Farmers Dozen (less one)

Twelve blocks finished, not quite the full Farmer's dozen- the numbers kept changing as I counted my completed pile. The nice thing about this type of quilt-a-long is I can do them when I please so I had a little flurry after a gap.  For the moment, I have abandoned templates and I have just been looking at the blocks and working out the size by eye.  I am lucky, my eyes like this kind of thing and quickly chop things up into squares and rectangles.

Box-Lakehouse Drygoods seed catalogue, Cosmo graph paper, Chloe's Closet check and Suzuko Koseki daisies and red polkas.

When I say do it by eye, I look at the blocks and if I can work out how many squares the block is based on, I can then work out the size of the pieces.  In Snowball- this is a 9 patch block so each square is 2 1/2

 inches before sewing.  For half square triangles, these need to be bigger- I cut 2 7/8 inches squares and then cut them diagonally for the triangles.

Snowball- Alexander Henry Farmdale turquoise, Michael Miller big red polkas, Windham's American vintage close together red polkas and vintage mid spaced polkas!

Half square triangles are easy to cut if you do the maths- or math depending on you where you are in the world. Add 7/8 inch to the finished size of the hst block- the square the two triangles make.  These are 2 inches finished so 2 7/8" to cut out.  

Windows Suzuko Koseki brown doodles, Michael Miller Dick and Jane Sentence structure, Sevenberry yellow floral- if you find this anywhere everyone wants it, me included.

For Postage stamps, the cutting was easy!  I am proud of getting my little squares to behave and line up- I sewed these in rows of 3, blocks of 9 and then put the 4 quarters together.  Seams are nestled-they are pressed in alternate directions for each row- for optimum fit.

Postage Stamps- Lakehouse Drygoods seed catalogue, Suzuko Koseki Red recipe print, Kona school bus, Kona aqua

And a blurry group shot so far- forgot to put the postage stamp one out for this but a shot like this helps to show me which colours are missing and what I need to include more/less of.

Next I am starting on a dress before summer disappears.  Dress making is always a bit of a risk- I can do the sewing bit ( with the exception of zips which will always make me squirm at least a little) but there is often a reality gap between what I like the look of and what actually suits me.  I love the drape and fall of the sort of dresses you find in Japanese pattern books but I tend to look drowned in things like that and possibly like I am in maternity wear, not the best look.  I am having a go at the Lisette Portfolio dress, hmm, I'll show you as I go along- I am prepared for it to look good on the hanger and not on me.  It'll be a learning experience.  Baby Go! is on its way too, or so I have been told...

Dressing Up

I like to dress up.  I am not talking fancy dress, no thank you.  I am not talking about in the bedroom- I find no clothes are best here.  I mean in my everyday clothes, I like to pretend I am from another time or place. My favourite kitchen apron is vintage, thrifted and full length,  My husband thinks I have a sort of Pioneer look going on, maybe a bit Dr Quinn medicine woman 

I wear maxi skirts a lot.  I don't wear tights/panty hose so they seem a practical solution.  I also don't like showing my legs.  I stride out in a long skirt and boots,  I find the length  liberating and I walk fast so I swish along.

I saw Room with A view at 15, fell in love with Helena Bonham Carter, a romance that continues and has been passed on to my daughter.   Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Getting of Wisdom were also major influences on my clothes wearing aesthetic over the years.

I couldn't keep Lottie under the control of my spoon for long!  I am sure that I just look like any other 40 something woman wandering around town  but in my head I am living in an Edwardian drama, corseted and petticoated and with some worn and battered black lace up boots.

Meanwhile... Farmer's wife blocks.  Both rotary cut, no templates.

21 Contrary Wife: Alexander Henry aqua flowers print Farmdale Blossom, Sweetwater Authentic newsprint in cream and black.  How I wish I had more of this, but just layer cake squares.

2 Autumn Tints: Vintage house print, vintage white/red polka dots, vintage red/green flowers,  Moda Little Apples by Aneela Hoey and Lake House Dry Goods seed catalogue, white on black.

I know there are some text fabric fans out there reading, and some of you already know that Mandy at Simply Solids has some of the Lakehouse seed catalogue fabric in a variety of colours- I do not know any where else in the UK to stock these prints so get them whilst you can!   I was missing black on white and it is on its way to my stash, thank you Mandy, always so fast and helpful and thank you tweeters for sending me the info!