Mystery Medallion Quilt - Border 5

I spent a little time on Sunday planning the next steps with my Mystery Medallion Quilt and since planning isn't as exciting as actually sewing, I couldn't resist the temptation to go ahead and add the fifth border.

It's another plain border with cornerstones and although I hadn't necessarily set out to add another such border it does feel right to me to somehow separate the various patterned borders from each other.  I was a little afraid that it would be too boring to do this, but I think that by varying the plain border widths and the values of the fabrics used in each that it doesn't feel too rigid or restrictive.  Well, that's what I'm thinking anyway.

Of course, as well as being a variation to the scale of previous plain borders, this skinny one has been specifically sized to accommodate my plans for border 6, which include 300 2.5" squares.  See, I've been cutting already ...

These will form most of the borders but I'm still trying to decide what to add at the corners.  Maybe a wee star?

Anyway, while I decide, if you are interested in catching up on border 5

Here's what I did

Border 5 - bringing unfinished size up to 50.5" square
Single border with contrasting cornerstones.
Cut 4:  1.5" squares for cornerstones
Cut 4:  1.5" x 48.5" for border strips  (using 5 strips 1.5" x FWOF pieced together should give you enough to cut the four required lengths from)

As ever, you can find all the how tos and blog post links in one place on the Mystery Medallion Quilt Tab at the top of the page - and please let me know if you ever try out this medallion quilt, I'd love to see some other examples.

The Time Has Come ...

... to break into my precious red and white stash of fabric and finally start a quilt!

Oh how I love thee!

As I've told you before, I've been picking up red and white fabrics in various sales for the past two years (and been gifted some lovelies too).  They've been hoarded in a box while I gathered enough and waited for the perfect pattern to drop into my lap.  So, what "perfect pattern" has made me take the rotary cutter to my lovelies?

Well, thing is I don't have one.  What I do have is a long-held wish to have a medallion quilt, which started long before even the fabulous Marcelle Medallion and Sarah Fielke Medallion phenomena of recent months.  So, a medallion quilt it is!

I don't have a pattern in mind, just going to make a start (yes, another one) and see where it takes me.  No doubt it shall take me by way of some fiddly maths, but that's all part of my challenge!

As my centre block, I used Little Miss Shabby's Super-sized Morning Star instructions.

Everything was going swimmingly until

I didn't read the instruction that said "orient as illustrated" for those central flying geese blocks up there - doh!

So, instead of a starflower where the fabric points of the stars matched with each other, I inadvertently switched them around.  I huffed and I puffed and I sighed and I reached reluctantly for the seam ripper.  And, then I thought "I've seen that star before" and headed to the bookshelf to check.

And, what do you know, I have seen it before and it's got my name on it!  See?  "Sarah's Choice."

It seemed churlish to take a seam ripper to those points when this block kind of chose me so I left well alone and finished stitching her up.  So I now have a medallion beginning - woohoo!!!

Who knows what borders I'll add next - stripes with cornerstones, checkerboards, hsts (aaagh), pinwheels, stars or crosses?  Blimey, the choices are so exciting.  I'm looking forward to letting this one grow as I go!