Wednesday, May 14, 2014

WIP Wednesday: 111 Farmer's Wife Blocks

All 111 Farmer's Wife blocks are pieced and ready to sash! Thank you, Marti Michell.

Over the four years of 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks, 16 posts have been about this quilt. It's about time to finish it, don't you think?

I started this massive project in the Spring of 2010, when I first saw the book at the Pueblo Quilt Expo. I spied the book and a fat quarter tower of Civil War reproduction fabrics at a booth from Texas. In the next aisle, I saw that my LQS, High Country Quilts, was also selling the book. I asked Jean about it and she said they were doing it as a BOM.  Karen led the group, and also designed foundation piecing patterns for many of the more difficult blocks.

I plugged along for a couple of years, making two or three blocks a month. But not really making a lot of progress.  Then, last year I saw that Marti Michell had written conversion charts for using her From Marti Michell templates to make these complex 6.5" blocks. Yay!

Progress at last.  My only surviving brother and his wife will celebrate 50 years of marriage this June. (I'll try to find the photo of my sister and me wearing dresses made by my mother for the wedding.) So I decided, since he is the only Dyer boy who became a Farmer, they should have this quilt.  And the pressure is on!

A few of the blocks had come out smaller than 6.5" -- rather than try to compensate for that in the sashing strips, I decided to re-sew them using Marti's templates. And last night, I finished the last block.


No sashing yet, I'll decide what fabric to use today when I visit Ruth's Stitchery for Wednesday Block Party. But all the blocks are finished! All the blocks are finished! All the blocks are finished!

Here are some closeups of a few of my favorite blocks.

First, the Red Cross block. This one isn't in the book, it was a special gift design from Karen. I used it to replace a block that was a duplicate.


I'm quite proud of this block, #94, Tall Pine Tree. It is one of about 10 blocks for which Marti did not write a conversion. So I used my Bloc-Loc Half Rectangle Triangle ruler and made my own.


This is one I re-made because it was too small, #99, Women's Christian Temperance Union. I used the colors of the Women's Suffrage Movement, purple, white and green.


On the left is #45, Grape Basket. That's 30 pieces in a 6.5" block. Ahem. On the right is one that would have been impossible without Karen's foundation piecing design, Night and Day.


Linking up to Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts.


And WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

If blog posts are scant the next week, it's because I'm busily sashing this doozy of a quilt!


From the desk of your auntmartisignature

19 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Can't wait to see the finished quilt; it will be a stunner. Don't often buy templates but when I do they are Marti Michell's.

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  2. Oh, my heavens! Oh, Marti, it's so gorgeous! It's going to be the best anniversary gift ever. Can't wait to see the photo of you and your sister in the dresses your mom made. What a treasure that photo must be!!!

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  3. Beautiful! Will you create some original hst blocks for setting? If you are looking for inspiration there is a blogger making a “nearly insane” quilt that has a number of hst blocks.

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  4. I am blown away by your quilt blocks...beyond stunning! Cannot wait to see it finished! Congratulations on completing all the blocks.

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  5. Oh, wow!!! I can totally see why it has taken years to come together! I don't think I would have been brave enough to attempt it!

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  6. It's fabulous, Marti. Now, step away from the computer and get stashing! :oD

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  7. That is going to be amazing when it's done. Love it.

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  8. Gorgeous! I've been tempted by the beautiful blocks, but daunted by all the templates. Maybe someday.

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  9. I am slowly plugging away at the Farmer's Wife as well, way to go for a big sewing session to get it all done.

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  10. Beautiful Marti. Look forward to seeing the finished quilt. hugs.....

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  11. Congratulations!! I have been working on my FWQ for over a year. Your block finish gives my inspiration to get mine out again.

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  12. Nothing like a deadline to promote action. :-) It will be an impressive gift/

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  13. Phew!
    I am thinking what an heirloom this will be and wondering if you might sew a little pocket on the back (under the label) for a few notes about the family. It would sure make it even more special for generations to come.

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  14. It is wonderful to see all your completed blocks. I am working on the Farmer's Wife quilt too and I only have 5 blocks to go. I look forward to seeing your sashing selection and the quilt top completed.

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  15. What a gorgeous quilt that is going to be! My granddaddy was a farmer, all his life, and my grandmama, at 88, still lives in their house. Such a lovely gift! :-)

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  16. Spectacular! I've seen a couple of these done by a couple of ladies in our meetup group. Quite a commitment! They had issues with some of the blocks too. Looking forward to see the finished quilt.

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  17. Wow! It is a beautiful quilt and a massive achievement. You are a very generous sister. Well done. Gill (sorry I still end up commenting as my husband Steven as I don't have my own Google account)

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  18. My goodness! What a feat! So many tiny blocks and each so precisely pieced. You have done an amazing job on these blocks! Look forward to seeing them all sashed up!

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  19. Wow!, good for you!

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