Finally cutting FWIS

The long awaited day(s) have arrived---woohoo! I am cutting out the first blocks that will go in my Farmer's Wife Inspired Sampler (FWIS). Monday I got the fabric cutting done for the Sit and Sew project this weekend(Fun & Done! Criss Cross)---pro bono stuff. Yesterday I was patching together batting bits with what remained of my Heat Press tape to squeeze out 48--7.5 inch squares of batting. The only leftover package of the same type of batting contained enough for two Button Ups so I left it alone and prominently marked the bag!   But the best thing to me?  The decks are finally cleared enough that I can stop and do this and have a little fun sewing.  But first some prep work!

I did a little cutting for FWIS last night and resumed again this morning.  I hope to get the first 10 blocks readied and then sew them up when I have time to do so.  Maybe two a week is an achievable goal as many others have done.  Lord knows, I do not want my sewing room constantly looking like the mess it is right now!  I can't function in chaos.

I am using the Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Template System templates for this---where I can, that is.  She has in the past sent out via email 10 different conversion charts for the 6 inch Farmer's Wife blocks using her templates and rulers.   About 10 per email every two weeks.  They are starting up another session like  now---if you are interested, let me know and I'll get the contact information for you.  Normally the instructions are grouped by template sets---like this week, you use set B.  The next one, set A.

Some blocks she cannot make those substitutions.  I am not doing all of them in the book anyway but have substituted a lot of my own choices.  I will have to skip around but have the blocks I am using highlighted when their turn comes up.  Others such as one I pulled from my Dear Jane software above----I can either cut according to EQ or know which template to substitute from another set.  BUT that block has a square in a square center---just in case I printed that much out to foundation piece if I want to.  Confused, yet??

Then there is the book to refer to but I already decided not to do them in order, 1 to 111.  First of all, I am skipping around and adding/dropping.   Second, at some point I will add the sashing and cornerstone bits so I can begin assembling the quilt in the order of my layout, row 1 to row 15, on point.  I still think I want a different container to put the envelopes that will contain the cut block, any foundation piecing bits or printouts and save this for the completed ones but it might be okay.

My notebook and road map is in the three ring binder---some of those documents I was making up to help in locating by block name, techniques I plan to use and whatever.  All the mess on my desk is taking over any available space at the moment.  The sew-in project is stacked atop the printer, waiting for Friday and/or Saturday.

And then there is fabric that I would like to use------some of the birthday stuff on top that I don't have room for until I take out what I thought I might use for cornerstones or backgrounds, that is.  I was already digging in the closet for basket fabric as the 3rd block is a Cherry Basket.  Sheila, Maggie and my mom were so helpful about sending me some so this is the perfect opportunity to include it on this project.  Also in the same container is fabric that once belonged to my dear friend Theramae.  While I am going for a vintage feel, some of this might actually BE vintage or reads as it anyway.

This is the "vibe" I am going for anyway---the aquas, reds, clear blue, even the grays with yellow and pink, etc.  I think some of the fabric is feed sacks---and I have those.  I don't know if I caught the navy blue bowtie in this angle or not but it has that stylized ribbon shape used for breast cancer awareness/quilt for the cure deal.  Nothing is ever truly new, is it??

And this is where I am headed-----though it has been tweaked several times since then!  A few blocks swapped in location and possibly a few more added---or not!  

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One last thing----I figured out what was making my B button and nav bar disappear though I certainly appreciated the suggestions several of you made!  You could see it on YOUR end but not mine.  I could not see it on YOURS either.  Finally it occurred to  me that my "do not track plus" button was interferring.  I knew I was on the right track when I uninstalled it.  Re-install it?  Gone again.  I just needed to allow my own blog and those of others that I would search.   (alefthandedquilter/BOB recently suggested I look for other past versions of a few of her tops to see the different colorways, for example.)  If you are interested in using the free software, here is the link  http://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php  but know it might not allow something you DID need, LOL.

Okay, almost time for lunch and I have a few side setting triangles for that square in a square section of the block that is in row 2, block 3.    And sew it goes---------