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Monday, December 26, 2016

Sweet Sixteen

I have most of my little 2-1/2" bow ties sorted into 48 stacks to be sewn into 16-patch blocks. Even though it's the same amount of work, it seems less daunting to face the task of sewing 48 blocks into a quilt top instead of 768 individual blocks!



So far I've made 16 of the blocks, which will finish at approximately 8" each. I'm anxious to get this done, but my mind is already getting in my way. I'm trying to decide if I want to put a border on it to make it a little bigger. The way it is now it should be about 48" x 56" which is just a little small for a lap quilt (especially if it needs to cover my lap!)  :) :) :)

I'll probably adjust my current layout to 6 across and start sewing a few rows together. I want to see how those corners look when they're sewn together.

I'd really like a cool way to do some dots in a border so I could call the quilt "buttons and bows", but that's just not panning out.

So now my thoughts have turned to some kind of fabulous applique. Something kind of like this:

This is a border from Piece O' Cake Designs. Unfortunately, the pattern is now out of print.

I guess I still have some time to think about it....
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19 comments:

  1. ChantalDecember 26, 2016 at 4:22 PM

    I totally understand about the 48 blocks versus 768 bowties. Yikes! Sometimes I add the sashing to the blocks so I don't have to sew long strips of fabric. :^D
    Your quilt looks great so far. Couldn't you just add real buttons to the last border? Just thinking out loud.
    ;^)

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    Replies
    1. Vicki December 28, 2016 at 1:11 PM

      That's a great idea - I'm thinking about using my left over bow ties for a mini quilt and a real button border would be darling! Thanks! :)

      Delete
  2. JulieDecember 28, 2016 at 5:54 AM

    I love your colorful bow ties! The applique border would be stunning, but wow, what a lot of work! I tend to always take the easy way out but the applique would be an amazing finish.

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    Replies
    1. Vicki December 28, 2016 at 1:09 PM

      Thanks so much Julie! After a little more searching, I found that I can still purchase the pattern in PDF form from Piece O' Cake Designs, so that's what I did! Looks like I have some applique in my future. :)

      Delete
  3. MariDecember 31, 2016 at 5:24 AM

    Looks great so far. An applique border will be awesome! Add a few buttons to the applique and it can still be buttons and bows.

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  4. Pamela ArbourDecember 31, 2016 at 5:25 AM

    Applause goes out to you for this undertaking. You handled it very well. Congratulations.

    Pam
    pearbour@gmail.com

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  5. LIttle Penguin QuiltsDecember 31, 2016 at 5:40 AM

    I love the layout you decided on! That will be beautiful!

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  6. Julie in GADecember 31, 2016 at 6:04 AM

    Wow, that's a lot of tiny little bowties! I made bowties for the RSC last year, but mine were twice as big as yours. Can't wait to see yours all together, and that applique border will be amazing!

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  7. CathyDecember 31, 2016 at 7:27 AM

    Your plan of combining the appliqué border with the t.o.n.s. of bowties sounds gorgeous! I remember a vintage apron pattern called Buttons and Bows - they just go together, don’t they? Keep us posted on your progress. Happy New Year!

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  8. The Joyful QuilterDecember 31, 2016 at 7:39 AM

    Assembling your quilt into 16-Patch blocks DEFINITELY sounds better than sewing 768 tiny bow-ties into rows! Good thinking!!

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  9. Kathy S.December 31, 2016 at 7:41 AM

    Can't wait to see your applique plan. You'll have to join Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching with that project. I've been working on my applique too. Let me know if you find an amazing book that works for you.

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  10. Deb ADecember 31, 2016 at 7:43 AM

    I too tend to break things up into smaller pieces when putting blocks together. Makes it a little more manageable and less stressful I think. Your idea for the appliqué will make a stunning finish.

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  11. Katie Z.December 31, 2016 at 8:30 AM

    I agree that sewing them together in chunks is much more pleasant than all the individual tiny blocks!

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  12. gayleDecember 31, 2016 at 9:17 AM

    48 vs 768? Oh, yeah - you took the wise path!
    Love that applique border!

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  13. scraphappyDecember 31, 2016 at 11:18 AM

    Beautiful border plan for a fabulous quilt. Hopefully you will find just the right idea to tie it all together.

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  14. PaulaB quiltsDecember 31, 2016 at 11:19 AM

    What an accomplishment! It will be beautiful however you decide to finish it. Have a Happy New Year!

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  15. KateJanuary 1, 2017 at 11:10 AM

    Those bow tie blocks are going to make a gorgeous scrappy quilt. You thought on a applique border looks like a really good idea.

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  16. Magpie SueJanuary 2, 2017 at 6:32 PM

    Oh yeah, bigger four patch bow ties is way less intimidating than all those tiny individual blocks! I love the idea of buttons and bows; I hope you can find a satisfying way to pull that off. :-)

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  17. AnonymousJuly 17, 2017 at 8:25 AM

    Assembling your quilt into 16-Patch blocks DEFINITELY sounds better than sewing 768 tiny bow-ties into rows! Good thinking!!
    ^^
    โกเด้นสล็อต
    สูตรบาคาร่า
    ^^

    ReplyDelete

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