Sister's Choice Quilts

A Tale of Two Blocks

I love it when I put out a cry for help and so many of you rally round to save me from myself. Did I ever get a lot of great suggestions for the precise creation of the Farmer's Wife blocks!  If you get a chance, do read all the comments from yesterday's post.  If you are like me, you will learn so much that will enhance the success of your blocks.

My Farmer's Wife issues were all about "scaling".  Liz, from Liz Quilts created a pdf file of many of the Farmer's Wife templates combined on one sheet of paper (instead of one per page as printed from the cd that comes with the book).  Brilliantly helpful.  Only when I printed them out, I neglected to follow one very crucial piece of advice that she gave.  When I printed the templates, I did not hit "None" for the scaling criteria.  My default scaling was "Print to Fit", and yours probably is too.  If you do not hit "None", your blocks will NOT come out the exact size you need to get the perfect 6 1/2 inch block.  My blocks were coming out a quarter inch too small due to the fact that each of my templates was off by about an eighth of an inch.

Here are two blocks, both "Autumn Tints".  The one on the left was made with my too small templates.  The one on my right was made by doing the math (two 3 1/2" squares, eight 2" squares).

Here they are with my too small block on top of the correct 6 1/2" one.  You can see that it is just a wee bit too small.  The question is, since the difference is so teensy, will I be able to use the half dozen or so too small blocks I have made in the finished quilt?  Can I tease them so they fit?  Maybe.  But I can tell you that the rest of the blocks I make will be finishing at the proper 6 1/2" size!

My too small blocks would make adorable mug rugs...

I am also ordering the Marti Michell acrylic templates, and will keep you posted on how that works for me.  Pam in Chico (Library Gal Quilts) raved about them and so did Debbie (Thread Gatherer).

Oh.  A couple of you asked to see my ugly block that must die.

Lord have mercy.  That is some ugly block.  It was horrid to make, with all those fabrics coming to a point in the center of the block.  And the color placement?  I just don't know.  A clown would like this block I bet.

How The Farmer's Wife Kept Busy

My Annie's Farm Stand fabric arrived over the weekend!  I was so excited to get started making my Farmer's Wife blocks, that I jumped right in.  Sara and I worked on our blocks together, and I finished a dozen of them.  Actually 14, but one is much like another so I didn't take its picture, and the other one is too ugly to live.  Sara made great progress too, go check out her blog and have a look.

The blocks are loads of fun to construct, for the most part, and I can see why others have said that making them is addictive.  You just have to see what the next color combination and block layout will be. 

I'd like to have a discussion with you all about techniques for making these blocks.  When Sara and plunged in, we made the decision to use the templates.  I had read that if you print out the 111 templates from the book on the cd which is included with the book, they just print out one per page.  Definitely did not want to do that.  A fabulous gal with a blog called Liz Quilts posted a LINK with the templates combined many to a page, which was more what made sense to me.  I printed out the templates, bought some template plastic and set about making my templates for the blocks.  I cut out each paper template, then used Elmer's glue to stick it to the plastic template, let it dry, then cut it out on the line.

Sara and I found that every block made with the templates comes out 6 1/4 inches square, not 6 1/2 inches as they are supposed to be.  Is this a scaling issue that resulted when I printed out the templates?  The blocks are consistent, so this could end up not being a problem if all our blocks are template made.

However.  We soon tired of using the templates.  Cutting out all those little triangles and sewing them together got old real fast, plus we found it was a challenge to get all our pieces and seam allowances to line up perfectly.  Rotary cutting was looking VERY appealing after we had made a half dozen blocks or so from templates.  So, we did the math and started making our blocks with a half square triangle method that guarantees success every time (making them with 2 7/8" squares and cutting them in half after stitching on either side of a drawn diagonal line).  Ta da, every block a perfect 6 1/2 inches square, just like they are supposed to be.

So here's the dilemma:  Can we use both the template made 6 1/4" blocks in the quilt along with the rotary cut 6 1/2" blocks?  Will the quarter inch size discrepancy create a nightmare when we sew all the blocks together in the finished quilt?  

Many of the blocks in the book can be made by doing the math, since they are simple 9 patch or 4 patch blocks.  But there are loads of blocks that are fantastic that we want to include in our quilts, that seem to require templates.

The block below for instance.  I could probably figure out how to make this using all half square triangles, but I like the look of the larger pieces that template construction permits.

How are the rest of you coping?  I found some excellent tutorials on Lori Holt's blog Bee In My Bonnet for blocks made by doing the math.  Someone also told me that if you buy the Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Templates sets A, B, D, N & S (for $90!) you can use them for most all the Farmer's Wife blocks with a 6 1/2" block result.  Has anyone used Marti's templates?

Should I bite the bullet and print out the templates from the cd included with the book?  I wonder if they will be 6 1/2", or if my printer will scale them smaller some how.

Please talk to me about how you are making your blocks and what your experience has been.  I'd love to learn about some other options.

