Trunk Show Tuesday: Grandmother's Flower Garden

These photos are the "leftovers" from one of my favorite quilts! A grandmothers flower garden, and I'm at a loss how to finish it! Any suggestions would be appreciated. It is photographed on a double bed...so could easily be turned into a throw. Should applique borders be added...pieced...suggestions please! The orginal quilt...to be shared on a future post was started in the 30's or 40's and finished about 50 years later. It fits a double bed with a dust ruffle… perhaps this would be coverlet size? My mother made this. I’m guessing it was started before she was married, and if not, many of the fabrics came from her scrap bag from the 1930’s. You might be able to see some scraps from the Dresden Plate quilt collection, and I’m guessing she added more from her housedress scraps in later years. I’m quite sure some of the fabrics were purchased just for quilting, probably when she was single, but many came from leftover hoarded scraps from sewing, such as housedresses, aprons and even curtains.



This top is all hand pieced and hand marked. Each piece was marked with a pencil using a template made from a piece of copper gutter, which was made by her father. I still have it, and it will last forever I'm sure!

The Grandmother's Flower Garden was my mother's favorite quilt pattern. The only reason I can think of for that is that it would use a wide assortment of cheery floral prints. She loved flowers and I'm sure the cheerful prints helped her through some tough times. I know the quilt was finished during a time she was caring for my father who was bedridden for five years following a stroke. I was not a quilter at that time, and even later when I looked at those tiny hexagons, I vowed I'd never have the patience or desire to duplicate that quilt pattern. Only recently have I had to eat those words/thoughts, and entertain the idea that perhaps she was onto something and that the design is actually quite appealing!

There were enough leftovers from this quilt to make a throw, and possibly a bit larger if I can come up with a creative border design to compliment it. She went on to complete two more full size Grandmother Flower Gardens. And perhaps during the last year of her life she wanted to either leave me one more quilt, or knew some day I'd need to tackle this design on my own.

Either way, she sewed with a passion, stitching endlessly like a woman on a mission. This at age 89 with failing eyesight and stiff hands. She tucked a 3/4 finished hexagon diamond quilt into a bag for the last time...along with enough blocks to finish it and fabrics to spare.



After ten years I've finally got the courage to open that package and entertain the idea of finishing it! I’m not entirely certain how to finish it, but perhaps with some suggestions, it can be done one day. Maybe it is one last chuckle, as she did like to laugh... knowing I'd eventually eat my words... and get bitten by the Grandmother's Flower Garden bug. Just as she did!