Seeing as I’ve reached the 30% mark with my hexi-puffs, I thought they were due a mention. I’ve got them down to a fine art now. They are my on-the-go project, which I take everywhere.
I love the bright colours. A definite plus when outside is overcast and drizzly. This project is stepping forward.
Next project is taking more faltering steps. After my success with the three first blocks, I have realised my mistake. Oh, the curse of precision!
I’m making a The Farmer’s Wife quilt. If you’ve not flicked open the pages of a copy of this book, then I recommend at least a quick glimpse. If you love quilts and vintage issues, especially country life, then this book is worth a look. It contains letters written in 1922, from US farmer’s wives (thus the title) taking part in a competition. Basically their views about whether their daughter’s should marry a farmer. It is a lovely snapshot of the time. I suspect, if the competition was re-run now, the question would be so very different!
Arranged among the letters are 6″ quilt blocks for the reader to make. Just perfect for my cutting-fabric-out-precisely project. The book helpfully includes a CD with the templates. So far, so good. I choose my first three blocks and they worked perfectly. On the strength of this success, I dived right in and printed out half the pieces I needed. So far so good.
Actually, no it wasn’t. The next blocks just didn’t meet up properly. Hmph! After a bit of measuring and investigations, it turned out that I had printed the templates out too big. All of them. I was now making 7″ blocks. With a bit of fiddling I could still make them, just slightly bigger. I can do this, but it has made this project more challenging than I intended. Not a good sub-title for a partly made quilt. If I lose my momentum, it could end up as a UFO. One step back.
One step forward. The girls planted bulbs. Some to enter for a competition this weekend. After six years of failing to put the given bulbs in the earth, our household have finally managed to have flowers to enter this event. Yeh. A definite step forward. We don’t mind if we win or lose, it will be an achievement to have taken part!
I don’t know if I got it wrong but I found making these little hexy’s very tricky, is this so or am thick ?
it seemed so fiddly with the needles so close together.
I knit socks on 4 needles with no trouble.
Briony
x
After seeing the pieces that you produce and knowing how clever you are at making things, I can assure you are not missing the point. The hexies are fiddly. Not enough stitches on each needle to be truely comfortable to knit like a sock. I tend to bunch up the stitches and angle my needles in a way that gives me more room. So satisfying when another hexie slides off the needles.
Wow, I love those beautiful hexipuffs! I hate having projects go slightly sideways, it ruins all your good plans! I hope you manage to keep going, it will be so satisfying when you’re done.
I think I’ve mastered the different measurements now. Each patchwork block is quick to make. So much to do at the moment, that I feel slighty guilty spending time on this project. I’m just grabbing time to cut a few more out.
Love the Puffs ! looking forward to see how they come together..I’m most intrigued :0)
Sympathy for the quilt pattern template awkwardness… most annoying I bet.
The farmers wife letters sound fascinating…
The flower picture is lovely and most cheerful..we have been growing mustard and cress but are now desperate for colour :0)
I think you would love the farmers wife letters. It really is a glimpse into times gone by, straight from the horse’s mouth – so to speak!
We are sadly lacking colour in the garden. Daffodils are just budding up. Primroses and pulmonaria are in bloom, but my girl’s bulb collection is beautiful in the house.
oh those hexipuffs look so fun – my cat would love to batt them allover the house! 🙂
and ooooh a farmer’s wife quilt!! i look forward to following your blocks!
i have a wonderful friend who made one, her top is done, but not the quilting:
http://quirkygranolagirl.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-precious-again.html
it’s such a cool idea, and i love all the different interpretations of each block!
Good job I haven’t got a cat. The children have far too much fun throwing all the hexies up in the air at the same time and enjoying the hexie shower. I’m sure I’ve lost some!
I spent some time looking around the net for other farmers wife quilts and the variety is fabulous. Same pattern, but all unique.
thanks for checking out my blog and for commenting. your blogger account is set to “no reply”, so i had to reply here. i hope that is okay.
good luck with your FW templates and blocks. sooooo many people on the flickr group had trouble with printing their templates, though i haven’t heard of many printing them too big.
-melinda
Trust me to be different! Looking forward to seeing you quilt complete.