Farm Sweet Farm Sew Along - Bee Prepared!!

Good morning and Happy Monday to ya'll!

Today is the day for my annual 

"Bee Prepared"

 post that I do 2-3 weeks 

before my sew alongs start:)

Let's chat about how you can 

get organized and ready!

The sew along guide is available

 for download...and the first thing

 you will need to do is

CLICK HERE

to get your free copy!

The Farm Sweet Farm Sew Along 

will start 3 weeks from today 

and will go for 10 weeks.

The block schedule is on

 page 1 of the guide.

I'll do a step by step tutorial

 for each block.

As always ...I will also be doing 

a video tutorial on week one.

CLICK HERE

to download the sew along button

 and use it to post on 

your blog and or on 

Instagram 

to show that you have joined in!

Be sure to use the hashtag 

#FarmSweetFarmSewAlong

when you post so that your post 

will appear on that specific page.

That is where we will all see 

that you are in the sew along 

and can visit with others 

who are doing it as well.

It's sew fun!

About the fabric.

We will be using my new

 Farm Girl Vintage fabric to make the

 Farm Sweet Farm Quilt.

I designed this quilt especially

 for the fabric!

Quilt shops have had kits on pre-order 

for several months now and hopefully

 you have yours all ready for cutting.

If you are a quilt shop offering the kit...

please post about it on your

 Facebook or Instagram feed 

so that your followers will know:)

If you have not ordered a kit yet...

and don't know who has any left...

simply do a quick google search 

by typing in "Farm Sweet Farm Quilt Kit" 

and odds are you will find one:)

The fabric kit requirements are

 listed on page 2 of the sew along guide

 as well as all of the notions needed.

I'm sew excited about his new 

farm girl adventure that we will 

be experiencing together...

and I'm happy to be sewing with my 

long awaited Farm Girl Vintage 

fabric collection:)

I put little tractors on the selvedges...

because you know...I love tractors!!!

In addition to Farm Girl Vintage...

we will be using these new prints 

that I've designed called "SHABBY"

These are the first 6 colors 

in what will become 

a much larger variety:)

The six colors are:

 Nutmeg-Cloud-Steel-Green-Denim-Red

I super love Shabby and the texture 

of the design really adds to the quilt

 and compliment the prints well.

We will be using this

 Riley Blake Designs 

Natural Linen 

for the applique block backgrounds.

I LOVE this so much and have 

used it for several projects!

All of my white prints

 for the sheep...goose...hen...clouds 

etc show up very nicely against it 

and I love how it lends 

an even more vintagey look 

to the rest of the prints.

When I first started using it...

 I was worried about shrinkage 

so I zig-zagged the edges and prewashed it.

I found that it only had the same amount 

of shrinkage as when you 

prewash cotton fabric.

I don't prewash my cotton prints 

so I decided not to prewash

 my linen anymore either.

Of course...

that choice is up to you!

We will be using my new set of

 Sew Simple Shapes 

for all of the applique blocks

 in the quilt.

I'm so happy about this set...

it really has a lot of great shapes

 in it that can be used for 

so many other projects 

besides the quilt and is a 

great addition to your 

sew simple shapes library!

Once you download your guide...

 you will want to keep it 

in a binder for easy use.

I always use a white 1" binder 

that I usually pick up from Target.

I like the kind that have a place 

that you can insert a page 

on the front and the back 

and also has a clear pocket 

on the front and back cover insides.

I use sheet protectors 

for each page of the guide.

I may have gone "a little crazy"

 with the copy machine and 

made a cover for my guide:)

I scanned the border fabric and

 some of the 5" blocks...

a vintage apron pattern and a

 photo of a vintage machine and

 put them all together scrapbooking style:)

This is pretty much my thoughts 

every day all day lol

PS. My mom thought that this girl 

on the pattern looks just like I did

 when I was a young farm girl 

so that why I used her!

Here is the front inside pocket of my binder.

I just kept enlarging and copying stuff!!

It was fun to do a little 

Farm Girl Vintage paper crafting:)

I also made a tall bookmark 

to use in my binder:)

I enlarged and printed a copy of my

 Yes You Can! Table Runner 

and backed it with kraft paper.

I shaped the top like a tag and

 punched a hole for the

 lace and vintage trim tie.

I also put a planner clip on top:)

I wish I had that vintage sewing machine.

And that apron...

and still looked like

 that young farm girl lol!

I just thought I'd show you 

what I did with my binder ...

just in case you are a paper crafter

 and want to have a little fun with it too!

Okay now let's chat about the 

inside pages of the sew along guide.

The main reason that I prepare

 and release the guide this early

 for you is so that you can 

get all of your fabrics cut 

and into individual kits

 for each block.

In the guide...

each piece of fabric is detailed 

with what size to cut...

how many to cut...

what Sew Simple Shape that piece

 you are cutting goes with...

what block it goes into and 

what it is used for in that block.

