Grandmother's Flower Garden

This pattern is one I think I'd really like to make; nevermind that I have a list of UFO's and other projects for the year. The question I have is does it have to be hand quilted? I can't imagine doing hand quilting, but I also can't imagine doing that one by machine either. Anyway, before this takes up anymore space in my brain, I need to know how it's made.


Jill

Jill do you mean the one made with hexagons ? It is usually English paper pieced . The old way of quilting it was 1/4" inside each hexagon ....so much work. I have seen it quiled by machine in an allover pattern [ NOT close like stippling } and it looks fine

I asked a LA freind of mine this question, as one of my UFOs is a Field of Diamonds (GFG variant). She told me that what she had done for a customer was to leave the innermost hexes alone, quilt a tight wreath pattern in the second rings and a meander in the thrid rigns. This makes the centers pop. I plan to do the same with my diamonds when I finish that one.

Is this the quilt you are talking about Jill ???

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pinklemonadeboutique.typepad.com/pinklemonadeboutique/images/2007/04/04/grandmothers_flower_garden_quilt_cl.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pinklemonadeboutique.typepad.com/pinklemonadeboutique/2007/04/grandmothers_fl.html&h=300&w=400&sz=30&tbnid=t4GY0l1eD4B8jM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrandmothers%2Bflower%2Bgarden&zoom=1&q=grandmothers+flower+garden&usg=__d--Ks2Dr5zaaMvco1nzyu4ni7Is=&sa=X&ei=DG1qTfKeLpL0tgfhzIXpAg&ved=0CCIQ9QEwAQ

Jill I have seen them both hand and machine quilted. I have a large diamond assembled using the paper pieced hexagons and once its stitched to the top and all the top is all finished (one day) I will most likely machine and hand quilt. I think I will hand quilt around the outer edge of the complete diamond and machine quilt on it (over all the hexagons) Not sure I make sense but anyway, Ive seen them quilted both ways and they all looked just as nice as each other

I found this pic online of one beautifully machine quilted HERE Make sure you click through the other photos on the right when you get to this site, there are lots more showing the whole quilt.

nice site , Gimpy

Very pretty!

Yes Golo, that's what I was talking about. I think they are beautiful quilts.

Wow gimpy! That site was FUN!

sure is some nice stuff on there isnt there? Glad you have all been enjoying it, I stumbled across it

I think I owe everyone an apology because my posting was not very clear. I meant to ask about the sewing of the hexagons together not the quilting when finished. I assume the piecing is done by hand, but since I'm not much of a hand quilter, I was wondering if it could be done by machine. Just from looking at the GFC, I'm guess that hand sewing might actually be easier than using the machine.


Jill

Im only aware of them pieced by hand personally, not sure how you'd go trying to do it on the machine. Bet someone has done it though

check this out Jill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIWWD-nOapg and this one sewing hexagons my machine...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQG0V42O0fI&feature=related

nice videos Golo...I hve made a few flower units by machine, the trick is to mark dots at your 1/4 inch junctions.

I think it was Bearfoot that gave us a demo on hand sewing them, a couple of years ago. I tried doing the standard size by machine. It was way more trouble than it was worth, however, when I upped it to hexagons of about 3.5", machine sewinf was OK. I was given a neat little hex tool, both as a template and with small hols for marking the corners. I found it to be worth the trouble to mark them. at least at first. I think I have most of the blocks put together and about 1/4 of the assembly done.