Boro #wisecraftstitchalong Week Three
Welcome to Week Three of our Boro Quilt #wisecraftstitchalong. If you want to start at the beginning of the stitchalong, read all the details here.
Lots of you have finished piecing your quilt tops. Its been so exciting to see all the different Boro quilts! But please don’t despair if you haven’t started, its a work-at-your-own pace stitchalong. It should be fun, so work at whatever pace fits with your life.
I did manage to finish mine, here it is –
This is a smaller version than than the one in the book. I see it as a great wall-hanging size. That’s the real beauty of these quilts- use what you really love in it, make it as big as you want to make it, and see how quickly is grows. Final measurements are to be determined, but its a long narrow rectangle.
I started in the very center with a piece of fabric from my foundational color range (a tip from last week). It was suggested making this center area a fabric that you love, because it is likely an area you will see often when the quilt is used, displayed, or folded. From the center area, I continued adding pieces, instinctively choosing from my Foundational, Supporting, and Pop color ranges.
As you add each new piece, ask yourself are-
Is it too much there (if its a pop color)? If so, could you cut it down a bit, use a smaller piece?
Does this piece add to or detract from what’s around it? Is it an area you could an add a patch on later?
If you are adding a print, does that piece contain colors and shapes you love? If not, cut another piece that does.
Important to remember-
These quilts are very instinctive and wabi-sabi. Don’t fret or overthink the process and let your instinct guide you. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often we don’t trust our instinct and second (and third) guess ourselves 🙋🏻♀️. What if this time, we rely entirely on initial instinct? And not overthink? Try it out! It will definitely keep it interesting!
Let’s talk about adding surface details!
This is my favorite part. Its when this quilt top becomes portable. The surface is embellished with hand stitching and I can do that anywhere. I can do it in front of the tv, take it on a trip, anywhere.
You may recall last week, I pulled together a collection of perle cottons and other embroidery threads that I thought I might use when I got to this step. Now is the time to consider and, if needed, reconsider your choices.
I decided to stay away from the bright pink, but have kept the other colors and added in a creamier white. I’ll be sure to post pictures of my progress over on Instagram (#wisecraftstitchalong).
In the meantime, here’s a bit of inspiration from past Boro pieces I’ve done.
As you see, the patches have exposed raw edges, and I often stitch completely over them to secure them to the fabric. (Don’t worry about the raw edges fraying. This soon stops after the patch is stitched down.) You could choose to get fancy and use Sashiko stitch patterns, or you could keep it very loose and simple.
On the piece above, I did X stitches in a very random pattern on a piece of Chinese silk, then added a piece over that cut from a thrifted needlepoint. (Machine stitching around the needlepoint piece with a blending thread will ensure it is secured well.) There is no right or wrong way to add these patches.
To temporarily hold the patches to the quilt top, I use tiny dots of my favorite appliqué glue. So much easier than pins, although I will occasionally use a pin or two as well. To mark where I will stitch, I use a couple of different marking tools, picking whatever shows up best for that patch- A hera marker, a Frixion pen, or a chalk pencil.
So, enjoy adding your embellishments for the next couple of weeks! There will be no FB Live video next week. I will be spending time with family for Thanksgiving here in the US. The next FB Live video will be in the Wise Craft Quilts group next Wednesday, 11/26, at 4:30pm Pacific Coast/Seattle time. All lessons and posts outside of our FB group will live in this post.
Follow me on Instagram for updates over there
**Members can watch the video replay in the Facebook Group by going to the group page and clicking on “video” on left side of screen for desktop, and clicking on “albums” on mobile.
Review Week One
Review Week Two
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