Tuscany - Another Quilt-to-Be

Here's the other priority quilt I'm struggling with. I planned for it to be done at the end of November or early December. Obviously, it's still not done. Obviously, I'm still struggling.

Obviously, these are not my colors. However, they are lovely colors, just not ones I could live with day in and day out. I have way too much excitement and stress in my life, so I need calming, peaceful colors in my home. However, I realize an awful lot of people perceive these colors to be warm and comforting. And, in real life, the reds and greens are richer and the golds are much nicer. These fabrics are from Moda's Charisma line.

I thought I ordered more than enough fabric--and, in fact, I did. Unfortunately, the fabric that I ordered for borders just isn't enough.

Of the fabrics in the second picture, I do not have enough of any one fabric to make a single border X 4. I do have quite a few strips from the rest of the fabric line--strips I'd planned to use in a Victory Quilt. If I use some of those strips, there will be a pretty sharp contrast between the body of the quilt with its carefully controlled fabrics, and the borders, which will be much less coordinated.

I'm wondering if a variety of fabrics in the borders could serve as an analogy for the parts of our lives, especially on the edges, where a lot of things aren't at all "controlled" or "organized" but where the diversity of our encounters enriches us despite the lack of control. Since all the strips are from the same fabric line, they do have the same general feeling as the fabrics in the body of the quilt.

When I make quilts, my brain does form all sorts of analogies between life and what's happening in the quilt; undoubtedly, the recipients never perceive the analogies when they use the quilts. I never tell the recipients about them. My brain always does that--even in other people's quilts. However, I do not want the recipient of this quilt to think it's ugly because the borders are uncontrolled.

I need to get some kind of border on there and get this quilt layered so I can begin quilting. With any luck I'll have time next weekend and on Presidents' Day to do some quilting.

What to do?

Hmmmmmm........