carkai
Showing posts with label carkai. Show all posts
plan together ~ Mrs Keller and Carrie
I have been quietly hand stitching in the evenings and have finished a couple more Farmer's Wife 1930's Sew-along blocks. Both of these blocks were hand pieced, to see my hand piecing tutorial click here.
#69 Mrs Keller
As someone that doesn't do well with change, I really admire the author of this letter for her determination and acceptance of the fact that her and her husband needed to return to the farm. "I was determined that I would go to that farm and like it, in spite of myself". The grey Carolyn Friedlander print represents the town and the Cotton + Steel Sprinkles is for the farm. The central fabric is both sad and happy, it looks like tears but the colours are very pretty. It turns out that she was not unhappy living on the farm, "We work together and plan together. To be sure we have had disappointments, but they are part of life, so we meet them together".
#21 Carrie
Another letter that focused on triumphing over adversity. I used Liberty fabric for this block. The brown pixels and the blue swirls are for the "the dust [that] fogs over us when it blows". The roses are for the fact that the family felt "blue" until they decided to go to Sunday School and the lesson was a "balm to our tired souls]... Now we sing as we work, and next year is another year".
I am still catching up on blocks though I'm choosing to skip a few here and there. I currently have 52/99 blocks and suspect I won't actually sew them all, preferring instead to make a quilt when the sew along finishes rather than to try and make all the blocks. The OCD part of me really hates that but I think it's more realistic and enjoyable for me to just make the blocks I like and actually have a quilt*! Does anyone else have this struggle?! Would you make them all or prefer to finish with what you had?
* I have decided on a layout, other than the one in the book, that doesn't require me to have all the blocks completed. I'm ok with that.
the urge to sew ~ Mrs Fay ~ Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-Along
I'm back for my turn as a guest blogger for the Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt Sew-along with Fat Quarter Shop and Gnome Angel. Today's block is #68 Mrs Fay.
For this block I went back to hand piecing, I really enjoy it and it is quicker than English paper piecing. To see my hand piecing tutorial click here.
I did manage to goof part of this block while I was sewing it together but it was a simple fix and the block isn't hard if you are concentrating! I found it easiest to piece the four components, as in the assembly instructions, and then sew two pieces to opposite sides of the square:
Then I sewed the other two parts in, like piecing a jigsaw! I definitely prefer to do things like that by hand rather than machine. *please excuse the gloomy picture above, it was late at night and I wanted to keep sewing!
#68 Mrs Fay
The letter describes the wife's surroundings in Iowa, "Sheer beauty lying all around us if we but care to make it our own". I chose the orange and gold Carkai print for the "sun setting in a glory of rose and gold". The neutral Cotton and Steel print is to represent "the snow and sleet that change our common surroundings to fairyland".
It resonates with me to think that we can step outside of our worries and all the 'to dos', even if just for a brief moment, to appreciate that it is "glorious to be alive". Admiring the beauty of nature can indeed make us feel "calm and exhilarated", if we take time to notice it.
The letter describes the wife's surroundings in Iowa, "Sheer beauty lying all around us if we but care to make it our own". I chose the orange and gold Carkai print for the "sun setting in a glory of rose and gold". The neutral Cotton and Steel print is to represent "the snow and sleet that change our common surroundings to fairyland".
It resonates with me to think that we can step outside of our worries and all the 'to dos', even if just for a brief moment, to appreciate that it is "glorious to be alive". Admiring the beauty of nature can indeed make us feel "calm and exhilarated", if we take time to notice it.
Those corner points do meet, I just didn't press it very well and need to press those seams open rather than to the side I think!
I really enjoyed making this block and it looks beautiful whether you have it straight on or on point!
The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt: Inspiring Letters from Farm Women of the Great Depression and 99 Quilt Blocks That Honor Them by Laurie Aaron Hird for Fons & Porter/F+W; RRP $28.99 – Click here to purchase.
childish and thankful ~ Marcella and Primrose
A couple more Farmer's Wife 1930's Sew-along blocks that I have finished. I still have quite a few to catch up on... slowly but surely making my way through them!
#56 Marcella
This was such a lovely little story. As a mum to three I completely identify with having to get lots of stuff done but those play times, like "make-believe tea" allow us not only to connect with our children but also to relax and be in the moment. I chose fabrics to remind me of their little tea party and kept it mostly light and bright.
"It is a great privilege of us mothers to relive our childish days with our children and to keep in step with their youth as time goes on. It helps to keep our spirits from growing old and shriveled".
I did English Paper Piecing to construct this block.
#85 Primrose
This letter really made me smile, the thankful way she appreciates what little she has. It struck me that as a "little Flemish girl during the World War" she went through so much and really longed to live in America after receiving "cups of cocoa and buns". I decided this was the opportunity I needed to use this Fruit Gum, Fruit Dots by Melody Miller because to me it is perfectly American and also serves as a reminder to be grateful for all the things we have, no matter how small!
