The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt – Block # 14 – Butterflies at the Crossroads

Good morning everyone,

It is a beautiful sunny amazing day here in Quebec and perfect for going outside… If one hadn’t forgotten to grab the garage door opener out of the car this morning, resulting in having no sled and no stroller to take little man anywhere. So postponing our outdoor time to later in the afternoon when daddy comes home with big sister, on to my sewing table I go!

At the beginning of my maternity leave, I had set a goal for myself for this year : I was going to go through the Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt‘s 111 blocks, using my scraps and perfecting my piecing and cutting techniques along the way. As much as my heart pushes me towards more modern blocks, the idea of learning all these century old traditional blocks spoke to me even more. 2014 is all about me bettering myself. Great if I get to finish a few quilt projects, but I’ve set my sights on smaller projects, miniature quilts, table toppers, mug rugs and more, to truly perfect my sewing.

Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent to me that for now, making the 2 to 3 blocks a week necessary to be done by October 2014 would require time that I could not promise I had. So I revised my plan and decided on 1 block a week, finishing my project by Christmas of 2015, where I will have pieced and put together a queen size quilt of the most random fabrics, patterns and colors. What that will allow me to do as well is to participate in other projects, making quilting a bit more fun. If it becomes a chore, then I’ve missed the point.

That being said, I wanted to share my block for this week and if you’ll let me, I’ll share with you my weekly progress.

Block # 14 – Butterflies at the Crossroads

The thing about this book is that every single piece of every single block has templates to cut out the pieces. There 111 blocks and there are over 130 templates. Here is an idea of the cutting work that needs to be done.

After having made the first 13 blocks of this book (I’ve made myself go in order), I can honestly say that this one, I consider moderately easy. There are 29 pieces, that will be put together to form a 6,5 inch unfinished block (6 inches finished). To give you an idea of the size of the pieces, I’ve taken this. Keep in mind, a Canadian quarter and an American quarter are pretty much the same size.

Next comes putting the pieces together. I’ve learned to use a piece of cotton batting to put my pieces down. It creates a friction that keeps the pieces in place so a wisp of air or a toddler looking with her hands, will not disrupt the order.

Piece by piece, you put them together. 30 separate seems of a few inches each, pressing, assembling. The number of times I’ve burned my fingers is completely lost on me. But at the end, you get these perfect little squares.

And what was my son doing during all this time? Sleeping you might think, but no. Laying on the floor next to my sewing table, listening with me to the sound of my machine, playing peek-a-boo with me over the ironing board and chewing on my scraps, my son is watching me passionately making something with my own hands, relaxed, smiling, loving life. How can our kids learn what passion is if we wait until they are in bed to indulge in our own? Would it go quicker if he was in bed? YES! But wouldn’t my crafting be lonely without my little angel to share it with? ABSOLUTELY!

How do you share your passions with your children? I would love to know!