How to assemble a grandmother s flower garden is a subject many of us have wondered about at some point. Assembling a flower garden of any kind can be very rewarding, both in time spent and the pleasure derived from it. Grandmothers often enjoyed growing flowers in their backyards, just as we do today. They may not have had the benefit of modern day technology, but they knew how to plant and tend to their gardens in ways we do today. Here are some tips for how to assemble a grandmother s flower garden using simple tools.
Grandmothers of the late 19th century were no different in the way they decorated their flower gardens. Often they used quilters patterns that were intricate and sophisticated. These patterns were colorful and featured lots of bright contrasting colors. These beautiful patterns also helped to highlight the rich tones of pink and reds, orange and purple and all the wonderful shades that enlivened the early American backyard garden.
Quilters in the early America’s were often paid a hefty salary, even for simple jobs like designing a flower patch. They were also expected to do a great deal of household work including, but not limited to, tending the lawn and tending to the garden. It was not uncommon for a quilter to be employed as a mail carrier. The basic design concept that is remembered today was influenced by the work done in the early 19th century.
How to assemble a grandmother or quilt with double wedding ring patterns was first put to use in the early 1900’s in Colorado. Two young ladies were visiting from California and would stop in to a quilting shop in Denver, Colorado. They had visited earlier in the year and took some of their leftover fabric with them. The shop manager recognized one of them as a future world traveler and asked her if she would please take some of this old fabric and make a large quilt. She did and amazingly it was used in one of her future traveling adventures.
The young lady was able to select a simple but elegant design pattern, which included birds, flowers, mountains, and desert scenery. The resulting quilt was astounding in it’s beauty and detail. The shop manager was so impressed, he asked her to design a quilt blocks that could be sewn together in order to make a beautiful quilt.
The two young quilters continued their travels and in due course found themselves staying in a small cabin in upstate New York. They designed numerous other quilted designs in the flower garden style, utilizing many of the fabrics they had collected along the way. One of these designs actually turned out to be the pattern for one of President Theodore Roosevelt’s first State of the Nation addresses. Unfortunately, the address was never printed because it was too large and took a lot of fabric. Fortunately enough, his wife, just before she passed on, picked up the phone and asked them to send the completed pattern to her.
It was not until several years later that the young woman of 21 years of age contacted the woman who designed the flower garden picture and asked her if she would like to have her name printed on a few of the quilt blocks. She did and now they are enjoying a life of togetherness, going out to dinner and collecting new flowers for the pattern to be used in. Her daughter, her niece and granddaughter all enjoy being part of this wonderful family tradition. President Roosevelt even sent a personal letter thanking the young lady for her gift. Her niece sent a picture of one of President Roosevelt’s daughters as well. This story is an interesting example of how to assemble a grandmother s flower garden quilt block pattern.
Flower garden patterns such as these will continue to grow in popularity as more women realize how easy they can be to make and yet so useful. Many quilt makers will talk about how much fun it is to sew and make their own cherished keepsakes and gifts. They will often tell stories about the times they handed down their patterns to friends or family members and how much joy they got in return. Collecting and sewing these beautiful patterns is a wonderful pastime and a wonderful way to pass on the love of your life. You will find that there are a number of patterns available to quilt makers which are available through numerous companies.