Saturday, February 4, 2017

Spiderweb Borders Complete

The top is finally finished. It measures over ninety inches in each direction which is good for a queen-size bed. The lighting is off. I tried all hours of the day but couldn't get the colors to photograph properly. {And you know it no longer fits on the kitchen floor.}

Scrap spiderweb blocks on a light blue printed background with three borders.
Spiderweb with all borders

Taking the wider triangles out of the narrow sawtooth border made the rest more coherent. The background of the small triangles is yellow while the outer background is pale green. It makes a nice change from the center.

In many ways these borders remind me of heavily carved antique Spanish picture frames I enjoyed at the Dallas Museum of Art. They are "important" enough to set off the center but they also stand on their own, not an afterthought. The homey, slightly awkward construction pushes it towards 19th century American folk art.

Here's a detail of the color change and the borders. These colors are very close to the actual quilt.

Spiderweb quilt border, detail

The improvisational style of the triangles is more apparent in this photo. Especially on the narrow border, the width of the triangles as well as their points vary. On the outer border the triangles were cut close to thirty degrees. The width and height still vary but not as much as the inner triangles. Because of the similar angle it was easier to exchange foreground and background within the rectangles. {Important discovery: It's very fabric-expensive when you can't change any pieces around but always have to cut new ones.}

Since everyone's taste differs, other people may have stopped at a different place or moved in a different direction. This quilt could have easily expressed several styles.

For instance, here's the spiderwebs alone. This might be the stopping point for a true scrap quilt.

Spiderwebs with no borders

While here it is with only the plain border. A quieter quilt that could highlight elaborate quilting in the border.

Spiderweb quilt with plain border only

With only the applique it could move to a very traditional finish - with our without a second border.

Cardinal rest on the applique vine border of this scrap spiderweb quilt.
Spiderweb quilt with applique border only

Finally, I photoshopped this to see what the quilt would look like with sawteeth pointing out.

Spiderwebs with sawteeth pointing out,
photoshopped detail

It's interesting to discover the crossroads of quilt construction, the places where your decisions change the style of the quilt. And what a joy that we can each make quilts to please ourselves if we take the time to verbalize our reasoning. Thanks for all the help. You pushed me to articulation; I needed that.

Enjoy the day, Ann

37 comments:

Ariane said...

This quilt top looks amazing!!! You should be really proud of yourself. I love it!!

Quilting Babcia said...

You have a gorgeous quilt top to show for all the angst along the way! I'm looking forward to seeing how you decide to quilt this one.

KaHolly said...

It came out fabulously! XO

Cathy said...

The journey you took to get here was really interesting. Thanks for taking me along. I love it and it's a perfect size because I love big quilts.

I usually stop short of the border. I know you said no borders would be modern or truly scrappy but it is also a vintage look. My grandmother usually made quilts from old clothes and any border fabric would have been too expensive to buy "just for a quilt". Quilts were last in line in the fabric chain.

Monica said...

I can't believe you photoshopped the points out! But you know, I still prefer it. Good to know!

In any case, it's gorgeous! I agree with a lot of what Cathy said. I'm obsessed with big quilts now, and I love that vintage scrappy feel you got with the extra borders. It has so much personality. Nice finish, and a great series, too!

Quiltdivajulie said...

What I especially like is how you verbalized the process all the way through - so many people get stuck with a feeling that they don't like something but never push themselves to put that feeling into words that can be acted upon (too dark, too stale, too fussy, etc.). Wonderful finish!!! Loved watching you work this one out.

Mel Beach said...

WOW!! It is gorgeous!! I've enjoyed watching this quilt blossom!

liniecat said...

Stunning and the borders make it memorably more joyful!
I think it was destined to have all the border flourishes beyond the wonderful central spider web.

Mystic Quilter said...

So pleased you decided on the sawtooth borders Ann, I wasn't too sure when you first showed us the beginnings of these, but they're perfect. It is interesting reading your thoughts in your post today, thanks for setting these down. You have a stunning quilt!

audrey said...

