Twelve Year Absence

It has been twelve years since I picked up this UFO!  It was before Amy Bradley Designs.  I remember those days...feet up in the recliner...movie on....and me working on my little 1 1/4" hexagons....sigh.    I decided I needed to get these little shapes back into my life again.  You get one done and you feel like you got something accomplished!  This last weekend we went to the Bradley family reunion at Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma.  My husband drove and I sewed.  There is nothing better then that.  I got a whole baggie full done!  It will take a lot of these.  Twelve of these to be exact around each red print flower.

I was thrilled that I even knew where to find the project in my sewing room.   It's not exactly organized....

I think after I put the little red and white check hexagons around each red flower I will put a row of white on.  I love how clean white looks.  I want to try not using any of the little red prints twice.  I may have to beg or borrow from friends after I buy red prints from shops around my community.  I had a lot from my stash too.  This was all from my red phase.  I now am in a bright phase but I still love red.  I don't know how big it will be.  It now is past the doll quilt size going on table cloth size.  I hope to make a twin quilt size not to use but to hang on a wall.

I use my husbands old x-ray film to make the little hexagons and a hole punch to punch the center out.  The hole is so you can pop them out.   I use a manicure stick in the hole to pop them out once I have sewn a row to all their sides.

My grandmother made this quilt and my Mom passed it on to me a few years ago.  I will always cherish it because she made it.  As a quilter I can appreciate how long it took to put this quilt together.

Here are some other sites you may enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihEac0jRvsU
Simple method to make these hexagon blocks using a sewing machine.

http://pinterest.com/raeannnilson/grandma-s-flower-garden-quilts/
Rae Nilson's Pinterest site of Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilts

http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/colonial_revival/flower_garden.htm

Mary Smith just sent me this photo.  She has made seven quilts from my designs and she has only been quilting three years and she appliques them by hand!!!!  She wants to do my Planetary Party next.  Mary thank you for sending me photos!  I just love photos of your quilts!

In honor of Mary we will have a drawing of a Snugly Bug Quilt Pattern on July 31st.  Comment on what UFO you are working on or a UFO you know you should pick up again. We all have a bazillion!

Have a wonderful week and keep cool!  Amy