Copperopolis

Nothing much happening around here.  I am keeping occupied by getting the binding stitched on to the Blissful Blossoms quilt that I recently received from Linda.  Just a bit more to go and it will be ready to turn over to Sara.

Today Sara and I drove over to Copperopolis, a nearby town with an historic past.  She needed organic dog food and they have a little store there that sells it.  Her doctor really doesn't want her exerting herself, so I ended up driving us over there.  The town is a sleepy little place with a population of 3761, but we only saw the owner of the pet supply store and his little daughter.   Copperopolis is named for the copper mines the place is famous for.  During the Civil War they mined copper to be used for bullets.  Can you even imagine such a thing?  What an occupation, and what a dubious end product.  The last mine closed in 1946 and no mining has been done there since. 

This is the town square.  The place was pretty deserted when we stopped by.  It does have a certain charm though, doesn't it?  The town has a lake, Lake Tulloch, which supposedly has good fishing.  None of that for Sara and I, not this week any way!

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

 

Getting Started with the Farmer's Wife

Sara and I made mini design boards for our Farmer's Wife blocks yesterday.  We found a tutorial on Lori Holt's blog Bee In My Bonnet.  Lori explains how to do it way better than I can, so do check out her Mini Design Board tutorial.  I love her philosophy, "If you are going to make it, then make it cute".  I think Sara and I need to make a few more of these before ours are as cute as Lori's, but never mind.  We found new ways to make a mess with a glue gun, that is for sure!

The idea behind making a mini design board, just so you know, is to have a surface to lay out your block components, make sure everything is oriented properly, and then sew. 

Every day we have  a new arts and crafts project while we wait for Baby E, who is sinking lower and lower into Sara's pelvic cavity by the minute.

Sara's fabric, Clermont Farms, by Minick and Simpson for Moda arrived, and she is ready to start making her blocks!

For another time filler, we went to see the new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, and loved it!  This movie is like no other Woody Allen movie you have seen, so if you think you don't care for him, do give this one a try.  The music alone will win you over!

Did You Hear the One About the Farmer's Wife?

A farmer and his wife went to a fair. The farmer, who had never been on an airplane, was fascinated by a stunt plane and asked the pilot how much a ride would cost. "$20 for 3 minutes." the pilot replied. "That's too much." said the farmer. The pilot thought for a second and then said, "I'll make you a deal. If you and your wife ride for 3 minutes without uttering a sound, the ride will be free. But if you make any sound at all, you'll have to pay me the $20." The farmer and his wife agreed and went for a thrilling ride. After they landed, the pilot said to the farmer, "I want to congratulate you for not making a sound. You are a brave man." "Maybe so," said the farmer, "but I gotta tell ya, I almost screamed when my wife fell out."

Ok, sorry about that.  You can probably guess where this is going...I am starting my own personal Farm Journal.  Yes, I joined the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along!  My goodness, if you browse the Internet, you will find so many amazing people who are participating in this national Quilt Along, sponsored by Amanda and Angela. Thelma's doin' it, Camille's doin' it, Kim's doin' it, and an amazing woman who I just discovered, Lori Holt is doing it.  The group has a Flickr page devoted to all the blocks that women all across the country are making.  You would not believe the variety of fabrics that are being used!!!  Do check out some of the links, you are in store for HOURS of entertainment, and you too could very well be hooked in.  I can tell you Sara and I are hooked Big Time..

If you don't know what the fuss is about, I will tell you.  A woman named Laurie Hird wrote a book called The Farmer's Wife.  In it, she has letters from 1920's farm wives who answered the question "Would you want your daughter to be a farmer's wife?"  A magazine of the time, "The Farmer's Wife" was sponsoring a contest that would award a prize to the best letter.  The book is full of letters the women wrote, as well as 111 quilt block patterns.  The patterns are all template based, and there are no instructions to speak of.  This sounds like a major fault, but so many quilters have embraced the project, that there are loads of labor saving posts out there to help anyone who is interested have a successful experience making the project.  I will post more about that later.

I know I just moved, but I managed to open one of my fabric boxes out in my 104 degree garage, and discovered my Civil War stash.  Oh baby.  I just knew I could do a fabulous rendition of this project with my Civil War fabrics.  Then I started Googling "The Farmer's Wife" and saw examples of so many beautiful and amazing quilts made from more modern fabrics, bright fabrics, fabric collections etc.

And I totally went in a different direction.

 

Light Breeze and Limestone

I found the perfect paint color for the studio!  Limestone for the walls and Light Breeze for the ceiling.  You can hardly tell the difference between the two colors, but Sea Breeze is lighter.  I would describe them as a pale sage.  Very pale. 

I love the scent of fresh paint! 

I just can't wait for the studio to be completed, so I started a new project.

I had some charm packs of Sandy Gervais' Grand Finale, and thought the cheery oranges, yellows, greens and browns would make a terrific late summer table topper.  I didn't pack my Schnibbles book, luckily, and browsed through it for a good pattern.

