Farmer's Wife Friday--The Very Breath of Life

I found myself identifying with this week's farmer's wife in the FWQAL Sampler. This city girl, from New York, married a farmer "to whom the country is the very breath of life". She, like me, recalls how lonely her first years were in the country..."The long solitary days when for hours no sound broke the silence, save the hum of bees, the song of a bird, or the low of the cattle."

The 'Railroad' block reminds her of "town, bred in my very bones--to whom the sound of the locomotive,  the tread of passing feet, was music to me..."

And yet, to her "has come a love of country which surpasses all." Like my life in the country today, this farmer's wife says, "The country life is no longer the solitary place of ten years ago. The motor-horn is heard in the quietest places and the noise of machinery is on every hand." No doubt, a wrench was as handy a tool in the 1920's as it is today. This block is called 'Wrench'....

Now, I was a bit confused when I started making the Wrench block because it seemed so familiar. I dug through the blocks I had already made and look what I found....Hmm...That red one was called Churn Dash. If I was playing the Memory Game with my grand daughter, we would call that a match!" Same. Same." as Lula and Haven like to say. Since it is Block #111 (the last one in the book) maybe the author just ran out of ideas! ....probably not...

Oh, well! Sprinkle some powdered sugar on this, and it looks good enough to eat!

Cindy has some great blocks and comments on her Farmer's Wife Friday post today. Don't miss them, y'all.

See you next week!

Farmer's Wife Friday--An Orchard in Bloom

"Can you think of anything in city life that compares with an orchard in bloom? I haven't time to sit down and gaze very often, but just a glance out of doors now and then while I'm about my work, makes me feel all chirpy inside, like a robin sounds! On our limited income, in the city, we'd have to take our outings in a park, but here we have more houseroom than we know what to do with and park scenery to enjoy as far as we can see." Mrs G.W.N. from Ingham County, Michigan paints a beautiful picture with her words, doesn't she?

 I used one of my favorite green Anthology fabrics to make the Maple Leaf block. Love it!

 Practical Orchard is a simple block that I think would be fun to play around with in a modern quilt. Add that to my "Someday List"!

 Here's a peek at all of my blocks together. I could quit now and have a cute quilt!

Just kidding, Cindy. Don't worry!

Farmer's Wife Friday--Farmer's Daughter/Farmer's Wife

This week's letter was penned by a woman from Clay County, Mississippi who is both the daughter of a farmer as well as the wife of one. She is eager to see her daughter follow in her footsteps. As she sees it, being a farmer's wife is beneficial both financially and physically.

Her letter inspired these blocks, 'Cats and Mice' and 'Windblown Square'. She is "independent" and can "squeeze from the grocery list a little for her own private use". I'm imagining that she has a kitty living in her cellar to keep away the mice that might be wanting to hide among her food supply!

 My grey kitty keeps the mice under control in my own basement, that I know. Looking at all of my colorful blocks so far has me getting a little bit of an overload of "sweetness" so I  thought I would begin adding some lovely grey into some of the blocks to tone things down a  little.  When I measured the templates to make this pretty block, I goofed and cut the squares 1/8 inch too large. That may not seem like much, but it made for some "pressing into submission" on my part, let's just say!

 This Mississippi farmer's wife seemed to have some knowledge of art as she mentioned two different artists and compared her farm life to the paintings produced. "Does a Rosa Bonheur gain fame by painting animals? My daughter will raise those animals and bring them to a perfection which her paintings can never hope to attain, all the while surrounded by God's sweet and wholesome air and the beauty of His world."  ( I had to look it up to find out that Rosa Bonheur was considered the most famous female painter in the 1800's!)The Windblown Square block is a reminder of Who controls the wind! 

Here's a windblown look at the squares I've made so far...................

See you next Friday! Don't forget to go see Cindy's blocks in solids; they are so pretty!

Farmer's Wife Friday--Better a Farmer...

The eleventh week of the FWQAL for me and Cindy, finds us a making some challenging blocks to go along with the letter from Mrs C.R.M of Ramsey County, N.D. Let me introduce Tall Pine Tree, on the left, and Night and Day, on the right....

Mrs. M is pretty incensed that anyone would think her a slave to a thoughtless husband! She writes, "A farmer spends the winter months reading and has awakened to the fact that many farm wives are considered drudges. He thinks of what he has read, and applies to himself. If he loves his wife, is she not in his thoughts? Is he not planning to make her life easier? Emphatically, yes!" The 'Night and Day' block symbolizes his devotion....

 For me it symbolizes how long it almost took me to make this block! Remember that wonky thingy that I posted yesterday....

