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Farmers Wife: Week 20 (and a few other bits and pieces)

We're already up to week 20 of the Farmer's Wife Quilt - I have now got 40 finished blocks. They're growing into quite a nice little pile. After last week's slightly simpler blocks I chose one's that were a bit more complex (but not the most difficult). The first is #6 Big Dipper. I was so careful all the way through and then the pinwheel in the centre didn't meet properly.... I may repiece, but when it's in the quilt amongst 110 other blocks, it may not be the end of the world.





So when I came to my second block of the week, I was equally careful with my seams. And this time they were spot on. I really like how #13 Buckwheath turned out. I've also started to think this week about how I will finish my quilt off. I've been experimenting with different coloured "sashing" in the photo editing programme, and I got some comments on the Flickr group that white looked nice. So we laid them out on the table at the Fat Quarters. White was too harsh. Red wasn't right. Yellow. Spot on. If you know the DMC thread colours it's a lot like number 744 - custardy. And although that sounds a bit odd, it really pulls out the colours in all the blocks. I'm going to use the batik fabrics in a random-ish fashion to make the cornerstones and then I'll use the black batik fabric to make the setting triangles.

The reason I'm thinking all this through already is because of the Nikki Tinkler Essential Sampler Quilt. As you saw on an earlier post, I've constructed the centre of the quilt using the quilt as you go technique and I've really enjoyed it, so I plan to do the same on the Farmer's Wife quilt. The only decision left is whether to machine quilt or hand quilt.
As far as the Essential Sampler Quilt is going, I've finished piecing all the blocks this week with the Dresden Plate, Mowhawk Trail and Tobacco Leaf blocks. I've really enjoyed all of the applique', especially in the Tobacco Leaf block.I've also picked the border fabric, designed a quilting pattern to use on the sashing and bought some beautiful midnight blue Italian perle cotton to stitch it.
And if that weren't enough, I have made a start on Steph's Hot Cross Bun quilt: I bought the sahing yesterday and pieced the first 8 of 64 blocks this morning. I love the fabrics.
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