Friday, August 5, 2011

Farmer's Wife Friday: Worthwhile and Purposeful Things

This week's letter was written by a farmer's wife in Charlotte County, Virginia. It was a long letter, written by a woman who spent the first twenty-one years of her life in a large city. Her letter was written after spending twenty years on the farm. "I have learned that true happiness is best found in doing real God-service. This the farm woman finds in raising fowls, making butter, curing meat, planting [a] garden, canning, drying and preserving. I find real joy in doing these worthwhile things that need to be done because the world needs the fruits of my labors."

The first block is #20, Churn Dash, in the color of butter.
The second is #86, Squash Blossoms, with the color of fresh vegetables from her garden.

"No joy born of city pleasures exceeds the joy I feel when my products flaunt the blue ribbon at the state fairs."


#74, Ribbons. Blue of course.

Besides the chores of churning butter and planting squash in her garden, this farmer's wife placed a great deal of value on education. "I believe that a prerequisite of a woman's content, success and happiness on the farm is a broad education--college if possible."

"I can always find great lacks in the city woman's life and I often make comparisons. When it comes to dress and style--we farm women love pretty and becoming clothes and like to appear correctly gowned." I bet she made sure that sense of style extended to her husband as well.

#10, Bowtie.

These four blocks had a lot of white in them.
But they sure look pretty with the rest of the blocks.
I admire the writer of this week's letter. She seems to have worked hard to find balance in her life. "By working when I work and by planning ahead I have leisure hours." Good advice for my life as well.

Don't forget to check out Carla's blocks and read what she thought of Mrs. M.H.M. from Charlotte County, Virginia.

17 comments:

05 08
Selfsewn said... #

Is it possible to be a farmers wife if your husband isnt a farmer?

I dont churn butter, but I do grow squashes in my garden.

Have a lovely weekend.

Clare

ps I dont need to say how lovely your quilt is looking, I think you already know! LOL

Ruth said... #

Ooh! I like the veggie colours - perfect for August. And I love the shot with all the other blocks too - it's really coming together!

The Luedtke Family said... #

This would make a fantastic small scrapbook, with pictures of each block. You should use your blog texts and pics already taken. Your photo book would look fantastic on a bookshelf next to the Original Farmer's Wife Quilt book. Someone recently told me about picaboo.com, easy to use for scrapbooks. Not that you need more to do, but if you work on your scrapbook a Friday's worth at a time, your scrapbook will be done when the last thread from the binding is snipped.

Mrs Flying Blind... said... #

Your blocks are looking sunning x

Needled Mom said... #

Those blocks are really growing. I love the new ones.

Terriaw said... #

Absolutely beautiful blocks this week! I just love how much the contrasts pop. I also love that you share with us the letters behind these blocks, which I haven't seen other participants doing. So awesome to see all the blocks together so far!

Rene' said... #

Cindy, I'm drooling over this week's blocks! Who knew Churn Dash could look so lovely? I also really like the Squash Blossom and Ribbon blocks in your colors of choice.

felicity said... #

Loving how you're interpreting these patterns - the colour choices are really speaking to me. And I, too, am enjoying the excerpts from the letters, and how you've related them to your blocks and colour choices. In conclusion, you = awesome.

Anonymous said... #

This quilt will look stunning in solids. I had the same idea. Now to exicute it. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.

Poppyprint said... #

Your blocks are just smashing. I love it that you are working through the book in such a mindful way.

Selfsewn said... #

Yep flowering snowball of sorts, trying to get away from all the hexagons going around :p

xx

paper piecing pf course!

Mary said... #

Loving those shot cottons with these blocks! What a smarty pants you are to have picked such a great fabric!!! hee hee They look terrific all together as well.

Carla said... #

Cindy, your color choices and piecing are so awesome! Your quilt is going to be stunning. Truly!

Anonymous said... #

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Jennifer said... #

Your blocks are gorgeous! I love the solids set against the white.

Jennifer :)

Mama Pea said... #

More great blocks! I really like your use of solids. If I ever get off my duff and make this quilt, I think I'd like to follow your lead and do the solids. I like your color choices a lot, too.

Amanda Jean said... #

it is amazing to see the changes from a straight setting to an on point setting. your blocks look AMAZING! i can't fathom how you are putting up with the precision that is required for the blocks. you are doing AweSome!