Label on Mom's GFG

I was asked to present a Quilt Trunk Show in December at a Christmas Tea given for all the churches.  What a lovely honor.  Here is just ONE of the quilts (until I remember how to do a Photobucket thing!)  That's me, talking.   I attached a lengthy label on this vintage quilt - below is what the label says. 

Mom’s Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt

 Maker:  Alyce Adair Wyckoff Broberg Eick

Owner:  (daughter) Elaine Adair Broberg Bradford Moore, Alliance, Nebraska

Mom, age 21, made this quilt in 1936-37, while awaiting her first child, Kristin, my older sister.  My folks lived in Chicago at that time.  Mom loved color and gardens!  The lively fabrics were from homemade garments for nieces, aged 3 or 4, who lived nearby with Uncle Bert and Aunt Kate.

This quilt had remained folded and unused (“save it for good!”) on Mom’s wood shelves in a farm bathroom for 25-30 years, and when the quilt was finally inspected, we were shocked to learn the wood acids had eaten holes clear through the quilt.  The center fold lines across the quilt were GONE, including fabric in the rosettes and pathways.  Other places, while still intact, were weakened or shredded. The binding needed replacing and the quilt was very dirty. Then it came to me, “the quilter”, and it sat another 10 years, but NOT on a wood shelf.     

I didn’t know the “right” approach to repair this quilt – the general consensus was that “Hexagons were difficult!”  One day in 2014, I gathered courage, template plastic, hand sewing materials, repro fabrics, and started making hexagon rosettes.  After a few false starts, several poorly made templates, I realized, I LIKED this process and in one week, had the 5 rosettes needed.  I was addicted!!!

I remade entire or partial rosettes and hand appliqued them over the partially destroyed parts.  I did NOT remove the damaged parts, but left them in, and did not remove any of Mom’s hand quilting.  The new fabrics blended in very well!  For the back areas that were so damaged or gone along that fold line, I cut a strip of thin cotton batting and backing along the entire width, and quilted it all together from the front.  In places that were not damaged, I basted the front to the back with blind basting stitches.  I replaced the worn binding, and gently machine washed the quilt one time.  My purpose was to repair the quilt, not make it look like new. 

I still hear my Mom’s preaching -- “It’s never as hard as you think it is.”  I am the only quilter in my family – it was up to me to save it.

Elaine Moore

Alliance, NE

July 2016

 

A good day at the Quilt Show

I put 3 quilts in the Oregon Trails Quilt Show hoping one would get some recognition. 

This was my Mother's quilt a Grandmother's Flower Garden, she made at age 21, living in Chicago in 1936-37 while awaiting her first child, my sister Kristin.  Many of the charming fabrics were probably given to her by a sister-in-law, my Aunt Kate, who had 2 little girls at the time and lived nearby.  This is the quilt that laid unused for many, many years on a wood shelf ("save it for good!") , and when it came to me, as the only quilter, we discovered with horror that the wood acids had eaten clear through the center fold lines.  I kept it for another 15 years before having courage to repair it, only to discover that the repair s were not nearly as difficult as I had imagined.  This is a Second Place.  The white sheet on the bottom is a printed story of the quilt history.  I'll sew it on the back now as a label.

This is "Cowboy Up", a large quilt, a version of Tumalo Trails.  I added that border and learned new methods to machine quilt on the wide light blue border.  The dark blue is a plaid, a used man's shirt given to me by a friend.  It worked perfectly with the numerous 9 patches that I had made casually, with no purpose, "using up some little strips of fabric".  This is Second Place.

This is a recent finish that I call Pineapple Spools, added to the show at the last minute only as something of interest.  I was astonished to see it was given a First Place.  (That purple on the bottom of the picture is a back from another quilt hanging behind it. )

A good day in Western Nebraska, with 104 degree heat outside! 

GREATS, Strip and Slash, GFG (Grandmother's Flower Garden)

We had young guests over the weekend - 2 1/2, and 10.  We are out of practice with little ones!  These are greatgrandkids.

This one  (below) is not a kid -- he is the great grandfather!  totally engaged in a game of rubber band shooting.  I was waiting for "someone" to land on the floor, but nothing critical happened, except that all my rubber bands are gone.  There is a 10 yr. old out of sight in this photo!

