A Different Layout and A New Name...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmer's Wife - Layout Two

When I shared the layout for this sampler quilt a couple of days ago, my friend, Marrianne asked about the friendship blocks that some of my online friends had sent to me as a surprise. Of course, I still have them, and agree with her suggestion that I add them to my quilt.

As a result, I needed to do a little rearranging on my last layout, and this is what I came up with. 

Brynwood Needleworks - Friendship Blocks

 

There are two more blocks that are about a 1/2" smaller, so they won't fit in the body of the quilt. However, I'm still going to make them a part of the finished design. I think I'll place them in one of the borders of the quilt, so they're still on the front.

These blocks were such a special gift from some of my friends, that I'm so happy Marrianne mentioned them to me. I thought I was saving them for their own creation, but I think being a part of this quilt is so much better! Thanks for the suggestion, my NZ friend!

 

I also think that adding these friendship blocks to the Farmer's Wife quilt, warrants a name change. I think I'm going to call the finished piece my "Farmer's Wife's Friends" quilt. Do you like it?

Back To The Farmer's Wife...

Brynwood Needleworks - Farmer's Wife Blocks Layout

 

It's been years since I started working on these blocks. I actually started them to teach as a class at Crazy Quilters in Venice, Florida. Can you believe that this fall will be four years since we purchased Hickory Hill Farm? Time flies!

 

Anyway, in keeping with my 2020 word "Complete", I decided that this should definitely be on my "To Do" list this year. I pulled out all my finished blocks, and rather than making it a queen size quilt (requiring more paper piecing), I'd go with what I have finished and add an interesting border to make it a generous lap size.

 

After lots of placing, taking a picture (did you know that's the best way to see if your layout works?), and moving blocks around, this is the layout I'll use. I moved things apart to simulate sashing, but decided I like them without. 

 

I'll sew them together like this, and then decide what I want to do for the borders. (I made stacks of each row to keep them in order, but can come back to this photograph to make sure I have them in the right place.)

 

I'm not sure I'll get too much done on this before Friday, so I'll do what I can and then it will have to wait until I can sit at my machine again after my surgery. Handsome and I have a few other tasks that need both our attention before then, too, so perhaps I'll be looking through my quilt books for inspiration for those borders. I may even decide to do applique' in the border. I'm open to all options at this point.

What do you think of the layout? Do you have any ideas for borders? I'm open to any and all suggestions. I'm looking forward to finishing this one in September. It's good to have a goal, right?

 

A Lovely Surprise...

Renee Steele-Smith's Farmer's Wife Quilt

Around July 2011, I wrote about the Farmer's Wife Cookbook I purchased, and then rambled on mentioned the Farmer's Wife Quilt book I also owned. I suggested a group quilt along, and by February of 2012, a group of my blog friends joined me in creating our own blocks from the book.

You can type "Farmer's Wife" into the search section of my blog to see more posts about our quilt along progress.

Renee Steele-Smith's Farmer's Wife Quilt

What I learned about myself was that I was a crummy sew along leader. I stayed with the project (which involved lots of paper piecing for me), for quite a while, creating new blocks as I was able. There were twenty eight of us in the group, including me.

However, quilts to be made for shows, and all the myriad irons I usually have in the fire, lured me away from my own Farmer's Wife quilt. (The pioneers might have frozen to death, waiting for me to finish a quilt to keep them warm!) After that, I never quite recommitted to working on mine, nor keeping in touch with the participants. (hangs head, scuffing toe.)

Renee Steele-Smith's Farmer's Wife Quilt

We were all working on our blocks well into 2013, but I have to admit, my blocks are still in a tote in the fabric studio. I have more more than a few blocks to make, if I want it to cover my current queen-size bed.

I don't know how many others are in my boat, but I do know that at least one person diligently worked toward completion of her quilt.

Renee Steele-Smith (of Wren's Nest blog) sent a note to me last week, with photographs of her gorgeous finished quilt. I asked if I could share, and Renee generously allowed me to post these.

Renee Steele-Smith's Farmer's Wife Quilt Detail

She told me that she used reproduction Civil War fabrics to make her blocks. Don't you just love the warm colors, and fabrics? Aren't they simply scrumptious?!

