I pondered quite a few different ideas for the quilting in the border of Baby Steps. I had an idea to use a butterfly stencil, but the scale was off. I thought about straight lines of some sort but decided that curves were needed to adjust the balance of straight lines to swirls (all straight line quilting in the blocks and just a bit of swirl in the star).
When I finally settled on trying to create a pattern with circles I dug through my envelope of cutout circles to see if any of them fit or if I would have to draft a new one. There it was: a corrugated cardboard circle I saved from the packaging my pots and pans came in. Here’s the part I love about it. Just as though I had planned it that way, the diameter was exactly right to run this border all around the quilt without stretching or squashing any of the circles to make the repeats fit. It just fit exactly as it was! I’m glad I settled on that 1/2” inner border instead of the 1” one I had considered!
The pattern even wrapped around the corners with no fudging at all. Happy dance!
In other creative directions, there have been birthdays in this house in the last two weeks which of course required birthday cakes.
The LEGO minifigs (from a Craftsy blog tutorial) were a bit more challenging. That’s why there are fewer of them than there were penguins! I also tried to make the ladder out of fondant, but in the end a surreptitious raid of my son’s LEGO bins was more effective.
Back to the quilting now. Today I may cut out the setting pieces for the non-string remake of Sparkling Strings. We’ll see how the day goes.
Excellent find for the border! Did you trace on the pattern? (if so, what do you use?)
ReplyDeleteThe cakes look awesome. Huzzah for fun cakes.
I love the circle quilting and it is amazing how perfect it went. And seriously, your cakes are too cute! I especially love the Lego cake.
ReplyDeleteLove the cakes - my niece loves penguins. I'll have to send my sister over here for ideas for her birthday. Amazing circles on the border... and no fudging! Love that it worked out for you.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that you, like many others, got so much creative talent and energy, and I get so very little, if any at all? The cakes are incredible, and I love the border idea. Not surprised it worked for you! ---"Love"
ReplyDeleteIt is great that the circles worked out and the border looks wonderful! Love those cakes, too, so cute! ! !
ReplyDeleteYour quilting is wonderful! I sure wouldn't be able to follow the lines that perfectly. And the cakes are awesome! I don't even know what fondant is - hee hee! They look like a lot of work to me, but so yummy.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on both the quilt and the cakes! I love them. They look very complicated and well made! I'm sure your children loved their cakes to the very last bite. Wonderful borders on the quilt, keep up the great quilting ;)
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