OK, now for more "great stuff", here is the beginning of the layout I chose for my latest 300 or so blocks of split 9-patches.  This is an entire "method" from Jackie Robinson, "Strip and Slash".  I've made it 3 times previously.  These blocks are small, about 3.75 inches.  

 and .... I have become addicted, as previously posted.  I think I have 30 rosette blocks so far.  Again, I have to say, these are not as hard as we have been led to believe.  I invested in a paper punch for perfect paper forms, which made the job so much easier and precise.  These hexagons finish at 1 inch (length of each of the 6 sides).    I stuck with a lot of pinks and blues.  Since I am sitting waaay more than I used to, trying to watch/find something decent on TV, I am using my time for something  useful. 

OK, one more thing.  I've had to change browsers from IE to Firefox for posting on this blog.  For some reason, I couldn't "sign out" from my Gmail account to access my Yahoo account which is what I use for Blogger -- just another one of those mysteries.  Thank you to several of you who made that suggestion.  

Today, off to Walmart for a Wi-Fi printer.  Oh dear, another mystery that requires courage!

GFG repairs, and Benefits of Procrastination

Here is my first almost-finished repair.  I had to go all the way out to the creme/white on this one.   I'm hoping the existing cream will brighten up when I wash it.

Below, it's nearly done, except I have some big basting stitches through it holding some batting on the back (yet to be determined how do to THAT part!)

Here is the second rosette - again, I had to include 3 cream pieces.  Also, more big basting stitches to hold it all together until I figure what to do for the back.  Since all the damage is along fold lines, I might just put one wide blue piece across the whole thing.

My issue has solved itself

Sometimes waiting to solve an "issue" is the best choice. Expressing one's opinion when one is upset, or obsessive is not always a bright idea, when one feels wronged.  My "issue" with the Sidewalk Parking Lady has resolved itself without one word - she has moved.  

Previous paragraphs and photo have been removed. What a wimp I am, but glad I stayed silent and tried to think of all reasonable possibilities.  My heart is lightened.  

Hexies, and GFG Repair

This is Mom's GFG (Grandmother's Flower Garden) quilt, probably finished in the late 1940s, and made with chicken mash feed bags.  She believed in "Save it for good."  The colors are chosen carefully, with artistic flair - there wasn't much time for artistry, having moved to a farm, from her easy life in Chicago, and having 4 kids, and the usual demands of a falling-down farm.  

I remember seeing it for years, on a wood shelf in a linen closet.  This is what happened  unfortunately.  

The major damage is in 3 places, along fold lines, and goes all the way through the back.

I've owned this quilt for about 10 years and it's been 10 years of "planning to think about starting to get ready and get organized and buy some fabric, to begin" etc., etc., but,  I actually DID start on repairs.  And, just like Mother's told us, it's never as hard as what we think!!!   I measured the size of the finished hexie, and make some plastic templates, casually cut fabric about the size of the hexie, and folded fabric over the template and took the 2 stitches at the corner and goodness, my first effort was finished very quickly - ADDICTIVE!  Unfortunately, the end product was a bit too small so I made more plastic templates a bit larger and voila - this one happened in only 2 evenings of watching TV commercials!  8-)))  My finished hexagon templates are not precise, but close.  Wish I had a better template.  

Here is a ruler, but it wasn't the right size to match Mom's Hexies.  The most confusing part is determining the "correct" size, especially since Mom's size was "off" standard.   There seem to be many ideas of how a hexie should be measured, so if you plan on making hexies, you MUST  understand YOUR particular method.  Side to side is one measurement, but point to point is not the same measurement.

I pieced mine over plastic Mylar - (no, I didn't need it to be Mylar) the stiffness made for a sharp edge/crease, but was a little hard to take out.  I had made a punched hole in each plastic, but removing with a pen point gave me fears of destruction, but they DID come came out with no damage.  I have a Fiskars Hexie punch on order, so I can do the NEXT project with all the same size papers/cardstock.  First efforts with cardstock was OK, but I had issues with sewing the cardstock into the hexies.  Groannnnn!

The binding on her quilt also needs replacing and thankfully, she made edges straight.  It definitely needs washing.  When I placed this rosette casually on the damaged area, it blended in so nicely!  I'm so glad I've begun repairs on Mom's beautiful quilt.