Honchey

Hello and Welcome...We are about to embark on a journey that will take us through to a time where many of us can only imagine. Laurie Arron Hird has made it possible for us to experience these times...Children selling subscriptions...The prize?? A real life pony. Read the book...sew the blocks...the prize??? A quilt of your very own. Make a family heirloom. Follow us on a new journey to the old west...The Farmer's Wife Pony Club !

Below, a brief description of the book given with the author's permission.

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[TD]The Farmer's Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt--Letters From the Lucky Pony Winners of 1915 and 90 Blocks That Tell Their Stories, by Laurie Aaron Hird; release date: July 2011

In 1907 the Webb Publishing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, created The Farmer's Wife Pony Club. Children were invited to join and compete for prizes by selling subscriptions to The Farmer's Wife magazine. The grand prize was a Shetland pony with a saddle, bridle, and often a carriage. To satisfy skeptics who doubted a child would, indeed, receive a pony, they asked the winners to send photographs of themselves with their ponies. Thankfully, many children also sent thank you letters along with their photographs. These endearing, poignant, and sometimes hilarious letters provide a unique window into the lives of children in rural America in the early 1900s.

As a tribute to these Lucky Pony Winners, Laurie Aaron Hird has taken 90 traditional 8" blocks and designed a queen-size quilt in their memory.
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All levels of experience sewer/quilters are welcome. All advice and support given is appreciated and will be graciously received.

There is no sign up required. Do these blocks at your own pace. There are no quilt police here.

We will be doing 2 blocks a week in numerical order, 1 &2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and so on until all the blocks are done.

Most Importantly you need to have the book. The book comes with a cd that contains paperpiecing patterns, rotary cutting instructions, templates for handpiecing.

There will be two threads a week for this Quilt-Along.

I will be posting the two threads on Tuesday evenings.

Mark your calendars... Startup is Tuesday, January 3. 2012

We will be using this thread for all communication until we start Jan 3, 2012. To avoid any confusion please do not post any new threads. Use the above titled thread. The original FWS Quilt-Along is still active and will be an on-going thread on it's own. The FWS Pony Club will be referred to as The FWS PC.

This is the place and time to ask any questions. If I'm not available for for any reason I'm sure there will be someone on the board qualified to answer.

The books are available at www.quilterswarehouse.com & www.amazon.com as well as thru Laurie herself. It seems Laurie will also be on the Sewing with Nancy segment which will be on PBS starting January 1, 2012. Now to get ready for the Roundup!


As the activity progresses and new threads are added, we will collect the links under this tag: http://www.quiltingboard.com/tags/the farmer's wife pony club quilt-along.html

QuiltE

I'm here to trot along with you for this Roundup ..... yeeeeeeehawwwwwww!

jaciqltznok

wow..really...I would wait at least a year to make sure all the bugs are ironed out of the book/patterns first! Believe me there will be issues..there always is!

Anael

I'm in too! I didn't encounter any problems yet with book or patterns but I made 20 blocks so far so still 70 to go.
If photo tuts are needed I'm willing to make them. Do I post them here in this thread?

QuiltE

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaciqltznok

wow..really...I would wait at least a year to make sure all the bugs are ironed out of the book/patterns first! Believe me there will be issues..there always is!

Well, Good Morning Miss Merry Sunshine ... I'm sure if the Ladies had any problems during their Quilt-Along journey for the original FWS book, they'd be once bitten and quite shy to consider starting the FWSPC in the same fashion. There are several beautiful completed quilts as a result.

I'm one of the Latecomers, following in their success, and now have 74 blocks completed with 37 to go. So far, I haven't had any problems with the pattern info. It's actually gone much smoother, than many simpler patterns have gone.

So yes, I may have to eat my words yet for the FWS ..... and perhaps bow to your predictions during the FWSPC ........ though I have no red flags popping up to make me cautious of starting the FWSPC in January with the group.

Actually quite frankly, I am enthused and excited and even energized to be part of the group. This time I'm thrilled to be in from the start!! So please, kindly step aside and not rain on the parade ... or perhaps better said, please don't rain on the "trail ride"!!!!

mirabelle

Time to party again, I am definitely in. Looking forward to another great sew along.

(Can the quilt fairies pleaaasssee finish my ufo's so I don't feel guilty about starting another project !!!! I only have 3 to go)

QuiltE

Yeaaaaa for you Anael!!!!!!
The ones that you have already shared with us, have done nothing but create more interest for me to be anxious to start in January. In fact, have helped spurn me on to complete the FWS before we saddle up and start down the new path of the FWSPC.

Initially, I was hesitant as to whether I wanted to do the FWSPC, as what does a pony have to do with my life?? nor with children or grands of my own? Also, I was worried I'd just feel like I was doing the same old same old and might lose interest. Then, I got the book .... and I found my base fabric .... and started to build a unique stash just for the FWSPC .... and you shared your blocks with us. Then ................... OMG, my excitement, enthusiasm and energy for this project is abounding!!!!!!!!

Anael

QuiltE you just made my day
I too thought it was the same old something but it's not as you've seen. I still have a few projects that need finishing before I go on with the FWPCS but I hope to have the UFO's out of the way in two weeks!

QuiltE

What? you mean we are supposed to finish up UFOs?
Silly woman!!!! Wherever would you get that idea?

You'll have lots of time to work on them, as we sit around the campfires doing our blocks that you've already finished up!! I know I'll be looking forward to your helpful hints and wisdom from blazing the trail ahead of us!!


P.S. .... Glad that it "made your day"!!

gardnergal970

Where did you post pics of your blocks? I would like to see what variety they have. Thanks.