Friday, May 4, 2012

Farmer's Wife Friday: A Cultured Woman

This is the Friday I have been waiting for. Why, you ask? It will be revealed soon enough.

So the farmer's wife this week is from Ingham County, Michigan. I think this is one of my favorite letters in quite some time. She has three daughters, and she definitely wants them each to marry a farmer.

She paints a lovely picture of working hard, but then having time "to read, do fancy work, play with our children and make their clothes in the latest fashion." She wants her daughters to be cultured. "...a cultured person must be a thinker and I am sure there is no other place or work which affords the chance for one to think than the farm does." 

As I read her letter, I thought to myself that although it was written in the 1920s, it easily could be written in 2012:  "Women of today have greater opportunities and greater knowledge but our problems are more difficult. We must be thinkers in order to build for the health, happiness and success of tomorrow. The farm woman has the time and the place for this thought."

I don't know about you, but I am moving to a farm!!

The first block this week is #5, Bat Wing (so not loving the name of this block...). And for only the second time, I ventured away from shot cottons by Kaffe Fassett. I got the whole Colourbox from Oakshott cottons (which is luscious, by the way). My Kaffe fabrics don't have any black, charcoal or grey, so I used the Oakshott shot cottons for this block.
Next is the block I have been waiting to make since starting this series: #84, Spool. Why so excited?? This is the only block that has a non-solid. Yes. I branched out and used a Kaffe Fassett stripe for the thread. I hope you aren't disappointed because you were expecting something much more exciting than a 2" square of striped fabric! (and if you are disappointed, well, you don't even need to mention it to me...)

Here they are stacked one on top of the other:
And because I haven't been spending much time in my sewing room, I'm recycling a picture of my pretty stack of blocks.
Don't miss what Carla has to say about this week's Farmer's Wife!

14 comments:

05 08
M-R Charbonneau said... #

LOVE the striped fabric in the spool. It's perfect, Cindy, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Mind you, I don't think anyone would because it's perfect! Happy Friday! :)

Mary said... #

I think it is brilliant that you added the stripe fabric for the thread. It will look fabulous when you put all the blocks together! Love the shot cottons and so impressed because I know how tricky they can be!

Lucy | Charm About You said... #

I also love the stripes!! It looks awesome. The Oakshott fabrics look incredible :)

Katy Cameron said... #

Damnit, I'm moving to one of them there thinking farms...

Love the stripes :oD

Poppyprint said... #

I can't believe a farm wife thought that she had 'time' to think big thoughts. Farming sounds like 24 hours of work a day! The blocks are so pretty in the Oakshott and I love that you put the stripes in the spool. I happen to love bats (I think due to reading Sunwing, Firewing and Silverwing to my son). I always think it's good luck to get buzzed by one on a summer evening walk!

Carla said... #

the stripes are fun : )

Carla said... #

I love how you are going with the one shot of stripe in the blocks...brilliant! It makes me wish that I had used a stripe for the thread on mine also...maybe I'll change it.
I saw some Oakshot at a quilting retreat and thought it was really pretty. The blocks were great this week, don't you think!

Anonymous said... #

Ya right! Cindy move to a farm where there might be living things with out legs. ('She hates snakes so I can't use that word) it will never happen. mw

Mrs Flying Blind... said... #

I love the 'thread' xxx

felicity said... #

Perfect, judicious use of a non-solid, Cindy! Love these blocks.

Unknown said... #

Hehe, love the stripe!

Also, I want to chat with you about the shot cottons vs the oakshot. I'm planning a wedding quilt for my sister using just navy and magenta. I was intending to use shot cottons, but maybe the oakshot would be better! Hmmmm....

Terriaw said... #

Cool blocks this week! I especially love that first block, and the name too. I can't tell you the last time I did any sewing or spent time in my sewing room ;(

Mama Pea said... #

Love that stripe you snuck in there. It's just great. Love it!

Anonymous said... #

Cindy, this is such a cool idea for a post. I love the Farmer's wife quotes. Connecting to the past is one thing I really love about quilting, both through using fabrics that have special meaning to me, and using patterns that are timeless. Beautiful work.