In the fall of 1979, the newly formed Kingston Heirloom Quilters began their first large project, the making of a "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt. The "English piecework" method of stitching the hand sewn hexagon units together, made for accuracy, and allowed for all levels of skill to participate.

Each member of the group was to provide a block for this quilt using fabric of their own, in shades of autumn. The blocks would later be arranged in a pleasing colour pattern and joined together with hexagons of natural muslin. The outer edge was finished with an insertion ob brown piping, a technique that has since become a Kingston Heirloom Quilters trademark. It was completed in the spring of 1981.

It was shown at Quilt Toronto, 1981, at the C.N.E. 1981 where it received a Third Place Award, and at Kingston Heirloom Quilters' Festival of Quilts 1987.

This quilt was raffled among those who participated in its construction. Dorothy Brown was the surprised recipient. Several years later Dorothy returned the quilt to the Kingston Heirloom Quilters who then decided that their founder and mentor, Margaret Rhodes, should be gifted it. As it was the first quilt made by the group, Margaret felt that it should hold a place of honour in the "Heritage Quilt Collection" at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

The Kingston Heirloom Quilters have strongly supported this collection which was begun in 1972 by members Diane Berry, Fran Crandall, and Margaret Rhodes. This aggregation of priceless treasures has steadily grown with generous gifts from benefactors such as Kingston Heirloom Quilters. With the newly enlarged Agnes Etherington Art Centre we anticipate that quilts from the Heritage Collection will be shown more often.

Grandmother's Flower Garden will always bloom in the hearts of the Kingston Heirloom Quilters, who chose to commemorate their first jointly made quilt by featuring its design on their group logo.

For a more detailed picture, click on quilt.

Send questions and comments to: khq at quiltskingston.org
Last modified by dhh: January 20, 2006