Thsi is my first completed flower. Have lots started. It is English paper pieced with the card pull-outs from magazines and whip stitched together. You just sew the fabric on a cardboard template and take it out later, if you want. I've heard of people leaving the newspaper ones in place, even through the wash, but they seem to curl up.

Norah,
This pattern is on my "someday" list of "want-a-dos". Is this all hand pieced? It's going to be beautiful! Keep us updated on your progress.

P.S.
How's the new puppy doing? :D

Good for you, Norah. This will become a treasure. I have to admit, this is NOT on my list of things to do. I met a woman in my guild who makes these tiny ones, if you ask me she is just nuts. :lol: The finished product is lovely, but I can't see me doing that.

OOOH, I am envious. I found an Almost Grandmother's Flower Garden and think this might be the one I will eventually make. I am not confident I will ever make such a tedious quilt, but this looks a bit easier and perhaps will be something I can handle.

Here is the link .

http://www.mccallsquilting.com/golden/mg32_pattern/

Any comments on this version???

June

I'm with you I love the granmothers flower garden but I too will go the easier route with the almost flower garden.

your doing a great job and my hats off to you for such a big and beauitful undertaking

well ... now that everybody knows what they're supposed to really look like, might as well put mine back in the drawer.

just kidding. Norah ... it is gorgeous. i'm not really going to put mine in a drawer. you've just inspired me to pick it up and get my tuchus back to work.

:P

I like that almost flower garden and would probably have done it if I had my druthers, but I inherited a bunch of these hexagons already cut out, and I like to have handwork to carry in my purse. It will take half of my life to get it done, and I might not finish it ever, but that is okay.

The joy is in the work, not the completed product. Right?? It's beautiful and worth every minute of joy. Good going, it's not one I've wanted to tackle, but it's beautiful for sure.
Sharon

That sure is pretty!

My Mom went all out and made her first baby quilt with the Grandmother's Garden pattern.

Unfortunatly, by the time she finished it - and the others that she made- the grandkids were no longer babies. I call them her toddler quilts.

Regardless of when they got them, they were appreciated by the parents and grandkid.

I have done both the almost and real thing. I found a almost completed top in a antique/junk shop in Selma NC she was asking 50 dollars and all the other flowers were there too. Its on my someday list to finnish--Hope I live long enough to get my list done, as long as it is!

There are two blocks on the Quilter's Cache website that are "almost flower gardens". THe first is called "Easy Flower Block" and the second is "Granny's Flower Garden". Both are nice. Nothing comes close to the original though, IMHO. I don't know that I'll ever be up for the original but I bought some repro fabric for the Granny's Flower Garden and put it on my "I gotta do this when and if I ever find the time" list. I also like the McCall's pattern. TOO many patterns,NEVER enough time.

Sorry, ladies, I don't know how to post links.

Mary....I don't what everyone else does, but I just type out the link....or copy it from the search box when you find something you want to share. No fany techniques here (at least not the way I do it.)

Give it a try. No one will know the difference.

June

OK, maybe this will work. These are for the two blocks I mentioned.
I don't think it's a link, but it's the right page to go to!

http://www.quilterscache.com/E/EasyFlowerBlock.html
http://www.quilterscache.com/G/GrannysFlowerGardenBlock.html

Hope ya'll like them.

Yep, you did it, Mary! See putting links in a post is easy! :lol:

I'm torn between-" Hey I learned something new!" and "Duh!" Thanks for sharing knowledge and encourage. Its really nice.

I found a completed top at an antique store for $30. It was not a true Grandmother's Flower Garden, but 1008 or so 1 inch hexagons sewn together (by hand). It looks to be from the 30s or 40s, and I couldn't stand the thought that some woman's work would not be appreciated, so I bought it, started to quilt in a the traditional pattern, and decided to take out what I had done and display it along with the other antique tops I have. I wonder how many tops have been used for rags or stuff? I hope the women who did them so long ago can't see the ones that were abused.

There is definately not enough time in the world for me to do a hand pieced quilt (although when I started quilting, that's all we did) :!: That being said, when I was going on vacation, I had to find something portable to take along on the plane. I decided on hexagons. Instead of cutting out hundreds of papers, though, I bought 2 packages of the plastic hexagons. They are very light weight and I can press the pieces before removing the plastic. I should get really sharp creases that way. I'm using various batiks in yellows, oranges and going into some reds and purples. Definately not your grandma's flower garden :!: I'll post a picture when I get a few nore flowers done.

Also, for those of you who like the pattern but don't want to work with hexagons, there is a pattern available that uses a rhombus instead (that's half a hexagon). That way you sew straight strips by machine and no y seams.

Norah, that just looks so HARD..... (even with your suggestions...) Maybe, in a few years, I'll attempt it. Be sure to post the finished product one of these days---it's going to be a crowd pleaser for sure! :lol: