The Rainbow Roosting Robin Quilt is Growing

I have been able to keep working on my Roosting Robin quilt. I got the final friendship star border made and attached to the quilt.

Here it is laying out on my queen size bed.

I didn't take any photos of the quilt off the bed, but you can see that it needs to be at least a little longer. The quilt underneath is my Liberated Churn Dash Quilt and I know from using it that I'd like this quilt to be a little longer.


So what's next?

The next round called for a ribbon or twisted border. I've been thinking about a herringbone quilt for awhile now and thought maybe I could do something like that with selvages. Adding selvages is kind of a prerequisite for this quilt - I love to use them!

I started by making 3 1/2 inch blocks and realized they would look too small on the quilt.

Then I made 6 1/2 inch blocks. I thought I would put these just at the top and bottom of the quilt to give it more length.

Then I played a little more!

I turned it into a heart!

I'm calling it a Selvage Heart on a String - because the middle strip is actually a 'string' of fabric and not a selvage. 

{Think I'll do up a tutorial for it too}

Pretty neat, eh!

And I will only need 5 to go across the top of my quilt! Which means I will have enough of that polka dot green fabric to make another heart for the bottom row:)

I could have stopped there, but I didn't! I'm really trying to plan out what I'm working on so I know what fabrics I'll be using and how much time it's going to take to do things. I like to have projects at different stages on the go and now this project feels like two - because I figured out my next border too!

The next border could be curves and I have wanted to make this Snakes in the Grass quilt for quite some time. The quilt is from the Emilie Richards quilting book I won awhile ago.

Quilt Along with Emilie Richards - Sister's Choice

Part of the reason why I've put it off is because it's made of templates! Not a big deal, but it does slow down the process. 

That's what I love about the summer - time to sit on the porch and drink coffee and really let my mind wander into my quilts and not feel rushed or hurried to get some quilting time in. 
I thought about making the block simpler.
Make it less units in the curve - make the curve one piece?
Why not make the background one piece and applique the curve on!

I decided to make the background one piece and to simplify the curve by making it only one on each block AND by making it only 3 colours. This photo shows how I made the curve template twice the size, omitting the middle seam allowance.

Join 2 blocks and make a rainbow! 

I'm so happy with my next two rows I can't wait!

If you're still reading - thank you! - and here's a peek at my drawn out design for the last two rows. 

Another friend suggested that the liberated churns could be a row - I've decided I can make the corners for the rainbow row into churns. It will be better than what I've planned here - half rainbows.

My reds are all cut out! 

Linking up this week with The Needle and Thread Network; go visit some more Canadian quilters:)

With Joy,

Sarah V.