Trio of Sisters--Constructing A Border post 3

Fused fabrics ready to be made into crazy quilt blocks

This is my third post regarding this project. It is a book club project. You can read the post I wrote about drawing the figures here. You can read the post I wrote about painting the figures here.

Slicing the squares

Originally, I had planned to machine embroider the names of the characters under each figure. I thought I would add a dark fabric to "frame" the outer edge. Then, I picked up a few pieces of velveteen and velvet off of the free table. I thought that there might be enough pieces to make a garment for a doll. Unfortunately, there wasn't.

Four blocks ready for stitching

Four stitched; Second four ready to stitch

Fortunately, the velvet pieces made me think about one of the characters in the book who loved fashion and expensive fabrics. She taught herself to sew. She embellished her garments so the garments were more "high end." I decided that making crazy blocks would be the perfect border!

First try. . . .a fail

When I went to China a number of years ago, I purchased some pieces of silk brocade. When I went to Houston a few years later, I picked up a hand dyed piece of velvet and a piece of hand dyed silk from the Frieda Anderson and Laura Wasalowski booth. I have petted them for years.

The blues were polyester pieces that came from my grandmother's stash. The pink brocade piece was a fabric that was in my great grandmother's stash that I've carried with me since high school.

Ultra suede scrap border too dark. . .a fail

I cut a six inch strip from each fabric and backed each strip with a lightweight fusible interfacing. With plenty of stretch breaks and careful pressing, it took me about five hours to prepare the fabrics! I ended up with 17 fabrics. From there, I placed four fabrics in a group. I cut a six inch square from each fabric. I stacked the fabrics and then I sliced the fabrics four times. I didn't plan the cuts; but, I did think about not having a cut less than 1/2 inch from a corner.

Orange string border too bold. . 

Purple is better; but, not it.

Next, I laid out the blocks, mixing the pieces as I went. For me, working in groups of four was best because there was less opportunity for mistakes! I constructed the blocks much like I would construct a four patch. I pressed the seams to the dark side. When I stitched the last seam, I spun the center and the block flattened nicely!

Silk inner border/darker green cotton outer border

I did use a low heat setting on the iron and I did use a press cloth.  After I finished the first four blocks, I selected four more fabrics and readied four more blocks.  I am glad that I stabilized the fabrics because some were slippery and some raveled like crazy!

Silk border added to trio

When I had sewn 32 blocks; I squared them to five inches. I auditioned some of them around my drawing. Darn, the border was too big and too busy. I tried string piecing ultra suede. That border attempt was too dark. I tried a string pieced orange border. . .too busy. I auditioned purple fabrics. While I liked the idea of a lighter fabric for the inner border, the dark purple was too dark.

I auditioned the greenish gray silk as a skinny inner border and a green cotton fabric for a larger border.  The green cotton fabric reminded me a bit of velvet. I asked myself some "What if" questions. What if I used silk as the outer border? I auditioned all the silks that I had used to stitch the first blocks. The one light floral print seemed to match the time period of the sisters. I liked what I saw so I stitched it. I had to piece one border because I didn't have enough of the silk; but, I hope the piecing isn't too obvious! I like the effect the borders gave the trio.

I've enjoyed working with a set of fabrics I have little experience stitching. Those silk blocks will end up in a future project! I plan to quilt on my New Beginnings project while I ponder how to quilt this piece and I ponder what to use for backing!