's in the house) so I decided to venture back into the sewing room today. I'd left it a bit of a mess so I figured I'd work on projects from the top of the mess down.

       First up-- sew the vertical seams on the X Marks the spot quilt to get that top done. Check. Next--figure out a border for it. Since it is a lot of novelty prints I went to the box of pre-cut novelty squares. (About once a year I go through my tote of novelty fabrics and cut 6 1/2, 5 1/2, and 2 1/2 inch squares of each fabric). I had done a border for something else using the 6 1/2" squares cut in half then sewing them together as a border and thought that might work. I had also done one with alternating strips made of 3 squares of solids and would have done that again but it would have required cutting those solids again and that was just too much work.

1 1/2 " strips used as sashing

       Then I left the room for some reason and when I came back in I noticed something that had been there literally hanging around for years--strippy borders. I make them quite often for borders for scrap quilts and the leftovers are hanging next to the design wall just waiting to be called up to the Big Leagues. The sashing on the quilt on the left is from the same strip piece that was hanging there. So I started making a border alternating the strippy piece with the novelty and I think it is going to look really good. (I did realize just how long those strips had been hanging there when I started sneezing from the dust--oops. Probably should put them somewhere else!) I also remembered something that always comes up when I use the novelties--most of them have black, white, or blue backgrounds so it is hard to mix it up so I went back into the tote and found colored backgrounds to use. I really need to keep that in mind if I get inspired to buy a novelty print.
        After sewing most of the border I attacked the mess pile and found the black & white check blocks to make into charity quilts for guys so I trimmed up and put it up on the design wall for the next time.
        I didn't have any idea what I was going to do when I walked into the sewing room but I am happy with what I came up with when I stepped back and saw what was hanging there all along!