Monday, December 13, 2021

Why Not Start Something New

 With Christmas only 2 weeks away,
why not start something new!

A month ago one of my quilting groups
had a holiday silent auction.
Basically, it's bring some good stuff from your 
sewing room so, others can buy it and 
 take it their home. 
The money we collect goes to 
the local foodbank.
This is what I came home with. 
 These incredible Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.

There are more than 80 blocks.


Each in excellent condition.

Over half of them 
have fussy cut motifs.

I'm thinking maybe they were made in the 40's
because the motifs are bigger than what
we generally consider the 30's.
Any thoughts?



The blocks are sewn both by machine and
by hand.  I can't figure out the reasoning or her approach.
But either way the stitching is perfect
with 1/8" seams.

I was so excited to get these blocks. 
I couldn't wait and had to 
started  hand stitching them together.


I've got most of them together in sets
of two and then into sets of four.
Slowly, they'll all get connected.

I keep eyeing that outer edge.
Adding a binding is going to be a real bugger!
But I won't think about it now.

*****

I've also been X stitching

Unsewing seems to be part of the process!


"Basketful of Winter"
Design by Brenda Gervais
With Thy Needle and Thread



"A Cup of Cheer"
Design by Brenda Gervais
With Thy Needle and Thread

****
Currently, we have no snow
here in Fort Collins,
but maybe we'll have a 
White Christmas.

Until Next Time-
Kyle 

25 comments:

  1. Swooning over your antique blocks! Will you add to them with blocks of your own? Great X-stitching projects. Love the chenille finish on the basket one. Hope you get snow soon. We opted not to go to the cabin for Christmas this year, so it definitely will not be a white Christmas here.

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  2. Oh, I would have snatched up those blocks too! How lucky you were to get them. Your X-stitching cushions are lovely. It has been awhile since I've done any .... but not in a hurry to start anything, except there are a few kits that can be started ....

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  3. I have a box of Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. They are not as beautiful as yours. I love you cross stitch projects. No snow here either. Like you I'm hoping for a white Christmas. Hugs

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  4. Kyle maravillosa, divina compra, me encantan esos bloques.
    tus almohadas preciosas.
    Saludos

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  5. Those blocks are wonderful! Love the fussycutting. Your cross stitch projects are so great for decorating.

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  6. Those blocks you purchased are amazing. You're going to have fun with those. What a wonderful way to raise money for a good cause.
    I love Brenda Gervais patterns...I may have one or two started :)
    Merry Christmas, Kyle. Hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

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  7. Those flower garden blocks are gorgeous, well worth the time to turn them into a finished treasure! Your other projects are equally lovely. We've had snow several times interspersed with record high temperatures for December. A strange winter indeed.

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  8. Those GFG blocks are beautiful! How lucky of you to get them; connecting them should be a great winter project. Your cross stitch projects are great, too! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

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  9. Anytime is a good time to start a new quilt. I am glad you can make good use of those lovely blocks.

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  10. Wow, those flower garden blocks are gorgeous and they are in good hands now! That's a really nice win-win idea, your group's silent auction. Your cross stitch projects are just so cute. Hope you get some snow!

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  11. What a wonderful pick up at the silent auction. Lovely to see them being saved.
    Beautiful work on the cross stitch pieces. They are perfect for the festive season. Great wok getting them finished in time.

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  12. Oh wow ! Those blocks are super wonderful !! I think the fabrics are circa 1930 yes... and in a good condition !
    I wish you a Merry Xmas Kyle with all your family !

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  13. The Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks are a real treasure - enjoy the stitching!
    Cute cross-stitch projects! I'm admiring all the current cross-stitch activity and staying far away. I did all my cross-stitching in the 80s, thankyouverymuch! ;-)

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  14. What a find! I really like the idea of this sale, I think I will recommend it to my women's club where a lot of the members are "crafty."

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  15. What a fantastic find! You are going to have lots of fun with this one. And your cross stitch projects are adorable too.

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  16. Oh, those flower garden blocks are wonderful! Can't wait to see how your quilt top turns out. I began a hexie quilt (my one and only venture into any kind of quilting ever) last March when Covid first hit. It was supposed to be a first birthday gift for my grandson in July. Ha! Only got about 1/8 of the hexie flowers sewn together. I don't think hand sewing is for me even though I can sit for hours and cross stitch :)

    Love your new stitched finishes--that Santa looks so cute on that beautiful fabric color. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  17. What a great find at the silent auction! Could you appliqué them to a border instead of trying to bind all those angles? Lovely x-stitch too. Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Christmas x

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  18. I was surprised to see the grandmother’s flower garden blocks! I just finished a quilt with those same blocks that my best friend’s grandmother had started. It also had only 1/8th in seam allowances!!!!! 😳 It’s blocks had green setting diamonds that I needed to draft templates for. It is a pattern I will never do again, but I was glad I could be part of the work to finish it. It ended up lovely

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  19. Oh how exciting! I can't imagine a better recipient for those vintage blocks. What fun. Your cross stitching is gorgeous. I'm not good at unstitching, so I leave the hard stuff to those who do it so beautifully. Ho, ho, ho!

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  20. What a great idea, keeps fabric from landfills, assists the food bank and it somehow seems easier to get the mojo for someone elses WIP. It' s interesting to see how much x stitch is showing up in quilters feed lately. I've resurrected a WIP x stitch and have started shopping for fresh patterns. I also got a few older pieces framed to display this year. Merry Christmas

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  21. Looks like you have been busy with a few fun cross stitch projects! I have some of those blocks too....maybe I just have to sew them together like you did, better than leave them in a plastic bag in a corner of my sewing room......Hope you will have a white Christmas.

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  22. You've been busy! So glad you got all those blocks. Have fun sewing them together :) Always love your cross stitch pieces. You do such beautiful work! Merry Christmas, Kyle!

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  23. Those vintage blocks found a good home. You are doing them justice. When my Mom made a GFG quilt many years ago she prepared a straight border and just did needle-turned applique on the shaped edge, placing it on top of the border. I don't know if that made sense the way I said it, but the finished product looked really nice. :)
    Wonderful seasonal cross-stitch projects.
    Maybe you will have a white Christmas. If you get the storm next that is hitting us just before Christmas, it may hit you on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But we still have snow from the recent storm, which doesn't appear to have come your way.

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  24. I've made/started a couple of flower garden quilts (seemed like a good idea at the time), the one I've actually finished has been appliqued to the border - as Janet O mentioned, my other one has such tiny hexagons, as in less than half inch sides, I'm still working on this. However, take a look at Bonnie Hunter's very long term hand stitched hexie quilt. Bonnie is onto finishing hers at long last, and her edging is another way to go. Wonderful how we all inspire each other isn't it? My tiny hexy quilt will not be full size, and when I get to the stage of saying "enough" I shall applique it to the border as before. Incidentally, mine is made using EPP method, which I don't think the one you have is. I may do yet another one using normal seams and see how it goes. (my mother used to say I was a glutton for punishment). Elaine in UK

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  25. What lovely and charming cross stitched pillows. I especially appreciate the edging treatments! your display is warm and homey.
    The GFG blocks look well done and I love the fussy cutting. Maybe she worked at home and away on them. Wendy is a 30s expert not me, but I agree these look a little later to me.
    Hope you get a little and not too much snow for Christmas.

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