I am starting to visualize a completed quilt! Can’t you just see this colorful selection, with crisp white sashings?
Tag: #FQS1930FarmersWife
Using my new couch as a design wall: week 2, Farmer’s Wife 1930s Quilt sew-along
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!
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
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.
A weekend cornucopia: little boy gifts, a quilt top finish, and we’re off to the races on the Farmer’s Wife quilt!
I got a birth announcement this week. I love it, because it gives me a good excuse to hit up my sewing room and come up with something new and different. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve embroidered…
These adorable trucks are in a set by Anita Goodesign, Baby Construction. Along with cute applique designs, they have these made-in-the-hoop softies. Ooohhh, I can give the baby his first trucks!
I took some photos in my sewing room. Not good enough. I knew they needed to be photographed at a work site. Now that’s more like it.
The new little tot has two older brothers, so I put his name on his toys. These were fun to make and turned out so cute. Anita Goodesign does a great job on these in-the-hoop projects.
Big brothers like to get gifts, too. I decided to stick with the construction theme and make pillow cases for the two older boys. I was at my local shop on Friday woking on the Million Pillowcase Challenge, so pillow cases were on my mind. And I figured that everybody like to have their name on things. Especially with a house full of brothers.
If you are hearing a grinding noise now, not to worry. It’s just the sound of me switching gears.
I have finished my Downton Abbey Christmas quilt top! It looks very elegant, if I do say so myself. I’ll figure out the backing, then off to the quilter. And anytime I mention Downton Abbey, I have to include a picture of me at Downton.
More grinding of gears here.
The Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt sew-along has begun! We got a preview of the first block, and here’s mine.
Loving the brights. Mine will have quite the variety of colors. Is anyone else riding along for this adventure?
Today I am boasting – look what I got in the mail!
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?
handmade by Carole Carr 