Our goal is two blocks a week, but I have been doing a few extra. I feel that my quilting ADD will kick in soon, and it might not be the worst idea to get a head start while I am motivated. I plan to make each block individual of the others when it comes to color for a totally scrappy feel. These are blocks 1 - 6 in the book. I have noticed that I am fond of plum and blue. Haha. I am working numerically from 1 - 111 so that I can keep track of what I have done and what I haven't.
If you don't know, the Farmer's Wife is a sampler quilt offering 111 blocks to choose from for your quilt depending on how big you want it to finish. In 1922, the popular magazine "The Farmer's Wife" held a contest called 'Do you want your daughter to marry a farmer'. They were flooded with letters from women all over and 68 letters were chosen as winners. The author of the Farmer's Wife Quilt book chose traditional quilt blocks inspired by many of the 68 winning letters to create this quilt. She includes the letters that inspired each block in the book, and it is very interesting to read the perspectives on values from women in the 1920s. Check out the book. There is also a yahoo group that many people become members of for support , tips, and sharing.
Many people hand piece this quilt as that is how it was originally done, while others use the templates provided on the included CD. I am doing neither. I am choosing to back calculate recipes for each block that encompass many techniques that I have learned and believe will make the piecing easier (i.e. making HSTs from squares). I have already come across a couple blocks where this is tricky, but it is a fun challenge!
Feel free to join us on instagram! It is kind of a free for all, move at your own pace, share your pictures and support experience.
Oh, have fun! BTW, I would totally do as you're doing and try to "back calculate" rather than use templates. Keep us updated on how that works out!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it! There were a bunch of people tried this about 18 months ago I think, but there ended up being quite a few repurposed blocks lol
ReplyDeleteI loved making my Farmer's Wife and I did the same as you "back calculate" with a lot of the blocks, but some of them I couldn't so I used the foundation templates on the Yahoo group! The Flickr group is still going too: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1678802@N20/
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your blocks - I look forward to seeing them!
Good luck, I managed about 8, then failed dismally, but those that persevered produced beauties!
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