WOW or WIP’s with Esther 12th April 2017

20150824_101424 2

Working on  a lovely old 1930’s (I think) Grandmother Garden quilt.  I bought this quilt on eBay many years ago and have been slowly quilting and making a hexagon border for it.

From this !!!!

edge of the quilt of the 1930's quilt here the green fabric is faded by been left in the light of sun for some time. Wadding is very frayed too.

Edge of the 1930’s quilt,   green fabric is very faded by been left in the light or sun for some time and has rust marks on the edges. Wadding is very frayed too.

To this

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Over the last week I have concentrated only one repairing and finishing the edges of this quilt, I’ve made 80 hexagons out of washaway freezer paper, 40 I’ve covered and basted in 1930 reproduction fabrics, other 40 I have put behind the outer edge hexagons and sewn the fabric to them.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I’ve  hand quilter up to the last row of hexagons.

 

 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wadding goes out past the last hexagons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ive not seen this kind of wadding here in OZ it is slightly brushed and feels like a woven cotton  fabric.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I’m cutting the wadding back to 1/2 way down the last row of hexagons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ive had to resew all the seams on the sides of all the outer hexagons making the hexagons  1/8th smaller as they are to wide and were fluting.   then Ive placed washaway freezer templates on the back of each hexagon.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Placing new hexagons for correct placement.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I lay the hexagaons I’ve made for the border along top of the quilt on the last row of hexagons to get the correct placement, pin them together then sew them all together in a chain but keep checking that they are placed correctly.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

when all are sewn together pin down on the right side and whip stitch the new hexagons to the prepared last row of hexagons on the border.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Preparing the last row of hexagons on the quilt. Pin the seams over these wash away freezer paper hexagons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

whipped stitched along the top of the hexagaons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then flipped the hexagons over to the back and then Walla!!!!  a nice finished hexagon border, waiting to be quilted through all the thicknesses two of washaway freezer paper and two of fabric, it is slow as I have to make one stitch at a time.  So far I have done two sides of the quilt.

Update at 3pm Wednesday 12th after quilting those wee hexagons on the border for 5 hrs today I have 3 boarders quilted I need to stitch down the turned hexagons and Ive completed 3 sides of the quilt,  I need to make 20 more hexagons cut our 40 more washaway freezer paper hexagons and start the last border.!!!!  I can see day light at the end of a long long tunnel since I brought this back from the USA 10 years ago.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After quilting a 1/4 of an inch inside all the hexagons  I then stitched down around the otter edges of the hexagons so there is no chance of them been caught and lifting.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Showing you what I needed to finish and finished border.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Close up. some of the edges were so frayed I had to make smaller hexagons to fit on to it.

Ive managed to complete this edge of the quilt one more edge to do then I can wash it for the first time in around 80 years LOL

Every stitch I make to finish this quilt for the unknown quilt Im thinking about her.

Every stitch I make to finish this quilt for the unknown quilt Im thinking about her.

What wonderful fabrics she was able to choose for this quilt they were not left over scraps.

What wonderful fabrics she was able to choose for this quilt they were not left over scraps.  I’m about 1/2 way through quilting all these wee hexagons I’m quilting 1/4 of an inch inside each one so they will be strengthen.

In the garden today.

It started out a dark miserable day not raining but close

It started out a dark miserable day not raining but close

About the only splash of colour in the grounds at present

About the only splash of colour in the grounds at present

My frogs are disappearing fast in the creeper.

My frogs are disappearing fast in the creeper.

My cat is dry so it must be not raining LOL

My cat is dry so it must be not raining LOL

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After a month this plant is still sending up new purple flowers each day!!!!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Young stag plant self seeded they love the wet climate here.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Been so wet I’m seeing new lichens on the young trees this year.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

1  1/2 weeks fronds here ready to be disposed of.  Every morning I pick up dead fronds.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Our ground is so wet the ants are using this garden hose to travel across the lawn!!!!!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A ginger I think???  I popped it in here to see if it would grow, to be honest I’m not sure if its ginger or tumric?

