A ROW TO HOE

I was looking through my design sketches of quilt blocks recently, and realized that I have used so many 3" and 4" blocks in my quilts.  Some were used as single blocks, but the majority of them were combined with another block to produce secondary patterns.

Looking for a challenge, I decided to see how many of those little blocks I could work into a small quilt.  Over the years, I have made several strippy-style quilts, but never a row quilt.  The idea is similar except one is vertical and the other is horizontal.  A horizontal row quilt sounded right for this project ---- "A Row to Hoe".

I used 13 different 3" blocks for this quilt for a total of 48 blocks.

The design and piecing of the quilt top was easy, but the challenge came for me, as always, when I got to the machine quilting. With every row being different, they each required a unique quilting design with numerous starts and stops with several thread color changes.  Always a learning experience!!!

The Stats:  A Row to Hoe, 2021, 27" x 34", Paper pieced, machine pieced, machine quilted.

I have missed my Navy grandson who has been deployed on his submarine and out of regular communication.  We have always had interesting conversations about my quilts.  He is very creative and understands about color, space, and light; and is also interested in associated family stories.  He is now back to his home port; and I am looking forward to having face-to-face conversations with him again.  'A rough row to hoe' is farm-speak for meeting a challenge and accomplishing it.  I'm sure this 19-year-old submariner can teach his 82-year-old grandmother something about meeting challenges.

Lots of rows to hoe on the Haines Family Farm when
 the snow melts and Spring and Summer arrive - c1950s.

I have never 'hoed a row' in reality, but now I have done so symbolically in a quilt.

TENETS

 Occasionally, I enjoy working in a crazy quilt format.  It is easy with no corners to match; an unlimited color scheme using up small fabric scraps; design as you go with no expectations; plus fun practice on my new sewing machine.  It is relaxing and with a little introspection, you have cheap therapy all rolled up in a small quilt!  This is "Tenets".

The Stats:  Tenets, 2021, 25" x 28", Foundation pieced, machine embroidered, machine pieced, machine quilted.

A word or two about the title, "Tenets".  To me it means the personal philosophy that I attempt to follow in my life.  Sometimes, I fail miserably, but I try to "get up and try again".  The other words/phrases included in this crazy quilt (and life) are a snippet of those tenets that I attempt to live by.

Our son, the high school math teacher, says that the only way to learn math is to do it again and again.  I was struggling with the learning curve on my new sewing machine; so I decided to listened to his advice and apply it to my machine.  This quilt gave me time (and time again) to practice on most of the available tools of my machine.  I feel that I am the master of it now!!!  It pays to listen to your kids occasionally.