zozee

Since I hate to unsew but can see how you're bothered by it being out of square, here's my suggestion.

Trace a few inches of the outer green leaves. Make a couple 'sprigs" of leaf appliques in a fabric the color of that burnt sienna/red of the flower, and put one "sprig" of leaves in the upper right hand corner (just above the big flower), and one in the lower left (where the orange cat's paw is) . It'll draw the eye into the big cat in the center and away from the hard black lines that aren't square . Does that make sense?

Irishrose2

I like the gray/black pattern, but if you want a different color, I'd like the olive green.

EmiliasNana

I never could square up the panel blocks I had, so I framed with a wider border and cut wonky, so the uneven borders were no longer obvious. Here is an example:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]590306[/ATTACH]

JanieH

That is a wonderful video - so clear in the explanations and demonstrations. Thanks!

kat13

I like what you have done! The borders are
Eye catching!! Love the green!

Grannies G

Ok they are out of square make that part of the design on purpose like the one shown above. Who says everything has to be square. Add a wonky border or two then square the blocks up to the size you want. Your cats are kind of whimsical anyway.

Cheshirepat

Wow, wow! First, thank you for your opinions and great ideas! It's taken me a few days to get logged in during break at work -after a 9-hour day I never have the energy to go online, let alone quilt!

I'm half convinced the print is *not* meant to be exactly square...meaning the pattern is 'casual' and not made on-a-grid. Julie Paschkis is the designer (I adore her fabric!) and looking at another person's completed quilt, it looks a bit uneven as well!
Either way, I think I'd be more pleased with removing the patterned border (whose black, I agree is not a perfect match) and maybe use the idea of 'wonky' borders, or offsetting the squares as diamonds instead. I love the video on how to 'disguise' an imperfect panel in a like patterned border...unfortunately this one is pure black and maybe hard to match exactly/distractingly enough.
I'm sure I'll end up squaring other blocks w/the starch/block method - which is nothing I'd ever thought to do! Awesome wealth of info here.
I also LOVE the idea of adding applique'd bits to move the eye around. I may just keep that in my sleeve, so to speak!
This is a picture of someone else's quilt - same block.

Cheshirepat

Oops -here it is....