I mentioned some months ago, that I have joined a weekly quilting group in a local village hall, I love going along every Thursday to sit and sew, but sometimes it is a mad rush to find something to take along and to get my stuff together. I decided I needed a project that was easy to pick up and put down, that I could work on when I had nothing else prepared to sew.
When I saw that Angie over at Gnome Angel was organising a SAL for the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt I decided that would make the perfect take along project. You see I bought the book when it first came out in 2009 and it has been sitting on the shelf ever since 😀
You can find details of the SAL here
https://www.gnomeangel.com/farmers-wife-1920s-sampler-quilt-sew-along-faq/ Angie is using EPP with precut papers from paper pieces. I did briefly consider doing the same, but they are quite expensive and I am saving for a very special birthday present (more on that later!) I decided to hand piece my blocks, so I simply printed the templates and laminated them. This method works really well for templates that you only need to use a few times and it's much more accurate than tracing. I use a small 1/8th" hole punch to mark a hole at the corners.
I often start off these projects with great enthusiasm, and then lose my way part way through when I forget what my original plan was! For this to work I need to be organised as this will be a long term carry along project for me. I had a couple of F1/8th bundles of Brenda Riddle Moda fabric in 'Fleur' and 'Guernsey' which I thought might play nicely with some Lecien yardage I have been hoarding and a Marsha McCluskey staples pindot in pink. If I can make this quilt entirely from stash then I will be very happy 🤗
I am using the templates to roughly cut a big enough piece of fabric for each of the pieces in the block and then storing them in small bags, I will accurately cut my pieces when I am ready to make the block. I thought that if I had all the fabrics chosen, it would make it easier to just pick and bag and make a block.
I am also using the book like a diary, writing on the date I make a block and anything that happened that day along with sticking a piece of the fabric I used onto the pages, it should make a nice memory record of the quilt and it will be interesting to see how long it actually takes me 😝
I have all my tools and threads etc in the sewing pouch I made a couple of months ago, details
HERE
and an old square ruler covered in felt that serves as a design board
I have put all of the bags, the book etc into this lovely canvas bag a friend gave me for my birthday last year as it reminded her of my cottage.
I have an old box that a salad bowl came in, which is the perfect size for storing finished blocks. I don't think I have ever been so organised 😂