Sunday, August 5, 2012

Sadly I am STILL the Queen of Unfinished Quilt Projects!

Yes, I am the Queen of unfinished quilt projects. If someone out there would like to challenge me, just take a look at my blog and then understand that I have 2 closets and 4 drawers in my hall that I haven't even shown you. I believed in my heart that I would someday have the money to send them out to be "quilted by credit card" as Eleanor Burns says. Hasn't happened yet. Here are some unfinished blocks from the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book that I started a while back. I thought I would make them in my contemporary color stash instead of the dark colors of the original quilt. But now I don't know.


For anyone who hasn't seen this book, it contains letters written by farm wives in response to a January, 1922, contest by the magazine called "The Farmer's Wife". The contest was to write a letter advising a daughter, assuming the writer had one, whether or not to marry a farmer based on their own experience. The magazine got over 7,000 entries. This wonderful quilt pattern book has excerpts from these letters and patterns that were offered in the magazine during the twenties. It is a charming book, even if you aren't a quilter.
The finished quilt blocks are 6" x 6". There are groups of quilters who are doing these blocks and blogging with each other about their progress. Here's my question: should I do this quilt (which would be a major quilt for me) in contemporary colors, in the browns and reds shown in the book or maybe in feed sack colors from the 20's? Here are the colors I was going to use only adding red and lime green to this color grouping.
What do you think? I know you are all either quilters or home decorators or both. I hate to do too many of these little blocks and then change my mind. A 6" block is TINY! Especially like this one (Birds in the Air)! That's 40 pieces in one little block!
So that's what I'm thinking about today. It might stay cool enough (projected only 99 degrees today after 3 straight days of 113 degrees) to use my iron. So I could iron fabrics to cut. So what do you think? Have a great Sunday! Cheery wave from Bev

7 comments:

sew.darn.quilt said...

Don't worry, I think there's quite a few of us vying for that crown!
I'm trying to give you a run for your money! ;o)

Robin said...

I would go with the bold, but having said that go with what is in your heart. You have to like the colors or you will put it away and not work on it, so another non finish.

Robin in Washington State

Deborah said...

I like what you've done already.....I would stick with that! I made about 10 FW blocks and then came to a complete halt! My friend finished all her blocks in beautiful solids!

Anonymous said...

I think we need to work on what makes us feel happy and it should be fun. Our sewing life is too short to waste on projects we aren't in love with.
As for quilting quilt tops, I'd rather pay and get them done to pass on to family rather than investing in more stash that family would not need. Yes, I'm am a longarm quilter who is saddened when somebody inherits a top that a relative had hiding in a closet and didn't get to use or enjoy themselves. Quilting simple edge to edge doesn't cost more than fabrics purchased to make top in most cases.

Margaret said...

I think the colors you chose are awesome and would be great for these blocks. I have the book on my wish list and thought I would make it in contemporary colors also. I say go for it.

Needle little Balance said...

I think your FW blocks are nice. Imagine how they´ll look with a white sashing. I´m a UFO-queen, too, you are not alone! :-) I love piecing and finishing the binding but not the quilting process in between. But there isn´t even a possibility to have my quilttops 'quilted by credit card', because no one offers this service here, so I guess I have to be brave ;-)

Bev C said...

Hello Bev,

Oh I believe there are plenty of quilters,sewers,cross stitchers with the same problem. Just tackle the projects one by one. Happy days.
Bev.xoxo