Finishing the swag borders

[Anne B.]

I am just starting my swag borders and cannot decide the best way to approach the applique on the borders. I am using the Stable Stuff as backing for all of my applique pieces, including my swags. Won't it be cumbersome turning and twisting the entire quilt to get the applique pieces sewn on? How about sewing the swags on the border then sewing the border to the center of the quilt. Also the last instructions for the sashing rectangles tell us to cut each piece 4 1/2 inches by 12 inches. The instructions in Jan., 2010 tell us to cut the sashing pieces 4 1/2 inches by 12 1/2 inches. I now have 31 of each size. I did not see this clarified in the forum...maybe I missed it.

[Margo C.]

I am just starting my swag borders and cannot decide the best way to approach the applique on the borders. I am using the Stable Stuff as backing for all of my applique pieces, including my swags. Won't it be cumbersome turning and twisting the entire quilt to get the applique pieces sewn on? How about sewing the swags on the border then sewing the border to the center of the quilt. Also the last instructions for the sashing rectangles tell us to cut each piece 4 1/2 inches by 12 inches. The instructions in Jan., 2010 tell us to cut the sashing pieces 4 1/2 inches by 12 1/2 inches. I now have 31 of each size. I did not see this clarified in the forum...maybe I missed it.

Terrina, I'm not sure where you saw to cut sashing 4-1/2 x 12, but you need to use the ones that you cut 4-1/2 x 12-1/2 so that they fit your blocks.

If it's easier for you to applique the swags on the background first, then attach them to the center, you may certainly do it that way.

[Margo C.]

How did you do yours? I am using the machine applique method. I see that the swags have to swoop up to the center of the quilt at just the right point and I thought if I applique and then sew border on I may not get the swoop in the right place. I saw the 4 1/2 in. by 12 in. directions on page 4 of month 12, very bottom of the page. Thanks for your help.

[Margo C.]

After I prepared my applique pieces like I show in the instructions, I machine appliqued them to the background fabric that I had marked the way Sue describes in her instructions. Then trimmed the backgrounds to the right size and applied the borders and corners and finally stitched on the 8 flowers that straddle the seams of the corners. So those 8 were the only things I stitched where I had to manipulate the entire quilt top through the machine.

[Liberata T.]

I should have read this forum topic before I put the borders on. I may take them off. I am stuck on how to possibly digitize the swag in keeping with the blocks and cornerstones. :? They don't fit in one hooping and don't lend themselves to split hoopings. But by mistake I may have found a way. :idea: I don't have enough fabric to cut all the swags from one color. I may construct the swags from pieced fabric. If I do this I can split the design. My concern then would be that in the sewout I may "shrink" the border background. This did happen to some of my earlier blocks which made the assembly a bit tricky. We will see.

I also was thrown by the cornerstone measurements of 4 1/2" by 12" in the Dec. BOM PDF. Where was the missing 1/2"? Since I didn't cut everything in the first month because of my fluid color scheme, I went back to month one and the correct dimensions were given there.

I anxiously await more photos of completed Hug & Kisses in Show & Tell.

[Liberata T.]

Margo, thanks so much for responding quickly. Your work is great and I knew if I followed your lead I wouldn't go wrong!

[Margo C.]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! " :lol: