FWIS 1-10

Okay, I have reached the first 10 blocks of MY version of Farmer's Wife (Inspired) Sampler. I had promised not to post the blocks till I had a grouping to show but obviously the piecing etc is on my mind if I am working on them in the background.  That piecing has inspired the last two tip posts, in fact. My mom called last night and said I should use a thread spider to start the stitching and avoid the bias edge of a triangle or QST getting sucked in. I will do that since I will start the next batch on the Brother.

I have my share of sewing snafus this week but I know that happens to all of us. Sometimes you forget something you learned long ago.  Sometimes you need to  learn some new tricks.  I am working on a "new to me" machine that may not be happy going over seams of say, the pinwheel that was giving me fits yesterday. It is a humbling experience when you think you can do a simple block like that and it still comes out a bit off. Well, this may not be the masterpiece work I had hoped but I am going to try to cut myself some slack.   Pinwheel, meet that galloping horse.   I will share my cautionary tales so we can commiserate about our "bad" days. Mom was having fits with one of her own recently. That might have been part of the reason she called, LOL.

A list mate on the Farmer's Wife Sampler yahoo group suggested scanning the blocks.  Until I can figure out where in the house to hang them blocks to take a digital shot that is what I will do.  Some of these are my choice of blocks---if so, I will list the name and pattern source.  Usually it will be a Brackman assigned number from BlockBase.  If they are some that were used in the  Laurie Aaron Hinds book, I will indicate the name assigned in the book though the block are in the public domain. We all know that a block has more than one name in a lot of cases. I cannot remember if I am allowed to use the block number or not.  BUT all that number is the blocks in alphabetical order till it reached 111.  No big deal and I cannot see how that could be copy-righted.  Someone will scream at me if I did inadvertently, not see it their way.

LCHJ Block 1---Castle.  Pattern source:  Quilt Pro Block of the Day for February 22, 2012.  I used some of the birthday fabric that I got in Boaz recently for this one.

LCHJ Block 2---Snowball from the book.    The fabric strip I used came from my friend and fellow Bama Belle Lois.  Some went in the Popsicle Sticks quilt top but this was I set aside for FWIS.  It is the perfect shade of blue I had envisioned!  Background fabric, coincidentally, reclaimed and re-purposed from some abandoned blocks I recently un-sewed.

LCHJ Block 3---Modified Cherry Basket from Quilt Pro Block of the Day March 26, 2012.  Modified because I added the handle to the block.  The Riley Blake background, bday fabric.  The Basket fabric is leftover from the March Button Up and my friend Sheila. 

LCHJ Block 4---K022 Aunt Mary's Favorite.  Since I was foundation piecing the center square in a square section I did the side pieces that way as well. The pinks are some of Boaz b'day splurge.

LCHJ Block 5---from the book Wild Rose & Square but I modified it to eliminate some seams.  (Print fabrics are Vintage Modern and DJ bday splurge).  I talked about a technique for doing the diamonds the other day.  Mom reminded me that these were not true diamonds----and she is right.  I had called them the wrong thing--they are indeed parellolograms and I knew that when I cut them, LOL with the Marti Michell template conversion charts.

I did so well with one half of the block.  SIGH.  The squares fit in perfectly and without hassle.  The third one gave me a little trouble but I got past it.  The 4th one, not so much.  4 tries, two with re-cutting.  Finally I got that stinkin's square in there----and then I promptly sliced that square when the ruler slipped in trimming off the little hairs for the picture.  I patched it and you can see the seam down there without looking too hard.  This may or may not make the cut but I did finish it.

LCHJ Block 6--from the book, Waste Not.  The same night I sliced  up the one above, I got right back on the horse and stitched this one.  I used a Marti Michell trick for cutting it out---it is just half square triangles essentially with another piece angle cut, sewn and flipped.   Fabrics from my stash though I did get that white piece at Heart to Heart recently.

LCHJ Block 7---1266b Whirlwind.  This is the one that was demoralizing me yesterday.  The first one I pieced conventionally and the center looked worse that this one.  I took it out--twice--and made it worse.  I foundation pieced it and everything looked fine---till I joined it.  I think that the Kenmore (nope still not named) may have been balking at the seams as I had it pinned and perfectly in line.    Pinwheel, meet Galloping Horse.  The print piece is actual vintage fabric.  The teal was a bday gift from my friend and fellow Bama Belle Teresa.

LCHJ Block 8---Autumn Tints from the book.  I had to prove to myself that I could piece!  Even this one would not nest at center but I fixed it.  It was not one I had cut out in the last cutting and kitting binge but it may take the place of the one above in with the same fabrics.

LCHJ Block 9---30's style butterfly that I told you about in THIS POST.  Well, I did it because I sure needed to not be piecing anymore yesterday.  Pretty cute, if I do say so.   It will go on a spot lower down the line. 

LCHJ Block 10---yeah you have seen it before.  So far it is still staying in but down the line.  From the book (sort of)  Seasons but not really from there---more like credit to Fons and Porter for their mag article on Album Cross, but re-sized from 8 inch block to a 6.

So there you have it for now.   No more whining about what didn't go right, at least not for today.  I am chosing to focus on what I did get done. That is to say I have 10 blocks completed that I didn't have done a couple weeks ago after months and months of wanting to work on this project. 

Today's plan:  hand applique the sections of  3418 The Whirling Pinwheel that you saw laid out in THIS POST.  Well, make that the straightened out version, LOL.   Get that done and it is on to Practical Orchard.  Yep, back on that horse.

And sew it goes------thanks for stopping by!