Not a very interesting blog this week but I want a record of working on this Grandmothers Garden quilt and this is the best way for me to have it.  Thanks for dropping in to my very very wet part of the world at present. Going to link now with Esther Aliu on her WOW or WIP’s today  Cheers Glenda

http://estheraliu.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/wow-tickled-pink.html

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to WOW or WIP’s with Esther 12th April 2017

  1. Nancy F. Smith says:

    The batting/wadding inside of the hexagon quilt looks like what we here in the USA call flannel., which is a way to keep a quilt from being too hot in the summer…Nancy from the Ozarks in southern Missouri.

    • glenda says:

      Thank you so much Nancy I have put this question out many times over the last few years but no one could tell me what it was. Its been overlocked all the way around the batting sheet and who ever sandwiched it did not cut it to fit they bought two sheets and then just over lapped them, so a metre down the centre is this over lap so it takes some quilting through but it is so soft and cuddly. back is alight woven cotton but the flowers in the quilt are all 100% cotton and very heavy weight and will last for another 80 years no problem after I finish quilting it. Cheers Glenda

  2. Karen says:

    that will be a lovely way to finish off that grandmother’s flower garden – takes time but you can do it. Love the garden as usual

  3. Maggie says:

    Dear Glenda

    What a neat idea! I do not like to cut through my border hexagons on the edge of my quilt. Making the extra ones and folding them over to the back is a beautiful way to bind a hexie quilt!
    Your quilt is looking beautiful, those 1930’s fabrics have a charm all to themselves. As for the wadding, it looks like thick cotton flannel. I have used it before in a quilt, new it is almost as thick as cotton batting and super warm. As one wash it, over time it becomes thin and looks like what you have in between the layers of the backing and your hexagon quilt. Maybe the quilter had to use it at the time, as it was all she had?
    What a way to give a new lease on life to something which could have ended in a landfill? We can sure learn from older generations before us.

  4. Robin says:

    An absolutely amazing quilt rescue. There should be some reward for your heroic work. The quilt looks wonderful.

  5. Marita says:

    You’re doing a great job. I like it very much when things are preserved.
    Love your Garden!!!!
    Marita

    • glenda says:

      Thank you so much for visiting Marita, I also love preserving all old things that have been made from love, from pottery, furniture, toys to quilts LOL. My garden is getting over grown as I’m not able to work very long in it any more old age does catch up with you in the garden LOL Cheers Glenda

  6. A wonderful quilt rescue, Glenda! You have such patience!

    It was good that you have found out what the idea of this type of wadding was (as Nancy said – to keep the quilt from being too hot).

    Lovely to see your garden ….. whatever the weather! We have lichen just like that here in England too!

    You have a lot of super projects going on!

    Hugs,
    Barbara x

    • glenda says:

      Hi Barbara its not patience its just my love of rescuing old quilts in progress LOL I have been unwell and have had many days just sitting lately so it is finally been quilted, I have spent around 70 hrs but not even 1/2 way LOL I just found a new WIP that I have not seen for around 10 years I’d forgotten I’d even made it LOL Will show you on my blog next week if I remember LOL Garden is so wet and not nice to be working in at present. Bugs grow and fast as the weeds and some are not so nice!!!!! To day I set up another sewing machine to do satin stitch around some circles I’m adding to my ANZ quilt think if I set it up permanently those rings may get sewn finally. Each big circle takes around 25mins and it so monotonous LOL I did them in black to start with and that was even more boring, now trying red on black and its more fun!!!! Hope it looks OK in the end? Cheers Glenda

  7. Eleanor Smith in Spain says:

    Glenda, what a wonderful treasure you have there. So much hard work, but its looking beautiful. I wonder too who she was, at least you can label it and tell its story.
    Keep going, l know you will succeed.
    Ellie in Spain

    • glenda says:

      Thank you Ellie you are always so positive thank you. Now that I’m quilting each of those flowers I’m sure there were several people involved with making this quilt, some of the fabric is cheaper than others, some is patched to make enough fabric to make one of these small hexagons, stitches are slightly different, and fabric some of the fabric is a lot older than others, most I think are around 1920’s. There are so many different greens when I first thought they were all the same, I’m learning more and more about it as I quilt these wee hexagons. Hugs Glenda

Leave a Reply to glenda Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.