Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - 3

I have a lot of blocks finished for this post - I've done quite a few on the weekends, and at least one every night this week (except for Wednesday).  I've been reducing my scrap stash - when I have less than a fat quarter, it gets used for this project.  When it gets down to bits, I make 1.5" squares for my Leaders and Enders quilt and put the rest in a scrap bag for yet another project. 

Using templates is not as hard as I thought it would be - most of these blocks call for set sizes of squares and rectangles, and if there's an odd-shaped piece there's a template. I've got all my templates in a notebook - I use business card, baseball card, and CD clear storage pages. 

#17 - Cats and Mice

#18 - Century of Progress

#23 - Country Farm

#24 - Country Path

#25 - Cups and Saucers

#26 - Cut Glass Dish

# 27 - Darting Birds

#28 - Duck and Ducklings

#29 - Economy

#31 - Evening Star

#32 - Farmer's Daughter

#34 - Flock

#35 - Flower Basket

#36 - Flower Garden Path

#38 - Four Winds

#39 - Friendship

#30 - End of Day

More blocks for Don's quilt

Don's quilt is quickly taking shape, as September was my month in my Bee Obsessed group to receive blocks. I told everyone to make them in all shades of brown, so I could add them to the ones I had already made. In addition, I received a few from my Quilters' Message Board swap that could go on the quilt, too.

from Marcie

from Laurie

From Kimmie

from Kathy

from Terrie

from Terrie

Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - 2

Somewhere in this house is my camera battery charger and an extra battery.  I have searched high and low and cannot find it.  Meanwhile, the battery in the camera as well as the other spare both finally petered out, so I had to go to Radio Shack to get a new charger.  I'm back in business, with pictures to post.

Here are some more blocks from the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book:

Block #12 - Broken Sugar Bowl

Block #13 Buckwheat

Block #14 - Butterfly at the Crossroads

Block #22 - Corn & Beans

Block #15 - Buzzard's Roost

Block #16 - Calico Puzzle

Block #19 - Checkerboard

Block #20 - Churn Dash

Block #16 - Calico Puzzle

I must be losing it - I just realized I did 2 of #16 - and never noticed until just now.  Weird.

Is anyone else not happy with the new Blogger picture loader? I liked the old one - where I could load them all at once, and select them as I put them into my post. I'm going to have to go investigate and see what's up. This new way drove me nuts!

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - 1

When I initially saw the two Civil War quilt books, I was intrigued, but thought I had plenty to do already - so I didn't buy them.  Then I saw this one, published in 2009, and HAD to have it.  It's called The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, and has 111 different 6" blocks.  What's different (or new) for me is the fact that the blocks are made with templates.  I really was put off by the templates - until I discovered that one of the members of the quilt-along-group on the Quilters' Message Board is going to the trouble to write out cutting directions and sizes for each block.  There are many blocks where we'll be able to use her rotary cutting directions instead of the templates.

The original quilt featured in the books is made with subdued fabrics that were contemporary to the early 1920s - subdued darks and lights with plenty of florals.  In creating my blocks, I decided to make it scrappy - and am doing my upmost best to draw primarily from my scrap box. 

Here are the first 11 blocks, all of which I finished this past weekend while Don was tuna fishing.

Block 1 - Attic Windows

Block 2 - Autumn Tints

Block 3 - Basket

Block 4 - Basket Weave

Block 5 - Bat Wing

Block 6 - Big Dipper

Block 7 - Birds in the Air

Block 8 - Bouquet

Block 9 - Box

Block 10 - Bowtie

Block 11 - Broken Dishes

(For Broken Dishes, the pattern called for only 2 colors - light and dark.  However, I had some HSTs that I needed to use up, hence the multi-colored block.)

Blocks for Don's Quilt

In my "Bee Obsessed" Flickr group, I had the month of September.  I decided that I would have the gals make blocks to go with the ones I'd already made for Don's "manly" quilt.  So I told them to use all shades of brown - and here are some I've received so far:

1st block from jgmehlin

2nd block from jgmehlin

1st block from RuthieQuilts

2nd block from RuthieQuilts

1st block from MarilynKB

2nd block from MarilynKB

1st block from CA Sharp

2nd block from CA Sharp

I think the first 6 will go perfectly with all the other ones I've made so far.  The 2 from CA Sharp will actually go better with the blocks I've been getting related to the outdoors theme.  They're all just lovely - and there will be more to come!

Adorable Beach Scene!

In my STUD (Swap Till You Drop) Flickr group, the July-August theme was landscapes.  My partner, Lish, made me this wonderful beach scene.  It's paper-pieced, and just beautiful!

Blocks made for swaps

In my "Bee Obsessed" Flickr group, the theme requested for July was asterisks in pink and orange, though I learned after I'd made and sent the block that it was to be wonky.  Oh well - maybe I'll make a wonky one later. But this one followed the tutorial that we were supposed to use, and I think her quilt will be pretty cute! 

The theme for August was wonky houses - and this was my first attempt at doing one freehand.  I think it turned out all right!

In a swap that I'm in on the Quilters' Message board, my partner requested the colors of Elmhurst College - dark blue, blue, and white. 

Two blocks for a swap

One of the groups I'm in is Bee Obsessed. Each month one person selects a theme, and we all make one or two blocks for her in that theme. Scootin' Annie had May, and she's doing a quilt with transportation themed blocks. I had a couple small squares, and built blocks around them. The one on the left is a bulldozer; the one on the right is hot air balloons.

Mini Quilts for Swaps

I have a few minis to post from recent STUD swaps. First up is March.  We were assigned a letter and a partner; my partner was Deborah. She was given the letter "H," so she made me a cute heart mini.  It's about 5" square.  Adorable, isn't it?

I signed up for two swaps in April; the theme of the first was "Don't Be a Square!"  We were to make a quilt in any shape except for a square or rectangle.  I decided to make Katherine a tree, thinking it would be easy.  Well, making the quilt itself was easy. The binding was tough - since it had 6 reverse corners and 6 corners with very sharp angles.  It looks better in person than in the picture. 

Katherine sent me this adorable little seal - so cute!

The other theme was the usual "Anything Goes," and Rachel was my partner. I made her a New York Beauty, but can't find the picture I thought I took of it. In return, she made me this colorful mini she called "Chiclets." I have to let her know that I buy Chiclets by carton at the 99¢ Store, and only chew them when I'm quilting! I love the flavor (and the sugar rush).