The larger triangles are a wonderful addition, framing the entire quilt for a larger 'presence'! Borders are so much fun in how they can change the attitude of an entire quilt. Watch out! They can be addictive! Great job pulling this one together. The real colors are stunning and the quilt itself, a total keeper.:)

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Wonderful finish Ann! I've enjoyed following along & reading your thoughts as you have progressed, so interesting. And I'm thinking I'll give my fututre borders more time to develop now too!

Angie in SoCal said...

Beautiful! Love how colorful it is.

Ann said...

I like it too, Ariana, and am only sorry it sat in the UFO pile for so long.

Ann said...

My main angst was simply choosing (no, making myself) actually appliqué. But I'm glad I worked more slowly and posted more frequently. Other ideas are always welcome...
And you're right. The quilting may be a puzzle.

Ann said...

I'm glad you came along, Cathy, especially because we both like large quilts. I think many vintage quilts are true scrap quilts. Orders take spending mo eye and most rural families didn't have a lot of that. Even the scrap style you make would be a luxury of time. I think a lot were much more utilitarian and were used to death.
So glad I have these luxuries: time and fabric.

Ann said...

I could only do it on the closeup but wanted to see if I could and see what it might look like. I think the borders add a vintage feel, too. But I could be kidding myself.

Ann said...

Thanks, Julie. Slowing down and writing more about my thought process are current goals. There were times I was surprised and unhappy. Other surprises were happier and got me back on track. The little triangles looked bad when first cut but much better once sewn.
Thanks for contributing your opinions, too.

Nana said...

You have really knocked it out of the park!!!From the traditional look of the vine to the double triangle borders......a big jump, but it is perfect.

Ann said...

Thanks, Mel. Now to quilt it. I wish I had your talent for envisioning that part.

Ann said...

Border flourishes! What a phrase. Thanks.

Ann said...

I liked the idea but the first photos looked terrible, didn't they. Funny how much a little clean up and a little sewing helped. Thanks, Maureen.

Ann said...

That's it, Audrey. The mtiple borders add presence to the wut. Yes, they are addictive. It's fun to change for the borders. Keeps interest up more than repeating the same blocks does.
I'm glad this one stays with me.

PaulaB quilts said...

Thanks for the closeup view showing the greens and yellows. It does make a lovely tie in to the center blocks. And the appliqué really stands out, beautiful. Congratulations on a great finish.

Kaja said...

I seem to be thinking a lot about borders at the moment and yours are a perfect example of why they can be a good idea; this has ended up being fantastic. Articulating the process can be hard, but it's always interesting to read and I suspect we learn more when we have to find the words.

Ann said...

Your quilts mix such beautiful and colorful fabrics. Borders do give us a new venue to showcase them. I'm glad this long series of process posts has maintained some interest for others. It certainly was helpful to me, not least because it pushed me into trying new styles and combinations. Thanks so much for writing, Linda.

Ann said...

Thanks, Angie. I like all the colors, too.

Ann said...

How kind of you to write. I'm glad you like it, too.

Ann said...

Thank you, Paula. My photos only look good to a certain size. Then the limits of space and lighting cause the colors to go crazy - over and under exposed in the same photo.

Ann said...

You have some thoughtful borders yourself. I've especially liked the way they change from one side to the next. It's like taking the time to assess the needs of each of our children rather than assuming "one size fits all."
Finding the words helps me more than I realized when I began blogging. It's a way of taking the time needed to fully assess and weigh options, isn't it?

Ada Plouvier-Kopitopoulou said...

It is gorgeous !!

Ann said...

Thank you, Ada.

QuiltGranma said...

very happy colors, I LIKE it!

Ann said...

I'm glad you like it, too. Thank you.

scarlett said...

Oh it is outstanding👏❤️😀. Absolutely love it. Colors and fabrics are wonderful and of course the borders just make it.

Linda in NC said...

Smashing good!

Ann said...

Thanks, Scarlett. I like the borders, too. Now to the quilting. Yikes.

Lara B. said...

Ann, I've been reading through your posts on this gorgeous quilt. It is fascinating to read about your process. Articulating your process is good for you and for your readers. One of the reasons I love the borders so much is because they are Not all the same on each side. The quilt seems so much more alive and not "hemmed in" this way. The spiderwebs took my breath away the first time I saw them, but now, with the beautiful birders... it is awe inspiring! I am glad you are keeping this one. :)