Grandma's Flower Garden

This past week I was on vacation - we took a cruise from Montreal to Boston and had a blast! But what do you do when you are taking a train. We traveled from home to Montreal and then back home from Boston all on a train instead of flying - so much cheaper! It can get quite boring just watching out the window - mind you, most of the scenery is very beautiful! But I mean for people like me who like to work with our hands...

Not too long ago, I read a list that mentioned the 100 things every quilter should do... I am a self proclaimed "modern" quilter. I love asymmetrical designs, and new methods that simplify old techniques... I love so many of the new "modern" fabrics! I just want to buy a whole bolt of them all! (If only I could afford a warehouse to keep them all in!) But I still place great value on learning the "traditional" methods. I think there are so many forms of art (language, dance, quilting, photography, etc) that have been inundated with new methods and techniques. I feel I owe it to my ancestors who quilted before me to at least LEARN how to do it the way they used to do it! Especially since my Great-Great-Grandma Alice Hoover was a teacher (& quilting instructor) back in the 1800's!

Well, number 15 on the list of 100 things every quilter should do says "Try hand quilting". To me, this means not just quilting by hand, but also piecing by hand! So I figured since we would have many hours on the train, what better time to try and teach myself how to hand piece! Of course, I can't pick an EASY project to begin with... NO! I had to pick one with Y-seams... Remind me again why I have this addiction with hexies!?

I also figured I would "test" myself and try to do all this without marking my quarter inch seams... Crazy, I know - but apparently I like a challenge!



All in all, I am patting myself on the back... For my first ever effort at working by hand, I am very pleased with my progress so far!I am in love with the fabric I am using. It is "Mini Confetti" by Dear Stella... I had bought a fat quarter bundle that included all the colors of the fabric, so it was perfect for this project (IMO)! I think the only thing I would have changed - next time I will mark my seams! I have done a really good job, but I feel like I could be much faster at the process if I had marked the seams. Then I wouldn't have to concentrate so hard to ensure consistency throughout...

So tell me - have you done a hand piecing/quilting project? Do you ever plan on doing one? I have actually really enjoyed it! And oddly enough, I am already thinking about my NEXT hand pieced one! I KNOW! I can't even believe it myself!!!

Until next time my quilty friends ~ PIECE!

Marcia }|{