Borders, Frames, Setting Triangles, and Quilting....

This is my last "official" post on the SAQ.  From time to time, I'll keep you updated on how the quilting process is coming along.  This is has been a fun quilt...but I'm ready to begin discussing other projects.  I'm currently piecing the Mothers of the Bible Quilt.  The Bee I'm in chose this as our year long project and it has become an adventure and a half.  More on that later, but I am thoroughly enjoying it and have definitely been challenged by this quilt -- in a good way.  I'm also teaching a couple of women to quilt. These ladies are beginners and we just worked our way through a pillow.  We've now moved on to a small quilt.  We're using West Virginia Memories for this project.  It is a great beginner project!  So if you're starting out or are teaching beginners, I really recommend this pattern. If you want to know more about how to order it and who designed it (not me), leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail and I'll fill you in.

Now on the SAQ....

The Fortress Star that you made as the last square is actually the middle block for the center medallion.

You'll add four strips to this block for borders.  Each of the strips is heavily appliqued -- hence my encouragement earlier to work on all the applique as you are piecing all the other blocks.  The borders contain 32 leaves, eight complex buds, bias strips for the vines, and 44 circles that are about the size of a nickle.  Due to the small circumference of those circles, I strongly recommend the quilter either use Circle-Eze (my gadget of choice for this project) or Perfect Circle.  Either will work.  Sometimes circles are large enough you can needle turn them successfully.  These circles are too tiny for that. 

The corners on the center medallion are mitered.  The book contains no directions for mitering, but the pattern is so clearly marked that it does make mitering a breeze, even if you have little experience in mitering. 

The frame around the center medallion is also mitered, but there is no pattern for this, only cutting directions.  The above picture is the center without the frame. Below is the medallion with the frame:

And here is a picture of the quilt with the setting triangles.  I was lucky enough to find a batik at Dragonfly that pulled all my colors together beautifully!

Now, let's talk about quilting.  There are three possible options:  Long arm it, machine quilt it, or hand quilt it.  The option you chose is up to you.  The quilt is assembled in three parts...

so machine quilting or hand quilting are immediate options.  Of course, to long-arm it, all three pieces would have to be sewn together. 

I decided since I had so much "hand time" in my quilt (all of my applique is needle-turn), to put a long arm or a machine to it to quilt it may devalue it.  So I'm hand quilting mine...

Note the really neat variegated thread I found to match everything!  It's King Tut brand and yes, it's for machine quilting but it does just fine in hand quilting.  I purchased the thread at Dragon Fly.