{Post 1,380} GFG Progress

You might be thinking, "What progress?"  Here is my last picture of how this was coming along.  Besides what is pictured, I have 3-1/2 more finished blocks.  

On the above picture, the only blocks sewn to each other are the 4-1/2 in the bottom left part of the picture and the red and green ones to their right.  

This past Saturday, my husband surprised us all by rounding us up and taking us to the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN.  I got to hand sew for about 5 hours on that trip.  I finished adding cream hexagons to 2 blocks and basted some green diamonds.  

Tonight I sewed the purple and yellow block to what I am thinking of as the mother ship.  I am going to try to work on this a little more often.

I also bought 3 pieces for it last week when I drove Isaac home from Tennessee.  Stopped at a cute little quilt shop that I heard about at a guild meeting I attended Monday.  No picture, but I also bought a charm pack to make someone a Twister ruler table runner for Christmas.

{Post 1,352} In NY for a Wedding!

The top picture is one I took at home last night.  It's time to start putting the blocks together.  I had to see where I wanted them.  Unfortunately, after sewing on the way here, I realized I need many more foundations.  It seemed like I got a lot of sewing done.  If you compare the pictures, it wasn't really that much.  I did forget to put something in the finished picture.  The block in the top picture (blue block in the center in the bottom row) has all of the cream patterns round sewn onto it.  I am nearly out of hexagon foundations, so I sewed some diamonds on so I could remove and reuse the hexagons.  Now I'm nearly out of diamonds (and out of green fabric I brought for the trip).  

My friend drove all 12 hours up here.  It was a rather uneventful trip.  Thank God.

{Post 1,334} She's Still Alive!

It has been so long since I've posted.  Everyday life has been very daily lately.  

I stayed home from church tonight because of my cough, so I added a little to one of my Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.  I don't even know where the other ones are right now!  Still packed away somewhere.

This past Monday I got up at 5:30 AM to make an 8-hour trip for my husband's company to pick up something in Atlanta and delivery it to Charlotte.  When I got up, I had just the very beginning of an allergic reaction rash.  It was popping up as I watched, so I took Benadryl every 6 hours all day and just slept the whole day away.

Today I have been coughing so much that my throat and chest hurt.   

I did a little hand sewing tonight.  If I have the energy tomorrow, I hope to reorganize some things in my bedroom (my new sewing space) so I can access the things I need to get some sewing done.

Elisabeth's room is all but finished.  Handles on the closet doors, ceiling fan assembled and installed, and a little touch-up painting, and it will be finished.  It turned out so lovely.

I have committed to watching my grandson once Elisabeth goes back to work (about 8 weeks after he is born).  I will watch him full-time until he is mobile (crawling well and/or walking), and we'll see if I can keep it up then.  She has looked into a day care setting if I end up needing it.  I am so glad to be able to help her and proud of her decision to raise her son.  What a trooper she is!  I love her.

While that may mean much less time to call my own, what is more important than supporting family?

{Post 1,332} Weekend Trip

My view on the trip to Florida this past weekend.  We left on Friday and met my daughter and SIL at the college where he works.  His nephew was having a 5th birthday party at the Sports Center so we could all bowl.

This is Rachel in the front seat (pic shot thru the headrest) with her pink Converse resting on the front dash.

My grandson (who will be one on Saturday, the 8th).  He is walking (mostly), talking (some unintelligible gibberish), but it's sooooo cute.  He is a boy on the move.  This was one of the few seconds where he was not in motion.

My husband and I teach a 2- and 3-year olds' Sunday school class.  Every quarter we get a zillion papers to sort and cut out for crafts, etc.  The new quarter starts this coming Sunday, so there was a new batch to cut.  I worked on those and read most of the 9 hours down and 6 hours from my daugher's to my MIL's.  But I did squeeze in a few moments for this.  Just a few.  It's been so long since I worked on this.

Here's a little gizmo I bought at the local Bernina shop.  It's called a Cling-on (funny for Star Trek nerds).  It has a magnet that goes inside one's clothing and has an ever-so-slightly-cupped shape for the outside to put pins, needles, small scissors, etc.

My progress by the end of daylight.  I ran out of the yellow/gold fabric, so I started putting the cream ones around.  If you want to see the rest of this project, click on the "hexagons" under labels, and it will bring up all the posts that have these in them.

