Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long Week 5

#41-Granny and #44- Jenny

So the first block is #41- Granny

I love the use of large pieces of fabric in this block.  I also thought it would be a great use of directional fabrics.  Since the fabrics in this quilt is leftover from Sarah's quilt and her quilt had no directional fabric restrictions, I have quite a few of these fabrics.

After seeing a completed QAL block that the larger pieces were not pieced, I really liked that idea.  With further review of a couple of "non-pieced" blocks I noticed that they were appliqued.  This was quite exciting for me as I have been wanting to try some new appluque tricks I had learned.

Here are most of the items I used to make this block.

First I cut my triangle.  For this I just cut out the triange, adding 1/4" seam allowance, from the diagram off the cd.  Then I prepared my applique piece.

NEW TRICK #1- Using 3 layers of freezer paper as the applique shape.  Pressing 3 layers on top of each othe makes a nice, stiff pattern piece.  I then had the plastic side of the freezer paper pattern piece to press to my fabric.  It worked wonders!

TRICK #2-  Next I used a paint brush to apply starch to both sides of the applique piece.  Then pressed it over with the iron.

Finished piece:

Next I used Elmer to place the piece:

The pressed it in place.

This is what it looked like once sewnin place:

Next I removed the paper, pried apart the pieced I had used Elmer on, then cut the green in the corner and pressed the seams open.  I wanted to press the seams open so that it didn't look appliqued.

Finished one quarter.

Here is the finished block.  I am very pleased.

Now for #45-Jenny

This one was far less exciting but no less loved. I did stumbled a bit before reading the tutorial. I put the center triangles together and then tried to add the outside but then I had Y seams to deal with. The tutorial I go to the outside parallelogram and triangle first, making it a triangle. Then you put the four triangles together. Note to self read the tutorial first, much easier.

Here are all of the blocks so far.

Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long Week 4

All day on Monday I was trolling GnomeAngel.com for the first block being released this week.  After all the waiting I was very excited to work on the released block only to have to wait until Thursday to get started.  At my quilt meeting on Tuesday morning I volunteered to do an "emergency" Prayers and Squares backing.  Then on Wednesday with Sarah's giving her faith statement along with the rest of the hectic day, quilting was just not in the cards.

This weeks blocks are #78 Old Maid, #94 Susannah, and #49 Katherine

Here is the first block I attempted, Old Maid:

This is my first attempt.  After completing when I measured, it was 6 3/4" square rather than 6 1/2".  So what does one do but trim.  When trimming was completed the sides only had about 1/8" seem allowance without cutting into the points.  This was not acceptable so I started another.

Reviewing the color I decided to change the green and leave the solid I used in the first attempt for a multicolor block, more versatile.  This time I trimmed as I went so it only ended up 1/8" too big on each side.  I know why, when cutting the quarter square triangles, the suggested size they large so allows for trimming.  Even though I trimmed the center of the block the edges were long.  I trimmed a bit and called it acceptable.

#94 Susannah

#49 Katherine

Here are all of the blocks so far.  The bottom block's green is questionable.  As the quilt progresses, if it still sticks out like a sore thumb I will redo with other fabrics

Farmers Wife Quilt-a-long Weeks 1-3

So I started a bit behind on the quilt-a-long (QAL) due to needing to finish up a quilt for church.  For many of the blocks I have done so far, Elmer's washable glue has been a godsend, even Bonnie that I paper pieced.  The fabrics are left over from doing my daughter's quilt.

Week 1 bocks were #16- Bonnie, #12- Becky, and #8 Aunt

Being that this was my first block I'm learning to try to fussy cut better. 

 

 

Week 2- #14- Betty and #20- Caroline

Week 3- #13- Belle and #24 Coral

This Belle block was the only block I paper pieced so far.  It involved Y seams which were a fun challange.  Again, extolling the virtues of Elmer, the Y seems were no issue.  Loved not having the pins to deal with.

This as all of them so far:

Again, Elmer and heavy starch have sure been my friends.  I have never in 28 years of quilting had such consistantly accurate points.  

So far I am very pleased with the results.