Wednesday, April 28, 2010

So Many Flower Gardens

I have been kept busy adding new gardeners to the Garden Party list, for One Flower Wednesday.  Hope I didn't miss anyone.  If so, please let me know.  Since last Wednesday Jeanette, Jeannet,  Betsy, Sheila, Nadine, Terry, Carrie, Jilly, Satu, Simone, Narelle and Anne have joined the party, for a total of 19 gardeners.  All this enthusiasm makes me want to start another flower garden!

One of the best loved vintage quilts is Grandmother's Flower Garden.  Usually pieced and quilted by hand, about 1/4 inch on each side of the seam lines and usually done with white or off white thread. It was very popular during the 1920's and has continued to be a favourite.  Typically flower gardens, of the past, used a yellow hexagon to represent the flower's center, and then it was circled by six colourful printed or solid hexagons with another row of 12 hexagons around that.  Between each flower was a row of coloured solid hexagons to represent the background. A green background might have been the garden while white could have been a white picket fence.  Today's flower gardens are limited only by your imagination. 


The most popular way of piecing a flower garden is by English Paper Piecing.  I also like the idea of hand piecing the hexagons and will give that a try one day.  To make my templates, I load my printer with card stock paper and use the free printable page of hexagons by Cia's Palette.  With the assistance of Darlene Zimmerman's hexagon ruler, I then cut out my fabric hexagons.

Before I head off to make this weeks flower, here is a little inspiration for you.  Sue-Anne is working on a quilt called Swan Lake that requires 107 hexagon flowers.  You must see them, they are just beautiful!  And, if you like to fussy cut, have a look at Jean's tutorial for making fussy cut hexagon flowers.

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.

~Walt Whitman


Flower Basket

And well on the topic of flowers, this little stitchery is part of Block Three of the Polka-Dot Girls.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

23 comments:

Dena said...

A friend of mine loves English paper piecing and makes some beautiful quilts using this technique. Love your little basket. So cute!

Anonymous said...

Such a wonderful idea of yours, Karen ! See, now we all wanna start a garden ;>)
I just posted about mine...
Gratefully,
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOO
NADINE

quilting Jeannet said...

One of our BEE,s memebers will bring the book from grandmothers flower garden, I am very curious about it. Thanks fot your free paper idea!

Greetings, jeannet

Betsy said...

Great stitchery Karen.

Terry said...

Great to see the PDGs stitchery! I think I might actually get my quilt done this year! :0)

bep said...

Karen I have also joind the gardenclub,will you put me on your list,thanks and greeting ,

Bep atelierbep.blogspot.com

Yvette said...

You are tempting me to try English Paper Piecing. A few years ago I purchased a bag of hexagon pre-cut papers. I guess it's time to find them. ;)

Love your stitchery!

Carrie P. said...

Hey Karen,
I am hand piecing my garden. Check out my first post about my flowers when you have a chance.

Deb said...

I have wanted to make one of these for a long time and will love watching your progress on it.

Crispy said...

The very few flowers I have made were all hand pieced...big surprise LOL. Love your little "May" basket :0)

Crispy

Sharon said...

I'll join in the garden party. My flowers are together, I need to attach them to each other. During the Olympics I made great strides and they have been set aside since Feb. But I can join one every Wed!

Cathi said...

The gardens are growing and so is the list of gardeners! Fabulous!

Daniëlle said...

Thanks for the paper link!! Love your flower basket! Already know Jean's blog but will have a look at Sue-Anne's in a minute hihi! Happy sewing, Daniëlle

Sandra Henderson said...

Great post today! The paper link is wonderul information! I haven't been using papers (hiding my head)on this one, but have and will, so great to know. I'm off to see the fascinating quilt you've told us about today! Thanks for all you do! You keep me inspired and going forward at a much faster pace than before I met you...

Sharm said...

Hi Karen,
I've been blog hopping & came across this garden party & its really peaked my interest. I've never ever done paper piecing, so this will be totally new for me, but I'm willing to give it a go, so sign me up for the garden party! Funnily enough, I'm making hexagon crochet flowers into a little rug (or I was till we moved 4 wks ago...its still packed LOL). I'll let you know how I go, any help would be welcome!

Lynn said...

Can I join in? I started my GFG 2 years ago and petered out at 21 flowers. I need 70some altogether, I could use a bit of a push.

Sue-Anne said...

Hi Karen, thanks for mentioning my blog, I have already met two wonderful bloggers, whose sites are really inspiring. Your flower gardens are growing all over the internet, like the Klosjes. This World Wide Web is a wonderful tool to bring everyone closer together.

Craftluver said...

Hi Karen, I saw we have lots of ideas in common! DJ, Red Delicious etc. etc. I would love to join the flower garden club. Does it make a different how big your hexies are? I saw Danielle is stitching with 1/2 inch hexies. Yours look bigger. I hope you want to let me in and join the club. I hope to meet Bep tomorrow and buy some fabrics for the spools and now hexie garden!

Sharm said...

Hi Karen,
Today is Wednesday here in Australia, so I have posted a picture of my very first ever paper pieced anything - just happens to be a flower!

Kathleen said...

I would love to join your Garden Party. I've been wanting to hand sew a quilt and settled on a Grandmother's Flower Garden so this is perfect. As today is Wednesday I better get busy!

Jossie said...

Thanks so much for reminding of my hidden hexies. I really enjoyed working on them again. Am I too late to join the 'one flower Wednesdays'? If possible will you please add me to your list? I am a member of the GHQA but feel I need a little bit of extra support to keep me going.
Jossie

Heather said...

Absolutely LOVE the stitched basket! Great work!

Dawn said...

I started a GFG quilt several years ago, got most of my flowers together and stopped. I need to get this back out and get it done. Love the idea of one flower Wednesdays! Gonna DO it.