Houston Stars: bordering

The quilt as you go border is composed of triangles, the outer ones larger than the inner ones so there's no need to worry about points and quarter inches when adding the binding. I thought I was going to use a dark red joining strip but didn't want this to stretch to the outer edges of the quilt. I thought I would stop short of the end of the border and add a triangular piece to the corner but on reflection changed my mind and added the borders in rectangular strips but log cabin style and partially pieced so that I could ensure the corner squares were correctly aligned to aid accuracy I also sewed from the centre out to the edges. I saved the dark red for the binding, no photos yet.
I am feeling so much better today after my surgery visit. It seems I am not going to be crippled for life after all. This news alone made me feel a hundred times better. The strong anti-inflammatory pills seem to be helping too. No need to bother with hot water bottles, alternative practitioners etc and yes it's a good idea to keep moving so I'm OK for my quilty activities this week and trip to Norwich next week. Alan took me and I found his car very comfy to travel in.

Trish's Houston Stars

Two more Log Cabin Quilters have finished their centre sections. These photos don't do the beauty of the quilts justice. Here is Trish with hers exquisitely pieced and quilted. Her work is beautiful and the colours are very tasteful too. We were using a magazine pattern by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths.

Houston stars

Gwenfai Rees Griffiths' pattern for Houston Stars came out in the British Patchwork and Quilting magazine over several months in 2002. I began it then but there was a mistake in the first month's instructions and, discouraged, I laid it aside only to take it up again when four of us Log Cabin Quilters decided to make it our project and all of us needed the encouragement and urging of the others to get on and keep up. At last the end is in sight. I have pieced my centre, just borders to add. I have used Christmas colours but show Mavis's blocks in lovely pinks. The blocks have been joined using quilt as you go techniques and I'll show some photos of this process in forthcoming posts.

Braiding

I have been making the final braided fillers for my Houston Stars quilt, designed by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths and featured in the British Patchwork and quilting magazine. I'm very pleased with the effect. The strips of scraps from the quilt didn't look very promising but the braid mounted up quite quickly and I was amazed at the transformation when the sewn braids were cut and trimmed. I love the pleasant surprises of patchwork when everything magically comes right and lots of different fabrics look good together. The photos show the different stages from cut strips (1.75 inches by 5.25 inches) to the completed braid, the trimmed version and placement on the top.