Borders Are On the Flea Market Quilt!

I finished the two borders on the Flea Market Quilt #1 flimsy a couple of days ago, and also got the backing pieced together.   I've even got the binding cut!  The top grew from 75" to 98" square.  I'm already dreading trying to quilt it!  I had planned on laying it aside for a little while so I could get several things done around the house, but I received notice about a nearby quilt show scheduled for October 20, with entry deadline at October 1.  I'm not sure I could have this one ready by then!  Maybe I should try????  Maybe not!  We'll see.   I always have something in this show, but I'm too tired today to make a decision.

I'm just thinking as I type this, okay?  I do have My Blue Stars finished, and while it is not done as well as I hope this one will be, I could enter the stars, which really is more my style.  I don't expect any ribbons anyway from the show; I just like to share my quilts.  So-----maybe that decision is made, and then I could take my time on the Flea Market quilt.  Of course, just for fun I could also enter my Quilter's Quips; everyone would get a giggle from that maybe.

As I typed that last paragraph, I thought I should probably give this quilt another name.  Surely it deserves a better name than "Flea Market Quilt #1".  Any suggestions?  Certainly other quilts will be made someday from other fabrics in that flea market steal; I'd hate to just keep adding numbers, like #2, #3, and #4.   

I always enjoy reading blogs and seeing pictures of quilts hanging from trees or lying on the lawn.  I had never tried that, but I just couldn't get a picture of my quilt borders in the house.  So this morning I took my quilt top to the back yard for a photo shoot.  There was a fairly strong breeze so I had to weight it down on one side.  I still didn't get a good picture, but at least you can see the arrangement better.

The outer border is the same floral as is in the blocks.

You can go back to here to see the closeups from my last blog.

Before cutting the borders, I was worrying because I had thought the fabric was directional.  After all, in every little block from the floral fabric, the stems of the flowers and leaves were going the same direction --- down, as they should.  However, when I got the fabric out to cut the borders, I discovered that the stems were going every direction, so I could just cut my borders without worrying about stem directions!  Thank goodness for that!

Then it hit me for the first time.  Whoever made those all those paper pieced blocks had "fussy-cut" every one of them to get the stems all going the same direction!  Every time I've looked at those blocks and the fabric closely, I've discovered something else amazing.  I'm just glad that I now have it together!

I've even stored all the leftover fabric from the project.  It filled a 16 quart Sterilite tub, with one piece a full seven yard (yes 7 yards) piece of the purpleish fabric used in the sashings---enough for the backing of another quilt!  There's also enough of the other fabrics to perhaps make a large throw, maybe a twin top!  All of it is the "Flower Market" series by Thimbleberries.  I searched on line to see if it is still available, just trying to see when it was made.  I did not find it available anywhere even though several references were made to it.  One had a date of 2012, which really did not surprise me.  There's really no telling how old the fabric is, but it was all clean and well cared for.

I have no idea yet how I'll quilt the quilt.  I really am not wanting to start on it now, and I certainly don't want to feel rushed to get it finished by October 1.  I had wanted to spend a lot of time practicing free motion again before I start it.  Oh well, this one hasn't cost me much so far, and actually the batting will be the most cost in it.  Maybe I could just practice on it!  If I mess it up, so what!  (Don't you just love my way of thinking?)  Maybe I'll go sandwich it this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow.  We'll see.

Right now I think I'll go fix something to eat, and then get my fresh laundered sheets back on the bed!

Hope everyone has a good quilting week!

---"Love"