Farmer's Wife Quilt - Easter 2020 update

Farmer's Wife Quilt - 111 blocks complete

As promised, here is the Easter 2020 update on my Farmer's Wife quilt blocks.  The news is that all 111 blocks of the 1920's Farmer's Wife blocks have been completed.  As you may remember I have reduced the size from the original 6" and brought them down to 4.5" square.

Farmer's Wife Quilt - 111 blocks complete

As usual I have enjoyed seeing these little blocks come together, but now they are all done I need to decide what layout I want them to be in. With the smaller blocks, obviously the overall quilt would be a lot smaller than the original, so I need to put a bit of time to think of the options.  Naturally, I have a bag of fabric left over, so the options are quite open.

Farmer's Wife Quilt - 111 blocks complete

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 90 Storm Signal

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 90 Storm Signal

Here is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 90 Storm Signal - the same pretty colours I have used throughout the quilt. 

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 89 Steps to the Alter

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 89 Steps to the Alter

My Farmer's Wife Quilt continues. As we enter into December it makes me wonder if I could get all the blocks done by the end of 2019? This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 89 Steps to the Alter quilt block which I finished hand piecing last night.  When I was faced with all the little pieces in a bag it was hard to imagine how this block came together, but when I cut it out (back in April 2019), I was sensible enough to take a photo for reference. 

Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 84 Block Spool

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  84 Block Spool

I think we must have all done this block at some time in our quilt life.  This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  84 Block Spool.  I tried to get the striped fabric in the middle to look like wound thread!

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) - October 2019 Update

Farmer's Wife Quilt blocks

About this time of year I like to give an update on the progress of my current project - The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's).   It doesn't look like much has been done since the last update, but the pile of blocks has definitely got bigger and I know that I have cut all the papers and pieces to complete the final blocks.

Farmer's Wife Quilt blocks

I have done 91 blocks which means there are only 20 remaining.  As I have often said, there is no hurry.  At the moment this project really is a background project, but maybe with the winter nights drawing in, I may be spending some more time by the fire in front of the telly.  Once I have made all the blocks I need to make a decision about how I am going to set them - too many choices!

Farmer's Wife Quilt blocks

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 102 Whirlpool

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 102 Whirlpool

So glad to be making quiet progress with these blocks.  This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 102 Whirlpool. It looks like a traditional block, so I expect it also has some other names - do you know of any?  

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 100 Weathervane

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 100 Weathervane

As well as being a the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 100 Weathervane, this is a traditional block which you may find elsewhere.  My local quilt group had a challenge 'WEATHER' recently and this was the only idea I came up with, but with my slow stitching, it never came to fruition. I will bank it for a future group challenge.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 93 Swallow

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 93 Swallow

Thank goodness for Strictly Come Dancing - I have finally found a regular slot each week to get some of these blocks done. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 93 Swallow - yeah I guess I can just about see a swallow in that block - what do you think?
Linking with Slow Stitching Sunday

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 110 Wood Lily

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 110 Wood Lily

I enjoyed this Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 110 Wood Lily, mainly because it had lots of pieces in it which makes for more interesting fabric combinations and a more challenging block to piece.  In total I think there are 57 pieces in this 4.5" block.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 78 Shooting Star (front and back)

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 78 Shooting Star

For some reason this block took me ages to get together. It wasn't difficult, it just seemed to be the victim of my lack of time.  This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 78 Shooting Star and for a treat I have included a picture of both  the front and the back for you.  As well as the English Paper Piecing technique, it shows you how I code each piece and once done I put the block number on for reference.  I hope you are having a happy stitching day!

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 78 Shooting Star

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 92 Streak of Lightening

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 92 Streak of Lightening

A much needed injection of time has been put towards my Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) in the past few weeks, thanks to a trip to France and plenty of stitching time in the car.
This is The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  block 92 Streak of Lightening.  I think this is quite a well known traditional quilt block. Naturally, I have done it by hand using English Paper Piecing and you can still see the tacking stitches still in place.  I was just pleased to have all the writing on the feature fabric in the same direction!
#Farmerswifequilt

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 109 Windows

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 109 Windows

With the stitching of the Farmer's Wife quilt up and running again I was pleased to notice that I have reached 400 Followers to this blog - welcome Barbara Woods!
This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 109 Windows.  It used up the last of this patterned fabric I had and now I look at the photo, it is looking slightly distorted.  No fear. It will be forced into shape when the time comes.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 59 Night and Day

 The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 59 Night and Day

Here is the first  of the blocks from the recent prep session, Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 59 Night and Day.  It reminds me of the 1952 Festival of Britain logo.  I think this is the only bit of this green I have left, so pleased to squeeze it into this block.

April 2019 Farmer's Wife Progress

Farmer's Wife Quilt - Prepping English Paper Piecing

As anticipated, the Easter break gave my a small slot of time to prep the next set of Farmer's Wife blocks.  This process usually pulling every Fig Tree fabric that I have out onto a table, whilst I decide the colour combinations of each block, so I try to do it in one blco of time to minimise the disruption.  I have scanned all of them into Electric Quilt 8, so I do a lot of designing in that programme.  The good news is that I have cut out and bagged up all the remaiing blocks and they are all ready and waiting for the little moments that I have for English Paper Piecing.

Farmer's Wife Quilt - Prepping English Paper Piecing

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 74 Ribbons

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 74 Ribbons

This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 74 Ribbons. I only had limited amounts of the white patterned fabrics, so some of the seams are at the limit.
I am reaching a tricky part of this quilt - I have run out of prepped blocks to do.  Let's hope the Easter break allows some time for designing and cutting.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 38 Four Winds

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds

Back in the day when I was working on my Nearly Insane quilt, I had worked out that on a 6" block, 100 pieces was just about right to keep it interesting and enough of a challenge. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds.  This block has at least 50 pieces in it  but is only 4" square. It has kept me quiet for several days.

Suzi the cat on the window sill

Meanwhile, there is no rest for the wicked.  Suzi has had to abandon the comfort of her bed for a permanent station on the window sill. The pigeons just won't let up.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 54 Kitchen Woodbox

 The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 54 Kitchen Woodbox

Recently, I seem to be rattling through these Farmer's Wife blocks. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 54 Kitchen Woodbox.  The outer corners were originally yellow, like the centre, but I had a change of heart and used the plain pink moda solid.

Suzi the cat on the Allitare quilt

With regards to the spring time pigeon activity, Suzi has at least found a comfy spot to keep an eye on them, but that doesn't leave much time for snoozing.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 51 Hovering Birds

 The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 51 Hovering Birds

It is just about warm enough to do my photoshoot outside.  Everything is starting to flourish and spring is on its way. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 51 Hovering Birds. Certainly the birds are all very busy at the moment and I have caught Suzi napping on the job, whilst she keeps check in the pigeons.

Suzi the cat

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 28 Duck and Ducklings

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 28 Duck and Ducklings

This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 28 Duck and Ducklings. I am trying to add a bit of the very dark pink / red fabric in little bits across the quilt, so really pleased to fit in the centre square and to fussy cut the stripes.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 69 Practical Orchard

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 69 Practical Orchard

Yes, this is just a nine-patch, but look how I fussy cut the cross-hatch fabric. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 69 Practical Orchard.  With all these orchards, no wonder they needed so many baskets.