The right hand part of the lower border echoes the patterns at the top left, but these rows will become a double version of kakinohanazashi - there are three alternate rows between the pairs of rows this time. It takes a bit more concentration to stitch the right row sequence! The bottom right corner will be another variation on the yama design, but with larger "mountain peaks".The photos below show the centre of the top border complete and (second photo) a detail of the sugizashi (cedar stitch). As usual, click the photos to see them full size on your screen (stitch for stitch!), then use your browsers "back" button to return to the blog.
Today I made more inroads into the bottom part of the border. As of last night, I had some of the bottom strip stitched with foundation rows. I got that finished today and started on the left hand side border, where I am about at third of the way across. The yama mountain peaks can be seen in the bottom right corner, where the two sets of stitch rows intersect.
The bottom half of the border is now divided into sections for different stitches by continuing the wave/water motif from the bottom left and tacking the lines so I can see them! I am going to fill the sections in with another couple of stitch variations (I'm still deciding, but I want a good contrast).
Rather than include hitomezashi patterns that begin with many different foundation rows, I wanted to explore those which begin with equal stitches and gaps. So I couldn't include patterns like hishizashi (diamond stitch) or the larger variations on komezashi, which look like little starry flowers. I also didn't want to start putting colour in the border, even if I have used several different white/cream threads there.
In conventional quilting, a more densely quilted area tends to draw the quilt in more than a lightly quilted one, which can make a quilt wavy and uneven, but the hitomezashi, provided the stitches are kept relaxed and not too tight, doesn't do this. The opposite seems to be true with the hitomezashi borders, as they are so densely stitched, they don't pull in at all - although the wadding is completely flattened and the border feels quite firm.
BTW, if you haven't done so already, check out Ferret's blog link (at the right). She is working on an amazing pictorial piece with a design from the graphic novel "Cancertown", using the longarm machine. It will be on show at Festival of Quilts in August, where Ferret has a special solo exhibition space.
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