We Stay-At-Home Round-Robiners are now on Border Two, and the prompt, from Kathleen McMusing was ““Make It A Double.”
I carried this fully into my life when we decided to rip out the ceiling in the main bathroom and get rid of the fluorescent lights (replaced with LEDs) AND, making it a double, decided to revamp the garage laundry room. Here’s the before and after. We also ripped out the linoleum flooring, and I kind of like the rough, crazy pattern, so we’re leaving it for now. I can only do just so much doubling in one week.
So while hammering, sawing, sheet-rocking, mudding, painting, electrical stuff was going on, I was trying to concentrate on the week’s SAHRR prompt. Kathleen suggested blocks with the word or idea of double. So I created a double block border:
I was inspired by Yvonne’s border last week, with how she spaced out the hourglass blocks, and decided to try something similar. Just sort of simple: a double-block spaced out with low-volume strips. And then I made up a PDF Tip Sheet for you all. Underneath this illustration is a PDF file to download:
Click to download the PDF file. Note: the original post did not include the correct Tip Sheet with the trees. This one, that has the word “Two” at the end, does. Please download it again if you don’t have the complete handout.
But, yeah. Not quite happy with stopping there, and I remember that Kathleen DID say to make it a double, so I went on to think about a second border — a doubling up on this round.
I worked up a little sketch in my Affinity Designer program (free, from Canva), kind of thinking about the idea of round robins and going around the neighborhood. I used to teach at a lot of Quilt Guilds in Southern California (where I live), from Before Covid Time and Through Covid, and taught this pattern to a lot of guilds:
I pinned it up on my design wall, and kept it there while I worked on the houses. These are slightly bigger than what’s in my pattern (but the instructions are all in there, plus a version of Far Away Doors). But this version needed a tree, or four. So in the free tip sheet above, are instructions for some of the trees in this border, too.
I have a climbing tree, and a nesting tree, and a pine tree in the Tip Sheet.
In process. Remember last week when my husband said it was wild, and I said it was going to get wilder? Yep.
Here’s where I left it (approximate size: 38″ square). I will sew the neighborhood to the slender green border, but I’m missing something for that upper corner. I had an idea (see the sketch at the top of the post), but after a week of double-construction and double-double borders, I was ready to let it rest, and see what our prompt is for Week Three.
The schedule:
*January 14: Center Blocks, led by Gail and shared by each co-leader
*January 21: 1st Round: Brenda @ Songbird Designs
*January 28: 2nd Round: Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
February 4: 3rd Round: Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
February 11: 4th Round: Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
February 18: 5th Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail
February 25: 6th Round: Anja @ Anja Quilts
[An asterisk* means I finished that section.]
Two remaining thoughts:
I was also thinking about neighbors and neighborhoods and was impressed with how carefully and quickly the Minnesotans came to stand by each other as they are going through these difficult times. And we were asked to take dinner to a friend whose husband grabbed the business end of a live 220-volt electrical wire; they are also going through difficult times. I’m trying to be a good neighbor where I live.
Lastly, l’m looking forward to reading all of your posts in the next couple of days. Can’t wait to see what you all are doing.
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Your SAHRR quilt is growing beautifully, Elizabeth! You could always use the corner idea from your original guild quilt. It would echo the hourglasses you used in the corners of the first round. It is fun and rather exciting to see where this is headed, as the mystery prompts are revealed! On a totally different note, has your laundry room always been in the garage? I wonder why it was never incorporated into the main house. All Australian houses have a laundry, sometimes even smaller apartments or villa units have a separate room for the washing machine. I’m glad I don’t live in the UK where their washing machines are often in the kitchen. Cooking food and washing clothes don’t seem to go together in my mind. Happy sewing!
Wow! I like your double/double–two rows of doubles. (I liked it before the houses, but even more with them. I also like how the parts are hanging together to be a whole. I think your first double square row makes nice parked cars in front of the –lots of nice space to park in for the next arrival. And I like how your narrow red and green borders tie in with the rims of the pie wedges in the center.
My double row is cut out. I spent more time at today’s protest than I had expected to, so no sewing today. (The protest closed the streets that the buses I need run on, so I had a long wait.)
I love how your quilt is becoming. The houses are such a good addition for such a time as this. I am finally ready to jump back into my blog and looking forward to making some new blocks for a quilt that is simmering in my head and heart.
I love how your quilt is evolving! That little neighborhood is such a great idea! Reno jobs are so disruptive and messy, but it feels so good when it is done! Glad you can escape to your quilt room while the work is in progress!
What a beautiful double block and border! I love your SAHRR so far, it’s very beautiful.
I love the additions. That QST border reminds me of my recent mystery border in those colors! The houses are a perfect border too. How about using a sun on the corner, duplicating the center wedge? You might need to paper piece it, but that pointed end could be rays coming down. Does that make any sense at all?
Oh that’s fantastic! I’m looking forward to seeing more of this quilt. The wilder the better 😀
I love your double block and border, it all looks so pretty together! I also like the pattern left by removing your floor. Your reno looks amazing.
rubymitch12@yahoo.com
Wow I love this quilt and where it has gone and where it is going. Amazing-er and amazing-er I say. I love the colors and the way all the pointy shapes echo one another but aren’t the same. It has such an energetic and hopeful vibe.
Well, I’m honored that my Round 1 inspired the first part of your Round 2 response, and I love that you went for double borders, too! The house blocks are a beautiful neighborhood, and I think pausing to learn what our Round 3 prompt makes a lot of sense — I’m so glad I waited on the Round 2 prompt before finalizing my Round 1 positioning (although a seam ripper would have worked, too).
Your double houses border looks really nice.
love the play on double!! Very nice interpretation.
both borders are great. I love all the color in the houses.
I like how your SAHRR is looking – a somewhat constrained “wild” and that’s perfectly OK!😊. Thanks for sharing your creative process. And I like your “neighborhood” reference and the idea of doing good locally, too.
Very cool double border. The simplicity of the double border block works really well. The addition of the house border is just inspired. Very fun!
Okay I see it this time. But it wasn’t there the last time I searched for comments button. ???
Love your double house border. And your laundry room looks great too! Am I the only one who loves doing laundry? Its that fabric fondling thing I guess. Especially when they hang outside to dry. Mmm.
Oh wow, that is looking amazing!! xx