Grandmother’s Flower Garden

I recently unearthed a quilt that came from my grandmother, that was tucked away and forgotten (translation: I cleaned out a bedroom closet :-)

 The hexagon pattern is known by several names. . . French Bouquet, French Rose Garden, Hexagon Flower Garden, or more commonly, Grandmother’s Flower Garden.

The quilter’s identity is uncertain~ but it is thought to have been quilted by neighbor and friend of my grandmother.

My grandmother, Lottie, was born in 1901. She was one of nine children and raised her three younger brothers after her mother died. She married at the age of 26 (an old maid in 1927!) and attended Elon College (now University) for one year. She passed away in 1993.

While I’m sharing this table now, I brought my Grandmother’s (x 2 :-) Flower Garden Quilt outdoors to set this table back in May~ in honor of her birthday and to celebrate my reunion with her quilt~

 The little hexagons of calico are breathing a deep sigh . . .

. . .  enjoying the fresh air and mingling with the other blooms & flower prints on the teacups & china.

My Grandmother’s favorite flowers were roses. I can remember her filling vases after cutting them first thing in the morning.

There are no roses in my garden, but rose-folded napkins are tucked into tea cups along with roses climbing across the china, that once upon a time, belonged to her sister.

A demitasse spoon, disguised as a silver leaf, is tucked into the rose folds of the napkin~

You can find an easy-to-follow & beautiful tutorial for these rosette folded napkins from Yvonne at StoneGable here.

I piped frosting onto little brownie bites I picked up from Target’s bakery and added some edible (organic!) violas to embellish them for a quick, sweet treat~

 My grandmother confessed she always wanted a tea set growing up but never had one, which prompted her to buy one for my sister and me to use when we visited her.

We have fond memories of her making our breakfast. . . she would serve our juice and scrambled eggs on our little plates and cups.

It’s hard to say who enjoyed it more . . . my sister & me eating off of it, or my grandmother playing with it as she prepared our breakfast and served it :-)

And remarkably, after 40 plus years, it is still intact except for one missing saucer and one plate that was painstakingly glued back together many years ago.

 Hexagon quilts made in the Grandmother’s Flower Garden pattern, contain a center hexagon~ traditionally yellow~ to represent the flower’s center. The flower center is circled by six colorful printed or solid hexagons with another row of 12 hexagons surrounding the six. This quilt pattern blossomed in popularity in the thirties~ it’s easy to see how the calico prints forming cheery garden flowers would brighten one’s day in a depression-era time.

 I was thrilled to have found lilacs sold in bundles at Trader Joe’s back in May when I set this table. . . a surprise as delightful to me as their fragrance . . . and the only way to enjoy them here since our climate is too hot to grow them.

 

I stacked two plates with an inverted tea cup on a pedestal to serve these little flower bites~

 Open Face Cucumber Sandwiches are decorated with more edible violas along with parsley & basil~

“Collecting can start with the jog of a childhood memory—perhaps a swirl of rosebuds recalls some long-ago cup in which an adored grandmother offered you a bit of sweet, milky tea scenting with cinnamon.” ~ The Essential Tea Companion

Flower Garden Table Details:

Dishes~ G. Demartine & Cie

Portmeirion Botanic Garden Flatware~ HomeGoods

Leaf Demitasse Spoons~ Two’s Company~ Tuesday Morning

Assorted Tea Cups & Tea Pots~ HomeGoods

Napkins~ Pier 1

White Plates (as chargers) & Pedestal~ Maxera Cora Blanca~ HomeGoods

Vintage Chintz Pitcher~ Gracie China~ HomeGoods

Thank you for your visit, I’m joining:

•  StoneGable for On the Menu Monday~

• A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~

• Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday~

•  Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday~

•  Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday~

• Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday~ this week’s letter is T, for Tea

• Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday~

• French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday~

•  Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday~