October 13, 2015

Drunkard's Path QAL: Adding the Borders

Month 10 is here for the Drunkard's Path QAL. That means I have all 9 blocks done and they are now sewn together into a top. So far so good with my monthly schedule. November is quilting month and then it will be all done and ready to use for the holidays. WaHoo!!

When I first started my Drunkard's Path Christmas quilt, I didn't plan on adding a border. I don't often use borders on my quilts. But as I explored the design, I decided that borders would be a nice finishing touch to complete the design. In this earlier QAL post, I shared a few different border possibilities. Here is the one I have chosen to use.


Here's the finished blocks all sewn together before adding the border . . . 



And here it is with borders attached  . . . 



It's hard to photograph the reds and the light background fabrics in the same image. I tweaked it as best I could so you can see the different background fabrics and still see the reds too.

I think the use of a border sets off the blocks nicely by giving them room to breathe. And the addition of the drunkard's path units expands the block design activating the border space.

For my 9 block layout I needed 12 additional Drunkard's Path units for the border. I decided to match the reds in the quarter circles to the reds in the adjacent quarter circles. I think this continuity gives the feeling of the petal expanding beyond the block. There is one exception to this in the lower left corner because I didn't want to have two units with the same fabric on the same side of the border. The units came together quickly by using a chain piecing method. Love to see the little string of units swirling around behind my machine.



If you are using my templates for the drunkard's unit, don't forget they create slightly oversized units. Be sure to trim down to 4 1/2" square after you have sewn them. More on that here.



Since I used three background fabrics for the blocks, I used the same three fabrics in the border to continue the scrappy feel. I only had a small amount of one fabric left so I used that one for all the drunkards units. The other two fabrics fill in the rest of the border, alternating in placement and wrapping around the border corners.




To make this type of border you can download an information sheet that lists yardage and cutting directions along with placement diagrams. For Drunkard's Path unit sewing instructions see this post.

As I said earlier, November will be the machine quilting month. I don't know what type of quilting to do yet. For my mini for the KaffeMiniSwap I used a petal design in the 'flower' shapes and leafy veins in the greens. I might do something similar, or I just might send it out to my long arm quilter and let her do her magic. We'll see.

If you're on Instagram, check out Susan's Drunkard's Path quilt @susansquiltstudio. She used the checkerboard version for her border and it turned out great. She has also already done her quilting.
Go Susan!


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11 comments:

  1. That has turned out so well, it's beautiful! The border leads the eye right into the design!
    I think I need to add this to my quilting to-do list!

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  2. Ann, it looks wonderful! The border adds such depth and additional dimension!
    Josi @AvocadoQuilts.com

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  3. It is so lovely - the colors are stunning. The border makes all the difference, too. Love it all.

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  4. I really like this unusual Drunkard's Path layout.

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  5. Your quilt is gorgeous with all those lovely fabrics :)

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  6. The border adds a spinning, twirling look. I love that you chose fabrics that don't scream Christmas but can fit with many different looks and seasons.

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  7. Your blocks and fabrics look wonderful in this design. A great use of the Drunkards Path.

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  8. You have a great flair for color! The quilt is lovely, an inspiration for using red and green ( for me maybe a reason to get some more reds!!)

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  9. How lovely, Anne! It's great to see how you're finishing this design. At first I didn't see the "border," but then when I recognized the extra curves along the edge, I understood. That extra space DOES give the design more room. I like it!

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  10. What a gorgeous design and excellent fabric choices!

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WaHoo!!! You're leaving me a comment. Thanks for stopping by and do come back again. Quilt on, Anne.