I also tell you what size to cut

 your BIMB Sew-In Interfacing 

and how many of each one to trace.

Also what size to cut your strips

 for the bias tape makers as well.

Embroidery patterns are included 

and also guideline on sewing the blocks

 and borders together when it's time.

I also added a page for note taking...

isn't it cute?

You can copy off as many of

 this page as you would like.

I am a note taker and like to keep 

my notes together with my project.

I copied off several and put them 

in the pocket of the 

inside back cover for easy access.

I enlarged the invitation and 

inserted it for the back cover:)

When I am cutting my blocks

 for this quilt 

(and literally every quilt that I make)...

I put each one on a 10" x 10"

 design board and label it 

so that I know what it is.

Then I stack the boards to keep them

 safe and they are right there 

exactly how I cut them when 

it's time to sew that block.

Yes!...I have this many design boards

 and Yes! I use them all!

I also use this size to lay out 

small blocks next to my sewing machine

 while I'm piecing it.

For larger blocks in the quilt 

you will need to use my 

large design boards that are 18" square.

Soon you will be able to

 purchase my medium size (14" square)

 all in Farm Girl Vintage prints!

I think they are a month or so out.

I have done several tutorials

 on how I make my design boards 

and even though they are now produced

 and available for purchase 

you could still make your own.

CLICK HERE 

for my very first tutorial.

This is an example of what one 

of the blocks already cut looks like.

This is the PIG BLOCK...

can you see the cute label?

These are all of the squares for the

 5" Farmers Daughter Blocks.

I labeled them as well.

I am all cut and ready to go...

I'll be sewing my quilt 

right along with you!

I use a DYMO labeler ...

and I love to label all the things lol

This is what the box looks like.

I got mine while shopping at 

Office Depot a few years ago

but I'm sure DYMO label makers are sold 

a lot of different places.

After you have cut everything...

save your leftovers for fun projects

 via tutorials that I will be doing!!

Okay enough about cutting...

let's chat about the supplies.

If you have done my previous 

Sew Simple Shape Sew Alongs...

there is nothing new and 

you are good to go!

If you are new here...welcome!

I'll show you a pic of all things

 listed in the guide just so 

that you can have a visual.

We use these to trim up the

 Farmers Daughter Blocks.

These are all by Clover.

Notice the 3/8" one looks different

 and is called by a slightly 

different name but still 

works the same as the others.

Clover Point to Point Turner.

This is a must for shaping your pieces!!!

Bee in my Bonnet

 Sew-In Interfacing

This is just the right thickness

 for my easy applique method.

Do not try to use super thin kind...

it's really hard to get a good shape

 for your appliqués if you do.

I learned that early on:)

For embroidery only...not applique.

Happy colors!

PS. Needle Minder not included lol

Nifty Needles

Each needle type is color coded 

and on the back of the package

 states which sewing task that 

I use them for.

This is the sampler pack...

They also come in these 

Nifty Needle tubes that are 

color coded to match the needles

 for easy identification.

This is the thread set that I use 

for all of my applique.

I use it whether I'm doing

 it by hand or machine.

I match my thread 

to each applique piece.

More happy colors!!!

Both 100% cotton 50 wt. and 80 wt.

 are inside this amazing collection.

I use a variety of sizes and 

colors of my Cute Little Buttons.

These are jars number one, two and three.

I also have a new package out 

of just the tiniest size...1/4"!

Sew super cute!!

I painted one of my jar lids yellow 

and filled it with a few packages 

of the new tiny ones:)

In the future my buttons will 

no longer come in the jars...

but will come in packages 

of the same color family in a

 variety of sizes and designs. 

Sue Daley Glue...

which I affectionately call Sue Glue!

You will need 10 yards of the 

BEEHIVE color Lg. Vintage Trim Ric-Rac

 for inside the binding of the quilt.

I'm going to show you something fun

 to make with the spool when

 the trim is gone!

Seams Sew Easy Guide is a HUGE help

 when sewing all of the 

Farmers Daughter Blocks 

and sewing your applique blocks 

and quilt top together.

CLICK HERE

to find out about it and 

how to put it on your machine.

I use these Applique Pretty Pins 

along with my large design boards 

when preparing each block for applique.

I use my Cute Cuts Mats and 

rulers for all cutting.

Easy Trace Light Box to trace on

 all of your embroidery and 

the windmill applique strips.

Here's a sneak peek of the cow!

This is one of the blocks in the quilt that 

Kassidy (my daughter) made back in 

September for Riley Blake Designs.  

 They hung in their 

 booth during fall quilt market.

It's super hard to get a good photo

 at market because of the lighting

 but here it is!!!

I cannot wait to

 make this with you:)

Have fun with the guide...

and Bee Prepared for the 28th!!

xx

Lori