This is the block the Trust Circle of do.Good Stitches made for October. It’s the Greek Cross design, using the tutorial over at Fresh Lemons. And it was so, so hard for me to sew.
I am the ninth member of my family to attend Florida State. Our chief football rival? The University of Florida. Their colors? Orange and blue.
My husband is the third generation of his family to graduate from the University of Alabama. Their chief football rival? Auburn University. Their colors? Orange and blue.
It’s gotten so bad that I actually feel GUILTY anytime I sew orange fabric to blue fabric. And this block–well, let’s just say I made both of these when my husband was out of the house and very promptly put them in an envelope to ship off to this month’s quilter.
Anybody else ever run into Football Guilt when sewing? It feels silly, and yet: I can’t seem to shake it. Fortunately, these blocks are going to a good cause, and I was more than willing to set my prejudices aside for a child who will love this quilt. Like when you get a shot at the doctor: you know it’ll hurt, but you know it’s worth it in the end.
Liz
November 9, 2011 at 11:11 amhee hee! i don’t have any deep football rivals, but i thought it was funny that you waited until your hubby was out of the house to make the blocks!
Deborah
November 9, 2011 at 11:13 amHonestly, so did I! It would have made him, in his words, “sad” to see me sewing those fabrics together. Oh, what a life we’ve carved out for ourselves over here! 🙂
Belinda
November 9, 2011 at 12:12 pmAs an Oklahoma State & a Clemson fan, I have trouble with OU & Univ of South Carolina colors 🙂 Love your story though 🙂
Elisabeth
November 9, 2011 at 12:22 pmMy whole family is composed of Iowa State (ISU) fans and I grew up about 10 miles from ISU. Their colors are red and yellow/gold. Their big rival is the University of Iowa whose colors are black and yellow/gold. I find that I just cannot make or wear anything black and yellow even though I think they look really good together in some fabrics! Whenever I see it in a garment I think, “Oh, then I’ll look like an U. of Iowa fan,” even though I live in CA now and there are precious few people here would know black and yellow are U of I colors. But what if my family found out?! I might be shunned!
Rebecca S
November 9, 2011 at 12:52 pmAs a Gator alumni, I find that your block is delightful 😉
Amanda
November 9, 2011 at 12:59 pmMy husband and I went to Virginia Tech and their biggest rivals are UVA which are also blue and orange. Blue and orange must be a popular color combo for teams. Anyway, last month I made a baby quilt for a friends new baby and the back was blue and I thought an orange binding would go great with it. But my husband put his foot down saying that was UVA colors. So I did red instead. Too funny.
kathy
November 9, 2011 at 1:00 pmum, yeah. we are Oregon State grads (Orange and Black) so we have an intense rivalry with our (at this point in time) more successful University of Oregon. I can’t stand the yellow and green. won’t put the colors together at all. i have a set of plastic drinking glasses and can’t put the green and yellow on the table at the same time. it’s a sickness. and i totally get it!
Kelli
November 9, 2011 at 1:35 pmI love the block! 😉 I once wrote a similar post about making a bed caddy for a friend’s son in licensed Florida State fabric. It was hard, but I managed. I think it just means we are Girls Raised in the South, where football and college loyalties are strong ties. Nothing wrong with that!
Melissa
November 9, 2011 at 1:40 pmI had that same problem when I was planning my September do.Good Stitches block. She asked for a very narrow set of colors, and pulling from my stash, I only had the red and gray available. I went to Auburn, and the block she chose was a H.A.R.D. design anyways. I just knew I couldn’t bring myself to make a difficult quilt block with rival colors. So I went shopping and bought other colors. 🙂
Rachel D
November 9, 2011 at 3:08 pmI feel your pain! I’m an Ole Miss grad & my husband’s a UGA grad. Sorry you had to endure such torture!
April Forshee
November 9, 2011 at 5:43 pmHa! I went to Georgia Tech and won’t even wear red & black (UGA colors) together. Ever. And I don’t even care about football!
Jessica E
November 9, 2011 at 5:48 pmOh-my-goodness this post made my day. I too am an FSU alum! I unfortunately live in rival town right now and was planning on entering the craft fair this spring, but due to my aversion to making anything orange and blue, I’m afraid I may not be too successful in this town! :-
Michelle
November 10, 2011 at 6:47 amSyracuse University fan here….go orange! ( and blue)
Jennifer O.
November 10, 2011 at 2:46 pmI once knit a scarf that was striped blue and orange. I thought the colors went well together, but I didn’t really like it, and gave it to my brother for Christmas. Maybe he was the one who first called it the Florida scarf, and maybe that explained my instinctive dislike (it was also a little scratchy). I’m a UGA fan, and have plenty of red and black in my wardrobe.
I also once knit a Gryffindor scarf for my other brother in the burgundy/gold color scheme, and people asked me if I was making a Brookwood (High School, in Snellville, GA) scarf, and then once I was back in DC, they asked if it was a Redskins scarf. Nope, just Harry Potter!
Audrey
November 15, 2011 at 4:44 pmI am an Auburn grad and I come from a huge Auburn family. I have always wanted to make a quilt in red and white because it is so classic, but I just can’t seem to do it. I am afraid it would remind me too much of Alabama, and my family wouldn’t let it grace the doorstep of our house.:) So, I will eventually make one with some turquoise to take the football team out of it. I have no problem mixing orange and blue!
Audrey
November 15, 2011 at 4:45 pmThere is an awesome houndstooth pattern for a quilt floating around, and I can’t bring myself to make that either since every Alabama fan wears it to the games.:)
Sarah
November 20, 2011 at 9:50 amHa ha ha, Deborah. I’m a gator, and we can still be friends. Love of sewing transcends football rivalry. You can quote me on that!