Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Raise the Roof Again

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I've always wanted to make this quilt.  The pattern is "Raise the Roof", an old Miss Rosie pattern that you can still buy.  I searched online and found that Homestead Hearth carries it.  The quilt is a combination of star blocks and log cabin blocks arranged in a Barn Raising setting.  The fabrics I am using are mostly from Jeanne Horton's Jefferson County line, which she designed for Windham Fabrics.  I have been using the bundle as eye candy for a couple of years and finally took it apart to actually make something.

As a matter of fact, this latest effort is the second attempt on my part to successfully complete this Raise the Roof pattern.  I am pretty good at selecting colors for my projects, but every now and then the contrast thing gets away from me.  Well, back in 2008 when I last tried to make this quilt I failed big time in getting the necessary contrast of colors to best achieve the strong look required here.  I am going to show you two blocks from my 2008 failed attempt, as an object lesson.

My fabrics of choice in 2008 were some browns and pinks in a line designed by Buggy Barn for Henry Glass.  I have always thought brown and pink was a great combination in a quilt, and wanted to try them out for this pattern.  

Raise the roof brown

Here is a block with mostly browns.  Not bad you say.  All right, that looks pretty good.

Raise the roof pink

And here is a block with more pinks.  Good grief, what was I thinking?  The lack of contrast completely ruins the look of the block.  Needless to say, these blocks did not make it into a quilt. 

As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, the lovely dark fabrics I have chosen for my 2016 version (which I am calling Raise the Roof Again), will contrast sharply with the scrappy lights I am using.  These blocks require lots of "units" for their construction.  I have flying geese, half square triangles and hour glass units for the star blocks.  And then I move on to the log cabin blocks. 

I have not done much sewing this summer, as things have been pretty topsy turvy around here.  This is the perfect project to ease back into things now that life has settled down.  It feels rather Zen to plug away making first the flying geese, and then the half square triangles.  I am listening to an audio book called The Forgotten Room, and the time is being passed very peacefully.

Hope your summer is going well!

 

27 responses to “Raise the Roof Again”

  1. Good for you Nicole. IT sounds like this project may be just what you need to do for yourself right now. it looks rather complex to me. BEst of luck to you !
    Mary

  2. Good for you Nicole. IT sounds like this project may be just what you need to do for yourself right now. it looks rather complex to me. BEst of luck to you !
    Mary

  3. Good for you Nicole. IT sounds like this project may be just what you need to do for yourself right now. it looks rather complex to me. BEst of luck to you !
    Mary

  4. This is going to be one gorgeous quilt … I’m eagerly waiting to see it finished. I just downloaded The Forgotten Room to my iPad.

  5. This is going to be one gorgeous quilt … I’m eagerly waiting to see it finished. I just downloaded The Forgotten Room to my iPad.

  6. This is going to be one gorgeous quilt … I’m eagerly waiting to see it finished. I just downloaded The Forgotten Room to my iPad.

  7. that is gonna be a gorgeous quilt! i think the contrast part is tough for a quilt this complex. can’t wait to see the progress! ;p
    stay cool…it’s gonna be another blazing hot day! ugh!

  8. that is gonna be a gorgeous quilt! i think the contrast part is tough for a quilt this complex. can’t wait to see the progress! ;p
    stay cool…it’s gonna be another blazing hot day! ugh!

  9. that is gonna be a gorgeous quilt! i think the contrast part is tough for a quilt this complex. can’t wait to see the progress! ;p
    stay cool…it’s gonna be another blazing hot day! ugh!

  10. Isn’t it fun how our fabric taste and experience change over time? I have a few quilts in my stash too I would totally make different now. It’s not that I didn’t love them when I made them just that I would change it now. And yes, this pattern totally needs the contrast in colors. BTW I have the pattern too it’s in Carrie Nelson’s ‘Spice of Life Quilts’ and perhaps that’s easier to find then the single pattern … and you just can’t have enough Miss Rosie patterns;-)

  11. Isn’t it fun how our fabric taste and experience change over time? I have a few quilts in my stash too I would totally make different now. It’s not that I didn’t love them when I made them just that I would change it now. And yes, this pattern totally needs the contrast in colors. BTW I have the pattern too it’s in Carrie Nelson’s ‘Spice of Life Quilts’ and perhaps that’s easier to find then the single pattern … and you just can’t have enough Miss Rosie patterns;-)

  12. Isn’t it fun how our fabric taste and experience change over time? I have a few quilts in my stash too I would totally make different now. It’s not that I didn’t love them when I made them just that I would change it now. And yes, this pattern totally needs the contrast in colors. BTW I have the pattern too it’s in Carrie Nelson’s ‘Spice of Life Quilts’ and perhaps that’s easier to find then the single pattern … and you just can’t have enough Miss Rosie patterns;-)

  13. I read The Forgotten Room, pretty good. I’m a big fan of Beatriz Williams and just started her latest book, A Certain Age.

  14. I read The Forgotten Room, pretty good. I’m a big fan of Beatriz Williams and just started her latest book, A Certain Age.

  15. I read The Forgotten Room, pretty good. I’m a big fan of Beatriz Williams and just started her latest book, A Certain Age.

  19. It’ll be perfect, Nicole. I think that your piecing has improved since 2008, too. Take care!

  20. It’ll be perfect, Nicole. I think that your piecing has improved since 2008, too. Take care!

  21. It’ll be perfect, Nicole. I think that your piecing has improved since 2008, too. Take care!

  22. Made this one myself and it is one of my favourites. Good luck. Well worth the time.

  23. Made this one myself and it is one of my favourites. Good luck. Well worth the time.

  24. Made this one myself and it is one of my favourites. Good luck. Well worth the time.