Farmer's Wife - Week 31

For week 31 of our Farmer's Wife Quilt-along we'll be using various simple piecing methods and all of the blocks are 9-patch blocks.  The blocks are:

• Block 55 - Linoleum
• Block 69 - Practical Orchard
• Block 70 - Prairie Queen

After this week, we have only 8 weeks and 23 blocks to go!  Can you believe that with this week's blocks we've made 88 blocks?

Block 55 - Linoleum

Linoleum has three different sub-blocks.

• The center square should be cut 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches.
• The side squares are made from 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch rectangles, sewn together in pairs, long sides together.
• The corner squares can be made starting with a 2 1/2 inch square for the main section.  Next, cut two 1 1/2 inch squares for the corners.  Line up the smaller squares in opposite corners of the larger square and sew diagonally across the center of the smaller square.  Trim the extra fabric leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance and iron the square open.  Make four of these.

Now that you have the nine sub-blocks, lay them out and assemble in rows.

Farmer's Wife - Block 55 - Linoleum

Block 69 - Practical Orchard

This block is so simple, it hardly requires instructions.  Each sub-block is 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches and 8 of the sub-blocks are just cut squares.  The ninth, center block is an hourglass block.

The hourglass tutorial we've used before makes two blocks, but we only need one here.  Now, we do have one more block in a later week that requires the same size hourglass, so you could go ahead and make two and save the extra for later.   If you want to make only one, I recommend starting with one 2 1/2 inch blue square and one 2 1/2 inch white square, then cut them in half diagonally so that you have 2 blue triangles and 2 white triangles.  Assemble these into the hourglass block and trim it to 2 1/2 inches square, assuring that the center of the hourglass remains in the center of the trimmed block.  Be careful when handling and assembling this hourglass block to the rest of the pieces because the edges are on the bias and will have a tendency to stretch.

Farmer's Wife - Block 69 - Practical Orchard

Block 70 - Prairie Queen

This block also has three different sub-blocks.

• The center square should be cut 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches.
• The side squares are 4-patch mini-blocks and can be made using strip piecing.  For my fabric choice, all of these squares are the same, so I'll start with two strips 1 1/2 x 13 inches, one white and one blue.  Sew the strips together lengthwise and iron the seam toward the dark fabric.  Cut eight sections 1 1/2 inches wide.  Join these sections in pairs with the colors opposite.  You should now have 4 blocks for the side squares.
• The corner squares are HSTs finished to 2 inches, so start with two green and two white squares 2 7/8 inches.  Use the tutorial found here.  Make 4 and be sure to trim the HSTs to 2 1/2 inches.

Now that you have the nine sub-blocks, lay them out and assemble in rows.

Farmer's Wife - Block 70 - Prairie Queen

See instructions for Week 30 Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along.