:: So now I'm a farmer's wife

You would think after making 69 blocks, 14 to go would be nothin.  But crazy as it is, these were my hardest to find motivation to do.  I have a few other quilts in the works, and it was all I could do to not break them out and work on them.  But I knew if I stopped, I wouldn't finish this one for a long time.  Don't get me wrong, I love making these, but here at the end I lost a bit of steam.  My rule was good for me, and forced me to finish!  Now I am SO glad I did.

I'm so glad to have made these last 14 blocks, and the sluggishness I felt before starting has now completely evaporated at the thought of sewing them all together and getting to see what it will look like!  So hold on, cause here's the last (long) lineup of blocks, completing my 83 total.

Block 92 - Streak of Lightning

 Block 81 - Snowball

 Block 101 - Wedding Ring

Block 90 - Storm Signal

 Block 72 - Railroad

Block 84 - Spool

 Block 86 - Squash Blossom

 Block 93 - Swallow

 Block 108 - Windmill (love me a good polka dot)

 Block 46 - Hill & Valley (switched this one around a little)

 Block 85 - Square Dance

 Block 68 - Postage Stamp (there's just something I love about these adorable 1" squares)

Block 103 - Whirlwind

And last but not least: (drumroll please.....)
Block 87 - Star Gardener

What a fun project this has been.  You really should consider giving it a go if you like scrappy projects.  And other exciting news: I finally made myself a design wall of sorts.  Not the highest-tech thing, but it was fast and cheap - 2 necessary things in my life. 

Nothing more than a $3 picnic tablecoth from Walmart thumb-tacked into the wall (back side out), but the blocks stick, and now the kids aren't gonna be walking all over them during the next few weeks as I try to get them all sewn together.  Which is what I'm doing now. 

Cutting. Sashing. Strips.

All 198 of them.



:: So close - set 7

Today I bring to you another 10 Farmer's Wife blocks (from this book).  I began making these blocks back in February and have decided that I am not allowed to work on any other quilt until this one is all pieced.  It's so easy to start a project, and drop it about half-way through to start something different.  But this one is getting so close! 

Block 40 - Friendship Block

Block 71 - Puss in the Corner

Block 73 - Rainbow Flowers

Block 83 - Spider Web (I absolutely LOVE this one - something about those polka-dots)

Block 9 - Box

Block 61 - Northern Lights

Block 64 - Peace & Plenty

Block 97 - Waste Not
(this little block was a good lesson for me.  I didn't really like the pattern in the book, but once made, it became one of my favorites.  Lesson for me: do not pre-judge)

Block 70 - Prairie Queen

Block 51 - Hovering Birds

Block 109 - Windows

Block 65 - Peaceful Hours

10 more down, and only 14 blocks left to go!  I'm not excited at all.  =)

:: Farmer's Wife set 6

Are you getting tired of these Farmer's Wife posts yet?  I hope not, but if so, feel free to just skip over them.  I won't be offended.  I'm enjoying making these so much, I just have to show you.  These next set of 10 remind me of the TV show Parenthood.  Probably because we began watching from the very first season while I was cutting out these blocks. 

 

My 8-year-old boy Jack says he and I are alike:  "You love sewing and I love building legos because they are both like putting together a puzzle."  He says it's because we have the same "jeans".  =)  Man I don't want these sweet, innocent days of parenting to end.  Some days it feels like it's gonna be forever.  Like the hours in the day drag by.  Like they will never be able to open the car door, or do their own hair, or clean up the mess they made. 

But when I stop to look and truly appreciate the wonderful things about young children (12 mos - 8 yrs) there is so much to love.  Mostly, that they laugh so easily and love so unconditionally.  They think I'm beautiful when I've just woken up, my hair looks like snakes, and I have absolutely no help from makeup.  They say I smell good even when I haven't showered for 2 days.  They give the best hugs and show so much enthusiasm about little things.  The baby's skin smells so sweet.  Being a Mom and sewing - definitely two of my Top 5 Favorite things in life.

But where was I?  Oh yes - back to these next 10 blocks...

Block 47 - Homemaker

Block 54 - Kitchen Woodbox

Block 48 - Homeward Bound

Block 38 - Four Winds

Block 41 - Friendship Star

Block 106 - Wild Rose & Square

Block 39 - Friendship

Block 32 - Farmer's Daughter

Block 104 - Wild Geese

Block 102 - Whirlpool

So that's about it.  A little sewing, a little mothering - it's my life.  And I am humbled by God's blessings.