Farmer's Wife Sow-Along

The idea of sew-alongs have always had some magic for me.  I really like the idea of a lot of people working on the same pattern but coming up with different things.  That's been a favorite idea of our American Sewing Guild group, and of my very favorite family sewing group.  We love to work on things and then do sew and tell.

Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay quilt was fascinating, a mystery involving sewing.  The quilts turned out beautifully, but it went a bit fast for me.  I don't have all THAT much sewing time to start with, and I've got lots of projects going.

I've mentioned before how I love books.  And books about sewing are just a bonus!  Last year I bought a book about Wisconsin Quilts, the Dear Jane pattern book, and Jennifer Chiavarini's Sylvia's Wedding Quilt book.  Additionally I recently acquired digital copies of the first three of what I'm sure will be annual editions of 100 Quilt Blocks magazines.  So I really didn't need another compilation.

Last week I was surfing the web over my lunch hour and found the Farmers Wife.  It looks so familiar, maybe because it's another collection. Or maybe because since I love sewing, books and history, not necessarily in that order, I already have it???  No, that's not the case.

OK, so I broke down and ordered a copy from Amazon.  Hey, with a couple of other things adding up to $25 shipping is free, and I didn't even spend any gas or time to get it, so it's a bonus.

So this morning when checking out yesterday's Quiltville blog, guess who's talking about the Farmer's Wife?  Yes, you guessed, it's Bonnie!  Hey, if SHE can find time to do a sew-along, maybe I can too.

So I hopped over to Randy's blog, the Barrister's Block at www.barristersblock.blogspot.com.  Feel free to go and look.  She's calling it a SOW-along, because that's what farmers do, sow seeds.  My DH was never a farmer, guess mine will have to be called phone guy's wife, or grumpy's wife, or maybe grampa's wife.  What do you think of that?

It's 111 blocks at 6" finished, the book has templates but no patterns.  But they're going to do only SIX A MONTH.  Hey, this is my speed!!  If I can do more when I have time, I might even finish this one at the same time everyone else does.  It's on the 2 year plan -- do the math.  I am liking this!

All I have to do is scout out a background color and I'm in business.