Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilts, Part One

 

GRANDMOTHER'S FLOWER GARDEN QUILTS. 

I've  never made one, but I find myself in the possession of four of them.  One temporarily.

Two are hand-quilted, two still in the "quilt top" category.  They have stories. I wanted to show them to you and tell their stories, but I have realized that I can't do it in one post.  So, tonight, 

PART ONE:

 

  

I bought this quilt from my favorite flea market a few months ago for $25.  It was damaged.  By damaged, I mean that it had been washed and the red fabrics had faded giving the quilt a pink cast...and oddly enough, only two of the"flowers" had the entire middle totally worn away.  Why those two, I wonder?  I took it home.

I figured I couldn't hurt it any more, so I soaked it in Oxyclean in the washer for two days.  Rinsed it twice after that.  That procedure did not removed the fading, but it did lighten it somewhat and it was lots cleaner.

 

 Here is one of the blocks that was missing it's middle.  Once again, why just the two?  Maybe the fabric used in these two blocks had issues to begin with???  You think?

 

 Here is the other block with a missing middle.  It's identity will remain a secret......

 

 Here the quilt sits on my work table. Now, remember, I said I had never made a quilt in this pattern.

While I have pieced quilts before....my favorite quilts (to make) were always appliqued, so I had to figure out how to go about repairing this quilt.  It's pieced.  And, it's quilted.  If it were a top, I think it would be easier to repair.  What to do? 

 

I set out to piece a flower center.  One hexagon for the middle, surrounded by six hexagons of a different pattern.  Which, in my mind, meant Applique.  So, I pieced two flower centers and set about to applique them in the center, then quilt them.

 

 Here you see that flower appliqued to the quilt

 

 Here you see the other quilted.

 

And, closer here.

 

 This kind of work requires many hours spent HERE.

  Here is the second block, repaired.

 

 And, here are both on the quilt.  I hadn't paid any attention til just now, but both damaged blocks are on the edge of the quilt, but not the same edge.  Odd.  

 

 And, here is the repaired quilt.  Notice the one block, five up on the left,  and four over from the bottom left corner.  I think they look pretty good, considering.  And, by the way, I suppose due to the soaking...it is one of the softest quilts I have.  I've already slept under it several times lately.  (Never agitate when washing a quilt...just soak, then spin.  I usually rinse twice...the same, no agitating, soaking, then spin.)

 

While photographing this quilt....I found a feather nearby.  I really like when that happens!

 

Here is the back of the quilt....the pink flowers are where the red fabrics bled from front to back.  There is also some staining from who knows what on the back...but it's very clean now, so that doesn't bother me.  

  

 The quilt had to be mended in several places...just little rips, tears,  You can see where I mended it, there on the binding and above that a bit.  These tears did not go through to the front of the quilt, one reason it looks so good.

 So, an old quilt, renewed.  "Rescue the Perishing" as they say.  I enjoyed this work and with any luck, tomorrow, I will post Part Two. 

 from

Bird Nest Cottage

until next time

♥♥♥