{Post 1,238} Lady in Waiting

Yesterday I was out and unexpectedly had 2-1/2 hours on my hands.  There was a mix-up as to when I needed to pick up some folks at the airport, and I ended up realizing there had been a mistake after waiting an hour at the airport.  The time sort of flew because I was reading an interesting book on my Kindle.  Going home would have been a huge waste of time.  What's a girl to do?

Fortunately, I still had my "lady-in-waiting" bag in my purse from my recent FL trip.  This phrase is one I got from my friend, Janet, at the Rogue Quilter blog.  I was able to make 2 whole more hexagons and attach them to the mother ship.  

First picture shows a PIECED center hexagon (I didn't have one fabric big enough, but I couldn't let that little detail stop me from making progress).  Second picture is the progress so far on this project.  I have a bobbin in the top left hexagon to show scale.

{Post 1,237} Queen-Sized GFG So Far

This shows the meager beginnings of my queen-sized Grandmother's Flower Garden.  I just realized I will want to put half-blocks all around the edge.  I propped a piece of white paper on the pins holding the block up so I could see how it would look.  That will work!  I will need many more blocks before this becomes a reality.  No timetable, so I'm good!

{Post 1,236} Some Sewing on the Trip

With so many hours in the car (and a few minutes in the house when everyone was gone or whatever), I did some hand sewing on this trip to Florida over the weekend.  My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary on 8/13, and my daughter was celebrating her 2nd on the same day.

Here is what I accomplished...NEARLY completing FOUR Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.  I also basted a lot of the green diamonds that go between the blocks.  I arranged the ones in the second picture so one could see where the diamonds will go once the final layout is determined.

Since these pictures, I completed all four out to the cream rings.

I returned home with a few new projects to make for Emily.  She loves the shopping cart cover.  It turned out very well.

{Post 1,178} New Hexie Project

This is my new hexagon project (handwork for traveling and waiting places).  I wasn't going to start one of these, but I like the handwork for keeping busy on the road.  We've been traveling a lot lately, but it does come in spurts.

I saw a hexagon project lately where some of the blossoms were fussy cut.  I don't have a lot of fabrics with which I can do that, but there are a few.  So I am embarking on a queen-sized hand made (cut, sewn, quilted) quilt so I can sleep under it a few times before my kids put me in a nursing home.  Thinking l-o-n-g term here!

Yesterday the mailman brought me the little diamond pieces.  Whew--they are tiny.  When I first saw them, I assumed they were the wrong size, but no--perfect fit!  They are one-inch long on one side.  The hexagons are also one-inch long per side.  

My plan for now is to sew a blossom all the way out to the cream ring then join it to the mother ship.  We'll see how that goes.

In the picture, the green diamonds are not sewn onto the blossom.  I just wanted to show how it would look (sorta) when they would be.  I am making the greens scrappy.  

{Post 1,056} Green Hexagons

Here is a little runner I whipped up tonight.  The "try this new technique" bug bit after I saw the cover quilt on the newest Quilt Sampler.  Since I just hand-pieced a hexagon quilt, I was interested to see "how" it was done by machine. 

As I perused the magazine, I saw that the template for the hexagon measured 6" across!!!!!  I use such small pieces (often finished 1" squares or 1-1/2" HST) that those looked like dinner plates to me!  I still wanted to give it a whirl, but didn't want to cut out the hexagons.  

Way back when I first started selling on eBay I made an acquaintance with a man who was making plexiglass extension tables for sewing machines to enlarge the machine quilting area.  He got a lot of info from me as we emailed back and forth.  I suggested that since he had the tools for cutting the lucite/plexiglass stuff that he make some quilting templates.  So, to make a long story short if it isn't too late already, he made me a couple sets of hexagons and accompanying triangles for I spy type quilts.

I looked in my I spy stash drawer, and lo, and behold, there they were!!  I had a gigantic one and the one I used for the runner, which measures 4" from flat side to flat side.

I have quilted it and have the binding sewn to the front.  I just may finish the binding tomorrow, and then I'll show you a pic from the front.  Turns out that this method is soooo easy to do!  I would like to make a bed-sized quilt or a large throw down the road with the larger template that I have.  this was enough to show me that I would like it.  I quilted 6-petaled flowers on it.  Susie said they looked like sand dollars.  And they do!

