I'm actually on top of my Farmer's Wife blocks this week! I finished three this weekend, and then found out Tuesday that my workplace was surrounded by water. I work with adults who have mental and physical disabilities so I wasn't worried about my job, but I was very worried about how my people would be handling life in the shelter. Today one of them greeted me by saying she got to go to camp the past two days and I knew everything was okay. On Tuesday I was able to distract myself for a while by making three more blocks. I've decided I really want to work on quilting my Hedgepigs and Hares quilt so I'm saving the second set of blocks for next week.
#52 Hovering Hawks
I had a minor heart attack with the Darting Birds block. After finishing all of those tiny pieces (if anyone's interested there are 60 pieces in this 6" block) I was pressing my block like a good quilter. I was struggling to get it to lie flat so I gave it a shot of steam. My iron spit an ugly blot of rust on one of the white squares. I ran to the sink, but cold water didn't get it out. I asked the members of Late Night Quilters on facebook what I could do. I got tons of great suggestions and unwittingly started a discussion on steam vs. starch. Since I had vinegar on hand I tried rinsing my block with vinegar and then used a little dish soap and was able to get the spot out.
#27 Darting Birds
The last block was a nice break. It's a little wonky looking, but after the fiasco with the last block I was a little afraid of doing a proper pressing job. I'll go back in my July 4th fixing spree and give it a proper pressing.
#85 Square Dance
50/111
54:40
I'm so impressed.....all those points......yikes! Good job....
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. Those points definitely show my progress. I can't believe that I didn't chop any of them off.
DeleteJust read on the Farmer's Wife group that you are now and member and are from NW Iowa. I've been a member for awhile and am from Algona. Welcome. Don't have a blog, but read a few. I have about 25 blocks done in Civil War/reproduction fabric.Was doing pretty good and then last year just died - want to get back to it, my wife and I - are co-managing the Quilted Steeple Retreat center in rural Lone Rock and I would like to have possible a FW weekend retreat (but need to plan it). Of course, I have all sorts of ideas for retreats, but ... it's just finding time to plan them. Check out the Facebook pages. Well welcome, maybe our paths will cross sometime - love to go to quilt shops. Take care, Robert, from northern Iowa.
ReplyDeleteHow fun. Algona is just 2 hours from me. I went to school at Waldorf over in Forest City so I drove through Algona several times when I was visiting my parents. I think a FW retreat would be such a great idea.
DeleteYour blocks are really good!! I am making most of my blocks by the paper pieced patterns... I hope to avoid a major heart attack! Thank goodness your rust spot came out! You would've had to tea dye the block if it wouldn't come out!!
ReplyDeleteSusie
Thanks for visiting. My plan was to do some strategic seam ripping and replace the stained section (thankfully it was on the edge.) I'm so glad that the vinegar worked and I didn't have to mess with that.
DeleteOk, 60 pieces is way to many for a 6" block! I'm impressed. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the black and white. That will be very cool when it is finished. How many blocks are you making?
Right now my plan is to make all of them. I fully agree that 60 pieces are way too many, but the block does look really cool. Hopefully I get to some easier ones again soon.
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