Farmers Wife 1930 Sampler – Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016

Projects Going Well – Blog is Late!

Good morning to all. I hope that your New Year is going well and that projects are coming along as you have planned. I was going to try to Blog each Friday – but oops, missed that goal! It is good ole’ Cedar Season here in South Texas and I wish they Cedar trees would just go away, but not that lucky! I am scheduled to be checked for Asthma on the 25th as the inhaler really has made me feel a lot better and more energy. If that is what has taken some of my stamina away the last 2 years it will be a blessing to find out and correct the problem!

I am happy with my progress on E. Sitar’s Basket of Flowers. I have completed 350- 2″ four patches (think about 50 too many but gives me more selection when making the baskets)! They are easy and fun to make. Sometimes mindless sewing is good for the brain to relax and no pressure. The pattern directions state to cut the strips at 1 1/4″ x 21″ but I always add 1/8″ or 1/16″ to the width when cutting in order to have some extra fabric to square my blocks and the shorter strips keep the strip sets even and less waste. Each 21′ strip makes 8 Four Patches.

Strip Sets for Basket 4 Patch — Strip Sets 1 3/8″ x 21″

Next step is to cut the strip sets in the same width (1 3/8″ or add a 1/16″). I am keeping the four patches in individual bags (plastic snack bags) for 2 reasons – control clutter on my cutting table and allow me to work on other projects. Since I tend to work with “controlled” scrappy projects it also makes it easier to work with the selection of colors for each basket. I “accidentally” purchased the bags and thought I would take them back, but then realized I could use them for small projects like this one.

Lots of 4 Patches — Bags of Four Patches

I wanted to see how my colors would look for the baskets – not sure how the “scrappy” will take shape, but here is a sample. (without the pedistal).

I finished the 2nd Christmas place mat. Hopefully I will be able to finish the preparation work for the Table Runner. It is a quick needleturn applique project. Heck – should be able to have this one completed by Thanksgiving if I work faster (LOL).

I have one diamond block completed for E. Sitar’s Flower Garden and the remaining 5 cut out and ready to sew to the hexagon paper pieces. There are a total of 6 diamonds for the quilt center of the quilt. I am using Betty Cutchian’s Eliza’s Indigo. I ordered a few fat quarters and then ordered the “bundle” This has worked out great because I can use the same fabric but different colors for the hexagon stars.

Flower Garden Medallion B1 — Flower Garden Hexagon Diamond

A note on the Farmer’s Wife 1930 Sampler. Laurie Hird contacted me this week and advised that there are 4 more corrections coming from her publisher. They are for the diagrams only. I am glad that I brought the issue to her attention because she was unaware that a problem existed. She is working on her third book and is appreciative that I advised her about the problem and is instituting safeguards that this will not happen to her again. It must be so frustrating to send one’s work to a publisher only to have them make mistakes when publishing the book. I admire Laurie for checking into the issue for me – I am beginning to feel now that I may just work on this project later in the year.

Today will be trimming the remaining Four patches and hopefully cutting out the pedestals. I would also like to finish up preparing the Xmas table runner and bring out Segment 3 of Stonefields. Have a great sewing day. Enjoy Life.

January 1, 2016January 5, 2016

Happy New Year – Still Working on the Old and Bringing in the New for 2016

Happy New Year! We arrived home in Texas on Christmas Day. We made a mad dash for home with the El Paso Blizzard following us. We left Whetstone, Arizona on Christmas Eve and spent the night in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was cold! We left at 8AM and we were scheduled to spend the night in Fort Stockton, Texas on Christmas night and head for home on Saturday. But when we realized that we would arrive by noon and just sit there until Saturday morning, we kept on going and arrived at home at 7:20PM – a 651 mile trip pulling a 36 foot 5th Wheel that was probably overloaded.

We were very blessed on this trip home because when we went to unload some things out of the 5th wheel on Saturday morning we had a flat on the Dually! No wonder the truck acted like it was dying on the last 50 miles! Now a week later, we are now back to our normal routine. The weather here in our area is dark and dreary and raining. For me I love the weather like this – Cold, Wet, and 100% quilting weather!

I have made myself a promise now that we are settled back into our normal life that I will Blog each week with updates on my projects. Since my last post I have finished Segment 2 of Stonefields and started a Christmas Table Runner and Placements – YUP – bought that pattern and fabric 2 years ago so now it will be ready for Christmas 2016…. why be in a hurry? If I finish this in the next 2 weeks it will be the first time I will have a nice table runner and place mats for Christmas!

We had a wonderful trip, but will not go back to Arizona for the winter again. We have been doing this trip for 15 years and it is time for a change. We have decided to do shorter trips during the year and stay put for winter time in Texas. I can hardly wait to go to Durant, OK for a good gambling trip!

