Almost done

A very snuggly quilt, with a little Solitaire tucked along the side.

After waxing somewhat lyrically about taking things slowly, I've spent the last two days getting back into a busy-ish routine; made a binding strip and attached it, also started sewing a new quilt top. Last night I sat with the EPP project and began hand-stitching the final seams related to my granddaughter's Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, which seems a bit odd to write but certainly felt fabulous to sew. I did two sides, then changed positions on the couch, using that blanket for myself, pondering just slightly how marvelous it was to be that close to completion.

Then I found myself nodding off, so I summarily headed to bed, even if it was just eight p.m. Still catching up on rest after last week's adventures, I slept hard this past night, but thoughts swirl about a quilt that for over a year has been in the works, not a huge amount of time for an English paper pieced effort, but certainly worthwhile in the grand scheme. So here's a little bit about how I made this blanket, and the little girl waiting SO PATIENTLY for it.

I suppose the tale begins four years ago, when my eldest granddaughter's EPP quilt was under construction; I knew that another would be made for her sister, but I was merely grateful to have finished one paper pieced throw. Basting hexies with adorable scraps, many of which were given to me by the girls' other grandma, was a delicious fabric treat; some of those scraps were also from a round of quilts I made for my mom's sisters after Mom died. My youngest granddaughter wasn't cognizant back then that a similar quilt would eventually come her way, but fast forward a few years, vaccines finally allowing families to co-mingle, and it was time to start making another flower garden.

One of the biggest joys of making this quilt was how involved my granddaughter was in the design; I would take a tote full of basted hexies to their house where both girls made hexie flowers. And remade hexie flowers; their keen interest in the basted shapes was a distinct pleasure to my heart, and it was a sad day when I told them I had enough flowers for the quilt. We still designed a few more flowers, I think I appliqued them onto t-shirts. Then came the long process of basting the outer hexies, most of which were light blue with a few medium blues scattered for good measure. A lovely fish print made up the top and bottom border while some cute cuts were aligned to the sides (those can be seen in the previous post). Meanwhile my youngest granddaughter would ask, "Grandma, is my quilt ready yet?" How to explain all the steps in making a quilt to a four-year-old; instead I answered that it would be ready for when she and her family visited in October. Which is now NEXT MONTH! Hence my thrill (and palpable relief) that indeed this quilt will be ready for copious snuggles in a few weeks' time.

Starting the final step; I do love me some hand-sewing.

I also hope that despite the distance between our families, this quilt will act as a reminder that love remains strong even when beloveds are separated. And as time passes, hexie shirts grown out of and no longer in fashion, a couple of special blankets will fill in for when Grandma can't be there. I was especially pleased to teach my eldest granddaughter how to sew her own hexie flower block this summer and she's requested making another when they arrive. How precious is the passing down of familial talents to a new generation, as well as the gifts made and shared. I still have a crocheted blanket my grandmother made for me when I was the age of my eldest grandgirl, a priceless keepsake that in this techie world might become even more precious. Yet these handmade expressions of love are just as necessary as they were in decades past, and the teaching of these pastimes remains vitally important. Skills with a needle and thread might not be taught in school, but I've used hexies to patch countless pairs of pants, blown-out knees now sporting a variety of prints. If one day my grandkids ask how to sew, cross-stitch, or crochet, I'll gladly offer my experience. And maybe one day their descendants will seek to know these peaceful, love-bearing skills. And on and on the gifts pass through the generations.