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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fabric... Welcome to the Patriotic Quilter where I like to share all things quilty as well as red, white, and blue! Please feel free to look around and enjoy yourself! I would love to hear from you.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Scrap Basket Sunday #5 The One with the NIne Patches

Hi Everyone,

If you've dropped by this week, you may have read that I was working on some nine-patch blocks, squeezing some quilting time in between all the stuff I had going on.  This is why.

I don't think I ever blogged about this quilt.  I made it in Hawaii.  Many of the members of my Bee there bought this kit.  I didn't, but then one of the ladies didn't want hers, so I paid her for it.  The kit came with white background fabric, but I wanted to change it up, so I replaced the white with black.


 

It had another border--a plain black one 4.5" wide.  It finished at around 73 or 75 inches square.  I really get frustrated with that size.  It is fairly large for a lap, but not big enough for a bed.  Anyway, if you read this blog with any regularity, you probably have realized that this is not "me."
 
When I finished it in Hawaii, I put it away, although I did show it to my daughter.  It is her style.  Anyway, about a month ago, I got a text asking me if I could make her a quilt for the bed.  This was huge!  About 10 years or more ago, she told me she didn't like the way my quilts feel.  I like the flat, cotton, antique feel, but she likes the puff of a comforter.  For her to ask for a quilt was amazing!  And gratifying!
 
I pulled this out and tried to determine how to make it larger.  I needed about 8 inches more border all the way around.  I mulled things over, came up with a plan, and proceeded.  Luckily I had lots of leftovers/scraps.  I began by deciding to remove the 4.5" black border, leaving me with the quilt as it is above.  I would then need to add a border that was at least 12 inches wide.
 
Next, I began making nine patches.  Lots of them.  I wanted to alternate them with plain black squares, in three rows.  Therefore, to get 12 inches of border with three rows, the blocks had to finish at 4 inches.  Four divided by three is not a fun number to use in quilting.  Instead of playing with third of an inch measurements, I figured I could cut the strips and segments at 1 7/8" and  use a quarter inch seam allowance (instead of the scant quarter inch) and just do some slight trimming.
 


It worked like a charm!
 
 
I just needed 126-7 of them.  I made about 133 so I would have some extras in case things were too "matchy" in areas.

It didn't take too long.  I loved having them all trimmed and squared up.  They are so neat-looking.

I spent my free day on Friday assembling the borders and attaching them.  Once I got them on, I finished with another narrow green border.

This is how it came out.


As you can see, I was trying to echo the diagonal lines from the center.  I also didn't want to fuss around with something complicated.  All in all, I think it came out great. 

I was lucky that I had enough scraps from the original project so that I could add on.  It will get sent off to the longarmer this week.  The backing is black, too, so I purchased a black batting.  Have you seen them or used them?   I decided to get poly, also, so that it would be fluffy like my daughter likes.

Maybe next week I can get back to my Simply Charming book.

Have a great day,
JoAnne

28 comments:

  1. your math skills are impressive! that border looks great.

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  2. A beautiful quilt and I wish I had the skills to visualize how things will look, but my brain will not do that so I usually need a pattern (in full) and a picture to go with it!!! GOOD JOB!

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  3. Your border is a lovely addition to the original pattern - I would be more inclined to make it after seeing your version. I'm sure that your daughter will love it. My compliments as well on your math skills!!

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  4. This is stunning! I'm really impressed with your design skills as that looks like a planned border from the get go. Wow!

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  5. Wow, beautiful - love your border solution!

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  6. Absolutely. Positively. Gorgeous! I am humbled by your math skills, too ... you lost me in the first calculation! LOL Seriously, job well done and she will LOVE it! Linda

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  7. JoAnne, that quilt is absolutely stunning. Using black in the 1st place, rather than white, was a great idea. The addition of the 9 patches is so creative (and visionary). Job well done!

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  8. That looks great! I'm with you and really like quilts with dark backgrounds. I love what you did with the 9-patches. It works really well with the center setting and it looks a lot more complicated than it is. Great job coming up with it!

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  9. You did an amazing job with that border!

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  10. The quilt looks wonderful! Super creative idea to add the nine patch border.

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  11. That border is awesome--I know your daughter will love it!!

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  12. It's absolutely, stunningly beautiful! It makes me want to run to the Sweat Shop and start pulling out fabrics to make one just like it! I always love the way quilts with black backgrounds look. Your daughter will love it!

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  13. It's a gorgeous quilt! I love the narrow green borders, the two sizes of stars, and how the outer border repeats the center diagonals. Well done!

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  14. I haven't made a quilt with a black background and this one looks wonderful. Must add that to my list.....you know the list that grows and grows. Beautiful!

    Gloria
    gyates625@bellsouth.net

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  15. That came out fabulous ! Your daughter will love it :)

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  16. WELL DONE! Very impressive finish. The black is such a nice touch too. Really makes those brights pop. You are a very accomplished quilter, mathematician and Mom. Your daughter is sure to be thrilled with this one.

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  17. I love the additional border you added to this quilt.
    It looks gorgeous.

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  18. What a great "fix" to enlarge the original to bed size. You would never know it was not originally designed that way!

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  19. I love the dark background you used with the brights. The border you have been working on really completes it well.

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  20. This quilt is amazing. So wonderful. So fantastic work.

    Greetings from GErmany Grit

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  21. Fantastic quilt! I love how the border you added works so well with the rest of the quilt.

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  22. Love, love, love the border! Also the change to the black background really makes this quilt great. I hope your daughter loves it!

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  23. Oh My!!! This is FANTASTIC!!! What a change it makes just replacing the white background fabric with the black!!
    OOhhhhhh, I think I like yours more than I like mine!!

    And what you did on the border to make it bigger was GENUIS!! When you give this to her you better tell her to take good care of it and make it last forever..ha, I know what all went into it to make it!!!

    So glad you told me about yours so I could come see it!!

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  24. Oh My!!! This is FANTASTIC!!! What a change it makes just replacing the white background fabric with the black!!
    OOhhhhhh, I think I like yours more than I like mine!!

    And what you did on the border to make it bigger was GENUIS!! When you give this to her you better tell her to take good care of it and make it last forever..ha, I know what all went into it to make it!!!

    So glad you told me about yours so I could come see it!!

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  25. What a wonderful, wonderful border! It's beautiful!

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