Have any of you ever done a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt? I have been nervous about making one.. Especially since it is completely hand done sewn. I finally got up the nerve to actually make one and now I am looking at the top and I am unsure just how to quilt it. Do I hand quilt it.... Do I have it machine quilted and if I do what do I have done? I live in a small Oklahoma town and don't have many long arm options. Any advice would be great. :roll:

I've never made a GFG, I'm more of a machine sewing person myself. But if you went to all the trouble of hand-piecing a quilt I would definitely recommend to also hand-quilt it. Would be a pity to do differently.

Someone on here will correct me if I'm wrong, (and I was wrong one time! :oops: ) but I think the tridational way is to hand quilt inside each hex. 1/4 in from seam. I have done one that was quilted that way with the center hex, then on the next row, I went around the six all in circle so to speak. And continued on around the next "row" I saw one at a quilt show that was machine quilted in a meander pattern. Looked nice. Not sure I would go to all the work hand piecing, then have it machine quilted, but to each his own. "While browsing thru a book of antique quilts at the libuary, I found one that had been tied. Because I have a lot of problems making my hands work now days, I tried tying the one in my avitar. I used embrodery floss, selecting colors to match each hex. I am really quite satisfied with it. We do what we have to do I guess. I'm sure your quilt will be lovely however you choose to do it. Would love to see a photo.

I respectfully disagree. I made a king size quilt all hand appliqued hearts and hand pieced the blocks (hundreds of them). I had my friend machine stipple all over, leaving the hearts to pop out. I love it and am very happy with it.
That being said, it's your quilt and you should do what you want to do:-)

Agreed!

I'm working on a DWR right now where all the arcs were machine (paper) pieced, but now i'm piecing everything else by hand (darned curves). I haven't decided yet how to quilt it; originally I was going to machine quilt it anyway, but now I'm between hand quilting and sending it to a LAer. I've never done either one of those, so feel free to take my hand and we'll jump off the cliff together! :mrgreen:

No. I have seen some beautiful ones on this site

do a search of gfg quilts to get ideas of how they are quilted...there are lots of options...i found a wonderful great big book at the library called "America's Glorious Quilts"
it has some wonderful pictures of gfg's

it is totally your choice as far as hand or machine- both are fine and a personal choice. I am a long-armer and the first time a lady brought me a totally hand pieced quilt- i about had a heart attackK!!
called her 3 times asking if she was sure this is what she wanted---and what she would have done if she were to hand quilt it...it was scary!
but i quilted it- she loved it...and for some reason this year i have received a number of them to do...seems hand piecing is maybe becoming more common- but then...lets get it done...

I ONLY HAND QUILT. SO, I WOULD QUILT EACH HEX 1/4" IN FROM THE SEAM.

oooh my gentle!!!!!!

I am doing one by hand myself now.... Well actually I started it over 3 years ago, but in no hurry to complete it. That is going to be ALOT of hand quilting!!! There will be over 1500 hexis by the time I am done!!!!

I am working on one I started 3 months ago in all batik fabrics. It is good busy time at night watching tv. Keeps me from snacking. I am planning to hand quilt circles instead of the hex. Just thinking for now. Got a long way to go. We finished one at the Senior Center and did it the traditional way.

I have made them. Like several people have already suggested I would hand quilt it by each hexagon.

You've gone to all the time and effort to hand piece the blocks so why not hand quilt. It will be beautiful.

I have never made one but I own the one my Great Grandmother and Grandmother did in the 30's all by hand..pic to follow..

How lucky are you to have this?! Its lovely. As for quilting a GFG, I don't think I'd quilt every hex, but perhaps every other round of 'petals' a 1/4" from the seam if hand quilting? That would be a lot of hand work if you were to do every hex.

I love hexagons; I made a tablecloth with flowers in appliqué, hexagons are 1” side and I’m working on a Charm Quilt with hexagons ¾” side (999 hexagons, all different fabrics) I’m on my 800 hexagons! I know it will be a lot of work but I like hand quilting.
Here is a picture of a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilting; I find it very nice, it’s a lot of work…it also depends on how big is your quilt!

Happy quilting!
Patricia

I made a GFG by the method of English Paper Piecing then hand quilted it. I hand quilted everyother row of hexes. I took me 7 years to finish this quilt, but it is finished

I'm sure it will be lovely however you decide!

As a longarmer, I have quilted about four GMF's. On each one I have done in-the-ditch around each hexagon. They look very nice when they are done. The one I quilted ealier this year was hand pieced.

Around each hexagon? Longarmers sure earn their money. I quilted a small one in concentric rings instead of each.