This block was hand pieced, to see my tutorial click here.
If you are crafting tomorrow, come and join the #saturdaynightcraftalong on instagram. It's a really fun way to share your work and see what other people are creating! I will be hosting from 6pm BST. It begins in Australia with Rachel @barefootcrafter and then following on from me is Meg @myteandbrie in the US. We craft along every week!
Have a great weekend everyone!
linking up to finish it up friday at crazy mom quilts
deceptive ~ Anne ~ Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-Along
It started badly. When I looked at the block picture next to the letter I thought there were only two fabrics. I spent some time choosing two fabrics, then happened to look at the block assembly and realised there were three! I chose my fabrics based on the theme of the letter so I had a rethink and finally felt happy with my picks:
top to bottom: Delicate Femme in Apricot, Rapture by Pat Bravo; Carpal Stone Grid in Gold, Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander and Row by Row Lit, Cultivate by Bonnie Christine.
And then it just went downhill!
I decided to hand piece this block, the last few were English Paper Pieced but I needed a change. Perhaps because I had been used to just cutting up the pieces, or maybe because I wasn't concentrating, I messed up. I failed to realise that the triangles in the centre are not all the same size or that this is a mirror image block. And it wasn't until I started sewing that it all clicked.
I salvaged what I could and then re-cut the pieces. Very often a block spinning the wrong way wouldn't bother me at all but I do like getting it 'right' when I can. Also by this point I was questioning everything and relying heavily on the block assembly to keep me in check!
The easiest way for me to make sure the pieces are correct in a mirror image block when hand piecing, is to print the block diagram and trace the lines on the reverse. I use a lightpad, put the diagram face down and then the fabric right side down on top - turn the light on and trace.
So finally I had the pieces cut out properly! The block can be split into quarters, as each quarter is the same. I laid out a quarter to ensure it was right then split the block into eighths and used clips to hold the pieces for each small section together.
I must have looked at the block assembly a million times while I was sewing and it really isn't that complicated!! I think I just started doubting myself because I screwed up the cutting. My brain probably needed the challenge ;)
Usually I do know what I'm doing and you can find my hand piecing tutorial here.
Even with all the mistakes I made I did enjoy sewing this block together!
#5 Anne
This was a beautiful letter, I like how often the letters tell of simplicity and finding joy in what we have. I also found the book The Culture of Simplicity by Malcolm McLeod, that is quoted in the letter - you can read it online here (there are sections missing but it is free). You need to click the Next>> tab on the top right to flip through the pages.
I used the grid print to represent the "rolling brown fields" and the floral print as a symbol to "Live simply then. Enjoy the present moment". The stripe worked beautifully as "the beams that bring summer into the soul and make us lighthearted, free and glad".
I'm already working on my next block and getting back into the swing of it! Are you sewing along? How many blocks have you completed so far and which block is your favourite?
The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt: Inspiring Letters from Farm Women of the Great Depression and 99 Quilt Blocks That Honor Them by Laurie Aaron Hird for Fons & Porter/F+W; RRP $28.99 – Click here to purchase.
Sunday Stash ~~ Fat Quarter Shop giveaway!
**Giveaway now closed**
Molli Sparkles was busy getting into the groove with Madonna this weekend so I'm happily hosting Sunday Stash. I have a few stash additions to share and will be giving away a fabulous fat quarter bundle thanks to Fat Quarter Shop!
Recently I ordered glue pen refills from Simply Solids. There is panic when I'm low on both those and the Styla pens, I like having back ups! They don't make for a great photo but it's okay because I couldn't resist some lovely fabric too:
top to bottom: Stitches in Petunia, Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander; Ladder Lines in Sage, Doe by Carolyn Friedlander; Tiny Crosses in Winter Sage, Tucker Prairie by One Canoe Two; Dusk Weave, Bright Sun by Sherri & Chelsi; Shibuya Rust, Tokyo Train Ride by Sarah Watts and Don't Fence Me In in Teal, The Highlands by Violet Craft - this is a gorgeous blender print!
I adored Pearl Bracelets and so the Mini Pearl Bracelets were a must for me, I was in a subtle mood when I got these two from The Village Haberdashery:
I got 2 metres of The Big One in Pepper, Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander from Patchfinders. I have plans for this! Any left overs will find their way into many other projects, this is a great neutral modern print.
I also got my third month of the Patchwork of the Crosses Quilt BOM from Sew and Quilt and Jessie nailed it again, such beautiful fabrics! I can't resist Liberty, it's so classic and pretty.
I have lots to be getting on with.
If you would like some pretty fabric to play with you're in luck because Fat Quarter Shop are kindly giving away this Essentials II by Pat Bravo Fat Quarter Bundle - 18 fat quarters!
**Giveaway now closed**
Good Luck!
Now I'm looking forward to seeing your stash! Link your posts / photos below and go and peek at some of the other links while you're here :)
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