Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-along

Using my new couch as a design wall: week 2, Farmer’s Wife 1930s Quilt sew-along

Published on October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by car2ole1 Comment

Betty and Caroline, cozy on the new couch.

Don’t you just love picking out fabrics for quilt blocks? Once I’ve got that first print, that is.

I just got my hands on this yummy orange colored apple print. The blue jumped right in, and then the yellow.

I wanted black in my Caroline block. The red and green allowed for great contrast, which makes the pinwheels pop!

I am paper piecing my blocks, and have discovered a wonderful hint for the blocks like Caroline that have lots of pieces in lots of colors. Before I start stitching, I write the colors that I am using in the appropriate sections of the foundation papers. This has saved me a lot of grief in the piecing process!

Write the color names in each section of the foundation papers.

Too lazy to wander out into the blazing sunshine, I decided to photograph the blocks on my new couch. The couch is orange, but seems to show up as a different color in each picture!

Wishing you sunny skies and rainbows!

Farmer’s Wife week one: one of these things is not like the others

Published on October 5, 2015October 5, 2015 by car2ole3 Comments

I don’t know why the song from Sesame Street pops into my mind every time I look at my first blocks. The Yogi statue seems to be hanging his head in confusion.

I was going to stage some lovely backdrops to show off each block. Our adorable little fatty, Tippy, had arranged his bulk across most of the cutting table. As I pulled the book out from under him, I recognized how nice his sleek black fur would show off the colors in the blocks. So now I present the blocks from the first week, complete with kitty background.

Here is Becky, with her cacophony of prints and colors. I am using the foundation paper piecing method for my blocks. While not necessary for the straightforward blocks like Becky, I actually like to paper piece. I do it whenever I have a chance! And no, I am not aware of any help groups for this particular affliction.

Bonnie found me in a much different mood fabric-wise. I love these prints together.

When the Aunt block came up next, it sent me back to the drawing board for the center fabric. I’ve chosen small prints for most of my fabrics, and could not find anything that I wanted to fussy cut for the center. So that little cowboy dude is going to be a one-off. Or is he…

I love the delicate way that 20 pound cat is modeling the blocks. They grow up so fast.

Union Jack quilt squares inspired by Barbie; fabric porn for the Farmer’s Wife Sew-along

Published on September 19, 2015September 19, 2015 by car2oleLeave a comment

This month’s bundle of Liberty is heavy on the pinks. So three of the new Union Jacks are pink and pretty, just like Barbie!

So many of the Liberty prints have little animals in them. I love the little peacocks in the strips. They remind me of the trace-your-hand turkeys we made in elementary school.

Little love birds. Or pigeons. Or turtle doves? Anyhoo, at least I got them all right side up!

The stripes in this block have little folk art people in them. And now I see a rabbit. I don’t think any of the little folk are standing on their heads.

As you know, I am paper piecing the blocks. The centers of the blocks look lumpy in the pictures because the papers are still in the outer quadrants. Fear not, the blocks all lay flat when the papers are removed.

Fifteen Union Jacks to date, and what an assorted lot they are! And now for something completely different…

The Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-along is only one week away! I have convinced a friend to join me in this journey. I plan to paper piece my quilt, and my friend has never tried it. This week we are having a little sewing session so she can get familiar with that process. I’ll be curious to see if she chooses to use that method for her quilt.

Here are my fabrics for the sew-along. Bright and cheerful, just like me. And if you have a problem with that, let’s step outside.

Today I am boasting – look what I got in the mail!

Published on September 5, 2015 by car2ole5 Comments

There are times when you just have to do a happy dance. The Mr. and I were off on an adventure, and I returned home to the most intriguing package. There is something about a paper wrapped package that sets my heart aflutter.

When I peeled the paper off, this is what I saw. Best surprise ever. Five Bali Pops by Hoffman Fabrics. Big shout out to our friend Tim W. He lives in Bali, and makes batik fabrics for Hoffman. Yet another instance of it’s not what you know, it’s who you know!

I am turning over some ideas in my head for these lovelies. I’m excited at the prospect of coming up with the right project!

And now for something completely different.

This gorgeous book was recently released, and it is getting lots of attention. There is a Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt sew-along starting on September 28. Angie Wilson of Gnome Angel (gnomeangel.com) is the instigator of this amazing project. There is a Facebook group dedicated to the sew-along, and the buzz around it keeps building. I am plunging in fabric-first, and you will see my progress here on my blog.

Anyone want to join in the fun?

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