I don't think I could do better than to make Bennington.  The darker colors will contrast so well with the yellows.  I have made the larger version of this pattern, and loved it.  I have all my little pieces cut out and hope to do some sewing this week!

I was afraid if I just set up my machine and started sewing on the bare concrete floor in the unfinished space, that my husband would think I was fine with things the way they were and the place would never get finished.  I am taking a chance here, but I can't live another day without sewing!  I have to do something while we wait for Baby E to arrive.

Here are some views from the sewing studio--

To the right of the door  (those are grapevines growing along the fence),

Out the window facing the house,

Out the door, looking across the lawn (see Remy near the birdhouse?)

My two story birdhouse, which has residents on both levels!  Those are more grape vines on the fence to the right of the birdhouse.

The side of the studio-

I couldn't ask for a more pleasant and inviting space!  I love my new little yellow house.

Waiting

Any day now....

We are waiting...

And waiting...

And waiting.

Go check out Sara's blog for a long awaited update and pictures of the nursery!

Blissful Blossoms All Quilted!

This may just be one of my favorite quilts EVER!!!  Linda from The Quilted Pineapple did the quilting for me, and it is exquisite.  She did all of the quilting *freehand*, believe it or not!  Trust me, this gal does great work.  And her prices are reasonable too.   Look at the close up of her quilting:

Freehand!  I highly recommend Linda's quilting services.  She is a very conscientious and creative quilter, and I plan to use her many more times in the future.

This quilt is going to be a focal point of Baby E's room, and I will be taking lots of pictures of it when I get the binding on and it is in its new home.  Of course I have no idea which box contains the red binding material I had set aside for this quilt, so I had to order a half yard online.  Thank goodness I found a shop that still had it!

The fabric is Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda, who can do no wrong when it comes to designing smash hit fabric lines.  The pattern is "Sweet Little Blossoms" by Margot Languedoc of The Pattern Basket.

All in all, this was an effort that came together just right!   A perfect melding of fabric, pattern, and quilting.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.  Thank you for your expressions of sympathy on the loss of my dear friend yesterday.   His memorial service is Sunday, and I hope his daughters are finding some comfort in the expressions of love that all of his many friends are displaying.

Vive La France

Thank you all for your encouraging and supportive comments on dealing with elderly parents.   It is so difficult to know if one is making the correct decision.  You want to do the best for them, and yet it has to be convenient and safe and affordable.  Luckily, there are lots of choices out there, and I know we will make a good one. 

Still no updates on the quilting studio, so I am joining the ranks of the majority of quilters--Using the good ol' kitchen table.

I got Baby E's Central Park quilt back from the quilter, and must get the binding on ASAP.  Baby E is due in 13 days!  I went with Sara to her doctor appointment yesterday and he says she is about to burst.  He is not willing to let her go beyond her due date, so we should have a baby in the very near future.

This photo shows the beautiful quilting off very well, I think.  Debbie at Prairie Queens did it and I love the design she chose.  And the thread color is a pale yellow, which seems to be the perfect choice.  April convinced me to go with an aqua binding, and I think it sets things off very well.

Forgive me if I am a bit distracted today.  I just learned that a very dear friend of mine passed away.  He was a better friend to me than I was to him, and my heart breaks that I won't be able to tell him how much I valued him over the years.  I hope he knew.  I saw him a couple of weeks ago, thank goodness, but our conversation consisted mainly of trivialities and promises on my part to see him more often.  My fondest memory of him, and I have many, is one July 14th evening when he was at my house for a dinner al fresco.  He burst into song, singing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, in honor of the date.  He knew all the words.  In French.  All the gentlemen at the table joined in, amazing everyone present.  Vive La France.  He was a jewel amonst men.  My friend Debasis Sen.  I will miss you.

 

 

Ack

Doesn't this look inviting?  It is a watermelon inspired quilt that I made years ago, that I rediscovered during our move.  It looks great on the chaise lounge under the deck gazebo.  It is such fun to make these finds and look at them with fresh eyes. 

I had started a post and had it all ready to post yesterday.  It was called Good News.  That good news was that we had found an assisted care place for my husband's parents.  We have looked at a dozen of these places and talked and talked to various care providers and finally found a place we thought would be perfect for them.  We put down a deposit, and guess what?  They don't want to go. 

I believe what they want is for my husband to move back home with them and live as they did years ago when it was just the three of them!!!  They are back to calling him by his childhood nickname, and are phoning him to please come over right away, forgetting that he now lives three hours away from them. 

We have hired an agency who provides home care to have caregivers come and look after them in shifts day and night, but we can't keep that up.  You would truly not believe what the cost is.  So now, we are back to square one with them, trying to figure out a solution as to what to do with two 90 year olds who no longer can do anything for themselves.  Well, that isn't entirely true.  They have both completely mastered falling down.  I would laugh, but it is all too true.

At this point, they really don't have an option to live independently.   I don't know what the answer is, right at this moment, but we will be figuring out something this week.

In the meantime, I need sewing therapy.  Look for my solution to my sewing/fabric withdrawal in tomorrow's post!