Hobbies on the Homestead.

Life should not be all work.

A hard day's labour on the homestead is gratifying, rewarding, and stuff the tough are made of; not to mention the best thing for the dreamer's soul, my soul. But life cannot be all work and no play, somewhere in between the moments of scrubbing out brush, moving around rocks, competing with the roots of Mother Nature, and just plain daily chores, a body can be most revived through rest and the relaxation of a favourite hobby. Myself, I just can't sit still long enough unless my hands are kept busy... sitting on them doesn't help, believe me, I have tried! My brain seems to be wired on automatic at all times and there is no programming in it for stop lights. If I am not doing something, then I am thinking up something new to do. My husband tells me to "stop thinking", because sooner or later he knows it means he will have a new task to perform and the "honey don't" list for him seems to be never ending. "Honey, don't forget to check the heat lines... Honey, don't forget to move that boulder... Honey, don't forget to hang the shelf in the pantry". You get my drift. In order to satiate my mind, my hands, and my husband, I have a ton of hobbies I partake in; all of them are sole ventures, no group past times for me. I'd much rather calm my mind in my own task listening to my latest favourite audio book and using my hands, mind, and creativity.

So, have you ever tried quilting?

I once came across a book that intrigued me, The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird, a book inspired by a question posed in a 1922 magazine, The Farmer's Wife.

"If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in light of your own experience, have her marry a farmer?"

With 750,000 subscribers, and from that one question, they received over 7,000 letters in response. This inspired Hird to created 111 six-inch quilt blocks based on the responses, and to write a book from which her sampler was eventually made.... and the book is both delightful and a challenge! I have made a few of the blocks in two different colour ways, but have yet to create enough to make a full quilt, but will finish it some day. Follow me on Fridays over the next few weeks as I post some tutorials for a few of the blocks I have already made; perhaps you'll become interested in making your own heirloom Farmer's Wife Quilt.

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