Spring Fling Round Robin - 1st border

Remember when I asked for help on what border choice to go with the center block that I received during the Spring Fling Round Robin? I had lots of different suggestions from you but not one view really won a clear percentage of votes. So I bit the bullet and went with Margaret's suggestion that I should go with one of my applique sketches instead of the geometric pieced border. So I tried something new - template applique. (I just wasn't quite ready to tackle needle-turn applique yet.) I made the stems using a bias bar which worked great to iron it in place. And I also used another unfamiliar technique - paper piecing - for the two corner blocks. The only other time that I've attempted either technique was perhaps fifteen years ago. So long that I wasn't completely at ease with it. I made things easy for myself by using silk thread in a neutral mid-tone gray for the applique stitching. When you step away from the block more than a few inches the color blends in with the shadows. I probably could have used the shade lighter but I prefer to error on the side of too-dark rather than too-light because lighter colors tend to pop into attention.