Showing posts with label Depression fabrics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Depression fabrics. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Farmer's Wife 1930s: Bride, No. 17


Farmer's Wife 1930s
Bride, No.17

This week has been a flurry of cleaning up leaves, and summer. Rarely do I cut down my perennials preferring to leave them to wither on their own schedule, but something made me go through the gardens and tidy this year. The saying, "Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today," pops up over and over. My compost and leaf piles are enormous. It will be a rich spring for fertilizer.

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Modified Paper Piecing: Farmer's Wife 1930s: Blossom, No.15


The Farmer's Wife 1930s
Blossom, No.15

Years ago I was involved in a round robin, and introduced to a modified paper piecing technique that didn't require me to sew through the paper. That was a revelation because I hated that part with a passion. I had avoided all paper piecing projects. But the idea of folding back the paper, and sewing beside the seam made a lot of sense, and saved the paper to use again. No ripping!

Yesterday I posted on a Facebook site for Farmer's Wife 1930s blocks, and another poster mentioned a book called Painless Paper Piecing by Marjorie Rine. This is a modified version of her technique, I believe, by the little bit I can read in the look inside option on Amazon. I learned it from another quilter, and will pass on the rough details I used. The book is still available used, and I suggest you purchase it if you want the exact details of that method.

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Farmer's Wife 1930s: Bea, No. 11


Farmer's Wife 1930s:
Bea, No. 11

This week has flown by. I've hustled to get customer quilts out the door, and also a quilt pieced for one of our sons. The Civil War blocks have been fun, and there's a lot of crossover between those blocks and these. But the Civil War blocks are 8", and the Farmer's Wife blocks are 6". You can feel the difference when there's so many little pieces to fit together.

Also, approaching a new block pattern every time you sit down to sew requires concentration. The need for accuracy as you scale down makes you pay close attention to your basic skill set: fabric prep, cutting, handling the fabric, sewing a proper seam, and how and even when to press. All have been scrutinized, and tweaked in the past weeks. It makes me want to try some even smaller blocks still. I guess it's like the limbo. 

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Farmer's Wife 1930s: Ava, No.10


Ava, No. 10

I know I said I was going to do a block a day to get my out from behind the grind of my Farmer's Wife 1930's project, but I'm choosing steady progress over a killer plan. It's a little like a busman's holiday to come home from quilting all day to piece blocks, and yet it's a pleasant segue. There's usually a few spare minutes between my through the door, cooking, and dinner, and find this works like eggs in coffee. Sweet!

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Farmer's Wife 1930s: Autumn, No.9


Autumn, No.9

What an appropriate block name to show today! Are you deep in the leaves, perusing pumpkins, and lapping up lattes? 😉 Oh, yeah, there's no doubt of a seasonal shift now. Isn't it funny to have to open your door or check the weather to see if it's shirt sleeve or parka weather? I feel like the height of the color change is already here, but a pilot friend who flew over the trees last weekend told me it's only beginning. Brace yourself for a race through some weird holidays to follow. 2020 isn't over yet for sure!

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.


Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Farmer's Wife 1930's: April, No.6


Farmer's Wife 1930's: April, No.6


This block was a bit of a trial. I'm still getting back into the swing of working small, and realizing I need to be consistent. I'm used to piecing with the mind set of "work a little big, and cut down or trim when done." These blocks do not work that way. They are precise, and will teach you to be that way if you want them to come out right. I'll show you how that works.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Update: 1930's Depression Era Quilting


 Quilting Revision

Imagine this: You're laying in bed in the middle of the night wondering if you should have added more quilting to a project. The batting package said, Quilt up to 8-10" apart. You wonder, "In every direction or does it count if there's 2" and then a channel?" The dog whines. You let the dog out, and you---dumb, dumb, dumb, you check your phone. And someone on your quilting list says, "I wonder if she put enough quilting around those plates?" That is cause for a hot flash, and you are wide awake, sister! Not to mention the quilt has already traveled half an hour back to the store for pick up for binding. Now aren't you glad this isn't you, but me?

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

1940's Vintage Log Cabin Quilting Finish


1940's Scrappy Wonderful!

Some of you have watched the slow progression of my hand quilting project over the last year. Some months felt like a ship without wind. It went nowhere. I would like to believe it had something to do with my method of quilting.

Since the 1990's, I have always used a square or rectangular PVC type quilting frame with the snap on grips for hand quilting. My hand quilting projects have mainly been throw size or smaller, and it never occurred to me a twin size would be any different. I was wrong. I was wrestling a monster each time I had to move the frame. I was rolling and pinning huge sections to keep it manageable, and even then it was hard to keep the backing taut within the frame.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

The Farmer's Wife 1930s: Blocks 3 & 4


"Ann"
The Farmer's Wife 1930's Block No. 4


If you go missing too long around here, people will ask, "Did you fall in?" And my reply today would be, "A little bit." Busy has new meaning. The grass is growing by the minute. Three college diplomas were earned in the past months by a few of our children. Two of those were just this week, and were master's degrees. I am a proud mama! Kids have moved in, moved out, and buying a real moving van would have been a great investment years ago. My role as a member of a large family is changing, and there are daily adjustments. No worries. It's all good, but different. As spring settles herself down to a manageable pace, I'll be more regulated, and my posts as well.  Your comment went unanswered, you say? My deepest apologies. Just bare with me until I can catch up. I'll dig my way out of the email pile, and I'll have lots of goodies to show you, too! I keep sewing to stay sane through the chaos.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Snail's Trail with Depression Scraps aka Feed Sacks


Snail's Trail Block



Always Start by Sorting!


