So I finally finished quilting Crown of Thorns, the same quilt Dorothy made to enter the Sears “Century of Progress” Quilt contest. (Is it weird that I think Dorothy is real and really made the quilt? I get that way about my characters sometimes.) Here’s how it turned out:
I hate it when people show you something they made and then immediately denigrate it. So let me start by saying I like the overall design of this quilt. I like the pink and white blocks and the sawtooth border. I think Crown of Thorns is a beautiful traditional block.
But the fact is I don’t have the skills to machine quilt a quilt this large. I thought because I was doing straight-line quilting, I could pull it off, but a lot of the lines are erratic. And there was one section that kept pleating, no matter what I did. It’s about two feet long and a foot wide, and it looks really bad. Maybe I should have quilted it differently, or done the lines on the diagonal instead of straight up and down. I don’t know. I’m going to get out all of my machine quilting books and study up so I can do better next time. I’m also going to rewatch Jacquie Gering’s Craftsy Classes on quilting with a walking foot.
My friend Patty, who does all my quilt math for me, very kindly worked up an abridged Crown of Thorns pattern to share with you. I think she’s planning to eventually put up a full pattern on her website, Elm Street Quilts, and I’ll let you know when she does. ETA: Here’s a link to the post that Patty put up; not a full pattern, but musings on the design.
(Speaking of Patty, she and my friend Kristin are doing a hand-piecing QAL in the new year. I can’t wait! For more information, check out their websites. Patty’s is linked to above, and Kristin’s is SimpleHandmadeEveryday. I hope you’ll sign up–it’s going to be big fun!)
The Crown of Thorns block looks more complicated than it is. If you give it a try, I hope you’ll send me a picture!
Crown of Thorns Quilt–Abridged Pattern
Directions by Patty Dudek
Ingredients for the Block
Each block requires 16 HST (half-square triangle), 5 background squares and 4 primary fabric squares. For a block size of 10 ½ ‘’ (unfinished), you’ll need the following:
- (5) 2 ½‘’ squares of background fabric and (4) 2 ½ ‘’ squares of primary fabric
- (8) 3″ squares of background fabric and (8) 3‘’ squares of primary fabric
Using this tutorial and your 3″ squares, create 16 HST and trim to 2 ½‘’.
Following the block diagram, assemble your Crown of Thorns block.
The Crown of Thorns blocks featured in the quilt in Friendship Album, 1933 were set on point and each Crown of Thorns block was offset with a 10 ½ ‘’ square from background fabric.
Setting triangles and end triangles will also be needed. Subcut a 15 ½ ‘’ squares into four triangles to create the setting triangles. Subcut a 8’’ square in half to create the end triangles.
Assemble your quilt top in rows as shown below.
Consider multiple borders for your quilt. Perhaps a inner and outer white border with a middle sawtooth border.
