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Friday, February 1, 2013

34th Street - What about borders?

Top is sewn together - last seam finished today!  Yeah!





























What do you think about borders?  I have tentatively added a white and red border to finish it off - closer look is below:



I am happy with it, but want to know what you think.  Opinions, please and thank you.  The white border is using up all of the white that I have - and will have to be pieced a little to make it work.  

What I learned while making this quilt:

 (1)  I will not use white on white (wow) fabric again.  I was constantly holding it under a light to look closely to see if I had the right side of the fabric up, and wasn't sewing it wrong side up.  Good news is this quilt uses up most of the wow fabric that I have, and I won't be buying any more.  I'm too old for this trouble.

(2)  It was so much fun making the parts, and then veering off in another direction when it came time to combine them.  I will do this again.  

If you are making Bonnie's mystery quilt, what did you learn while you were making it?

A big thank you to Bonnie Hunter for providing all the fun to us.  She's a gem!  (her website) 


30 comments:

Heartsdesire said...

I love the white and red border, it compliments the quilt without taking away from the fabrics and pattern. I don't do borders very often because I seldom get them cut straight, always end up with a wow in them. However, your border choice looks great and this is a fabulous quilt.

Janet O. said...

Absolutely lovely, Judy. I think this is my favorite of all the versions I have seen. The border you have auditioned does the job for me. It blends well and gives the eye a resting place in this very detailed patchwork. Nice job!

Kimme said...

Yours is a wonderful version Judy. The border works well. This was my first Bonnie Hunter mystery and I too will be doing it again.

Mary Ellen said...

White and red border will look very nice. I have had the same experience as you with white on white prints. Here's what I think - if you can't tell if it's right side up or not, don't worry about it.

I still have the borders to put on my "Easy Street", but I got distracted with other things and haven't finished it up.

Sharyn Mallow Woerz said...

Not crazy about it, doesn't do justice to your settings.
Since you are auditioning, how about a 2"? strip of the red plaid, and than a wide border of whatever you like, but when you attach it fold the white in half and make a narrow piped center border?

I wrote what I learned on my last post on KalamaQuiltsmystery blog.

Your setting, by the way, knocks the socks off the regular one :)
Sharyn

Sharyn Mallow Woerz said...

Guess I wasn't finished. The plaid because it wouldn't touch any similar fabrics on the edge of the quilt. the white in the blocks kind of dribbles into the border making a mushy divide.
Wouldn't have to be the plaid, just any of the fabrics that don't reach to the edge.
Sharyn

QueenB said...

Love the borders you have planned. Perfect!I am glad I kept up with the steps, although step 8 really pushed me.If I hadn't kept up with the first couple of steps it would be very easy to become a slow turtle.

traditional_quilter said...

I like your border choices and your quilt top is absolutely beautiful. Love it!

Penny said...

Judy your quilt looks fabulous!

Sue said...

Your quilt is beautiful. I like the red and white borders too. I learned that I really can piece all those pieces and come up with a square quilt... I was truly surprised, but I will make another one. Mine is on my longarm for this weekend. It would be cool to get it done.

Luann said...

Breath taking!

Turid said...

This is fantastic! Just you go for it. I had the same problem as you with my white fabric, but that was in another quilt. My Easy Street got the black on white, and was no problem at all. I have to look twice the next time I buy white fabric.

Carolyn Sullivan said...

I think the quilt is stunning in christmas colors! Wish I had thought of that! I'm not as immaginative as you though, I used the Easy Street colors and really don't tell Bonnie, but I hate the lime greem OH well it willproabably go live at someone else's house.
As for the border, I like the narrow white and the wider red.I'm not finished w my ES yet. It has not been easy for me!I'm not sure what I will use for borders, maybe none. let me know what you think of mine:
http://queencityquilter.blogspot.com/

Elaine said...

well done! mine is still in pieces, I love the red & white border

Gwen said...

Oh wow! I didn't realize at first that this was your version of Easy Street--it's beautiful--the most beautiful that I've seen. Makes me rethink what I think of Easy Street (I did it with Bonnie's colors and I don't much care for it, but I'm glad it's finished!) Personally, I think your borders would look really good with a print that combines the red and green. But what you've got there looks perfectly fine. You've done a great job--thanks for sharing!

Cathy said...

I love, love, love your version of this quilt!!!

One Minnesota Quilter said...

I like the red and white borders you have chosen. They nicely frame the quilt and say "finished". I have never done a Bonnie mystery so I can't help you out with any other comments. Perhaps I will do one someday!
Your quilt turned out lovely!

Oh, white on white fabrics - the painted ones, I really dislike. Is that what you used? I have found when quilting them the "paint" comes off like a powder - very frustrating.

Judy

Kindred Quilts said...

First off, I love that you did this mystery quilt in red and green... one of the best in blogland! I like your border choices. I think the combination of the two frame the quilt nicely, and let the blocks speak for themselves.

LuAnn said...

Well Judy......I haven't even put the first quilt together, and I already want to do one in red and green. Your quilt is a real stunner. It's just gorgeous. I think the borders you have chosen are perfect. They put a stop to the design without detracting from it.

Anonymous said...

The quilt is beautiful! I vote to use the borders. There's enough movement in the blocks that, to me, it needs the border. You did a wonderful job and I like that yours won't be the same as the others.

Jeanne said...

Judy, your mystery quilt turned out fabulous! It's beautiful. I like the white and red borders. Your Abundance quilt is wonderful, also. Nice work.

Anonymous said...

Wow wow wow!!! This is stunning. Love the colours, the layout and the border. Fabulous!

Sherri said...

I LOVE it!! I think you should do the white and red border, it just makes the quilt "pop"! I love your choice of colors, it is absolutley gorgeous!!!

Lori said...

Like the borders also. Learnt about white on white and cream on cream lesson too! I have a quilt with wrong sides mixed it, I ended leaving it, only another would notice. :-)

Lori said...

Only another quilter would catch it.

Barb said...

I have to say that your version of this is my favorite by far.
Do you have enough green to use that in place of the white?
Have you tried it with just the red border?
I think the darker fabrics might frame it nicely.
beautiful quilt!

Lori said...

You did a fantastic job!! I like what you've chosen for the border.

Laura said...

I don't buy white on white any more for the same reason. When I find a scrap in my stash now, I don't even bother trying to figure out the front and back. If I can't easily tell, it doesn't matter what side I use in my quilt.

Annette said...

Wow, it is absolutely gorgeous!! I love your border too. Very nice.

Cat said...

To say that this quilt is stunning just doesn't do it justice. If you ever get tired of this quilt - I could give you a list of a couple of thousand people who would be very glad to take this off of your hands. Great job.