Ok, folks, here’s the state of my Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt-top
after last weekend’s hexagonal fixation. I made the flowers about
three years ago on a trip we took to Jamaica to photograph a wedding.
(Know anyone getting married in an exotic location? We could use more
trips like that.)
My many-hours’ devotion this week have only produced the limited green border of which you see about half. Tedious. But, you know, tedious projects are perfect for grab-n-go vacation entertainment.
At the rate we’re going, it looks like it may be a few more years before the next vacation, so don’t expect much progress on this little blanket for a while to come. My goal is to have it done by the time granddaughter #1 makes an appearance – in what, twenty years or so? Oh my, is that why it’s called a Grandmother’s Flower Garden? Is it impossible to finish one of these buggers before then?
Oop, it looks like Hillary has a similar timeline for her Golden-Years’ Garden.
Check out her post from two years ago:
http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/2004/09/naming_conventi.html
Oh MAN! But the portion you have finished certainly is beautiful! Timelessly beautiful…which is a GOOD thing given your grandmother completion goal! LOL
BTW, I’ve just cut out the most ADORABLE dress and swing coat using a mix of Freshcut! I’ve paired it with some plum-ish colored cotton velveteen and it looks soooo cute!!! (If I do say so myself!) Can’t wait to carve out some time to finish it up as my DD’s Easter dress. 🙂
You should submit these to the flickr group for paper piecing
http://flickr.com/groups/englishpaperpiecing/
They are very pretty they look 1930’s -1940 style of fabric and green is very traditional. This will be beautiful when all done. I have made a few grandmothers flower gardens they do take a while I have one with over 5500 pieces in it and the pieces are 1/4 an inch to a side took 8 years to make ( 5 of which it was in storage)photo on flickr here
http://flickr.com/photos/sunshinescreations/313262350/in/set-72157594405047354/
with a close up here
http://flickr.com/photos/sunshinescreations/313272666/in/set-72157594405047354/
It’s coming along beautiful. I love GMFG. Love the prints as well.
So beautiful! Wish I had your patience. I can’t even seem to finish my rail fence quilt…
I’m going to start adding the title “Grandmother’s…” before all my projects, I think! Brilliant… this will save me a lot of stressing over unfinished whatsits.
Oh Wow, Heather!!!!!!! Tedious but well worth it! Love the green……..it really pulls everything together! Keep at it~
1) Love the quilt top. 2) Love the commentary even better.
Amy, I’m right there with you. How about these:
Grandmother’s Clean Bathroom
Grandmother’s Pulled Weeds
Grandmother’s Decorated House
Grandmother’s Washed Car
Grandmother’s Completed Taxes
Grandmother’s Folded Laundry
Or do we have to stick to handicrafts?
Hey Heather! If you aren’t already cutting your hexagons from freezer paper and (temporarily) fusing them to your fabric before you cut out the patches, you might give it a try. I cut out my hexagons in stapled stacks of 4 or 5 at a time, punch a hole through them all (to easily remove them later), remove the staples and fuse to my fabrics. I don’t need to stitch through the paper- I just tack-stitch at each corner and I’m good to go. When you have them stitched together, slip in the tips of your scissors through that hole you punched and ease out the paper. I can usually use the papers 2 or three times.
English Paper Piecing need not be tedious!! I started working this way last year and I love it!
Thanks for the tip, Johanna! I used freezer paper for all of the flowers, but was in a jam this weekend without an iron, so I had to baste my green fabric onto the freezer paper pieces this time around. And, you’re right, fusing freezer paper to the back of the fabric is far faster! I’m new to the hole-punch idea, though. I’ll try that one next time for sure.
This is my dream project and you’re even doing it with the green which is my preferred color of choice for this classic. Those blocks are adorable.. I’m pea green.
Your Freshcut fabrics would look great in a design like this if the hexagon was really enlarged….maybe 3 inches or more? Good quilt idea, huh!?!
i really like what you go so far!!!! ou could come see me in Houston…and drive…that would take a while….its a 24 hours drive stright through (give or take your location)
wow… that looks so tedious. Sometimes I think it’s nice to just get a project made up quick…. but in the end it’s the ones that push me and consume all of my time that I enjoy more when it is done.
Right now I’m making my first crocheted quilt. To think that every single piece of yarn touched my hand before it was weaved into that beautiful fabric makes me so grateful for it. I have also found an appreciation for the things that others have made me that wasn’t there before. I can only hope that my grandchildren will find this in the work I leave to them.
xoxo,
Jenna Lou
Hi! I was going to ask for advice about paper piecing, but Johanna’s comment was a wealth of tips and info.
I love what you’ve done so far. I have a “vintage Halloween” themed quilt that I started, ooh, about 7 years ago. I find bits of it now and then and think, “Wow, I should really work on that.”
Do you know of a link that teaches this pattern? Looking at yours and Hillary’s entries the last few days, I am curious (not curious enough to get going) to see how it works.
Or a table runner, perhaps?
I admire you for even getting this far with it!
It’s beautiful! I love it. 🙂
Georgia
Heather this is so inspiring – I posted it up on the CRAFT blog.
I just finished my first quilt and your beautiful work inspired me to try it in the first place. Thank you!
– Natalie
Thanks, Natalie – CRAFTzine’s the best ; )
Ironic! This weekend I realized I need to get this pattern from my grandmother’s house. She made similiar quilts (she called it Martha Washington’s Garden) for all of four of her grandchildren. She would work on piecing, quilting, basting, etc. all of them at different points. Unfortunately, her Alzheimer’s beat her to the last quilt and I think it still sits in the frame waiting to be completely quilted. I wish I had paid more attention when she taught me how to quilt and crochet as a child…
Wow. You’re blessed with lots of patience. Looks lovely!
I posted a tutorial on how to do this on March 10 if you have any suggestions let me know.http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/2007/03/tutorial-on-english-paper-piecing.html
thanks
Sunshine
Gorgeous color and print comibnations! I love it, wish I had the patience to do something like this!
Heather,
love your work.
I too am working on this pattern & have been for awhile.
My goal is to finish it this year!
I Love you girls
Buy
I’m working on the same project but I am not sure how to put a binding on when the project is complete. Any suggestions?
Ginger
Cute!
I was wondering how you intend to quilt your patchwork? I’ve just finished an hexagonal piece and am not looking forward to hand quilting. Any ideas?
Clare
I finished a Grandmother’s flower garden quilt for my daughter for her wedding…approx. 1700 handstitched hexagons. It is now quilted my my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and now back to me for binding…I need help in knowing how to do this and I have to have it done in one month before the cute couple leaves for Argentina to live. Please help!
Penny
Oh, i’ts very nice work! Very much I like colours and patterns of fabrics. Hexagon quilt is a great kind of the patchwork 🙂
Greetings from rainy, cold Gdańsk!