#4-Basket Weave

I just love the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt!  It just moves right along.  The piecing is simple and quick.  I think it takes me more time to pick out the fabrics for a block than to actually sew it together!

This week's block is #4 Basket Weave.  As promised, it is not purple and green.  However, if I can't use purple, you'll probably get pansies instead!  You'll discover its my favorite flower!

Might have to work on next week's block too, considering the holiday--Spider's Web!

Happy Halloween!
Beth

Dear Jane Catch-up!

Today I'm going to update all the squares and triangles that I have finished for my Dear Jane quilt.  I am so behind in showing you what I've done!  And I need to get them off my sewing table and into their book.

A-9 Cabin Fever

I-3 Family Album

H-4 Abbey's Eyes

E-12 Mary Ruth's Corset

D-9 Uncle Richard

H-5 Michael's Motorcycle

H-7 Bennington Star

E-9 Quilt Jail

TR-5 Michigan Dunes

LS-10 Megan's Cathedral

And the pain in my bucket-RS-6 Tumbling Blocks

I worked on RS6 today.  It took me ALL AFTERNOON!  I'm mostly pleased with the bugger.  I'm hoping none of the others are as impossible as this one-this project is supposed to be fun!  I used a combination of inset seams on the sewing machine and, when that didn't work, hand applique as I went along.  Won't be doing this one again!

Well, it is all supposed to be a learning experience.  I'm still a couple blocks behind, but moving right along.  Finished three this weekend and have 3 prepped for hand applique, so all in all, doing GREAT!

ttfn
Beth

FWS #71-Puss in the Corner

As promised, this block is not purple!  This block was a very easy one and went together in about an hour.

I'm working on a pair of convertible gloves for my cousin.  She found a knitted pair online made of alpaca fiber, but said she'd rather have a pair from an alpaca she knows!  Because I'm still learning to knit, I found a crochet pattern that I am modifying slightly so that I can get all the features I want in the pair, most importantly, a hole in the thumb so a person can text.  I'm using yarn I spun myself from my first alpaca, Matar.  The first glove is almost finished.  Am trying to get them done by Friday.

Off to crochet!

ttfn
Beth

Farmer's Wife Sampler #54-Kitchen Woodbox

I'm loving this quilt right now!  Although the blocks are only 6", it's still gives me room for a little fussy cutting that I can't really do for the Jane with all it's little pieces.  And think I forget the joy of digging through fabric when I have a project all planned out with its pile of specific colors.  Apparently I really love purple and green as I have a plethora of them in my boxes and drawers!  Two days of the same colors are a rut and I'm promising myself that the next block will be something completely different!  I have plenty of purple and green quilts at my house and this one is supposed to be scrappy!  I'm working my way up to thinking outside the box for the next block.

ttfn
Beth

G-10 Woven Meadow

A very easy, no-prob block.  And I like the color of this one, too.  It is simple and elegant.

F-7-Star Struck and The Beginning of My Farmer's Wife Sampler

Here is square F-7, Star Struck for my quilt, Jane, Naturally.  It was pretty simple and slightly boring!  I've done many stars, so this one wasn't a problem.  Instead of using the paper-pieced borders, I sewed strips of the brown fabric that were larger than needed, then trimmed the square to 5" when I was finished.  All in all, no big deal.

 

About a year ago I purchased the book, "The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt" because, duh, I'm a farmer's wife!  Inside are letters from 1920s farm wives who entered a contest that the magazine "The Farmer's Wife:  A Magazine for Farm Women" held in 1922.  The ladies were to answer the question:  "If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in the light of your own experience, want her to marry a farmer?"  I love these letters!  Each story is punctuated by a quilt square designed by Laurie Arron Hird.  There are 111-6" blocks in all.  

#26-Cut Glass Dish

I have found a couple of online groups that are working on making this quilt as a BOW (block of the week) project.  Some do two blocks a week.  I've decided to work on this quilt along with my Jane because I like the little squares and the pile they make after a surprisingly short time!  I'm not buying any fabric for this one.  I'm taking from my 2.5", 3.5" & 4.5"-square scrap buckets and will probably delve into my fat quarter collection to add color and texture.  Its very hard for me to make a scrap quilt--I like things with symmetry and balance.  This will be a good project for me to work on to relax and have some fun with color. 

ttfn

Beth 

H3-Berry Baskets

Sweet!  Jane's Berry Baskets went together GREAT!  Didn't have to take even one stitch out!  All the seams flowed right together.  I was slightly concerned with the handles on these baskets (they're so thin) but it all went together like a dream! 

Makes me want to do another today, but, alas, there is so many other things to do!

Pansies stand for "Thoughts"

I've been working on a little project yesterday and today.  This little quilt (5"x8") is for my very dear friend, Arvella Sander, who passed this week at age 90.  Arvella was a devoted music teacher for many years in her younger days and continued to teach piano in her home until last week.  Arvella and I worked these past years to put together the Pemberville Free Fair's Needlework and the Pemberville Historical Society's Quilt Shows.  She loved to quilt and crochet and we spent many hours together working on her projects and organizing the shows.  The little pansy quilt will be put in the arrangement of flowers for her funeral.   She was a dear, dear friend to me.  I will miss her.



This paper-pieced pattern was designed by Annete Truong and is available as a free download. 

Enjoy!

Beth

H1-Peek-a-boo

A very easy square.  Only four paper-pieced units to put together, so it went quickly.  A nice simple, calm square!



Beth