Farm Girl Vintage

It's time for show and share!!!  I'm really, really going to try and be better at posting homework pictures. It'll be my goal to at least post them PRIOR to the next class.

As I was editing the pictures this morning, all I could think what that this group is having way too much fun making these blocks. The patterns are very cute - all of them! And I want to make a quilt with each block! Given the fact that there are two sizes for each block, some extra blocks that you can buy and make and well - it all leads up to fun and more fun!!!

I'm already starting to think what we can do for next year! Can you believe that?   Do we want one big quilt? Lots of little blocks?  Hmm - suggestions anyone??

There are a LOT of pictures today, so let's get started.

Here's the book that we're using in case you're not familiar with it.

Farm Girl Vintage book by Lori Holt

Susan made these very cool design boards. I saw her Instagram post and asked her to bring them in to share with the rest of the class. Since they were designed/made by Lori Holt, it all fit with our theme.  You can buy ready made ones from Lori Holt (Fat Quarter Shop) or you can make them yourself. They are so fun.  I've bought three sheets of Foam Core to make them and I had better get myself in gear to make them before our next class. If you want to make your own, check out this video link.

Project boards

 These boards are great for placing your cut out pieces for these blocks or any other block. They can be easily carried from the cutting table to the sewing table to the ironing board and even used as a display board as we did for the class.

I'm not going to remember whose blocks are whose so I'm not going to mention names. I'll screw it up and forget someone and I don't want to do that.


The cat block is an extra that you can purchase on Fat Quarter Shop website. She made two cats so they are looking at each other. And the flying geese block.

Two cats and the flying geese block

See how nice the blocks look on the project boards??  Much nicer than when I just used pins to jab the blocks to the foam core!  I love the fussy cut barn in the block below.

Fussy cut barn block

Or you can put a four patch in the center of the block as per the original pattern.

Or you can piece the center

As mentioned, the blocks come in two different sizes. The class is making a mix of sizes. Some are only focused on the 6" blocks, others only on the 12 inch or any combination thereof.

I think we all agree that this block was one of our favorites and we could all see a quilt made using just this one block.

A nice easy star block

There is the gingham block. This would also be cool to see an entire quilt made with this fabric. You could make the squares much larger. Make it into a picnic quilt with a big appliqued ant on it!

Gingham block

 One of my favorites - the postage stamp block made with 2 1/2" squares.

Postage stamp

And here's something very exciting about these blocks. It's a wee bit difficult to see in the pictures, but almost every block that day was immaculately pressed and the seams twirled where possible.

Twirled seams

Isn't it fun to see all the color combinations? Some people have a plan and some haven't quite got that far. They're just making blocks and we're OK with that.

I love the yellow block. It reminds me of bees!!!  What was funny was that all her blocks had dotted material in it. That's super cute!!!

Blocks with dots!

There's another version of that fabulous star again. I just love this one. There's so much movement and the color choice give it a very cool almost 3-D effect.

Great star block

Here we have several versions of the same blocks. Like I said, everyone is totally doing their own thing and I love it! I can't wait to see some of these quilts come together.  Those are pretty bright colors compared to what the others are doing.

Bright blocks

And why not get creative with the piecing. Instead of making individual flying geese, this person used a paper piecing pattern to eliminate the center seam. And how about that black in the center!!

Paper pieced flying geese

I said I won't mention names, but how could we forget whose blocks these are? Karen (oops) is always on her own agenda! I love it - she is making house blocks.

House blocks

This is one of several? many? sunflower blocks that are going to be made into a quilt? Can't wait to see that one.

Sunflower block

More small blocks. Love the fussy cut bird in the center of that one and look at the heart in the center of the churn dash block. Love them!!!!

Neat centers in these blocks

Here's another fussy cut block with the butterfly in the center and butterflies in the purple. Amazing how all these blocks can have a different look from each other even when it's the same block.

Fussy cut block center

And for a totally different take, here's black and white. Imagine that with a few pops of color in the quilt? Oh yes - love it!!!

Black and white block

My favorite star. I'm not sure if we saw this in the class, but oops - there's a wee mistake here. Hey - repeat on all four sides and there's a new block!!!

A wee oops to fix

One more of the gingham block. It's really interesting to see how all these blocks turned out using the light, medium, and dark fabrics.

Gingham block

Here's another flying geese block made of solids with the center seam. It sure looks different from the paper pieced one earlier!