~Joan, who was the surprised recipient of these (my favorite flower) tonight when my Susie got home from work.

{Post 1,017} Twister Quilt Finished GFG Update

Here is the finished Twister quilt from my sewing chair:

And a close-up head on (the walls are a light grayish green):

I didn't get as much done on my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt as I thought I would.  

The first part of the trip I hand sewed the binding on my Twister quilt down.

Here is the GFG progress:

Quilting the diagonal lines really downplays the shape of the hexagons.  If I had the time (hahahahaha) and motivation (double the hahas), I'd like to make this exact quilt again and quilt 1/4" inside each hexagon shape.  I think the difference in the look of the final "product" would be surprising!  Well, if I ever make another one...

~Joan

{Post 1,007} Grandmother's Flower Garden Sorta Finished

My Grandmother's Flower Garden wall hanging...finished?  Sorta--meaning the hand piecing is finished.  This was nearly finished for so long.  Don't know why it got put on the back burner so to speak.  I hope to get the borders sewn on this AM.  I think I will do a couple.  Maybe a thin one then a wider?  Hmmm...

This Thimbleberries green is one of my favorite greens.  Off to audition borders, then on to the basting and hand quilting.  


We are taking a l-o-n-g car trip next weekend, so it will be nice to have something to be hand quilting on the journey.  More incentive to get this bordered and basted, yes??


~Joan

{Post #915} Hexagons

I worked on my hexagon quilt a little this AM.  I was staying at the flea market with Rachel while she sold her homemade goodies.  Here is my Grandmother's Flower Garden hexagon project so far...it measures 20" x 30" at its widest parts.

I just have one more row of blossoms to go down the right side.  There's light at the end of the tunnel!

Must be the influence of Pinterest, but I have all kinds of decluttering/repurposing/redecorating ideas floating around in my head.  I think this quilt will go either in my bathroom or above the head of my bed.  I want to hand quilt it like Natasha did hers (but hers is much larger, and if I'm not mistaken, nearly finished).

Bonnie is having another yard sale Saturday on March 3.  I will be selling my two hand-quilting hoops--one oval and one for borders, as well as numerous books and patterns.  I hope to have better pictures this go-round.  I also have a queen-sized quilt that I no longer use that I made a long time ago.  Everything went marvelously last time.  Be ready to participate on March 3.

Off to cheer for Rachel's basketball team in about 15 minutes.  At her game last night, I met a new quilting friend (hi, Penny!) whose daughter is on the same team.  We never met until last night.  As we were standing there talking, I told her there were some strings on the side of her vest and did she want me to pull them off?  She said she had been sewing before she came, and that certainly got my attention.  Then she corrected herself and said she had not been sewing, she had been PIECING A QUILT TOP!!  Needless to say, we had a LOT to talk about for the next hour.  She is a fairly new quilter.  I gave her my blog address.  I'm sure we'll chat a bit more at the game today :)

I laid out 36 my Florabunda blocks last night.  I am at that crucial point where I need to determine how large the finished product should be.  Since the blocks finish at 9 inches, this is 54" square at this point.  That does not seem large enough.

I will have to let those marinate for a while.

~Joan

{Post #897} GFG Progress and Selvages

I took my Grandmother's Flower Garden wall hanging to work on this AM while Rachel sold food at the flea market.  I got quite a bit finished because I also took it to the eye doc's waiting room while Isaac had an appointment yesterday.  All I did yesterday was baste hexagons to add later (which ended up being today).  Here' tis...

In other quilty news, I also trimmed off these selvages last night.  Wednesday night is a church service for us.  Mary Jo's is 15 minutes past our church.  I drop our children off early for youth choir, so I often head over to the city for an errand.  I picked up a few scraps and FQs for future block of the month quilts.  I harvested these selvages for future Red Zinger blocks.

I will be working on those in the coming weeks.  I even got some off of the scraps Julie sent me for my February "Count On It" block.  BONUS!!


~JoanG

{Post #891} GFG Repaired and Enlarged

One thing I've come to realize when I'm making a craft:  As soon as I realize I don't like something, take the time to undo it, and then go on.  


For example, it really bothered me that I ignored my color plan and ended up with the two cream flowers side by side.  Some people would say, "Oh well--who's going to notice?"  *I* am going to notice...it's MY quilt!  So, yeah, I ripped out the cream flower and put the one that was supposed to be there. Not sure I like the periwinkle flower because it stands out so much.  I hope once the garden is complete it will look like it fits there.


