Farmer's Wife :: Block 7

"Birds in the Air"

Whew! This was a very difficult block for me! 36 tiny little triangles + 4 larger triangles. I did not enjoy sewing this and it's far from perfect. And I'm quite upset that the points of the triangles will be chopped off once I sew it with the other blocks. :( Oh well... hopefully the next blocks will go better (or I'll at least be able to figure out why this one did not!).

Farmer's Wife :: Block 4 & 5

Two more blocks complete! I am loving this book and these blocks. I wish I had more time to work on them. I skipped block 3 (Basket) because I just didn't care much for it. I may come back and do it later, but for now, I'm going to just do the blocks I like. I don't think I will make the 111 blocks required for a queen sized quilt, I'll probably aim for a large lap-sized quilt (50 blocks), which gives me some freedom to customize what blocks to make and what to skip.

Anyway, this is block 4, "Basket Weave" and it reminded me so much of the first quilts I ever made (see here and here). I love these blues and aquas!

And block 5, "Bat Wing" using one of my favorite green florals.

More to share soon, I hope!

Farmer's Wife :: Block #2

This block is called Autumn Tints, although with the fabrics I chose, it's not very "Autumny." Still pretty, though! :)

I *AM* a Farmer's Wife

Have you heard all the excitement about this book? I have been amazed at how many of my favorite bloggers have been participating and how lovely the blocks are with current fabrics. Today I jumped in. I am so inspired by the letters in the book (link here) and the blocks are just beautiful. And, being that we are the proud owners of some Walnut trees, I suppose I AM actually a farmer's wife - why not make the quilt?

This is Block # 1 - Attic Windows. I am using mostly blue & aqua colors - lots of scraps and a few new favorites, too.

The book is written around letters from women in the 1920's, answering the question "Do You Want Your Daughter to Marry a Farmer?" Just after prohibition and women earning the right to vote, the essays from farmer's wives are like a time capsule, but also very current somehow. Mothers are mothers, no matter the era, I suppose. The letters are fascinating and the blocks they inspired are lovely. I've never made a sampler quilt, but I love the scrappy and colorful look of them.

I hope to sew lots of these blocks in the upcoming days and weeks, in between reading the letters - and I'll post as I go. If you'd like to see what the fuss is all about, check out the Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-Long on Flickr - there are some beautiful quilts being inspired by this book.