Flying geese blocks

The five homework blocks for the month. In 30s fabrics. Looking great!!!

Five homework blocks in 30's

 This person also purchased several additional blocks  - here's the pie block and the cow block. Very cool!!!

Extra blocks - the pie and the cow

Another complete set of the homework blocks. Oh - we have another oopsy in this one. I love it. I don't know how many times, I can sew a block, press the block and it's only when it's on the wall that I realize that I goofed!!!  These aren't mine, but I've been there!!!

More blocks

 Here's another set of blocks. This person has added in the house block which comes from another of Lori's books - The Spelling Bee.   I do want to make that quilt as well. I think it would be too much to ask the group to work on that quilt next year. We need to switch up the designers!!!

An extra block from The Spelling Bee book

 The fabric in this next set of blocks is so NOT me, but I love it. It's so fresh and modern looking. It's from a Bonnie and Camille collection.

Nice fresh look blocks

Another full set of homework blocks. Have you noticed that regardless of what the end projects will be, that almost everyone is making all the blocks? I LOVE it. I told you - these blocks are fun to make!

Another full set of homework blocks

Here's a 12-inch block. I love this one - it makes me think of arrows pointing to whatever is in the center! A good mix of solids and patterned fabric.

Solids and patterned fabrics

 This one is just plain FUN!!  Look at those sunglasses peeking out! I love the color combination.

Fun block with bright colors

 The next series of blocks have been made by the same person. Remember I said that some were making the 6", some were making the 12" and some were making a combination of the two? This person is making a big and a small of each block!!!!  I hope she doesn't run out of fabric, because I can't wait to see what she makes with them. They're adorable and so fun to see the SAME block, SAME fabric in two different sizes.

Little and big churn dash

 Notice how she has put the fabrics in the same position. I didn't place the blocks properly below, but the fabrics are in the same position.

Little and big

Little and big pinwheel 

 And can you see in the postage stamp block that she has all the fabrics in the EXACT same place!!!!   I love it!!!!

Little and big postage stamp

There are a lot of people in the class. Here's another full set of homework blocks. I love the orange/green star. She used a striped fabric for the green and it looks like she did a lot more piecing than she did!!!  How fun is that!

Love the orange/green combo

And the last of the block show and tell. Another gingham block.

Gingham block

Here's a picture of my blocks for this month.

My homework blocks

Here's a picture of the homework blocks for the coming month. I just love them all and I love the fabric collection that I chose.

Blocks assigned for April show n tell

We had some other show n tell as well.Vera made a couple of small wall hangings for Easter gifts. She used a row of embroidery stitches around the edges of this first one to help the cross pop off the background.

Easter wall hanging - version 1

Easter wall hanging - version 2

Easter wall hanging - version 3

 Karen was in this class the first time I taught it. Either she really liked it or came back to haunt me!  But she brought in her finished quilt from the first class to show us. There are several larger blocks in the book and the barn is one of them.  You should see the fabric she used for the barn doors - it literally is barn door fabric and looks awesome.  Thanks for sharing the quilt, Karen!!

Karen's version of Farm Girl Vintage

We know Karen is always doing her own thing, but she did bring in a quilt that she finished that was done according to the pattern. This was obviously the old version of Karen that made this quilt. The new Karen wouldn't think of conforming to a pattern!!!  I do believe it was a ThimbleBerries block of the month.

Karen's Thimbleberries quilt - made just like the pattern

We had a guest in the class. Linda was also in the first class I ran of Farm Girl Vintage. Linda sometimes - well, let's just say that she likes to re-engineer everything. But Linda needed a quilt in a hurry so she took her Farm Girl Vintage blocks and made the center and used some of the larger blocks (notice the sunflower in the bottom left corner) for the border.  I love it and very proud of you Linda - for getting that top together!!!

linda's version of Farm Girl Vintage

Phew - that was a lot!!!!   They are a very prolific group and I just love how much fun we're all having in the class. When summer hits, they'll have to be thinking a wee bit more seriously about how they're going to assemble all those blocks. But for now, we'll let them have fun!!!

On that note, I'm almost finished the top for my challenge. It's very much improv and yet it isn't. There's no pattern, just random thoughts that seem to solidify as the piece is being put together.  I love it. Will it win a prize? Nope - but I hope someone will bid on it and hang it in their studio. It's a happy quilt. At least I think so!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!