Renee Steele-Smith's Farmer's Wife Quilt Detail

 

I'm seriously smitten - and motivated - to start working on mine again. I'm getting ready for the upcoming crafter's event, but I'm committing to getting back to this quilt in January 2019...and will work on it until it's done. Renee, my dear. You are quite the inspiration. Thank you, sincerely, for sharing your incredible quilt with me, and for your permission to share it with my readers. I love everything about your version.

Back To The Farmer's Wife...

 Finally! 

All this time has passed and I am again turning my attention to

the Farmer's Wife. I know. I should be ashamed of myself, but I've

been so darn busy with the quilt show that I just had to put something

on the back burner. My last progress report was last September! (here)

 Well, today, I'm packed to go and teach four blocks at Crazy Quilters. If

you were a participant in the Farmer's Wife QAL, you'll be getting an email

from me over the weekend. I've also been preparing new paper piecing

blocks to add to our Box account. I'll let you know when those are up, too.

So, I'll be stopping for a latte' and then heading over to the shop first thing. I'll

have a whole day of teaching, sewing and getting back to my only serious 

UFO...The Farmer's Wife. I'll be teaching this class and adding new blocks

twice a month at the shop. Goodness. I'll be finished before you know it.

It's gonna be a great day!

Farmer's Wife QAL Progress...

My Completed Blocks For March

These were the blocks our QAL group had for March:
Block # 2 - Autumn Tints
Block # 6 - Big Dipper
Block #10 - Bowtie
Block #15 - Buzzard's Roost
Block #29 - Economy
Block #31 - Evening Star
Block #34 - Flock
Block #51 - Hovering Birds
Block #52 - Hovering Hawks
Block #103 - Whirlwind

I managed to complete all of mine except the Whirlwind block. That's ok, because I'll do that one first with the April blocks (unless I finish it before we start the ones for April).

Terrie's Completed Blocks (Hearth and Whimsey Blog)

We're all working at our own pace, so there's no pressure to finish a certain number of blocks or work faster than you're comfortable.

Terrie's blocks are really pretty, and precise, too! Terrie's blog is Hearth and Whimsey, and you can click here to read about her blocks. Thanks for sharing our blocks, Terrie!

Carol's March Blocks (Brown Quilts Blog)

Carol also accomplished quite a few of her blocks. You can visit her blog, Brown Quilts (here) to read about her blocks. Your fabrics are great, Carol! I can't wait to see how your quilt progresses!

I think one of the things I really like about our QAL is the wide variety of beautiful fabrics used in all the individual blocks. I haven't seen a combination that I wouldn't love yet!

I'm going to add a link up at the end of this post, so that the rest of the participants in our QAL can link up during the next week to share their blocks with you, too. If you're really curious, you can also click on the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quiltalong button in my left sidebar to head over to our group Flickr album. There are lots of photos there!

At the top of my blog in the menu bar, I have a FW QAL link so that you can see who all the participants are. Take some time to visit their blogs. I think you'll enjoy all of them. (I sure have!)

It's hard to believe the month is nearly over! April's blocks will be listed before we know it, and I've already let the group know that we'll have twenty blocks to do in April. For those of us making queen or king size quilts, that means only sixty blocks to go after that!  Woo hoo!

If you're part of the QAL, don't forget to link up below...and you'll have until March 30th to join in.

OH! I almost forgot!!! Monday is my next Memory Lane Monday! Hope you'll share one of your favorite stories with us! I'll have my post ready around 10 pm on Sunday night, so you can link up early. There! I think that's everything for today.

Happy Creating!

Look What I Found...

A new book, called It's Quilting Cats & Dogs by Lynette Anderson. I paid full price for it when I found it in a shop in Wisconsin, but if you click on the title, the link will take you to the discounted Books-a-Million price. Don't feel bad for me, though. I'm so tickled to have found it that I'm not grumping about paying what I did.

Remember this fabric that I'm using in my Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt? I chose it mainly because I couldn't resist the animal images on it.

I just love the sweet dog, cat, bluebird, owl and butterfly images. They're just adorable, don't you think?

Image from "It's Quilting Cats and Dogs" book

Then I found the book and look what was inside! The same animals that appear on my fabric, along with other project patterns and transfers for sewing and/or stitching!

