Crown of Thorns

Primitive Gatherings Frivol #7

Crown of Thorns

Fabric:  Primitive Gatherings Songbird Gatherings

Ever had one of those projects?  The excitement builds when you first see it and you quickly add it to your shopping cart and can't wait to get home to start it.  And then. . .the wheels start coming off the bus.

Yes, that's me.  I fell in love with this quilt the minute I saw it.  The problem with making this little quilt started when I put myself on a "you must complete older projects before you start another project" diet. The North and South quilt using the five inch charm squares took much, much longer to complete than I had anticipated.  Annie Magnolia, the sampler had travel arrangements to Arkansas and she had to be finished and framed.  October/November in Nashville has been one of the hottest and driest on record--my quilting motivation is challenged when sweat is dripping off me while I am making a quilt.

My biggest problem is thinking the quilt has to be perfect and finding fault with my color selection and placement and my less than perfect sewing results.  My quilting friend, Lori, says "excellence is good enough, stop finding fault and finish the darn thing."

I finally, finally, finally finished sewing the sixteen crown of thorns blocks!  

Sewed the boogers together, hoping the flimsy would be square and not all wonky for the long armed quilter to sort out.  Added the inner border.

Put the pedal to the metal on the sewing machine and made the 68 1 3/4" HST's for the border.  Where would the quilt world be without HST's?  Practise makes perfect and I have been making so many quilts with HST's and using my Itty Bitty ruler for measuring and squaring, I am becoming more efficient in making them.  Piecing papers are also helpful.

Added the larger outer border, and I have a flimsy.  Am not really happy with the outer border.  Time to step away from the quilt for a couple of days and come back with a fresh prospective.  Whew! It was a struggle and am glad it is this close to being finished.  Quilting, binding and label still to be done.

Crown of Thorns

Primitive Gatherings Frivol #7

Songbird Gatherings Fabric

Crown of Thorns

My name is Betty and I have a fabric collection addiction problem.  Isn't admitting you have a problem one of the steps in the twelve step program?  I love nice fabric, the feel, the colors and the designs all sing to my heart and call my name.

What's a Frivol?  It is a collectible tin containing 42 squares of 7" x 7" fabric, a classic pattern which finishes to 15" x 35" and a small surprise from Moda.  There were several of the Frivol's which caught my eye and the one I chose to make was Frivol #7.  The pattern is a very traditional pattern, Crown of Thorns.  I do love me some red fabric and the Songbird Gatherings fabric sure fills that bill.

After finishing the North and South quilt, my sewing mojo took a mini break.  Between the combination of taking much longer to finish the North and South quilt than I had anticipated and a very late fall with temps still in the high 80's, I needed a quilting break.  Christmas is just a few short months away (it is hard to focus on Christmas when the temps are still in the 80's) and the red fabrics in the Frivol #7, would sure make a nice Christmas quilt.  Who knows, by starting this small quilt in October, it might actually be finished in time for Christmas or Valentine's.

Lisa Bonegan, the designer of Frivol #7 included HST piecing papers in the kit.  The addition of the piecing papers speeds up the process and makes for some nice accurate HST's.  The directions complete with diagrams are easy to follow and the time to sew the blocks goes quickly.  Measuring and trimming the HST's makes them even more accurate.  When I was in Paducah for Quilt Week, one of my shopping stops was at Hancock's and they had the Songbird collection of fabric in stock.  I was able to purchase setting fabric, backing fabric and binding fabric.

So far I have limited myself to just one Frivol; however my fabric addiction may be stronger than my will power and I may cave and purchase another one or two.