Star Bright Sampler Border Possibilities

 The piecing of the Star Bright Sampler center is complete.  Now is the time to decide on the appropriate border to finish the quilt.  Appropriate will depend on several factors:  size, design, and speed to complete.  Included are several borders used to complete this quilt.  Choose what works for you.

This is my completion of the quilt with the Winter Birds in its center.  The quilt finishes at 81" square.  The center completion measurement was 60 1/2". All borders added will increase the finished size.  There are three borders added to this quilt.  The first measures 2 1/2", the second 3 1/2", and the third is 6".  

This quilt finishes at 68 1/2".  Because there was no dominate print used for this quilt, I created a pieced  border to complete it.  There are three borders added to the 60 1/2" quilt.  The first is a 1 1/2" black border, the second a 2 1/2" pieced border, and it completes with a 1 1/2" black border.

This quilt finishes at 86 1/2" and is included in the queen-sized printed instructions you received. This quilt has four borders added: a 3 1/2" print, 3 1/2" background, 1 1/2" pop color, and 6 1/2" background.

This quilt includes many floral prints.  To coordinate with the theme, the quilt was completed with a 6 1/2" floral print that was not included in the quilt center prints. The finished quilt is 66 1/2". 

Here is the original quilt I designed.  It measures 66 1/2" completed and includes a stripped finishing border of 3 1/2". 

There are many options to choose from to fit your personal taste and requirements.  I hope you enjoyed our project together.  I have greatly enjoyed participating with you.

Star Bright Sampler Half-Triangle Border

 Time for our next installment of our Star Bright Sampler. While the border appears to be simple, there will be more photos than have been presented before.  Here we go.

Here are the updated written instructions for this border.  I found that the original instructions you received in class have a mistake.  Please use these instructions for this border.

Beginning with the background fabric, cut 8 - 3 1/2" by WOF strips.  Subcut four into 24 1/2" lengths.  Subcut the remaining four into 27 1/2" lengths.

From the background scraps, cut 8 - 3 1/2" squares.

Cut 1 - 3 1/2" square from 8 of the print fabrics, for a total of 8 - 3 1/2" squares.

Draw a diagonal line on the backside of the background fabric.

Match background and print square right sides together. Sew on drawn diagonal line.

Trim to 1/4" seam allowance.

Press seam to dark fabric.  Make 8 - 3 1/2" half-square triangle blocks.

Match one 3 1/2" x 24 1/2" background strip to one half-square triangle block, right sides together.  Pay attention to orientation of triangles as shown above.  Sew two in one orientation and two in the opposite orientation.  Press seams out.  Make 4.  Sew two strips together, print sides together.  Make two borders, each measuring 54 1/2".  Sew to opposite sides of quilt center, nesting seams as appropriate.

Match one 3 1/2" x 27 1/2" background strip to one half-square triangle block, right sides together.  Pay attention to orientation of triangles as shown above. Sew two in one orientation and two in the opposite orientation.   Press seams out.  Make 4.  Sew two strips together, print sides together.  Make two borders, each measuring 60 1/2", each measuring 60 1/2".  Sew to top and bottom of quilt center, nesting seams as appropriate.

Quilt now measures 60 1/2".  If satisfied with size as complete, quilt and bind.

Next week, instructions for the next border will be presented.  See you then.

Next Installment of Border 3

 The half-square triangle blocks are now waiting to be put together into Border 3.  In order to do that, there is an additional block to be made that go into this border.  That is the Log Cabin block.  Five sections are required for this block. Cut 4 each of A (2 1/2"x2 1/2"), B (2 1/2"x2 1/2"), C (2 1/2" x 4 1/2"), D (2 1/2"x4 1/2"), and E (2 1/2"x6 1/2").

Sew together in alphabetical order, A to B,  AB to C, ABC to D, ABCD to E.  With the four blocks complete, arrange three of the Half-Square Triangle blocks on one side of a Log Cabin block and three on the other side as pictured below.  Sew together. Press seams to one side.

Sew two of the borders to each side of the Winter Birds quilt.  Press seams out.  Cut four - 6 1/2" background squares. 

Sew one background square to each end of the remaining two Half-Square Triangle/Log Cabin borders.  Sew borders to top and bottom of quilt center.  Press seams out.

The quilt now measures 54 1/2" square.

Or skip the Log Cabin block altogether by replacing it with an appliquéd square with one of the winter birds.

Have fun sewing and share your progress on our text group.  Next week we will add Borders 4 and 5. We will then have a lap-sized quilt.

Star Bright Sampler Borders 2 & 3

We continue the Star Bright Sampler quilt with Borders 2 and 3.  

Border 2 - Border 2 is a striped border of the background fabric.  Begin by cutting four  3 1/2" strips from the background fabric. 

Layer two of the strips.  Place the ruler on the fold at 18 1/4".  Rotary cut other end.  Strips measure 36 1/2".  

Sew one strip to one side of quilt center.  Sew other strip to opposite side of quilt.  Press seams out.  

Layer other two strips together.  Place the ruler on the fold at 21 1/4". Rotary cut other end.  Strips measure 42 1/2".  

Sew one strip to top of quilt center.  Sew other strip to bottom of quilt center. Press seams out.  Quilt now measures 42 1/2" square.

Border 3 - Border 3 will be split into two weeks.  To begin, cut two 7" strips from the background fabric.  Layer fabric strips together.

Subcut into 7" squares for a total of 12 squares. 

Draw a line diagonally on the wrong side of the 7" background squares.

Cut one 7" square from each of the 12 print fabrics for a total of 12 squares. 

Layer together one 7" background square and one print square, right sides together.  

Sew 1/4" from diagonal line on background square.  Press to control any puckering.  Sew 1/4" on other side of diagonal line on background square.  Press.

Cut sewn squares in half on diagonal line.  

Trim triangle to 6 1/2" with 45 degree line placed on seam line.  

Press triangle open towards darker fabric.  Make 24 squares in total.  Set aside.

Next week we will continue and complete Border 3.  

Rail Fence Border

A few weeks ago we began to build our quilt around the Winter Birds center.  I have begun a second quilt to demonstrate with. This is to be my "Queen Bee" quilt.  I will oscillate between this Queen Bee quilt and my Winter Birds for instructional purposes.

The rail blocks have been sewn together and there should be 20 of them.  To create the first two borders, sew four blocks together for each border being aware of the horizontal and vertical placement of each as indicated in your written instructions.

It is important to begin each row with the first block in the same orientation.  As shown here, my borders begin with a block with the rails in the horizontal position.  Having this first block in the same orientation for each row will ensure that all of the blocks are arranged in a horizontal then vertical position all around the quilt. Notice the close up of the arrangement of the first block below.

When the first two borders are sewn together, sew the first border to one side of the appliquéd center, right sides together, with the horizontal block in the first position where your sewing begins.  Press the seam out.

Then sew the second border to the opposite side of the appliqué center, again with the horizontal block in the first position.  Press the seam out.

First two borders sewn to appliqué center on opposite sides.

Next, arrange the remaining blocks into two borders of six blocks each, again beginning the row with a block with the rails sitting in the horizontal position.

Sew together.  With right sides together, sew to opposite sides of the appliqué center with the horizontal-positioned block at the beginning position of your sewing.  Press seams out.

The quilt will now measure 36 1/2" square.  Next week, we will work on adding Border 2 and beginning the half-square triangles for Border 3.

Until then, enjoy your sewing and have a beautiful week.