Here are the blocks for Stonefields, Segment 2:

The top two blocks were really difficult to achieve perfection – so I did them twice. The second time I used my EQ7 software and redid the block pattern. They came out perfect the second time. The original pattern was not drawn to scale and it caused the stars to be off-center. The lower left blocks with the little flowers were fun to make, although when I realized the hexies were 3/8″ I thought they would be the most difficult to do, but they turned out to be the most fun! Here are the blocks close up.

Blue Hexie Flower Block — Blue Hexie 3/8″ Flower Block

Christmas Placemat — Christmas Place Mat

I purchased the pattern in Durant, OK in 2013 on the way to Arizona. The Table Runner has 5 candles with the Christmas Balls and has a shadow fabric for the back of the candle which is really neat. When I finish that I will provide the pattern information. Fun and easy project for Christmas 2016!

I have an impossible list of projects for 2016 – none of which will be on-line BOMs. They served their purpose for me last year, but that was then and this is now! Here is my list (hum…..) wonder which one’s will be finished this year?

1. Civil War Bride (There are 3 (maybe 4) Ladies who will be doing 2 blocks a month starting in February or March and I will be posting the progress of all each month! If you have the pattern and would like to join, let me know). There are no set rules or time constraints with this project.

2. Brinton Hall (Quiltmania Project)
3. Flower Garden (Edyta Sitar’s Handfuls of Scraps Book)
4. Baskets of Scraps (Edyta Sitar’s Handfuls of Scraps Book)
5. Dear Jane (Brenda’s)
6. Stonefields
7. Stars and Sprigs (Kim McLean)
8. Sweet Surrender – Australian pattern (waiting for the mail impatiently)

There is a “maybe” project – 9. Farmers’ Wife 1930 (There is a BIG maybe on this one – there are issues with the .pdf files). As I previously posted, I purchased the book and all the fabric, so I have already invested a lot of $ for this project. My friend Cathy sent me 3 books on 1930’s fabrics for Christmas and they are great reads. They will be a great help if I decide to use the fabric on another quilt.

I also would love to start on Di Ford’s 2013 Mystery Quilt but of course who knows. I realize that there is no way to complete all, but I am going to at least get started on all of them and do not think I will get bored. This will be the first time I will run projects concurrently – should be fun or I will slide into oblivion world of “ex-quilters”.

My friend Jaydee, sent me a piece of fabric of Peacocks. She was working on The Morrell Quilt and had a couple of the birds left over. When I received them I immediately could see a Medallion coming down the road… The birds are so pretty.

Have a wonderful 2016 and remember, Life is short, Friends are Few, and God loves us!

November 22, 2015

Farmer’s Wife 1930 Sampler and Me

In October I posted the story about me doing a “dum-dum” by not realizing that there was a new Farmer’s Wife Book! I joined a Quilt a Long with Marti Michell, Fat Quarter Shop and Gnomeangel Blogger for the Farmers Wife 1930’s Sampler (not the 1920). Marti provides conversion charts for the blocks that will be rotary cut and Fat Quarter shop provides a kit (fabrics). Since then, I have changed to Very Kerry Berry Farmers Wife Quilt Along. Kerry is starting from Block One in the Book rather than skipping around. I am providing both sites in case someone would like to start this project. Both provide 2 blocks each week. Of course by now I am behind 20 blocks, and by tomorrow 22! (LOL). The blocks provide challenges to all quilters. I am going to do a mix – rotary cutting and paper-piecing (see how long this lasts).

Today I am determined to start this project. Any bets? I wanted to show my fabric selection for this project. I purchased some fat eighths from Westwood Acres Fabric and all the fat quarters from Calico Annies. The background fabrics are Bella Solids from Hancocks of Paducah . I am not going to spend the time in trying to wash them so keep your fingers crossed – it is the first time I will make a quilt without washing the fabric.

1930 Fabric Background Fabrics — Background Fabric

I would like to end this short Blog wishing each and all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Please keep the families of the victims of France and Russia Terrorist attacks in your prayers. We all have many things to be thankful for but the main one is our Freedom. My prayer is that our great Nation CAN and WILL somehow remain safe from further attacks until 20 January 2017!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY TO ALL.

November 22, 2015

I am Still Here – Brinton Hall and Stonefields

Greetings from Whetstone, Arizona, about 8 miles from Huachuca City, Arizona and 25 miles from Sierra Vista, Arizona. We are really enjoying the area. It is so nice to look out and see the mountains. There are mostly mesquite trees in this area, whereas in Sierra Vista the foliage is much different. There are trees that have the beautiful fall colors starting in October. Reminds me of Virginia when the leaves begin to turn. So pretty.

