We're off to week 3, Keep up the good work
Muriel

Is there a way that this discussion and the picture thread can be added to the Farmers Wife Forum so all the threads are in one place? Is that possible?

I like to never found this one! It got buried, I guess.

I think I would like the photos and the discussion on one thread, too, but maybe that's just me....

I'm so scatterbrained, its easier for me. But, I'm also the person that lays down her scissors and can't find them 10 seconds later!LOL!

I've decided Im definitely doing two blocks of each one. One in aqua/teals/pink/browns,etc, very non-traditional and one in more "traditional" colors/patterns.

They will both still be scrappy, though.

Had a bunch of paramedics and firefighters in my house yesterday. One of them took an interest in the book and the blocks. Couldn't tell if he was disgusted or fascinated. It's a fine line in some people. I won't hold my breath waiting for him to show up here.

I love the florals everyone's using. HONCHEY, what fabrics are you using? For that matter, I'd love to know about everyone's fabrics.

I have quite a collection of scraps that I've managed to acquire over the past 20 years. The first question I ask in a newly visited quilt shop is do you have a "scrap bin" and most of them do. There was a shop in Allentown NJ that would let you fill a plastic sandwich baggie that zipped up for $1.00. I would take the basket --layer the pieces slide them in and the roll up all the other swatches and squeeze them in the bag. the bag had to be closed. I had so much fun--It was a challenge for me. I counted them once. 225 pieces of fabric!! I would visit the shop at least 3 times a month. I took my first quilt class there. The shop is no longer in business. I miss it. Oh well, I collect all fabric lines. If a certain color or pattern calls me and I kepp coming back to it I buy it . Mostly because I like it. I also like scraps. No...I love scraps. My home in Calabash, NC will be finished by the end of next month and it's killing me that I'm going to have to divvy up the fabric and machines. I'm rambling again. I have to stop going on and on. enough! Later Guys.

I'm going to live in the Carolinas someday. Jealous that your house is almost complete. Congrats.

Scrappy it is then. Love it.

This is a second home for now to see If I like it there. We'll probably be snowbirds for awhile before we make it permanent.

here are blocks 5 & 6

Pretty colors, This is weird---looking at Batwing from this angle reminds me of those automated robots from Starwars. Your blocks are beeeuuutiful!!!

Very pretty blocks! Did you know that there's a thread for just the pictures of blocks 5 and 6? You might want to post there also so people can see your work...just a thought...

:)

I'm lucky this thread showed up in the daily compilation...I looked for Week Three under Farmer's Wife in search and it didn't show up. Can someone post the picture page link for week three, blocks 5 & 6? Thanks!

Here's the picture link:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-60015-1.htm

Dang. I was all excited before we started and now I'm behind. Half of the blocks are completed. Hoping to get back into my sewing room tomorrow. I had a hard time with block, mmmmmm, #1. Didn't flip the template and it was backwards when I ironed the freezer paper to the fabric. Since then, I'm a little scared. Silly, isn't it? Oh well.

Keep up the good work everyone. I'll scan my blocks soon.

The X-Wing Fighter block (batwing) looks really cool if you stagger the V's. Only works when it's horizontal in the final quilt though. Hope to use it someday.

where do i get the pattern for block 5 & 6. are they on this site....

The rotary cutting instructions for #5 & #6 has it's own thread in the Block of the month &BOW section under the MAIN section. You need the templates for#5 and the book to follow the block assembly.

I made the Bat Wings block twice and ripped it out at least ten times. I almost gave up, then I decided to let it be wrong :( How do you get the tip of the wing to be perfectly centered on the center block?? I think I will try it one more time with very similiar colors so maybe it won't be so noticable that it isn't centered.

Any sugestions?

There are bias edges so make sure the fabric is starched before you cut the batwing pieces.
You fold the length of both the wing section and the center block section--make a tiny crease on the center fold of the fabric- place a pin thru the crease on the wrong side of the batwing piece -bring the point of the pin to the crease on the rightside of the center block-push it thru- this is the center of both pieces. do not remove the pin- anchor same pin-now you can pin the rest of the seam as you normally would and sew.

Honchey, I love your new avatar! He(she?) is a darling!

I also go straight to the scrap bin in the stores! My local Walmart has a scrap bin that the fabrics are marked down half price. Well, they will then take ANOTHER 50% off that! I usually buy all the cottons they have in there, unless its really crappy or something. Whether I need them or not, at that price, I'm sure I will someday! LOL!

I didn't get to work on anything the last few days, I've had a lot going on around here. I am quilting today, though!

You make me laugh. Do you regularly host EMT's and firefighters?? Get them interested enough and they could join the quilt-along too. LOL.

Like you, I'm also enjoying seeing the fabrics everyone's using. My Christmas ones were an easy choice for me:
1. I'd already committed to myself to only use stash fabrics for all future quilts until no longer possible, with the exception of borders, backings, and IRR/block swaps. I should get a couple of years out of this commitment. Not because my stash is large. Because I'm really slow.
2. I have 13 1/2 yds. of this fabric line in FQ packs that I bought last year. Adored the fabric. Had no plan. In the name of budget control, I rarely shop this way, but when they went on clearance . . . well, couldn't pass them up. Now I'm really enjoying playing with them.
3. In 20 years of quilting, I've never made a quilt for my own bed. Now I'm making 2 at the same time! This one and an everyday one I began a few months ago. I've always wanted to have a Christmas quilt for each bed in the house and this will be the first in reaching that goal.
4. I lack the confidence that I can pull off an unplanned scrappie. Thus the limited color pallette and fabric choices.

