figure-it-out-as-you-go method

I'm making a liberated log cabin quilt at present, and actually, the 12 log cabin blocks came together quite quickly. The fun started when I came to put it all together. While I was sewing the blocks, I had in my mind that I would use the same fabric for the sashings and the borders, but I didn't have enough fabric! So then I looked at maybe not having top & bottom borders, but I didn't like that effect at all when I laid it out.

Although it was improv fabric play & quite random, I did want to finish this, and feel ok about the end result too of course. I was aiming for some sense of balance and, I figured I'd just know when to stop. But in truth, I was beginning to feel a bit out of my comfort zone here!
So, I went back to my inspirational source... Gwen Marston's 'Liberated Quiltmaking II' and 'Collarobrate Again' by Gwen & Freddy Moran. Both these books are full of ideas, there's certainly more than one way of doing most things, thank goodness!

In the end I opted for three borders - thanx to Julie here I remembered this great way of keeping that beige-y colour going. But that wasn't the end of it! The fabric I chose for two of the borders was a light check, which I thought I had enough of, but it was touch & go there for a moment, and I had to make a few joins. And then lining up the checks & lines was tricky too! Oh well I guess, in the words of Mike Hoskins {Seven Sharp} 'the magic takes time' ... and ain't that the truth! Oh and I do have enough red for the binding, I've just checked!

Linking up with WiP Wednesday here 

pop on over to see what others have been busy making.