Today's farmer's wife, from Allegheny County, PA, is someone that I would have enjoyed having as a friend. Her positive attitude and wisdom probably rubbed off on everyone she met. I love being around people like that, don't you!
Right off the bat she, like others, expounds on the pluses of being fulfilled vocationally as the wife and helpmeet of a farmer. She goes on to describe how labor-saving devices, books, magazines, music, country amusements, refreshments, good food and many social advantages, etc. are available to those living in the country.
Basket-Block #3
This wife doesn't gloss over the fact that her life is often burdensome. But, she says, "This can be helped by the spirit in which [work] is done and by putting some of the element of play into it. If some task is to be done, attempt it, believing it to be a recreation and notice the difference in our outlook." Isn't that a great way to look at many things we must do?
I loved this thought as well: "Too often we forget that work is a blessing God has given us; that He meant each of us to be producers-not to be content with doing less than our share." Wow.. If this lady were around today, I might even suggest that she run for president!
Shooting Star-Block #78
Her thoughts on making the best of things agree with me too: "Life is what we make it and the busy person is always a happy one." Making the Shooting Star block certainly kept me busy, I'll say that! Even paper-piecing it took several hours and I was very happy to have it completed!
In her experience, the hard work of the farm is well worth it, and she has lived such a happy life that she would not want to live anywhere else. I actually think that this lady would have been happy even if she lived on the moon, though. Seriously. Love it!
Two more lovelies to add to the growing pile! It's going to be a great quilt Carla!
ReplyDeleteThe colors of your fabrics are so fresh, this is going to be a pretty quilt. I really like both of those blocks too. What is that blue background fabric on the basket block?
ReplyDeleteI recently won this book and am starting to collect reproduction style fabrics to make the quilt
ReplyDeleteVery lovely. I love the black dots in the Shooting Star. Well worth the hours!!
ReplyDeleteBoth of the blocks are amazing, but the shooting star block is on another level! I really must get organised and start to make more of my FWSQ blocks, (I only have 16).
ReplyDeleteYour blocks are so cute! The last picture is my favorite--what a great way to photograph these blocks!
ReplyDeleteIf you keep posting these, I am going to cave. :) Each one is wonderful and yes, this farmer's wife would have been my best friend too. I could not agree with her more.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask how do you paper piece this block. Did you draw the block in sections first?
ReplyDeleteYour blocks are gorgeous. Not looking forward to #78
ReplyDeleteI've been following these little Farmer's Wife blocks for a while now. I'm so curious about them and what this book is. I want to try to make them and read it so badly!
ReplyDeleteAmanda Rose
http://sewmuchtosay.blogspot.com
I just posted about this on my blog and linked it to your page!
ReplyDeleteThat Farmer's Wife DOES have a positive outlook, and is a model for the rest of us. Thanks for sharing that. The Shooting Star block is well worth the time you spent on it. What a neat block.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have shared some of that spirit when I was working with the long term unemployed who thought the world owed them a living! One of them, 28 years old, summed up the attitude: "I've never worked a day in my life, my father has never worked in my lifetime!" or the 24 year old who said, "I left school at sixteen and have worked the system since then. I have never been employed and don't intend to be!" my heart cried for them and wondered how they had missed having the work ethic ingrained in them as it was in me!
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