Farmer's Wife Tracking Sheet

I sometimes think that I enjoy the planning part of quilting as much as the doing part of quilting. Since I have quite a few projects going on at once, I have several Excel worksheets that I create to help my in my progress and to keep me motivated on my projects.

I created this spreadsheet to help me keep track of which blocks I have completed for the Farmer's Wife QAL. I did this out of necessity, as I am doing two colorways. One colorway is done in numerical order and the QAL is being done at a more random order. By crossing out the number of each block of each colorway, I can keep track of my progress at a glance.

Work Station #2

Does anyone have more than one workspace where you work on projects? I have the most beautiful new sewing room anyone can ask for, and I still work at another "station" in the house. I set this up while we were building the new sewing room and it has stayed in place even after we completed the room.

I decided to leave it set up so I could spend the evenings with my husband and still be able to work on projects. Right now, I am cutting out my Farmer's Wife's blocks. I finished the colorway of the Moda Breath of Avignon, and now I am working on the Civil War reproductions colorway. When I am done with this, I plan on doing my applique projects, cutting out small blocks or projects, and embroidery projects.

Meet Molly.....

I have always wanted a dress form that was my size. I'm glad that I waited until now to get one, as I have grown around in size! Molly is an XL size dress by Simplicity. I ended up ordering it from Amazon, because Joannes doesn't sell the XL size locally, and I would have to pay shipping. Amazon ships frre on orders over $35, and the price was $97, which is less than Joanns, even with it on sale or with their discount coupons.

I think the red is too much of a contrast to my pink room and she looks naked, so I plan on making her an outfit as soon as I get her adjusted to my measurements.

Spring Time

I think spring is finally peeking out in my rain drenched part of the country. We had two beautiful sunny, rain free days and this caused the plants to start blooming. We worked hard and long around our place. Got some more garden planted, lawns mowed, sidewalks powerwashed, and some plants in holding beds out into flower beds.

Behind!

I missed my LQS club last month, it snowed, and I don't drive in the snow. That's another whole story for a later post. So, I went yesterday, and picked up what I missed last month and the current block.

When I got home, I laid it all out (pictured below) and realized I am way behind. Normally it would only be one missed block and the current block. But....I am doing an alternate block, the extra embroidery project (which is two blocks a month), and a mystery quilt section per month.

So how far behind am I?

Regular Club Block - 2 blocks

Alternate Block - 2 blocks

Embroidery Blocks - 6 blocks (ha! I didn't get the month before the month missed done yet)

Mystery Quilt Blocks - 3 sections (again I didn't get the month before the month missed done)

Total Blocks = 13+ depending on the amount of pieces/blocke for the mystery quilt sections.

Yikes!!!!

Oh well, my list is always ever ending, ever changing, and ever blissful! Wouldn't have it any other way.....

Today's Work

Yesterday's post was about getting the pieces together to begin the quilting process. So today, I took it to the machine and began the quilting process. I do my "actual quilting" on my 1984 990 Viking. My husband refers to it as "Big Bertha". It is truely a workhorse, and hasn't ever been in for any kind of service including any cleaning.

I am planning on doing some straight line quilting in a plaid grid pattern. Here is a picture of the quilt in the machine.

My goal this year is to complete an old UFO project for every new project I want to buy or start.

Simple Flannel Quilt

When I moved into my new sewing room, I of course found many things. Many things like projects that I started but put away. Put away because I wasn't in the mood to finish them, or I got bored on working on them, or something newer/better came along, or life interupted them.

Anyway, this is one of those projects. This is a Thimbleberries pattern that was so simple, I knew it would be perfect done in flannels. I bought this several years ago, the line is by Maywood Studios "Christmas Presence". I really liked the colors, and I didn't think it looked so Christmasy, that it couldn't be used all year round.

I have to confess that this part is the least part of quilting that I like to do. Maybe that's why it got put away so long ago? I have to say that sandwiching and pinning it today was so much easier doing it on my nice big cutting table. I used to have to do it on our king-sized bed, but there were always folds and wrinkles in the fabric because the surface was not hard.


This view is looking at the cutting table from the left side.

This view is looking at the cutting table from the right side.

And this is a close up view of the two flannels.