Friday, April 20, 2012

Farmer's Daughter Quilt Mosaic - 100 Blocks


      I have now completed 100 blocks of my Farmer's Daughter Quilt.  Since last summer, I have been making appropriately-named quilt blocks to accompany my grandmother's 1916 diary entries, written the year she turned 21. 
     1916 was an important year in my grandmother's life.  As a Kansas farmer's daughter, she perfected her homemaking skills, learned to drive a car, wrote every day in her diary (over 400 pages in all), and began dating her future husband.  The next year, on October 24, 1917, she would become a farmer's wife. 
     Since there will be 140 blocks in the completed quilt, I have 40 more blocks to make.  My blocks range from 6" to 12" square, so my quilt will not look like this when finished.  Still, it's fun to see all of the blocks together!
     My grandmother loved to write and kept a diary nearly all of her life.  To write in her diary was the last task of each day.  When she passed away in 1986 at the age of 91, her diaries were distributed among her children and grandchildren.  The earliest diary I have of hers is from 1912, written when she was a junior in high school.  The last one is from 1979, the year she turned 84.  She wanted very much to attend college - to study to become a teacher and a writer.  I think she would be pleased to know that people in 103 countries have read her diary entries and have learned something of her life. 

You might also enjoy reading the introduction to my project:

21 comments:

  1. Bravo! Your quilt looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing the diary entries. What a treasure you have.

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  2. Oh so very lovely!!! Hattie and now you have inspired, encouraged and blessed many!!! I don't want this to end!!

    Blessings

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  3. I've really enjoyed seeing your blocks and reading Hattie's diary entries. Your finished quilt is going to be amazing!

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  4. I am really impressed with the number of blocks that you have made in such a short time. How wonderful to have all those diaries to read through.

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  5. Because copies are so easily made your whole family can have a complete set of the diaries if you give each other copies of the diary years in your possession for birthday gifts.

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  6. Your grandmother's diary is a family treasure. How proud she would be of you!

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  7. It looks terrific!
    Have you decided on a straight layout or on point?

    Happy Sewing

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  8. This is going to be a fabulous quilt...all the more so because of the memoirs of your grandmother! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  9. Hi, your work is marvellous and made with full of love into it. Very inspiring for other quilters. Happy quilting.

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  10. Wow! The blocks look great all on the wall. I just made my 61st block. Thanks for sharing the diary with us.

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  11. I realize your blocks are a variety of sizes ans look forward to seeing how you will put them together in the end. They sure look stunning in this format. You are "doing Hattie proud".

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  12. Love what you've done with the blocks and the memories!
    Clothesandcrafts@blogspot.ca

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  13. Those look so wonderful together and it's been so great to be able to view the progress and read the stories as you go.

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  14. Breathtaking! I just love it. So nice that you could read the diary as well.

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  15. Wow, this is incredible, what a labour of love

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  16. Wow, what colors! And what precision required to piece all these blocks.

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  17. How beautiful and what a wonderful story you have behind the blocks! How neat that she kept a diary all that time! Thanks for sharing!
    Quilting at the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  18. Amazing story and blocks!! You're doing a wonderful job!! Can't wait to see the finish :)

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  19. What a lovely tribute you have done. She is smiling down on you for sure.

    Nikki in VA

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