Image from "It's Quilting Cats and Dogs" book

You know I won't be able to resist stitching this piece. It even has a little Airstream on this block!

But mostly I think I might have to add those appliqued' animals on the purse onto a block to add to my Farmer's Wife quilt. They're just too cute to resist! I'll be working on my other blocks this week as I prepare for the new batch for March, but believe me, those little animal applique's are going to be calling to me the whole time!

Oh, before I close, I've started a Brynwood Needleworks group on Facebook. If you already hang out on FB, you're invited to join my new group.

Wishing you a week filled only with good things and time for something creative, too!

Choosing Fabrics For My Farmers Wife Quilt...

I've started to choose the fabrics I want to use for my Farmer's Wife quilt project. Don't fret. I'm not going to start until this fall, but don't you agree that the planning is half the fun?

I hadn't been shopping for fabric in a while, so rather than just sort through my stash, I thought I'd go and see what's new and what I might find for theme fabrics. As soon as I walked into the shop, I saw a fabric I had to have!

 How could I possibly be a farmer's wife without including animals? When I saw the dogs, cats, birds and owls in the stone-colored fabric, I knew I had my starting point. It's just one of the most right choices for this undertaking.

In case you're interested, I'll share the fabric information with all of you. Even if you're not going to tackle the Farmer's Wife quilt (with or without me), you might want to add one or more of these to your own private stash. They are (from left to right on the top photo): 1) Marcus Fabrics Design 2906 by Faye Burgess, 2) Moda Fabrics Chocolat by 3 Sisters, 3) Lecien Fabrics Summertime Friends by Lynette Anderson Designs, and 4) also Lecien Fabrics Summertime Friends by Lynette Anderson.
Each of the fabrics has a homespun, vintage kind of appearance and are of the softest cottons. I'm going to try to incorporate a little of at least one of these fabrics into every square in my Farmer's Wife quilt. Of course, I'll be choosing more fabrics to coordinate with or compliment these, but these will be the cornerstones of my project.

I'll be sure to show you more of the fabrics as I choose them, and when it's time to start, I'll show you the whole pile I've selected. I'm getting excited at the prospect of doing this project. I think it's going to be really fun.

The Farmer's Wife...

The Farmer's Wife magazine was published from 1893 to 1939 by Webb Publishing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. It offered a glimpse into the lives of farm women, including wonderful recipes along with ads for the newest gadgets and appliances available at the time.

If you're fortunate, you might find copies available through Etsy or eBay, but another place for find some of the information that lay within its covers is in some of the reprinted cookbooks you can still purchase. 

This is my copy of The Farmer's Wife cookbook. I really enjoy the recipes, which are wholesome (although not always healthy by today's standards) and simple. An example is an article reprinted from the magazine stating that one should be generous with butter when inviting guests for a meal. 

I happen to subscribe to that philosophy, favoring natural over manufactured any day. I'm the same way about sugar in our home. Sugar in moderation is better for our bodies than the artificial stuff as far as I'm concerned. Enough about food. Let's get to the main subject of my post!

Perhaps you've seen this book online or on other quilting sites. I purchased my copy months ago and have been content to read the letters (from the 1920s) contained within. The blocks in this quilt are really beautiful, and Laurie Hird (the author) has assembled quite a collection of information to accompany the blocks. She has also included instructions and templates to recreate each of the blocks. 

You can also go to Laurie's website to see samples from the cd, samples from her book, and a sneak peek at her upcoming book, The Farmer's Wife Pony Club quilt! (Something else I'll need to add to my list!)

Last week, I read about a Farmer's Wife Quilt Along through Jodi of Pleasant Home blog. You can click on her link for more information - as well as a free download for all the templates to make the quilt blocks. (These do not take the place of the instructions and information available in the book, but it's a place to download all the templates at one time instead of block by block from the cd that comes with the book.) Thanks a million to Jodi's friend, Lori who made the templates available in one place!

I've decided that I'm going to make a Farmer's Wife quilt from the book. I'd rather be spending more time with the puppy right now, so I'm going to start mine this fall. I think that will give me plenty of time to choose my fabrics, too.

Let me know if you're going to tackle this project. It would be fun to start our own little quilt along in the fall if there's enough interest.