Sunday, July 8, 2012

Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt

Hi All!

I have a tiny obsession....The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt. Here is the amazon link so you can see the book. http://amzn.to/NRZla3  Oh dear....like I needed something else to keep me busy! I find working on these little cuties are so fun! I have had this fabric for a few years, it is from Connecting Threads and its a fabric line called, “Canning Days” that they are almost out of now.....boohoo. My sweet sister bought me a big stack of fat quarters two summers ago when I was so ill after my surgeries. I have used a few fat quarters here and there, but have most of it is left and now I know what I am using this for.....my sampler quilt! I plan on making a lap quilt to put on our front room couch. The colors are some of my favorites.

The neat thing about this book is the author as compiled answers to a 1929 Farmer’s Wife Magazine contest to answer the question, “Would you want your daughter to marry a farmer based on your experiences?” Included are 50 responses...they are all so eloquent and convincing, I was ready to start interviewing farmers right now for an arranged marriage with one of their little boys for Lily. BUT, I then flashed back to the time I was head over heels in love with alpacas....I still love them....and I was convinced we should have a small farm with alpacas. I was so over the top that I arranged a field trip with a few of my friends to an alpaca farm. I was so, so crazed, could not WAIT to get to that farm to see how our potential new lives would look. There was this small little detail that I left out of my plans...the fact that numbers 2 and 3 boys in my house had spent most of their first few years in the hospital with asthma...and my 4th little guy had a trach at the time. It all came shattering in on me as we stood for the first few minutes in the glorious barnyard with those sweet baby alpacas.....and Jacob started wheezing, coughing, and going into respiratory distress. I think he ended up on steroids for a few days...and was pretty sick. Of for Pete’s sake, how could have I glossed over that one??

So....I might never, ever live on a farm...but I can quilt like a farmer’s wife, right??

Introducing the girls....

Attic Windows

Autumn Tints

Basket....without its appliqued handle....I’ll do it this week!

Playing nicely together.
So, there are about 50 squares to do for a lap quilt - they are each 6 1/2 inches finished. I’ll keep posting them as I get them done.
Enjoy!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Sweet Owl

I love all of the new owl themes out there. I really love anything that is “woodsy” like a new line they have at Target for little girls and their bedrooms. So.....I purchased the decals for Lily’s room and she really likes them!









So, with all of that woodsy goodness, I had to whip up an owl pillow. I got the pattern from http://www.gingercake.typepad.com/  The pattern I purchased was for “Lola the Owl” which is sort of funny, because we call our new GPS “Lola”...long story. Here is Lily’s new pillow-

This pattern was well written and turned out well. I am going to make the “bonus” pattern, an owl purse! Lily wants us to have matching purses. How can I turn that down? 

Stay cool! It is crazy hot out there!