I’m going farming – 1930’s style!

If you have been hanging around on Facebook or Instagram lately, you would know that the latest big hit is the sew along for 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.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along
This is being hosted by the fabulous (and busy) Angie Wilson, and sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop and Marti Michell. I was so excited when Angie emailed me and asked me if I’d like to jump on board and be one of the official bloggers.

 

Of course, like all good quilters, my first thought was, “What fabric should I use?”

 

My signature style is bright, modern, saturated prints. I love Tula Pink, Kate Spain and Joel Dewberry. Should I use those types of fabrics to complete this quilt?

 

Then I stopped and thought about the quilt. Do you see those teeny tiny blocks there on the cover? Each one of those is 6″ across, and they can have 30 or more pieces! Bold multicoloured fabrics would not give me the result I envisioned for this quilt. So I thought that this is the ideal time for me to try something completely out of the ordinary (for me!)… make a vintage feeling 1930’s reproduction quilt. Of course, there would be a Cassie spin on it. In this case, it was provided by DH – when sent a list of fat quarter bundles to review, his choice was somewhat unexpected. But it will make a sumptuously coloured quilt, so let’s go with it!

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

Introducing the very bright and very PINK fat quarter bundle from Lakehouse Textiles – Pam Kitty Morning’s Rincon Hill Fog City Kitty. It has the small scale and florals that you would expect to see in a quilt of this era, but is just a little bit removed from the full vintage feel.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

However, on second look, I could see a problem with some using some of the prints. If you look more closely at Laurie’s cover quilt, you will notice the white sashing, and the very lack of white based or low volume prints in the blocks. If I used those types of prints, the blocks would “bleed” into the sashing areas and lose their crisp definition. Of course, that’s not to say they will be wasted, I am collecting low volume fabrics for a special quilt I’m planning in my head.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

So you can see the 4 prints up top that I removed, and the remaining 11 below. Even more colour saturation than before! I love the grey, of course, but all that pink is a bit much. Using the second fabric from the left on the top row – let’s bring in some cool tones to provide some much needed balance.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

I deliberately kept the prints to the 1930’s vibe, small scale, and added back in some pink and red to tie the whole collection together. The best part about a year long sewing project is that I will have lots of chances to find and add new fabrics in as time goes on; these are just to get me started. But wait, Cassie, what are you forgetting?

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

Ahhh…. some solids to mix in with all those prints. Currently drawn from my stash, 2 shades of grey, one aqua and one minty green. Of course, I will need to add a shade or two of pink to my solids selection, but this should be enough for the beginning.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

Did you know that the countdown is already on? Sewing starts in 3 days! But if you’re not quite ready, or still waiting on your book, don’t stress. There’s lots and lots of time to catch up – a whole year in fact. It’s not about the race, it’s about the finish line.

 

Angie has got all your Frequently Asked Questions covered here and some hints on fabric selection and organization here for you to read while we are all waiting for the starter’s whistle.

 

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Sew along

 

 

So, are you coming farming with us? I promise that it’s all fun and no pressure, just like a good quilt retreat*

 

*chocolate not provided

 

 

 Happy Crafting - Cassie.

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