Grandma’s Hexagons
Stacks
A couple of weeks ago the humans were given less than 12 hours notice about a sudden influx of builders, meaning two rooms full of storage and material needed to be moved, boxed and draped. One box that bubbled up to the surface contained scraps of fabric that had been prepared by my grandmother for future quilts. Among other treasures, it contained notes in her handwriting, and a bag of hexagons…
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Paper templates
…my grandmother had stitched together some strings of Hexagons in a seemingly random order. I unpicked them as I wanted to do the English paper piecing method. Our favourite photographer (and computer expert) helped us to print some paper hexagons with one inch sides to fit inside the hexagons cut by my grandmother. I am not sure just what she had planned as her notes were not comprehensive.
The black fabric with French words and little figures was special to me – my grandmother made me a smock with that fabric when I was about four years old!
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Stitches
First we hand basted the fabric around the papers.
My grandmother was a librarian and had made herself a dress with the book fabric!
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Placement
The green fabric with little girls playing was a dress of mine!
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Pretty
I was never a huge fan of Grandmother’s Flower Garden but somehow I am feeling compelled to work on this quilt!
My grandmother introduced me to Hitty – Her First Hundred Years so thanks, grandma…
…Constance helps with the work of course.
This is a thrilling narrative to me. Your quick upheaval has led to a truly memorable find and now project for you and Constance. Might this be unearthed treasure? Your grandmother sounds like she was a special person.
This is definitely a treasure in so many ways…somehow the pencil lines drawn on the hexagons “got to me” in a way that even her hand-pencilled notes didn’t. I’ve been enjoying handling all the scraps, and nurturing the memories.
Oh my goodness, this went straight to my heart! Utterly poignant and so lovely! So many precious memories – truly a collateral blessing of the work being done in your house.
The work on the house is good of course, and should make it a warmer sanctuary this winter. And as of last week I am “doubly retired” from both my paying jobs, so I feel that box of scraps bubbled up on purpose to give me joy!
that’s particularly lovely timing. If I weren’t so cynical, I’d say your Gran had arranged it 😉
Synchronicity!
This project will be such a treasure in so many ways. Looking forward to watching its progress.
I’ve thought those boxes were treasures, just by their very existence, ever since I inherited them. However far I get with this project, it will be a happy project.
I’m just finishing up Gail Wilson’s hexagon quilt kit for Hitty.
Oh what fun! Of course Constance is tapping her foot at me surely we can make smaller Hexagons, she seems to be saying…
what a wonderful find with so many memories. Love the old fabrics and the patterns, can’t wait to see what you make.
I love the old fabrics too, and the patterns that I recall, and others that are just fun! I am aiming for a Stars and Flowers design, but I may have to augment with some of my other fabrics, which would amuse me (and my grandmother too I feel sure)
Mormor and Mamie would tell you grandmas are special…but your grandma sounds like she was VERY special since she introduced you to Hitty. Absolutely lovely fabrics and hexagons just perfect! Another treasure in the making. I want to say we are blessed that the builders showed up!
My Grandmother was special, and though gone for more that thirty years, I do think of her often and hope she’d know that I am working on this project – for love of a lovely person.
what lovely memories of your Grandmother. I have always been very fond of the Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilts…and I do look forward to seeing yours completed some day. So many memories in your quilt!!
I wonder whether I just never saw the colours and fabrics that I likes? Anyway this piecework is making me change my mind about grandmother’s flower garden! So many memories indeed!
This is so touching. I am sure your grandmother is happily watching over you as you find her quilting treasures. I know without a doubt that she is proud of you and so glad she introduced you to Hitty. I am also grateful to your grandmother because had she not, I would not have ever met you or been the recipient of your stories. Thank You Grandmother.
Somehow the project has arisen just at a moment when I could make it happen, and enjoy it…some strange fate or accident, maybe…it could be unnerving if I spent too much time thinking about it!
Fun timing! I have just begun an EPP hexagon quilt too. I love to have some handwork to alternate with all my machine sewing.
Such special memory fabrics you are working with too!
SO nice to hear from you!!! It is a special project, and I am really enjoying the fabrics and memories!