Snowflake Monday

Yay! A Moda Blockheads 2 block with a center big enough for a complex snowflake!!!

I made a slight alteration to this week's quilt block to accommodate the snowflake I intended to appliqué. I'm not the only one who took liberties with this week's Roman Cross quilt block...






While trying to come up with a name for this week's snowflake, I researched crosses, having no idea there were so many variations. I've always been attracted to star sampler quilts, but now I may have to dabble in a cross sampler quilt. Who knows... perhaps the Blockhead quilt will have a cross theme!

There are some wonderful cross variant names, and I'll bet many of them have quilt block adaptations. Nevertheless, I decided to stick with Colorado connections. The first name that came to mind was Mount of the Holy Cross, and I'm hoping to design a snowflake based on that name one day. The cross has eroded over the years, but many photos of the snow-filled crevices exist.


Colorado's Mount of the Holy Cross
Today's snowflake doesn't contain any cross resemblance, so I chose a name a little more fun and full of memories yet a little more discreet than an actual cross name.

The Sangre de Cristos Range is the narrow north/south band of mountains in the southern part of the state flanked by the San Luis Valley on the west and the Rio Grande Rift on the east. The name, literally meaning Blood of Christ, comes from the red alpen glow of the mountain snow, as viewed in 1719 by Spanish explorer Antonio Valverde y Cosio. The Range is home to 10 14ers, including Challenger Point and Columbia Point, named in memory of Space Shuttle crews. Great Sand Dunes National Park is shadowed by the southern Sangres.

No paved highways traverse the rugged Sangre de Cristos Range, only four-wheel-drive dirt roads and foot trails.


The Northern Sangre de Cristos
You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 6 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Special Stitches

Beginning Popcorn Stitch: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through 2nd ch of starting ch 2 and replace loop on hook, pull loop through ch

Popcorn Stitch: 5 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc

Sangre Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and ch 5), * 1 dc in ring, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times, omitting last 3 ch of final repeat; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form 6th ch 5 sp of Round.

Round 2: 3 sc over post of tr directly below, * 3 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5, 3 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 tip of Round.
Note: Binding off here makes a cute tiny snowflake.


Round 3: Make starting popcorn stitch over post of tr directly below, ch 3, popcorn st in same sp, * ch 8, sl st in 5th ch from hook (picot loop made), ch 3, popcorn st in next ch 5 tip, [ch 3, popcorn st in same sp] 2 times; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 8, sl st in 5th ch from hook, ch 3, popcorn st in next ch 5 tip, ch 3, sl st in top of starting popcorn st.
NOTE: Binding off here makes a cute little snowflake.


Round 4: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch 3 sp, * ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (sc picot made), 2 dc in same ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next picot loop, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook (dc picot made), ch 13, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook (dc picot made), 3 dc in same picot loop, sk next ch 3 sp (beneath picot loop), 2 dc in next ch 3 sp (between popcorn st), ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (sc picot made), 2 dc in same ch 3 sp, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), 2 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
















Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and My Quilt Infatuation.

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