Friday, June 29, 2012

Done Leaping . . .


I've finished Leap Year!  

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I wanted my Leap Year to be just a little bigger.

So step one, I added more blocks and a little black trim to all the blocks.

To make this project even bigger I decided I would add a couple of black borders and 3 background borders.  

So to start, I made my inner border the same width as the sashing .  


Then I added this thinnish black border, 


 with the intention of adding an even thinner background border, another thinnish black border, and wrap the whole project up by adding a wide outer border using the background fabric.  So it was at about this stage when I figured out I was taking away from the center of my quilt by adding all those borders.  Borders whose only purpose was to make the quilt bigger.

I also decided I really liked how the pattern had a wider border around those outer blocks, it set them off more.

So off came the first two borders and on came the wider border.


Isn't it amazing what a difference less than an inch makes!

Then to finish things off I added one last black border, not thin, not thinnish, but just right.

Sometimes a quilt needs to be its size, not the size you want it to be.


I've name my project Date Night, because once I jazzed up that little black dress fabric that's what popped into mind, like the fabric was all dressed up to go out.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 90!
It finished at 43" x 53"
It has approximately 427 pieces.
The pattern is Leap Year by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co
The print fabric is little Black Dress by basicgrey for Moda
The background fabric is American Jane Patterns by Sandy Klop for Moda.

The black flange was cut 1 1/4" wide then folded in half and pressed before adding it to each block.

I've not seen the usual number of finished projects out in blogland for this project as I've seen in past months.  I sure hope we have a good parade.  If you've not started yours, and you stick with the pattern, and don't change your mind 5 times about the border, you can have this done in a day, I swear!

See ya at the parade!  (Sinta's & Sherri's blogs)






23 comments:

  1. Date Night. Perfect name for the quilt. I like what you did. I think the 3 layers of borders would have been overkill.

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  2. Very classy looking date night!
    Who doesn't love a parade?!?

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  3. I love it! I grew up in the 50s with black and white television and this does remind me of Friday nights, in front of it with my family--our date night! XOXO

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  4. Beautiful job, as usual! I love the skinny black frame around each block - how did you do that? Is it a flange and how wide did you cut your strips. It's really the perfect finish!

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  5. "Date Night" is lovely - dressed to the nines!

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  6. Love the name. And I think the quilt looks great!

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  7. Gorgeous! Mine is done - just need to post! I hope there are lots in the parade too - this was a fun quilt!

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  8. What a difference a border makes! Love it, very graphic and bold and the black flange sets off each block perfectly.

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  9. It is a quick quilt to make! Your final decision for the border made a nice impact for the quilt. It's beautiful Thelma!

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  10. It turned out so elegant. Definitely a Date Night quilt. I learn so much for following your thought process. Thanks for sharing all that.

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  11. It's a keeper! Love your date night!

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  12. It looks great and I have to commend you for changing out the border...once I get that far I am pretty much done! LOL!

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  13. Very cool! Love the skinny black border framing each block, looks almost like a print :)

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  14. I love it! Date Night turned out spectacularly well! Good job!

    And yes, it is amazing what a difference a small measurement can make, even changing something a 1/4" can make a noticeable change. It's all about the balance and changing the focus. :)

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  15. Cute name you chose. The black is perfect, I think. It looks kind of like an old snapshot.

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  16. I think it's the Perfect Little Black Dress!!!

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  17. I love your Leap Year quilt! The thin borders around the blocks frame them so nicely. I like the Date Night name too.

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  18. very classy, and you chose the perfect name!

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  19. A black/grey quilt is on my to-do list; yours is wonderful.

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  20. Love the Modern look! I also framed mine but not near as elegant as yours!!

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  21. Your quilt turned out GREAT! The litte black border around the blocks real add to the quilt and what a great name for the quilt!

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  22. another wonderful quilt you have made Thelma...but I can't believe there isn't any red in it!! ;)

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  23. A beautiful quilt....one of my favourites in this month's parade. Love the narrow black border on each of the blocks.

    Sue W

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