Kari's Round Robin quilt was delivered just as I was leaving for my sister's house in Milwaukee. The weather was terrible and I was hoping to get on the road before the snow got too deep. I knew the 6 hour drive from Minneapolis to Wisconsin would take longer in a snowstorm, and there was no time to open the box. I tossed the box on top of my suitcase and started the long drive. I worried about the quilt the whole way to Milwaukee - what if I had an accident in the snow and the quilt was damaged? Yikes, it was a hair raising drive. That evening, my sister was sworn to secrecy and we opened the box. This is what we found:
Here are notes from my journal as I went through the process of adding to the quilt:
- I'm totally intimidated by how pointy and difficult the piecing looks – and it’s perfect. Not my style at all. How many thousand hours did it take them to do this?
- Terri’s border fits the center so perfectly – it looks like the same person did both -what can I possibly add that will work as well?
- Brainstormed ideas but came up with nothing that would work. While flipping through some of my sister’s quilt magazines I found a drunkard’s path block – what a perfect combination of curvy and pointy to repeat the shapes from the center.
- I arranged all of the fabrics next to the quilt and really liked the dark green best. It definitely needs a dark frame. I’ll make it scrappy – my favorite. I hope it looks okay to add a scrappy border to a center that has a planned color scheme.
- I’m so thankful to have yardage after the struggle I had last time – so glad Kari didn’t follow the “rules”!!
Between the curved piecing and having the blocks on point – I’m wondering how I will write instructions so it will work for everyone. No real way to fudge anything – it all has to fit perfectly. If we are going to do a pattern I don’t think anyone will want to make it because it is way too hard. I’ve spent almost as much time thinking about the instructions as I have thinking about how to sew it – I guess both things are connected.
- I drew the drunkards path block on the computer and colored it in. I cut out some paper blocks to experiment with the block arrangement and figure out the corners.
- Finally, I made templates and cut my pieces out of fabric. Wow, it's been a long time since I traced around a template and cut with a scissors - I feel like a pioneer woman - all I need is candlelight!
- When my blocks turned out kind of wonky, I started over and made them 1/4" bigger so I could square them up.
Finally, here's the quilt with my drunkards path border. I'm so happy with how it turned out!
Visit each of our blogs to see what we each added to Kari's quilt. You can also follow us on our Facebook fan page, Round Robin Rebels.
Center: Kari (New Leaf Stitches)
Border #1: Teri (Whimsicals)
Border #2: Me - you're already here :-) (Atkinson Designs)
Border #3: Gudrun (G.E. Designs)
If you'd like to read more about our "No Rules" Round Robin, check out this issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine - it should arrive in your mailbox any day!
Photos used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2013 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
This is phenomenal!!
Posted by: Jude Edling | November 25, 2013 at 12:30 PM