I do not know where the last month has gone. It seems like each time I plan to start the other 2 projects (1930’s Farmer’s Wife and Dear Jane) things happen. Last Sunday I was at a point to “get with it” and had just began to start when all of a sudden a “boom” noise coming from the RV. Well, it was the clamp on the hot water hose that gave way and hot water was rushing out from underneath the kitchen! NOT GOOD! This had happened when we first purchased this RV. Well, needless to say, it took me 2 trips to Sierra Vista to find the right clips that Clay need to repair the problem. So goodbye Sunday. Monday – well, weather always gets me and it did on that day. On Wednesday Clay reworked the hoses so I took advantage of that time and worked on my Stonefield Quilt blocks. I am now in the process of finishing the 2nd segment, of which, are appliqued blocks. I will post the 2nd segment as soon as I complete them. These are some of the fabrics I am using for Stonefields and my “limited” workspace.

Stonefields Fabric 2 — My Workspace – Clay made me the cutting table extension – He has me spoiled!

There are two quilting groups that I meet with while we are in Arizona. Tombstone Quilting Guild meets on the 3rd Monday of the month in Tombstone and then on the 4th Wednesday of the month they meet in Mescal, Arizona (about 30 miles from Whetstone). Due to weather and water issues I missed both times to quilt with the Ladies from Tombstone and Mescal (early due to Thanksgiving this week). I will visit with them in December. On Thursday I was able to go to the Sierra Vista Applique group that meets each Thursday at the Squirrels Nest quilt shop. I have been visiting with this group since 2008.

And of course each week I set a goal to “finish” a few things and get started on my 1930’s Farmer’s Wife and Dear Jane……MAYBE today I can start cutting out a few blocks from the Farmer’s Wife. I am hoping to do so. I have completed the Medallion of my Brinton Hall quilt. But I will have to wait until we return home to finish it. I need more room and a bigger design board to complete the medallion and the surrounding hexagons.

Brinton Hall Medallion

A week or so ago we made another trip to Tucson to Tandy’s for Clay’s projects. On the way home we stopped off in Sahurita, Arizona at the Quilters Desert Patch Quilt Store. There is such a great selection of fabrics. I purchased a few of the 1930’s fabrics, a Southwest panel, and Clay found some fabric he wants me to make a cover for his chair. He is Choctaw so he loves the Southwest fabrics.

Southwest Panel — I was drawn to the beautiful Turquoise and Browns.

Southwest Panel alternating fabrics — Panel and Coordinating Fabrics. Love the Arrow fabric – Over bought on this one.

Clay's Southwest Fabric — Clay’s Selection

I found a book on Panel Play but like a dummy, did not purchase it. I was lucky because I was able to find the Designer on-line and ordered the book. The Designer provides so may different and beautiful ways for settings for panels. I have only made one quilt using panels (2011) and it happened to be the fabric that she used on the cover of her book Panel Play Book by Barbara Becker. When I downloaded this picture, I could not believe it was in 2011 when I made that quilt! It was the year we “thought” we wanted to have 2 Shihtzu puppies. Been there done that and they lasted 18 days before they went back to the Breeder! That is a story in itself! Doesn’t take long to figure out you may as well adopt a baby and raise it instead!

Kohnie's Dog Quilt — My Doggie Panel Quilt – Same fabric as the book.

I must leave you with a short story about scissors and timbles! Wednesday I was able to work on my projects. Later that afternoon I cleaned up my work space and put things away. On Thursday when I arrived at my Applique group, I was shocked to see that I had forgotten the thread I needed for applique, and NO SCISSORS! What? Out to the quilt store area to purchase thread and cheap scissors. When I arrived home I almost panicked – my black Elan scissors were no where to be found. We went through everything including shaking the recliner, etc. I figured that they had fallen into the trash can by my chair, so we went dumpster diving…………..By then the trash was gone! So I did what most quilters would do – ordered another pair from Amazon! The Elan scissors are 4″ scissors with one blade serrated and they are wonderful when trimming the fabric around applique pieces. Elan Scissors I still had the feeling that the scissors were not in the trash, but I had absolutely no idea where they could have gone. Thank God they were not my very very expensive Italian Gingher scissors.

After the dumpster diving experience, we decided to go to Sierra Vista to eat and do some shopping in Sierra Vista. I still felt that the scissors were not in the trash! Later that evening, I went to the pantry to grab some chips. As I picked them up there were my scissors hooked to the magnet that is on the chip clip!!!!! I laughed and laughed and thought that I would be having a scissor sale soon. I had experienced a similar situation in August when I thought I had accidentally put my silver thimble from TJ Lane Thimbles in the trash! So I ordered another one after exhaustive searches for my thimble. On the same day I placed my order I turned the recliner in the Den upside down (for the 3rd time) and WOW there was my Thimble! Now I have 3 wonderful silver thimbles from TJ.

Have a great day and find some time for Quilting! (Of course life may get in the way!)