Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Modernizing the FWQ: Episode 10

Finishing the Quilt Top~


I have been working on modernizing the Farmer's Wife Quilt since January 1st.  I have enlarged many blocks, made repeats of some, and combined others so they all finish at 12 inches.  Then I added borders to the blocks.  After I got borders on all of the blocks, I played with the placement of them on my design wall.


There was barely enough room for all the fourteen inch blocks there, so I took over the family room.  :D  This is the largest quilt I have made since 2007.  It will finish about 94 by 112 inches.  I forgot how much bigger a queen/king is than a twin.

My layout is inspired by Katie's Sampler from the book Vintage Revival Quilts.  I love that my quilt combines the Farmer's Wife with one from Vintage Revival.

Luckily after moving some furniture and taking apart my modular sofa, I was able to lay out the entire quilt.  What a difference the sashing and cornerstones make!  Cheetah helped me move some of the blocks around to find this setting we both liked.


There was even enough room for my sewing machine cabinet.


I was able to get all the rows sewn together in one evening.  I used numbered flower pins to keep the rows in order, and moved them back into my craft room for pressing.


Here they are all nice and pressed and ready to sew.


I moved the sewing cabinet back into the craft room for this step.  I can't handle a messed up family room for long.

After twelve long seams, I had the top together!  I didn't want to risk taking it outside with all that cream, so here is an indoor picture.


And here are my helpers sweetly staying off the quilt (at least for a little while).


It is now all basted and ready for some custom quilting.   I decided to be brave and put Kona Snow on the back.  My quilting will really show.


Now that I have finished the top, I thought I would share some notes on fabric usage.


Kona Snow is my background.  I used about 2.3 yards to make the 30 blocks, 3.3 yards for the sashing, and 8.5 yards for the backing (three 102 inch pieces).

My light pink is a Riley Blake blender in bubblegum, and the rest of the marbled fabrics are from various Northcott fabric lines including Stonehenge and Toscana.  I used about 15 inches of each of the eight colors for the 30 blocks.  I used 14 inches of each of the eight fabrics for the block borders and cornerstones.  So purchasing one yard of each of the colors was a great idea.  I have about a quarter of a yard of each color left, but I like having the left overs without being too close.  (I only have 7.5 inches left of the light blue.)  I can use what is left for coordinating pillows and quilts or can use it for a scrappy binding.  I am still deciding.




Click on the Modernizing the Farmer's Wife link if you have missed any of the posts in the series.  It will take you to the introductory post with links to all of the episodes sharing my ideas for ways to modernize the Farmer's Wife Quilt.  I have included the sizes to rotary cut the enlarged blocks in case anyone else wants to make a modernized farmer's wife quilt similar to mine.

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with Let's Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, Finish it up Friday, and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop to share this finished top.

30 comments:

  1. Oh, I really love that you decided to set the colors together on the diagonal, and the cornerstone color alternating from light to dark is so fun! It looks great and is so large. Are you going to keep and use this one for yourself, Jasmine?

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  2. To be honest, I usually don't like all those different blocks in one quilt. Not enough pattern for me. I told myself I'd never make one. But when you lined them up in order and added the sashing, you changed my mind! It's so beautiful. I'll be pinning that for the future.

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  3. This is so pretty! The blocks work so well with the colors on the diagonal, and I like how you alternated light and dark cornerstones. Very nice version of the Farmer's Wife quilt.

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  4. It is so nice to see this quilt top coming together. Your color choices really do make these classic blocks feel contemporary.

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  5. Wow! I can't believe the top is done already...It looks lovely!

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  6. I love the setting you chose for it, and I noticed the colors going diagonal.

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  7. Beautiful! I love your color placement. It really makes the quilt pop and energetic. It's going to be great. Since you asked on my blog, I mark with the frixon gel pen (eraseable with an iron). I really like it. Can't wait to see how your project turns out.

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  8. Hi Jasmin,
    Love it!!!l
    One warning about the frixion pens, do a test on the fabrics first. My pen sometimes leaves a white line on certain solids!
    If it doesn't, GO FOR IT!
    Hugs
    Esther

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  9. Your quilt top turned out beautifully! The blocks you chose, the fabrics, the colors - great work! I think Cheetah has a good eye! :) Thanks for a really great tutorial - This one is going to be revisited by me - hmmm. . . what do you think it would look like in black/white/greys? . . . :D

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  10. I love the layout - this turned out fantastic! For a sampler. ;)

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  11. Oh wow Jasmine! It looks fabulous. I can't wait to see how you quilt it.

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  12. I love how you set the blocks. It's such a perfect quilt! I'm curious what you use for your design wall and did it come with the grommets on it?

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  13. Love, love, love the diagonal setting you went with! Backing with the Snow is going to look incredible. Oooo! I do like the sounds of the scrappy binding. What a big and bright beauty this is going to be. Can't wait to see your quilting!

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  14. Wow that came together really quickly! colour placement looks really good!

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  15. I've looked at all the Dear jane quilts on the web and realized that I lack all patience for such a labour intensive project. But your lovely bright quilt might make me change my mind. Thanks for sharing.

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  16. This is awesome, Jasmine. You moved right along with this quilt so I assume you really enjoyed doing it. But you left out my favorite part! How do you plan to quilt it? I sympathize with the size. I just finished a 120" square king size and had to search for a place to lay it out.

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  17. The sashing with the cornerstones was a great choice. It looks wonderful!

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  18. Looks great, Jasmine. I'll be interested to see how you quilt it, now. What fun it will be!!!

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  19. Gosh, the colors you have chosen are so perfect, and I just love the layout. The white makes it so crisp and fresh! You are brave! I thought I was the only Toscana fiend; you've put yours to such gorgeous use!

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  20. I love your quilt! The larger blocks, and brighter colors help you see the actual blocks. Whenever I see someone's Farmers Wife quilt, it's pretty, but so busy that I can't see the individual blocks.

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  21. Wow! I thought the blocks were beautiful all set together but I love the way it looks with the sashing and cornerstones! You've done a great job!

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  22. Jasmine, it's gorgeous! You've done a great job. Now to quilt it!

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  23. Stunning! You have gotten a lot of work done. Looks amazing.

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  24. Looking good! I like your color placement.

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  25. It's beautiful, Jasmine! I really love it with the sashing and cornerstones, and you got it put together so quickly! I can't wait to see how you quilt it.

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  26. Jasmine, this is just so beautiful! I love how the cornerstones "step" down with the corresponding block colours. I like the frames you put around each block too. I love Kona snow!!!! Awesome that you went for it and put it on the back! (says she who just bought 3 yards of a green/black Houndstooth print for the back of my next quilt...lol) Now for the QUILTING!! Decisions decisions. Oh, I love Vintage Revival, own it; you should send a note to one of the authors, or all of them, to let them take a peek at this really cool update of a classic.

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  27. This is so wonderful, seeing how you're moving forward with this beautiful, large quilt! Beautiful!

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  28. Wow!! That is one awesome (and big!) quilt. Doing a 'traditional' sampler is on my Quilt Bucket List, and yours is totally inspiring!

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  29. This must have taken all your time and then some. The level of love and attention you put into each block really shows. I am blown away!!!

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