Odd Fellows' Cross, revisited & revamped

Dear Stitchers: Can I just confess to you that I've been enjoying a quilt-stitching renaissance this season??  After working lots of projects with varying composite stitches and complex compositions this past year, it's been so very relaxing to return to the joys of stitching geometric quilt designs with simple diagonal satin stitches!

One of my favorite quilt blocks is called "Odd Fellows' Cross" with a combination of lone star and wild geese motifs. (I don't know what it is, but I just LOVE making those stars and triangles!!) Anyway, I thought it would be fun to revisit this old pattern of mine, revise it with color graphs, changed "quilting" background patterns and newer, fresher colors, and then reissue it as the new, improved ODD FELLOWS' CROSS.

For the cover model, I decided to use Watercolours 120 - "Forest Fire" (ironically, I was stitching this model while the wildfires raged all around me in Sonoma County, getting uncomfortably close at times).... along with a handful of vibrant fall colors (red, orange, teal and rust) and a splash of gold metallic Ribbon Floss.  Here's a close-up look at the different elements in the piece:

I stitched the main elements in the variegated Watercolours and DMC #5 pearl cottons, but worked the background areas in 4 ply DMC floss.  I love that this particular colorway has a distinct autumnal feel to it, but also a more masculine and western/southwestern flair as well....

And after I finished the ORANGE version, I wondered how it would look as a BLUE version, and couldn't rest until I threaded up my needle again and whipped this up:

Totally different feel to it, done in blues -- very wintery, actually!  For this version, I used Watercolours 281, "Hudson Bay" with matching #5 DMC blues and a blue metallic Ribbon Floss.  Very Cool!!  So for all you blue lovers, I've included the BLUE version thread list on the pattern as well.

But I have to tell you, if you like creating your own color palettes, you will have a ball working with this quilt design.  It's endlessly fascinating to mix and match colors!  I suggest finding a variegated skein you really like - and if you can match up four different solid colors to it, you can replicate the ORANGE quilt in your own colorway.  Or, for another option, this design can be stitched in just ONE color - say RED - using one variegated color and one solid color, for a more monochromatic and dramatic effect.  All I can say is: this one is Fun, Fun, Fun!!  And to give you a sense of the metallic shine that isn't seen in the flat scanned images, here's a tilted look at the ORANGE version:

So, if you're craving a soothing, seasonal stitching project, please shuffle through the falling leaves to my website and see all the ordering particulars for my new ODD FELLOWS' CROSS!
And Happy Weekend Stitching, everyone....