One of my favorite things about the FWSQ is making the 6" blocks. It's a really nice change from the 12" blocks that I made so many of for block swaps over the past year. But the very best part of this is seeing all the pictures!! Keep them coming everyone!

There is nothing as constant as change, but it takes me longer to adjust the older I get. Discussion of FW to do or not to do is apparently gone...at 106 pages long...it did eat up a lot of room. I put my photo of the first (?) on a page where I thought it went...it went...so then I seen I was behind the times and tried again following the rules..or trying to...and scanned them into the site through my husband's computer. Two and half hours later and a big head ache (working with dh) mission accomplished. One & two blocks with one and two; three and four with proper set of photos; and five & six also in proper place. Have twenty one done, but will wait for proper place comes up before scanning in any more.

I am enjoying the project, loving everyone's blocks that are so unique and colorful, and their comments as well. I find myself paper piecing more and more, trying to get every block as square as possible. That Carol Doark 100 sheets of paper piecing stock has grown much smaller; may have to order more. Thanks to everyone for sharing their blocks and comments.

I'm having a big problem, I need someone who is familiar with Quilt Assistant to help me.

I drew the block for Bat Wings into Quilt Assistant. Now I have a great looking replica of the block. When I go to Print, I click on Paper Piecing.

First problem: In the drop down block next to Print: it says "All 4 Shapes" and there is no other option. In the design mode, I have clicked on each separate shape and it has shown an outline of that full shape, so there should be 9 shapes.

Second problem: I click on full preview and it comes up with a page of assorted diagonal, vertical and horizontal lines that are all part of the block, but none of them are connected. They're not in the right space (they don't look like my block).

Argghhh! :evil: What is going on? What did I do wrong? And how do I fix it?????

If this helps at all, I have twitchy fingers. While I'm trying to get to the spot to start a line on the edge of the square (because I used Honchey's measurements to know where to draw the lines) I sometimes twitch and click the right or left button. Would that affect how the block is perceived?)

Sorry, can't help you with that one. Hang in there, someone will come to your rescue.

Some of us are paper piecing our blocks, which also helps with difficult bias's. Good luck!

Quilting Nonnie...wish I could help you, but my program is EQ6. Are you positive that what groups you clicked on will work? One time I clicked on groups and when I went to print, it did something completely different, but that was because wha I'd clicked on wouldn't work with paper piecing...make sure that your drawn block has all the lines connecting properly? I know it's frustrating to have your program giving you trouble! Is there an 800 number you can call?

I'm wanting to get started - even have a couple small stacks of "matching" scraps for starters from my scrap & button sorting binge last week sitting on my cutting table - but am waiting patiently for the book which is in transit, for delivery sometime by 9/8. I've started my binder w/template pages & rotary instructions, follow the discussions, & get further behind - tho I am pretty fast at the piecing once I get started.

In the meantime am working on practicing my machine quilting on 7 guild charity quilts on my new-to-me Brother 1500S mid-arm on a New Joy Gold Standard Frame w/some hand-drawn pantographs under the stylus. My attempts are nowhere near as smooth & easy as it looks, but gotta start w/something & everything says PPP for the next year before I'll feel confident to put something I would like to treasure on the thing (&/or be ready to invest in a bigger & better machine/frame set-up - tho mine would definitely have to be used at the prices they run...)

Where is says, "4 shapes," is under paper piecing. There should actually be only 3 PP shapes but for some reason the program is putting one of the shapes separate :thumbdown:

Here is how you fix that. Remove the coorect line and draw a line like this [ignore the big purple blob]
[IMG]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...uy/thisone.jpg[/IMG]

Draw you correct line again like this,
[IMG]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...uy/thisone.jpg[/IMG]

Now, remove the wrong line. Now when you hit PP full preview it should say 3 pieces. This is what you need to print because Bat Wings has to be made in 3 parts and then be sewn together.

As for the second problem, I am not sure what you mean. You may want to try checking all the boxes on the "Templates" page and see if that helps.

Good Luck!

I edited this so that the pictures have a big purple blob over them and the lines are not true, I hope this is not a copyright infringment as that is most certainly not my intent.

Do you have the rotary cutting instructions for 5& 6? thanks. I hope you will be doing this for all the blocks as I hate using templates, thanks again!!!

Do you have the rotary cutting instructions for 5& 6? thanks. I hope you will be doing this for all the blocks as I hate using templates, thanks again!!!

There ia a separate thread for the Rotary instructions every week. They are under the heading "Blocks of the month and Week" .

Thanks to everyone who answered my question about Quilt Assistant! You're the best!! I got my paper foundation printed out and am ready for the weekend when I can work on it!

Woo Woo.. it's week three~~~ :)

:( wait, I already did week three. I need week four! <whine>

I just created week 4 under BOM/BOW
Muriel

Woo woo Week 4 is here!!! Thanks Muriel~!

I've tried making this block at least five times, and still I can't get it right. . . I'm giving up and saying enough is enough and this is the best I can do!

The "best I can do" is pretty durn good. I like it.

Thank you! I appreciate your post! Even if I did put this in the wrong thread. . . :oops:

Junepot, I haven't made my bat wings yet, but you've inspired me! I can't see a speck wrong, even on a horse at a slow, slow walk! The fabrics are great too!

Thank you Quilting Nonnie! I thing the point in the middle should be sharper, and try as I might, I just can't get it. Oh, Well.

lol!

Place a pin thru the point of the fabric and then thru to the center of the seam of the fabric you want to join it to. then slide the fabrics of both all the way up to the head of the pin . place pins on both sides of the pin you just pushed thru the point and the seam. You should now have the point at the center of the section you want to join it to.