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Blocks 42, 43, 44 & 45 (Water Turn, Welcome, Winter Star & Woolly Sheep) - Farm Girl Vintage Quilt & Featherweight Shop Sew Along
by April Henry

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along

We have four blocks in this post, which is a bit more than usual, but we can do this -- we are nearly finished!

Psssst! If you're just joining us and want to get in on the fun with a darling and perfect collage of farm girl vintage styled fabric, then check out the Farm Girl Vintage fabric and accessories collection here. You can also order Farm Girl Vintage Book 1 here, and Farm Girl Vintage Book 2!

Begin this sew along by opening your book to page 69, grab some fabric scraps, get them prepared and cut, and enjoy more Featherweight sewing! Complete your blocks following along with the pattern, paying attention to several tips in the photos below. Be careful to be as exact as possible with your cutting and fabric alignments. It is also important to note that you may need to occasionally press your block seams open.

 

Water Turn Block 42

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

 

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Choosing the colors was pretty simple for this one, because, like many other blocks, I just used Lori's book pictorial as my color guide. She has so many prints and colors to choose from in all of her fabric lines, and they all go together!

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

I love to cut corners -- figuratively and literally, especially if it saves me time and efficiency! I find it's easier to prepare all the corner seaming using the Creative Grids Folded Corner Clipper Ruler.

I can keep my seam guide in place and best of all, my points are more accurate!

SNEAK PEAK! This is coming very, very soon, so keep watch on our website. It's called the Featherweight Accurate Seam Square and makes setting my needle for a perfect scant seam allowance simple.... and accurate... each and every time!

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Featherweight Accurate Seam Square -- COMING SOON!

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

No need to remove the seam guide when sewing half square triangles. Just cut the squares in half point to point and sew the triangle pieces together.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Repeat the cutting process for all corner cutting units.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Welcome Block 43

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Anytime I get to use the sweet mint print in the cut pieces above, I am thrilled! It's an older print from one of Lori's fabric lines - I think it may have been in her Calico Prints, maybe? The pink flower pots is from her Farm Girl Vintage Companion prints here.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

When using the Creative Grids Corner Clipper Ruler, be sure to measure twice, cut once, and cut along the correct edge.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

We've learned this before, but we will review it again here for this Welcome Block. Because the pieces are so tiny, pressing open is often necessary for block sizing and accuracy. Thus, pinning can be more of a challenge. The trick is to double-pin, side by side. I prefer these ultra fine glass head pins.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Make sure when you are sewing the corner units together that your half square triangles are in the correct position... or you might need to seam rip a piece or two... not that I would know anything about that, of course.... ;)

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop


Winter Star Block 44

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

This block is a bit more tedious and time consuming, but if you take your time, are careful and square up each and every unit (and being willing to shave off even the slightest little bit) then you will have lovely points and a perfectly sized finished block. First, take a look back at Autumn Star, the second block we sewed when we started our sew along... you'll notice it is very similar! We are using a different technique for cutting / sewing the corners now with the Creative Grids Folded Corner Clipper Ruler, but the two blocks sew together very similarly.

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Notice how my angle for cutting is different in these two photos?

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

So, this is the part that is really important. Measure twice, cut once... except the measuring is more like "making sure you are cutting at the exact angle that is indicated in the pattern book for trimming away". These little units will end up as diagonal stripes, not flying geese, so be very careful when cutting and sewing them together. The best way to do this is to lay out all the units that will need cut and sewn. Set them out exactly as they are in the book and chain piece.

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

This is where the layout is very important... remember, you want diagonal stripes, not flying geese, so don't cut the wrong angle!

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

It might not look like very much to square up, but shaving off the smallest sliver does help with the overall block construction... I know it seems tedious, but if you are one for fastidiousness, you will be very pleased with the results as you pin and align the points. This Creative Grids Itty Bitty Eights Ruler 3" x 7" is one I use constantly, and is definitely one my favorite rulers, because there are no solid lines. I can see exactly where the fabric intersects with the itty bitty lines in order to more accurately square the pieces and units.

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

These units are very small, so it helps to press seams open and then double pin the points for proper alignment as shown here.

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Don't forget to square up your unit again once it is sewn together.

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Finish sewing your block and enjoy watching it come together!

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Woolly Sheep Block 45

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop
Selecting fabric for this block was quite nostalgic for me. When Carmon and I were first married, his parents raised Suffolk sheep. I was enamored with having farm animals around not ever experiencing that before, so when the lambs were born, it just thrilled my heart to see them frolic all over the fields. They really did hop and kick up their heels - it was absolutely adorable!
One night his parents were gone and that left Carmon to watch one of the ewes, who was due to have her lamb any time. It ended up being a difficult labor for her, so Carmon had to assist her in the old chicken shed. I had the privilege of being there to witness it, too! The ewe was ordinarily very shy and not particularly fond of human interaction, but after that night, whenever I saw her in the field, she would let me come close to talk to her sweetly and pet her. The little lamb she birthed, I named Babe and whenever I went into the field and called his name, he would come running, separating himself from all the other lambs. He knew he'd get his little head petted and loved.

This block will always remind me of little Babe and the Suffolk sheep Carm's family used to have.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

A few of the pieces are tiny, so again, take your time, go slow and cut carefully, making special note of the angles.


Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop


Again, squaring up each unit will help considerably. Every little bit shaved off makes a difference!

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Another great tool to have at your sewing station for these small pieces, units and blocks, is the little cutting mat by Lori Holt. It's the perfect size to verify that you are grabbing the correct piece for each unit.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Little Babe is coming together -- so cute!

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

Using the Sew-Line Trio Pencil, I traced the lines to embroider the legs.

Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop
With an embroidery backstitch, I embroidered the four legs. Lori Holt has a great embroidery floss selection here and here, with all the threads wound on little wooden spools.
Farm Girl Vintage Sampler Quilt Sew Along with the Featherweight Shop

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What about you!? What colors have you put together this month for your Farm Girl Vintage blocks? Let us know, and feel free to post pictures in the comments below. Or join us on the Facebook group to share and enjoy more Featherweight Fellowship online!


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Until our next Featherweight Farm Girl Vintage Quilt Sew Along ...

NOTE: We will be sewing three blocks next time! We will feature Block 46, 47, & 48 - the remaining three Simple Star blocks as the cornerstones for the quilt (remember, we did the first Simple Star as Block 36 here). You may even choose to get a jump start on the next blocks and prepare your sashing! Pace yourself, we can do this together -- it's nearly finished!

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