Hi Ho a Dairy oh...

My first 3 Farmer's Wife blocks are DONE :) YAY!! It feels so good to finally get started with the months of planning I have been doing :) I am working on them in order, but only doing the ones right now that I can do the "math" for and rotary cut. I will go back when these are all done and work on the others as templates or paper piecing. I have quite a big list of those that I can do with math and started with #1. Here they are...

#1 Autumn Tints

#3 Basket

#4 Basket Weave

I am working on more orange and yellow at the moment. I love the colors I chose (red, pink, blue, green, orange, and yellow) and am so excited about all the pretty blocks to come!! I am officially "in" and am hooked! So fun!!

A Farmer's Wife...

I dream of living in the country, having pigs and chickens (well, maybe not pigs- turkeys would work), enjoying the tress and fresh air, and gazing at a ga-zillion stars at night :). My hubby is not too fond of the idea- he likes suburbia :). At least we live in a "smaller" town, but still not the "country" by any stretch of the imagination. There is a Walmart less than a mile away, for Pete's sake :)! I regularly threaten my kiddos that we are moving to a farm to teach them what it's like to really work and have jobs- today's easy lifestyle is just not the best way to teach the value of work. The farm is where I am when I am gazing off in the distance. Ah, to dream...
When the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along began, I thought there was no way I could ever make such wonderful and intricate blocks. But as time has passed, I have convinced myself that where there is a will, there is a way. I just gotta make this quilt- something inside of me is calling to it, to the stories, to the life. Don't get me wrong, I have to have my running water, but the simpleness of it all takes me away! So I began assembling quarter yards to fit my project. The book came, and I have started diagraming blocks that I can do with math, that will be paper pieced, etc. Most of the prints I got at 3 LQS that I heart. The last fourth I got from the sweet Natasha at SkyeReve Fabrics (yesterday's post was about her shop).

I had dreamed of getting Annie's Farm Stand from FQS for this quilt, but couldn't fork out the $250 for the 4 FQ bundles I wanted. And they don't have the option of getting quarter yard cuts. Miss Natasha and my LQS do though :). Ta-da! I'm in business :)!! So I stuck with the same colors as the Annie's Farm stand and picked out my favorites- LOTS of Japenese and Lecein!! I am just in love with the colors and softness of print. It has been so fun to prepare these piles- even a few from my stash. So here it is, all ready to go and be cut into for the gorgeous FWQAL. I have a picture in my mind as to how it will turn out; we'll see how close I am...

Now if only I could just decide which block to start with- :)

Oh my SkyeReve Fabrics!!

I have done a lot of online and brick and mortar shopping lately- trying to get the last couple prints for the FWQAL and backs for current quilts :). One shop that has blown me away with the selection, service, and just plain nice-ness is SkyeReve Fabrics (http://skyerevefabrics.com/)!! I met Natasha when purchasing fabric for the Rainbow Charm Swap 2- I needed some purple and she had just what I was looking for :).

Unfortunately, I oops'ed in cutting my last charm square line and needed another quarter yard. Don't ya just hate it when that happens??

Actually, it turned out to be a VERY good thing beacuse sweet Natasha got me an additional quarter yard of the fabric I needed and was so obliging to also send me a **few** of the other prints I have been dreaming of :). All in the name of an anniversary present to myself- hehe! And she even had a coupon for my first purchase!

It arrived today and I have not stopped squealing yet! Sarah Jane, Hoo's in the Forest, Sugar Flower 2011, butterflies, dots, berries, airplanes, and so much more loveliness! I am just beside myself!! I have a new best fabric friend :) Behold the yumminess:

I am giddy in the sweetness! Can hardly wait to cut into these lovelies and make something beautiful out of it all together :). Stop on over to her shop if you want some down home nice-ness and just plain incredible selection! Thanks so much Natasha- I'll be back again very soon!!!