Red White & Blue -- Closing in on Done!!

After working on various small projects the past few months, and working diligently on piecing the borders for the red white & blue quilt, I'm finally putting the borders on the quilt top.

Thursday I got the inner border, a plain cream/white strip, put on. I was very impressed with myself for managing to start and end with a quilt that actually measures more or less square, both at the middle and at the edges.

inner border -- at this stage, the quilt measures 40.5" x 40.5"

Yesterday I procrastinated most of the day, scared to take that next step and actually put the pieced border on. It just seemed so......daunting. What if I messed up? What if it was too long? Or not long enough?? So, I stalled. I played on the computer. I did laundry. And dishes. And played on the computer some more. And finally, I sat down and started pinning.

I used lots and lots and lots of pins. To be safe and keep the border absolutely still, I put one pin in every seam in the pieced border. I started pinning in the center and then went left, right, left, right one pin at a time working out from center until I pinned all the way to the edges. Whew.

Finally, when that was done, I marked my quarter-inch line and started to sew. I only got one side done last night (it takes me about an hour to do the 40" length by hand.....) but it looks pretty good. Well, I've not pressed it yet (and didn't press the border strip before I put it on, other than finger pressing the seams.....), so it's kind of wrinkly. But other than that, I think it looks good.

the 1st side of the pieced border
other than the wrinkles, looks pretty good!

This morning I laid out the next side --this border goes on clockwise instead of opposite sides-- just to see how it will look with the blue on as well. I like it.

fuller view of the quilt, with the 1st side of the pieced border (red)
and the 2nd side laid out to preview before being pinned & sewn on
(pretend you don't see the dish towel and other mess on my dining table....)

Since the photo, I've pinned the next side (which is, amazingly, the exact right length....) and am ready to go sew. I still can't believe I'm getting this close to having the top done. Now that it's so close, I just want to finish. Can't wait to see what it looks like when all the sides are on and the top is complete!