This piece measures 28" from top to bottom.


Here is the before and the now (after)...

So, all in all, I'm back where I started, and even a little ahead.  I have the cream blossom pieced to just stick in where it belongs when I get there.

~Joan

{Post #890} GFG

So here is my Grandmother's Flower Garden progress.  I cannot take the mistake I made of ignoring my color layout and placing two cream flowers next to each other (I mean--what in the world?), so I will be removing the bottom one and replacing it with the flower that I originally planned to be there.

We are replanting the flower bed areas outside the front edge of our house...hopefully this year!  I am eager to plant lots of lovely blossoms out there.  White and orange and red and purple...just like my GFG...but I am not a grandmother...YET!  I am not dropping any hints or news--just making an observation.


~Joan

{Post #885} Lunch Box

I don't think this is really a lunch box.  It was given to my daughter, Elisabeth, about 8-9 years ago as a secret sister gift.  She has since given it to me.  I am using it as a portable project holder for the Grandmother's Flower Garden pieces.

I have my paper hexagons, a cone of thread, small Gingher scissors, a needle nest (right front), my paper layout of colors, a thimble, and all the fabric pieces I'll need to complete this.  

Right now all the scraps cut out from the back of my hexagons after I baste them around the paper are in the lid.  I use it as a "trash can" until I get home or get close to a trash can.  This system works quite well for me.

~Joan 

{Post #884} Added More Flowers

I had two completed blossoms in my "lunch box" (which I'll show later) for this quilt, so I watched another movie and stitched some more.  The orangish red one and the white one were already put together, so that made the addition very quick.


You can see a little more of how the finished quilt is laid out now.  I am going to cut across the outer edges and add a border or two once the piecing is finished.  


This is the full length of the quilt.  The top row will be 5 blossoms across to give you an idea of the finished size.

Oy--I feel awful.


~Joan

{Post #883} Hexie Update

Saving these pictures was an eye-opener.  These are only the 2nd and 3rd quilt pictures I have saved this entire year.  I knew I hadn't been sewing much, but I didn't realize it had been this little.


Anywho...I went to the flea market with Rachel this AM and got to do a little hand sewing.  This is the progress on my hexagon project, from the front and from the back.

I have not felt well all day, so I sat and stitched a little here and there.  

You can see in the bottom picture that the paper is left on the outermost hexagon, only removed when the next one is placed beside it.

~Joan

{Post #833} Hexagon Help

Here is my not-so-professional tutorial on how I am sewing my hexagons to each other.  I have never done a tutorial before, so bear with me.  I loaded all the pictures first.  Glance at all of them then read and follow along.

I start with  knot which was wrapped around six times.  This picture shows how I put the hexagons nearly flat next to each other and pick up a few threads.

The last picture above shows from the right side.  You can see that you CANNOT see the thread on this hexagon that I just added.

If this is not clear, let me know, and I'll try it again.

~Joan

{Post #832} Hexagon Trial and Error

All three of my kids in braces had orthodontist appointments this AM...that makes me :) because I get to hand sew while I'm in the waiting room.  Those ladies always wonder why I'm so pleasant when I'm there ;)

I tried a new technique for sewing the hexagons together.  It is a tad slower than just putting them face-to-face and whip stitching them, but the threads do not show on the outside (see the last picture above--greens are sewn the new way, blossom parts the old).  I saw on the 'net recently where a woman irons her templates after she pulls them out.  I'll give that a whirl when I get near the ironing board again.  Instead of putting the hexagons with right sides together, I just held it flat in place and took smaller stitches.  I might try to get a photo of that later, but it's working!!  I have read several bloggers' explanations of how they sew their hexies together, and I have never come across one that does it "my" way.  They must have more success with their stitches not showing.

I ran out of hexagons that were pre-basted.  You can see in the top picture that I need to add a couple green hexies before I have a finished horizontal "row".  I will add my already sewn together red and cream flowers, then try adding a row at a time.  With my new method, I think that will be much faster and economical with time and sanity.  Could use more of both. 

The possibility of a bed-sized Grandmother's Flower Garden is still out there, but it might take forever.  Seeing that Bonnie Hunter admitted to working on her hexagon project for 12 years does make forever seem a little shorter.

~Joan