Well, that was my first try at making the upper left section of the 6 inch block. Ugh! it turned out sort of diamond shaped! What could be wrong? I double checked my templates and tried again. No better! Then, studying the pattern, I came to the conclusion that the templates for the dark and light larger triangles were transposed, thus making it impossible to make a square. Trying out my conclusion produced this lovely looking, complicated block!

 I patted myself on the back really hard and decided to email the author, Laurie Hird, about my discovery. I won't bore you with the details of the emails passed back and forth between us, but surprisingly it turns out that I was correct and am actually the first to point out the error in the two years since the book's publication! Secretly, I'm thinking that maybe I am the first and ONLY person to have ever actually ATTEMPTED to make the block!........ Nah! 
I will say that I was very impressed that Laurie did not just brush off my comment about the block as just a inept seamstress, but tested it out herself and found that not only were pieces #61 and #61R transposed, but 61R is not even included on the CD at the back of the book! Her conclusion is that the mistake was made by the graphic designer who created the CD. She will be adding the correction to her website. Whew!
Okay! If you are still with me, and care, here is the second, less complicated block...

 I'm not sure if it was because I was so rattled by the first block or what, but I actually did more 'unsewing' on this one than any I have made so far....all user error!! I like this block. It might be fun to some day use it to make a "Timber-lake" quilt. My husband is a Tall Pine in my eyes! Hee, hee!

I'm glad to be a country woman rather than a city gal who, "hasn't the beautiful, wide out-doors, the green fields, flowers, trees, or the invigorating fresh air which the country woman has and loves."
I wonder how Cindy did with her blocks this week? Better go check....

Farmer's Wife Friday--The Sense of Creation

The letter accompanying this week's two blocks for the Farmer's Wife Quilt-along was delightful and uplifting, even poetic. Mrs. I. L. M. from Prince George County, Md., enthusiastically hopes that her daughter will marry a farmer.  She wrote, "When her heart can sing with the morning stars at the first stirrings of the new creation in spring and from that learn to go about her commonplace, homely tasks with still deeper joy over the faint flutterings of a new creation beneath her own heart, she will feel that heaven itself could not be a better place in which to live."

Our first block, Big Dipper, reminds us of those morning stars...........

The second block, Periwinkle, attests to "the delicious sensation of wondering what the earth will bring forth to establish the work of her hands..." 
My block looks a bit wobbly in the photo (those pesky bias edges!), but really, I think it will be just fine in the quilt. I had to buckle in and use the templates included in the book to create the odd triangles. Oh, and guess what! I liked doing it....there's a lot to be said for accuracy when making such a fiddly block, I'm just sayin'!

My pile of little blocks is growing! It's fun to see them all together like this...kind of addictive!

I have such a "sense of creation"! So does my FWQAL partner, Cindy. Be sure to check out her posting today as well. Her blocks, made in all solids, are awesome!

Also, I'm the Blogger's Quilt Festival featured quilter today at

Amy's Creative Side. Hop over and learn about my favorite quilting tip!

Farmer's Wife Friday--Worthwhile and Purposeful Things

Friday has rolled around again....(my, how time flies) and it's time to show you the blocks that I made this week for the FWQAL. Cindy and I are going to try to keep up the pace of posting once a week about our sampler blocks, but  both agree that without this commitment, we probably would have flaked out by now! And not because we don't like our blocks...we both do.....and we have enjoyed making them. It's just that Cindy and I both loooooovvvveee to start new projects and can get in over our heads maybe probably sometimes!

 Without further ado, the first block accompanying this week's letter by Mrs. M.H.M. from Charlotte County, VA, is this, easily recognizable and quickly made, Churn Dash block. I have always liked this block and, a few years ago, made an entire quilt of charming churn dash blocks in the same red and white color range. If you are interested, you can see that quilt here.

 The second block, called Squash Blossom, was the most time consuming of the four blocks this week. My Easy Angle ruler came in handy in cutting the angles properly. The unfortunate position of the big rose on my background fabric blends too much with the piecing. I thought about ripping it apart for about two seconds! Instead, I folded my laundry before my sweetie got home because, like the letter's author, " I find real joy in doing these worthwhile things that need to be done because the world needs the fruits of my labors."!! Hee hee!!

 Mrs. M. wrote several paragraphs about her love of becoming apparel but not really having the time to make a study of it because "other things come first". These next two blocks reflect that interest, however.  Bowtie is a simple block and quickly assembled. Instead of using templates, I used folded corner squares to make the little triangles.

 Ribbons, is a pretty block. The author spent her childhood in the city before living on a large farm for twenty years. I'm sure she tied many ribbons over the years. She says, "An unbelievable metamorphosis has been wrought in my ideas and ways of living and I would not have it otherwise. There is something so good, solid and genuine about farm life, and so much of sham, veneer and hypocrisy about city life. Country life is a great developer of character; the farm woman accomplishes so many worthwhile, purposeful things and never ceases to grow in mind, character and soul."