About a year ago I started collecting vintage fabrics. They can still be found around here by hunting little shops, word of mouth, or scrolling through Ebay. Everything I buy comes home, and gets a good wash and press, and then stored flat. Up to this point I haven't used a thing. I've been literally stockpiling it waiting for just the right project.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Hunting Down and Caring for Vintage Textiles



"Button, button. Who's got the button?"


Did you play this game as a child? I did. I also passed many hours sifting through my mother's, grandmother's, and even great-grandmother's button tins. Mind you, most were not new. They had previously lives on garments worn years, and maybe the century before my hands touched them. Many were nicked and scarred, but still had usefulness left in them, so they were removed in the hope they could be reused. 

Sunday, October 25, 2015

1930's Farmer's Wife: Week 4: Blocks 49, 78, 94,


#78 Old Maid


I've settled into a routine of making my Farmer's Wife blocks on Sunday. I have my spare sewing machine at the house, and I like being able to spend time with the family when they're all home. The only downside of sewing at the kitchen table is having snacks nearby.

Monday, October 19, 2015

The Farmer's Wife 1930s: Week 3: Blocks 13, 24

Belle

Week 3 of 1930's Farmer's Wife Sew-along is over, and I barely slid in on (my imposed) schedule by sewing 2 blocks Sunday afternoon. Belle, #13, and Coral, #24 were Week 3 blocks, and we encountered our first Y seam block with Belle. I was super excited, and I know a few of you are cringing, but I like Y seam sewing. No, not all the time or every seam, but it's a little bit of a challenge, and that makes things more interesting. I like to have to work at it a bit. 

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Are You Ready for the Farmer's Wife 1930s Version?


Penny's Dollhouse (left) & Walk in the Park (right)


Today is the big day many of us have been waiting. The first block for Farmer's Wife 1930's Sample Quilt Sew-along was announced last night. Angie at Gnome Angel is leading over 4,000 of us through the year with help from Marti Michell, and many other bloggers. The only commitment is to purchase your own copy of The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt which comes with its own cd to print instructions, templates, or paper piecing templates for each block. I would like to compliment how well it's gone so far, and the lack of technical problems. Emails are on time and accurate, the Facebook page is very active, and people are kind! There's no deadline, so join in if you wish. The back posts will be hosted on Gnome Angel's blog page if you need to catch up.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Vintage Stash: What's It Worth to You?




Vintage 1930's Depression Era Fabric Baby Quilt

A friend of mine--the same one in the wooden quilt post-- was offered 5 boxes of fabric for sale, and had no way of digging through it before she decided. By only looking at the fabric on the top, she called me to say it was 'old', and looked like 'stuff I would like'. She lives hours away, so I took a chance and said, "Buy it." 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

One Day Closer to Another Finish


I started this lovely quilt just about a year ago.
I'd made several for other people, and decided
I wanted one just for me. Something a little
vintage-looking, feminine, sweet maybe.

I started it one day without a pattern, and soon
found myself in a pickle in how it was all
put together. I was pretty new at this yet.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Finish Up Friday



I rarely ever want to make the same quilt twice, but this is an exception.
I'm emotionally drawn to the Depression Era reproduction fabrics, and I blended 
what I had with some solids and recent prints. A few additional prints were 
given to me by the soon-to-be-grandma of the expected baby. 
They blended perfectly,and I used them to make the quilt even more personal.  

Quilt Stats
  • 5" tumbler template from Missouri Quilt Co. 
  • Sew pieces together side by side, then rows horizontally.
  • From fabric selection to a finished top--about 3 hours.
  • Used a standard baby quilt size of "Warm and Natural" cotton batting
  • Straight quilted with a walking foot on Janome 8200QC. Stitch length 2.8mm following about 1/2" from either side of seams
  • Left 'wavy' edges to add to the charm
  • Bound with 2 1/4" straight cut binding

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Unisex Baby Quilt


I finished this little quilt top this afternoon. I'm SO happy how it turned out. I think it says, "Baby!", and neither girl nor boy. Mission accomplished. That's what I was aiming for. We've got company coming this week to visit, so it might not be a finished quilt by week's end, but I'm shooting for it. It's given me so many more ideas on how to use the Depression fabrics.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Birthdays




We celebrated Christmas quietly yesterday, and today we're on to a daughter's birthday. December is a busy month here. We're part of a rather large extended family, and getting to the point in life where children are marrying, and our siblings and friends are becoming grandparents. It's rather exciting, isn't it? Babies are such a joy to be around, especially when you aren't directly responsible for them, and they go home with someone else!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

I've Been Quilting in My Dreams


Good morning, Doxie Girls! Did you sleep soundly or like me, did you dream about quilting all night long? I swear there are nights I can't shut put my ideas to sleep with me, and I wake up knowing I was quilting in my sleep. I sure hope this gets better!