Monday, June 19, 2017

Every Rose Has It's Thorns

 After making hundreds and hundreds of HSTs the last week or so- It's a top! 
I haven't actually measured it but it calculates to be 90.496 x 90.496.  (16 x 1.414 x 4)


Here's the bottom row you can't really see in the last photo. 

I started making 12 inch Rosebud blocks in solids of colors you might find in roses back in 2009. (My paper print of the pattern from Quilter's Cache tells me so).  Over the years I had made 49 blocks using rose themed fabrics in the background.  I was thinking I would just set the blocks in rows 7 x 7 and be done with it. 

But then that ugly olive green fabric with roses on it kept nagging me to be used as thorns. I had a lot of it and I normally don't have a lot of any one fabric. Thorns, huh? Okay...so if you remember a previous post you know I tried that olive green fabric paired up with some lime green fabric  and made some HSTs and they were yucky.  And yet that olive green rose themed fabric kept nagging to be used.  On and on it nagged  - a thorn in my side.   Ok...so I didn't have much of any one fabric to pair with the thorns so I used some of the pieces of neutral smaller flowered roses to make some HSTs.   The nagging stopped and sixteen inch blocks with Rosebuds and thorns were born. 




Then I decided to put blocks on point and had to decide what to do for side pieces.  For the on point setting I only needed 25 blocks and I had 49 so I decided to cut up 16 blocks for the side and corner pieces.   That was difficult for me to do since the blocks couldn't be cut exactly in half - they needed to have the extra 1/4 inch seam allowance which left me with a less than perfect half block left over.  But I just told myself the blocks weren't doing me any good just sitting around in a box for years either so cut and cut I did.   (I'll think of something to do with the leftovers). 

 Here's how the corner blocks looked after getting cut up.   Did I say that was very difficult for me to do? 



And I thought all was well and good until I went to take it down from the line and found some mutant thorns.   And so it goes. 

I have a couple of rose themed sheets I picked up long ago from the thrift store but don't remember the size of them. If one is big enough I'll use it for the backing. If not...I don't know what I'll use.  I do think I will try to quilt this on my DSM with some roses sans thorns. 




18 comments:

Quilter Kathy said...

Way to stick with a bossy quilt that wanted thorns!!
Isn't it funny how it goes so much easier once the quilt is happy about it's direction!?!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

What an amazing quilt - and your thorns - too funny!

Monica said...

It's really gorgeous, Cathy! I love the texture of all the prints in the sashing. When it's quilted, maybe you can photograph it in the sun? I bet it glows!

Julierose said...

Another beautiful finish..that is a big one!! ;)))
hugs, Julierose

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

You found a great home for that olive fabric. But that is a LOT of HSTs! Lovely top :)

---"Love" said...

Perfect use for your green fabric you didn't like! I just have to say again I've never seen anyone else who can throw so many different fabrics together and come up with so many beautiful quilts! You've done it again! ---"Love"

gayle said...

Holy cats, that's a lot of HSTs! The thorns are worth all the effort - the quilt is a beauty!
Did you have to go lie down after cutting into those blocks? I would have been hyperventilating for sure!

Nann said...

Every rose saying applies to this quilt -- comin' up roses -- rose-colored glasses -- a rose by any other name. It is WONDERFUL. The rosebud block is one that I never quite liked because it doesn't play well with other blocks (the shapes of the pieces). But with the HST borders you've made it blossom. I love what you've done!

P.S. And great use of a fabric theme.

Angie said...

Awesome finish and yay for getting those blocks out of the boxes!

Janie said...

You are producing some gorgeous quilts here, I hope you realize that!
I like the stories with them and knowing how much time it took to complete each.
Priceless.

Havplenty said...

What a great looking quilt. A beauty.

mangozz said...

Very pretty! That's a lot of HSTs! It's amazing you had so many floral fabrics.

margaret said...

the olive green has worked so well for your thorns, a project so nearly finished now and a rose sheet backing will work so well fingers crossed it is big enough

Cathy said...

Wow, just amazing. I remember your thorny dilemma, and am so impressed with how it turned out! How on earth did you do so many HST's? Didn't the trimming KILL your hands? Anyway, it's a fabulous, fabulous quilt - a true American Beauty! (Had to say it!)

Karen in Breezy Point said...

A great finish--what a lovely, summery quilt!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I'm so glad you finished this one -- I love those mutant thorns and the way you incorporated multiple fabrics into the thorny HSTs. What a lovely quilt top!!!

Vic in NH said...

Fabulous finish in spite of a few thorns!

Kaja said...

I like this a lot. I didn't realise how close to finished it was, though you showed some dedication to work through all those HST's in one week. They were worth it though.