Quilting The Mystery Third Step--Square In A Square Border and Sashing

The motif I started

For the first 19 days of November, I looked each day at the square in a square border and thought what to do? I pondered, I made some line drawings of designs. I pondered some more. I worked through the other goals on my November list; but, alas, no inspiration appeared. Then the only goal left on my November list was. . .this border!

Motif with embellishment

Sometimes when I get stuck I ask myself what part could I do? I ask myself is there a motif or a part of a motif that I could repeat? I ask myself what would I like to practice? Then, and this is the REALLY scary part. . . .I thread the machine and I BEGIN! I don't know exactly what the design will look like. I don't know if the design will fit the space and I don't know if I will like what I stitch. BUT, in putting the threaded needle to the quilt sandwich, more often than not the magic happens.

Motif without the inner circle

In this case, I decided that I wanted to repeat the circular motion in the inner pink blocks. I used a circle ruler to quilt the inner circle and then eyeing about a quarter inch from the corner placing four petals. In my first square, I used a variegated thread. I know that stitching on top of a variegated thread isn't good; but, I hoped that the subtle shades in this thread wouldn't be a factor. I was wrong. BUT, I was successful with the design and the magic happened. I liked the bones of what I created.

Quilted lines in sashing

I switched from the variegated thread to a silk thread. I added lines in the areas adjacent to the petals and I added a circle to the center. I added the inner circle stitching a quarter inch away from the line. I found the visibility around the ruler foot too limiting to be accurate. I tried using a guide that snapped on to the foot, but had a difficult time holding the ruler and watching that the guide stayed on the foot while I stitched. So removed the inner circle. Besides, the circle was too large. The idea I had in my head was to pebble a small center. This might come later!

I timed myself to stitch one motif. It took me 15 minutes. There are a lot of squares in this border; but, the design I had stitched felt "right." So I started stitching. Sixteen hours later, I quilted the last square. During this process, I got a lot of practice with lining up the ruler template so the design would be centered as I stitched. I also found that lowering the pressure on the foot made it easier to stitch to the corners where the seams made more bulk. Eventually, I also managed to stitch the whole design with one stop and start of the thread. I also trimmed about five minutes off of my stitching time!

Closer view of the sashed border

From the time that I had finished this top, I wanted to quilt curves into the sashing. My thought was to quilt circles that overlapped. I stitched two and the quilt rebelled! Instead, I quilted straight lines and the quilt liked the simple lines much better! It took me about three hours to quilt each border. I like to use a chalk pencil to draw the division lines. I've found that the drawn line helps me to keep the stitched lines more perpendicular to the sashing.

Also, I use points in the block to divide the sashing. I'll use the point of the square in a square and the seam line in each square. I know that the quilting process tends to draw up the quilt a bit. A section might not measure exactly the same; but, in using the division points, the eye is fooled into thinking the areas are the same! I spent about 16 hours quilting the square in a square and the sashing.

I'm thinking that I'll continue the straight lines in the sashing in the next border; but, am not sure if the lines will line up as the blocks are a bigger. I'll have to think this issue. I'd also like to continue some sort of floral design in the next border and I would like to treat the two borders divided by the brown sashing as one. Hmmmmm lots more thought is needed!