Sunday, October 25, 2009

What Would You Do?

One of the treasures from my MIL I acquired recently was this pieced top:

PA060002

I think I'd like to finish it, but the questions of just what to do keep running around my head.  Maybe you can tell me what you think . . .

Does this top need a border?  If so, how wide?  Big, little, more than one?

All of the top has been pieced by hand.  Is it OK to attach the border by machine? 

Would the border be better as a solid color or cut from a multi-color print?  There are many different fabrics used here, no two matching (and no scraps!) so how do you choose fabrics for borders and/or binding?

ribbons

And I'm not even going to think about the decisions to be made for quilting it!  Please help!

6 comments:

Vicki W said...

My Mom and I have been finishing up a lot of my Great Grandmother's UFO. (I hope someone will finish mine some day!) Most of the we leave just as she finished them. I think I have added borders to only one and that's because I found vintage fabric that perfectly matched the sashing. I think with this one I would either leave it as is or, if I were going to do some very custom quilting, maybe add an ivory border for some custom quilting to match whatever you quilt in the blocks. Just my opinion of course!

Kay said...

That's a beauty. Hard choices. I think it would look better with a border, and any fabric you choose will pop the other fabrics the same color. A purist might disagree though. The hand or machine question is a tougher one. I'd say go with your gut.

Annie said...

What a beautiful piece. I can't believe that is all hand-done. Must have taken a long time.

I wouldn't know where to start in finishing something like that. But no way I would do it by hand!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful quilt!
I would add two borders .... one similar to one of the brighter fabrics in the quilt, but only about an inch wide or less, the second wider, and similar to one of the darkest fabrics in the quilt and about half the width of the blocks. Both prints, if possible vintage of the rest of the quilt, but as the borders are going on now I don't think that vintage is necessary. And of course I would hand quilt! Just outside the colour fabric shapes to make them pop, then fill in the cream with an all over pattern.
Sew, what would you do if the quilt and the fiishing was mine?
Judy B

Anonymous said...

Oooops!
Make that read .........
the finishing job was mine!
Judy B

Orice said...

I'm stumped. But I would recommend you ask Lisa a Lisa's in Stitches. You can Google her and email the questions. Or ask for her phone number and call her. If all else fails. Good luck.