Back to Hearts & Wreaths

One of my goals this summer was to have the borders for Hearts & Wreaths prepped and ready to start the applique  process by September 1, I made it! Here is a link to the last post about Hearts & Wreaths in December 2022. It's been in time out longer than I thought. In the picture you can see the true yellow background color of the fabric. It looks beige in some of the following border pictures but it really is a soft yellow.

In these pictures, not only does the fabric look beige, the cutting mat looks blue, not green.

The instructions said to cut the border 8.5" wide. I cut my borders a little wider. You lose some border when you finish the edges and I'll loose a little more when I applique the leaves. When I zigzag the edges, I use stitch #3 on my machine. It's a zigzag but it makes stitches in the zigs and zags so it doesn't pull the fabric in, it stays flat.

The borders have a top and bottom side. This is important when you sew the borders onto the center.

First thing you do is mark the center of the border. I left the selvage on the two long borders so they are wider than the short sides. The selvage will be trimmed off after quilting. This is marked with a normal ink pen.

I used a Frixon pen to mark the lengthwise center of the border at 4.25".

The instructions said to sew the borders onto the center then applique the leaves. No Way! I have to turn the border around to applique each leaf, I don't need that extra bulk of the center. Think how wrinkly it would get and maybe dirty too!

I will applique my borders then sew them onto the center. The corners will be mitered so I'm stopping the vine 8" from the edge of the center section. The vine will be at the top of the curve ready to swing down into the corner, make kind of half circle then curve back up to the other side. At least that's the plan.

There were several more steps involved but here is the prepped border before I start embroidering the vine. I chain stitch 3 strands of black embroidery thread, I think 3 strands makes the vine more distinctive.

 All of the markings you see are from the Frixon pen. I freehand drew those curves. Are they perfect, no but I've never claimed to be a perfectionist. 

I can't press these borders now until the applique is completed. I don't want creases or wrinkles in them so they're hanging on a hanger in the closet.

I'm looking forward to the day when I put this quilt flimsy into the hand quilting frame and start stitching. I already know which designs I'm going quilt. Look at this picture and imagine a quilted design in there. I have several stencils that will fit into an area that size, I'll probably use them all!

Here is a link to my first post about Hearts & Wreaths from August 2021. 

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday, Monday Musings