 To easily create the Ribbon block, I first cut strips the desired width and length. I also cut squares to use for making the small end triangles.

 I drew a line from corner to corner and sewed on the line and then folded back the square to make the triangles. This plan works great, especially when you make the strips and squares the right size. (Ask me how I know!)

 "Whatever lacks there may be in my life on the farm, I can always find greater lacks in the city woman's life and I often make comparisons."says the Virginia farmer's wife who valued her college education. I found myself wondering how 90 years of progress and conveniences have narrow the gap in those comparisons.

"Long life to my sister farm woman!" she ends.

Farmer's Wife Friday--I Love the Farm

This week's letter, our sixth, written by a farmer's wife from Missouri wishes for her daughter to marry a farmer that is perhaps college or university trained.  One who regards "Agriculture as man's divinest vocation, worthy of the the thoughtful best effort of the highest intelligence."

What a forward thinking attitude, it seems to me!

The Peace and Plenty block speaks to the author's wish, "I want my daughter to bear hardships more bravely, not be relieved of them; 

to meet difficulties more sturdily..."

"I want her to help build a home in which children may grow, who will some day carry on the ideals and continue the service that I shall have to leave unfinished."

Peace and Plenty was pretty easily constructed with half square triangles trimmed to exact size. The other block for this week, Jackknife, took a bit more thinking on my part to avoid cutting templates. It's a great looking block....

The challenge was to come up with an easy way to create the corner units. I began by cutting the triangles and attaching them to strips that were a bit longer than the finished size.

 I then sewed the coordinating strips together ...

 and trimmed off the extra fabric

 to create the needed units! 

The author finishes up her hopes for her daughter this way: 

"To give her an 'easier time', should I deny my child?

Let her know the tingle of nerves and brain and body stretched to the utmost

in her fight for better ways upon the farm! 

Let her learn the joy of real work well done!

Let her be a Farmer's Wife."

The theme of 'real work well done' has echoed throughout all of the letters so far.

The blocks are beginning to look like they belong together.

Have you seen Cindy's blocks sewn up in all solids? They are delightful!

Go take a look!

Farmer's Wife Friday--The Best of All Good Things

Friday has rolled around again and it's time to reveal the blocks I've been working on this week to illustrate the next letter in the 1922 Farmer's Wife Contest. I found "The Best of All Good Things", by Mrs. S. O from Mille Lacs County, Minnesota,  a delightful, convincing, and articulate letter conjuring up mental pictures of an idyllic life on the farm. The first block, aptly named, Mother's Dream, is simple to look at, but a bit tougher to create....

The math involved in making this block come out perfect evaded me for some reason, so don't look too closely at the edges of the block! Fortunately, once it is pieced into the quilt no one will notice, I have assured myself. It's a cute block, don't you think?


My next little block went a bit better. Called Seasons, I found myself thinking that my fabric choices certainly spell summer. I like this block so much, that I'm thinking it would make a lovely quilt of more blocks set side by side in bright pretty colors. (For some reason it makes me think of a Band-aide!)

To create the block, I decided to cut rectangles a bit longer than the templates measured, and piece them onto the background triangles.

 Then, using my Easy Square ruler, I simply trimmed it to size! To quote the farmer's wife, "Is there any greater joy, I wonder, than that of a hard task well done?"

Besides the happiness which comes of service, Mrs. S.O. reminds the reader of the beauty of family life on the farm where "we'll be spending our evenings together with our music, books or mutual friends, or going to some amusement together". I doubt she could have even imagined late night TV or Facebook! Let's pretend this farm family spent some time together enjoying the moon through the attic window, shall we.... Ah, the next block accompanying the letter is called just that: Attic Windows!

Again, I used the trick of making two of the pieces in this block longer in an effort to simplify it's creation...

 The trick worked pretty slick, I thought...

 A couple of slices with my rotary cutter, and it was trimmed to exact size!

"And last, but not least, of the good things I desire for this daughter-o'-mine, are peace, a love of nature and time for quiet, happy thoughts." These words are reflective of the last block, called End of Day. I used the same lengthen- the- piece- sew -it- together- and -cut- it- off technique to sew up this modern looking (I think) block in happy colors. It's not perfect, but I think it will work!

The author lovingly sums up her attitude about being a farmer's wife this way: "And so, folks, I want my daughter to marry a farmer, a good man, upright, steadfast and true, with visions of the farm-life-to-be in his heart. Then, hand and hand, they can work to make their dreams come true, and she will know the happiness I have known. I could not ask for more."

Now this lady is someone I wish that I could have known, don't you!  I know that Cindy has some pretty blocks to show you on her Farmer's Wife Friday post. Don't miss it!