Farmer's Wife - Week 32

For week 32 of our Farmer's Wife Quilt-along we'll be using just about all of the piecing methods we've used before and the blocks vary from easy to challenging.  The blocks are:

• Block 43 - Garden Path
• Block 77 - Seasons
• Block 99 - W.C.T.U.

Block 43 - Garden Path

Garden Path is the most complicated of this weeks blocks, and it's fairly involved in general.  As such, I'll be providing some visual aids as I walk through breaking this down into the various parts.  There are three sections to this block that I've described below, the center diamond, the frame around the center, and the corner units.

Farmer's Wife - Block 43 - Garden Path

1. The center diamond is a 4-patch block surrounded by triangles.  The 4-patch is made from blocks cut 1 1/2 inches square.  The surrounding triangles are made by first cutting two squares 2 3/8 inches, then cut each in half diagonally.  



Center section

2. The frame pieces should be cut using the templates provided.  Attach these to the center diamond using the inset seam instructions we've used before for the four corner seams.
3. The corner units are made of one solid square, two HSTs, and three triangles.  Make four.



Pieces needed for all four corner units



Make the HSTs



• The solid squares should be cut 1 1/2 inches.
• The two (eight total) HSTs can be made using our familiar tutorial (use the 8-at-a-time tutorial if you plan to have all the same HST in all four corner units).  You will need to have 1 inch finished HSTs, so for the two-at-a-time tutorial start with 1 7/8 inch squares.
• To make the triangles, cut them from 1 7/8 inch squares by cutting them in half diagonally (You'll need 6 squares that are cut into 12 triangles total).
•  Lay out the pieces to be certain the HSTs are positioned correctly, then sew them together in rows/groups.  First, the solid square, one HST, and a triangle as a group, then the other HST and a triangle as a group, and the last triangle is its own group.  Finally, sew the rows/groups together.





The corner units laid out (frame pieces not shown)



4.  Sew the corner units to the frame pieces and your block is done.

Block 77 - Seasons

Seasons is the simplest block this week.  I've provided a Foundation Paper Piecing template here, but you could also make this with some creative measuring.

Farmer's Wife - Block 77 - Seasons

If you'd prefer to piece this without the FPP template, here are some measurements and tips that will be helpful:

• The center square measures 2 inches, so would be cut 2 1/2 inches.
• The four triangles measure 2 1/2 inches on the short side, so can be cut from two 3 3/8 inch squares cut diagonally.
• The odd shaped "corner" pieces are two inches wide, so you could cut four 2 1/2 x 4 inch pieces, then trim the corners after assembly.
• NOTE: if you cut all of these above pieces with the fabric grain (intuitively, this is what you would do), the finished edges of the block will be on the bias and will have a tendency to stretch.  So, if you choose to use this method, be careful as you handle this block.

Block 99 - W.C.T.U.

I had to look up the acronym for this block name, so I though I'd share what I learned.  It stands for Women's Christian Temperance Union, which was formed in the mid-1870's and started off as a grass-roots movement to abolish alcohol.  It later evolved into a broader women's rights organization.  So, that's something I learned that wasn't taught in American History class!

You may already notice that the corner units of this block are very much like Block 60 that we made in week 30.  We made that block using FPP, but I'm going to explain how to made this with some creative piecing.

Farmer's Wife - Block 99 - W.C.T.U

Overall, this block is a 9-patch block with three different blocks used.

1. There are four side blocks that are solid blocks cut 2 1/2 inches square.
2. To make the center block start with a 2 1/2 inch square cut in half diagonally.  For the center strip, cut a piece that is 1 inch wide and 3 1/4 inches long.  Sew the triangles to either side of the strip being careful to place them evenly on either side of the strip.  
• You may even want to find the center of all three pieces and line them up to sew them.  This will ensure the triangles are sewn exactly in the center of the strip.



See the folds in the center of each piece

 
• Trim this block to 2 1/2 inches after ironing the seams.





Iron and trim

3.  The four corner blocks are involved, but not difficult.
• Start by making the 4 large triangles.  These can be cut from two 2 7/8 inch squares by cutting them in half, diagonally.
• The other half of each block starts with a square cut 1 1/2 inches.  Next, make an HST that we'll cut in half.  





Parts needed for corner blocks



• The finished size of the HST is 1 3/8, so we'll start with 2 1/4 inch squares.  





Four HSTs trimmed to 1 7/8 inches



• Cut the HSTs in half across the center seam, as shown.






Cut HSTs in half across the seam

• Sew the halved HST parts to the solid block, then attach one of the large triangles to create the corner block.

Corner block pieces laid out

Assemble the blocks into the final 9-patch, and you are done!


See instructions for Week 31 Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along.