Monday, July 2, 2018

Drafting Borders

Design Wall Worktable Monday

My Pickle Dish top is currently about 60" square. I want a rectangular quilt, so my plan is to add top and bottom borders to lengthen it, then finish with a border all around. Here's the top so far:

First I'll add 3" of the background print, top and bottom. Then I'll add pieced borders reminiscent of the arcs. Here's sort of the concept, an EQ7 rendering, for the general layout. This would make the quilt 66" by 78". I might go an inch wider on the final outer borders on the top and bottom.

Actually, I want the pieced border to be made of wedges like in the rings. The wedges are 1-1/4" wide at the wide end and 3/4" at the narrow end. Set wide ends together they make arcs. Alternating wide and narrow ends they'll make a straight strip.

To be consistent and control the size and length, I'll paper piece the borders, so I'm drafting segments, making copies, and taping them together to make a strip of the length I'll need.

When I piece these, I'll alternate light and colored pieces. Each strip needs 31 light pieces and 30 colored pieces.

I can use the same template for cutting the wedge pieces that I used for cutting the wedges in the arcs. Then I can paper piece these borders starting in the center and working my way to the ends, chain piecing as much as possible, so when I'm done I'll have two matching borders.

I'm so glad I got the Pickle Dish blocks repaired last month and sewn together. I have a lot of myself invested in this project and I'm glad to be able to move it forward.


Link ups:
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Em's Scrapbag
Love Laugh Quilt

11 comments:

  1. I really like the continuity you are bringing into the border by using the same wedge shape. I look forward to seeing how it adds to the quilt. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the idea of using wedges for the additional pieced row....perfect!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely quilt and I like your plan for the borders. I' m about to start a string border for a Bonnie Hunter quilt. I was wondering whether to start in the middle or at an end. I'm using paper from a children's newsprint tablet that is slightly bigger than the standard 8.5 x 11". I figure I'll have a little wider borders since the sheets are cut in half. Your pickle dish looks great so far.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always cringe when quilts don't have equal borders on all sides, it's an OCD thing. LOL But I think your plan is genius!! I can't wait to see it's fruition.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love it! I bet you will be so glad to get this one finished!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh the wedges will look terrific. Paper piecing is accurate but I drag my feet when it is included in a pattern! I like rectangular quilts too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your pickle dish quilt is beautiful and is going to be stunning. I just bought a book of pickle dish quilt paper pieced patterns from ebay. I'm glad that I didn't pay much for it (including postage). The arcs are not drawn with any kind of a tool such as a compass or and arc. The arcs are formed by lines drawn from point to point to point. I was beyond isappointed. It doesn't appear to look badly on a minature quilt and that is not my intent to make small blocks. So, on to Pllan B at some point. Your work is impeccable. I'm sure that your project has a part of your soul in it. I've thought of your project many times as I've just been searching for an acceptable pattern and haven't found one yet. I know that I'm a picky quilter and if I'm not happy with the pattern then I'm not going to be happy with the quilt and it'll probably end up in the trash or a permanent UFO and good fabric tied up as unused fabric since it will be decidated to that project which is still listed as UFO. Congrats on your quilt and I am waiting with bated breath to see the change the wedged borders make. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful quilt! I love how you're going to extend the length. It's going to finish up gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the idea or your border to make the quilt rectangle. Thanks for sharing the EQ image for a great visual! Smart idea paper piecing the border too...this is going to be amazing when it's finished!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like your thoughts for a wedge border at the top and bottom. EQ is such a great tool for doing unique things. Good luck with the paper piecing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for detailing your process for the wedge border. It will look really great, better than a straight piano key border though it is more work. It will also echo the arc wedges very nicely.

    ReplyDelete