Block #20 - 1930 Farmer's Wife QAL

The block was released on Thursday, two days after I had spend the morning playing catch-up.  So I was a little peeved and thought about waiting until the next one was announced so I could do two at a time.  But the current block was #20 - Caroline. Looking at the block I knew it was HST (half square triangles) and didn't want to do it as FPP (foundation paper piecing).  

Let me stop and interject here - this is not a book a complete newbie could pick up and figure out.  There are no 'step-by-step' instructions. I consider myself an intermediate quilter, but I am glad I am in this QAL for the tutorials.  I looked at the first couple and they weren't going about it the way I thought I wanted to do it - HST's.  Then I looked at Jess of The Elven Garden tutorial.  She constructed this using HST's.  And boy, did I learn a few things!

• This block reinforced the premise there is no quilt police coming after me if I don't do it a certain way.  There are alternate methods on each block (at least up to this point).
• I can press seams open!
• Jess showed me how to line up the seams so the points come out sooooooo good.
• As the leaders have said from the very start, this quilt is a learning process.  I can't wait to see what tips I pick up on the rest of the blocks.

There is still a bit of work on the points, but, boy, it's so much closer than it would have been if I had done it my usual way.  Plus, I probably wouldn't have figured out the big blocks are QST (Quarter Square Triangles) rather than HST.

Once I got my measurements figured out for the blocks, with Jess' help "Caroline" was a breeze!  I can't wait to see what I learn next. 

Farmer's Wife 1930 QAL - Week 2

This week I am playing catch-up.  With sewing for the Big Read (and life in general) I only got one of the 3 blocks completed.  Well, actually, since I am doing 2 of each block, I got 2 out of 6 done.  So today I ignored housework in order to get caught up.

I am still amazed at what a difference fabric selection makes.  Same blocks, different styles and colors make it a totally different quilt.

Some of the things I am learning and liking or not liking so far...

• Going to have to figure out getting the printer to print out correctly.  Right now I am having to 'guess' at some of the sizes of the block pieces. Don't think the directions are the best in the world or all that clear.  I would not like to be a beginner and not have this group to fall back on. I don't understand on some of the blocks why we were suppose to cut out triangles and deal with bias edges rather than making HST.  But then, that's me.
• My points are becoming a bit better, even when I feel like I am guessing at the size of the pieces.
• It takes almost as long to figure out what fabrics I want in each block as it does to make the block.  I am also finding myself paying more attention to the direction of the design and how it flows in the various directions.
• Pressing seams...I can tell there is going to be issues further down the line.  With some of the blocks and how intricate they are, pressing is going to be important.

With four blocks down, there are only 95 more to go.  I hope I am as pleased with the last four as I am with the first four.  Now, onto pj pants for Texter!

1930's Farmer's Wife QAL - First Block

So it's started.  The 1930's Farmer's Wife QAL.  And this is the first block.  They are starting us off easy so even beginning quilters can grow their skills.  Me, I'm the crazy one and doing it in two different styles of fabrics.

This block is done in more 'traditional' fabrics and I foundation paper pieced it.  Only to realize my 'inch' scale on all the 99 blocks I copied off is just a hair off.  Hmmmmm.....  So either I am going to have to deal and realize my blocks will be 5.5 inches finished or I am going to have to reprint all the pages as I go along.  Decisions, decisions.

But I think my favorite is going to be my black and white version.  Not only is it sharp looking (to me, at least), but if you look at the black with the stars - where the two blocks come together - I cut completely by accident and it pieced as a whole star. But what a difference fabric choice makes.

Overall, I am really pleased with how this block turned out.  They are now safely in their little protective sleeve and I will do the second block for the week today.  It's also fairly straight forward with regard to being squares and rectangles, so I will probably cut my fabrics the 'true' size.  Or maybe do FPP on the traditional fabric and correct size on the black and white one.  Interesting, isn't it.

One Block Wonder Started

With Texter's help, I picked out some fabric for my first attempt at the One-Block Wonder.  Jen at Quilter in the Closet is leading a QAL for this method of piecing (and is doing a tremendous job).  I selected by fabric, but I wasn't really "thrilled" at the choice and came home with doubts as to it's workability, especially after seeing some of the selections on our Flickr group.

It has colors I liked (purple and green).  It has movement.  It is a nice size motif.  But then, like I said, after I bought it, I started having doubts.  I kept thinking I wanted a large, bold, colorful pattern.  But Texter told me to go with this.

So I have enough not only for a quilt top, but to probably do some strip piecing on the back of the quilt.  But that lingering doubt was there and I couldn't get to it for about a week.

The book is correct, the initial 'set-up' is fiddly, lining up the pattern, all 6 layers of it.  But once you get that set it is pretty straight forward.  Still doubting the outcome, I only did three strips.  I figured I didn't want to waste the fabric if it wasn't going to work.

I cut my triangles out and put them in my box (my attempt to be organized) and carried them into the sewing room and sat down to see how big of a mistake I had made with my fabric selection.  It didn't take long for me to get into a rhythm and I felt a bit like Noah's Ark, 2 x 2.  

I would sew 2 sets of 2 triangles together and lay them with the third set of 2 unsewn triangles, do a bunch, take them over and press the seams open, and then come back and sew the third triangle on to each set of 2 to form my half-hex.  Then I would press that seam open and put them on my new design board. 

And much to my surprise, this is what turned out.....

IT WORKED!

Of course, Texter is in the background with a smug expression on her face, going "I told you so!"

I am seeing some blocks that are very similar (if not identical).  But the movement is there and it is hitting all the right notes on my 'kaleidoscope nerve'.

So I am going to continue.  What is on the design board now is about 3/4 of the 3 strips I cut out earlier.  I am thinking now of some of the additional design elements Maxine Rosenthal mentions in her books. I have some purple batiks I am thinking of adding...we will see.  

Once I get my half-hexes sewn, I am then suppose to separate them out into dominant color.   What I am seeing so far isn't so much 'color', but value - light and dark.  I can see the quilt going from dark to light with some solid batiks included also going from dark to light.

This quilt was an 'experiment' in the method and so far I am pleased with how it is coming out.  However, I do still want to go with a bigger, bolder color combination, so I can see this will not be my only One-Block Wonder quilt I will be doing.