Let's Talk about Borders!

Adding borders to your quilt can make everything come together so beautifully.  They add dimension, enhance the center blocks and give your quilt a cohesive and complete look.  There are many different types of borders that can be put on a quilt and they can range from quick and simple to ornate.

Judy Kinney- Solid Border

The Butted Border is a favorite; it is quick, simple and can easily be cut different ways to give different looks.  Take, for example, the quilts in this post... the quilt above uses two solid borders to finish off the quilt top. The clean lines give this quilt a calm and peaceful feeling.  The quilt below uses both a solid inner border and a pieced outer border.  The larger pieced border gives even more character to this bright, scrappy quilt.

Sam Frederick and the Cane Creek Quilters- Pieced Border

Correctly attaching borders can be  tough and proper technique is sometimes overlooked.  We've found a wonderful explanation and tutorial for you, to explain why you need to attach your border properly.

Carole, the writer behind the blog 'From My Carolina Home' is a fellow quilter, crafter, and sewing enthusiast who has written articles for sewing and quilting newsletters. She was also one of the Top Quilt Bloggers on Fave Quilts for 2016.

In her article she details the differences between the "Slap & Sew" method and the proper "Measure & Cut" method.  Take a look...

FROM MY CAROLINA HOME

Carole also hosts a yearly Autumn Jubilee, which will have some wonderful quilt-alongs and great giveaways.  It runs the entire month of October, with new patterns, new recipes, new crafting and sewing, and lots and lots of fun.  Be sure to check it out!

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Of course, Butted Borders aren't the only way to go.  Mitered Borders can be especially fun when working with prints.  Sally Johnson did a fabulous job fussy cutting the borders on this lovely lap quilt...

Sally Johnson- Fussy Cut Mitered Border

The quilt below uses a fussy cut border print to echo the gorgeously appliqued diamond-shaped blocks.

Melody Shaw- Fussy Cut Border

If you're wondering how to properly attach Mitered Borders like these, check out Carole's post on Mitering Printed Borders.

You made it!!  Hope you learned something interesting today.  Leave us a comment and let us know your favorite tips for borders.

Happy bordering!

North Carolina Quilt Symposium

The Durham Orange Quilter's Guild is hosting the North Carolina Quilt Symposium at Peace University this year.  Symposium is a ton of fun; there are classes and lectures, a gorgeous raffle quilt, a silent auction, and of course, a quilt show and vendor mall!! All registrants get a tote bag filled with goodies and a 2017 Symposium tee shirt.  The entire event is held at Peace University, an enchanting venue located in Raleigh right across from the Seaboard Station.  It is the perfect place to spark your creativity and make new friends.  This is going to be a lovely event that we hope you will attend. 

Registration for the event is now open and all registrants are able to enter quilts into the Symposium Quilt Show.  The quilt registration deadline is nearing (March 15th) and we hope you will enter one of your beautiful quilts!  Note:  Quilts DO NOT need to be finished by this deadline, but underway enough to submit a picture.

Symposium Registration Form

Online Registration Form             Print Registration Form 

What is Longarm Quilting?

What is longarm quilting and what does a longarm quilting machine look like?

Professional machine quilters use a large sewing machine, called a longarm machine, mounted on a quilt frame to stitch your quilt top, batting, and backing together. The quilt components are mounted on the frame individually, then rolled together as the machine moves over the quilt. In short - Longarm quilters use the machine to draw designs on your quilt with thread!

Your quilt can be finished in a fraction of the time of hand-quilting, with consistently high quality and at a reasonable cost!

Read more about Singing Stitches Quilting Studio here...

Ginny's Lollypop Tree Quilt in the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival!

Check out the Honorable Mention ribbon on Ginny's applique quilt - Bucket List! Ginny entered her quilt in the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in the Traditional Category.

Ginny made a version of Kim McLean's Lollypop Trees quilt using mostly solids instead of the usual Kaffe Fassett prints to keep the colors closer to nature. She blogs about the process at Minnow Peck Quilts.

Sometimes Tears are a Good Thing...

Lois brought me a lovely vintage quilt top that had been stored away for years, and wanted to have it finally finished. She appliqued the light blue border to the original top to expand it and make it easier to finish. I chose a beautiful feather design for the background, used curved stitching to highlight the stars, and added rows of straight lines in the border. 

When she came to pick it up, she welled up into tears... It's so emotional to re-discover a family heirloom and realize it can finally be used! 

Quilt Show starts Today!

Come see some fabulous quilts at the Durham Convention Center! 

Open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 6:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00.

Durham Orange Quilters Guild show - Stories in Stitches

Quilts of Valor exhibit

Junior Quilt Show

Silent auction to benefit the Food Bank of NC

Raffle Quilts

Opportunity to win free tuition

to the John C. Campbell Folk School

Vendors 

And MORE!!!

Stories In Stitches is Coming!

The Durham-Orange Quilters Guild is having a quilt show in August!

Stories in Stitches

August 22-24

Durham Convention Center

301 W Morgan St, Durham, NC

Map, directions, and parking information.

Over 200 quilts made by local quilters, Demonstrations, Boutique, Quilts of Valor Exhibit, Silent Auction to benefit a local charity, and a beautiful Raffle Quilt.

Friday 10am – 6pm

Saturday 10am – 6pm

Sunday 10am – 4pm

Admission: $6 children under 12 free

$3 Parking Vouchers available

All paid attendees have a chance to win a week long scholarship to the John C. Campbell Folk School.

Our vendors this year include: Lynne’s Outlet, Dragonfly Quilt Shop, Cotton Fields, French Connections, Empty Pockets Alpaca Farm, and Quilter’s Gallery.

This is a new venue and time for our show - hope to see everyone there!!!