Many years ago my grandmother taught me to do what she called "English piecing" using paper templates to make quilts, cushion covers, and so on. She never in her life used an electric machine because her house was all gas! She refused to have electric lighting installed because she did not trust it.
She had an old fashioned treadle machine - which I learned to use as a child. However all the patchwork was done by hand with the paper templates. I remember that cutting them out to fit was quite a chore in itself. However with care they could be re-used for another project.
In later life I came across traditional Indian (as in South Asian) patchwork and fell in love with it. All those rich colours, brocades, beads and additions. I like the irregularity and novelty of the designs - so different from the discipline of English piecing. A wonderful way to use up really small bits of fabric that are too tiny and irregular to make into propert templates.
Do any of you do patchwork? Do you use a machine or hand sew? I have always preferred hand sewing as I feel it gives me more control.
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I have read with interest your post biglouis.
What a wonderful legacy of craft work, along with beautiful memories of how how your grandmother herself used her talent to create her projects.
The closest I ever came to quilting was having one on my bed growing up, bought for me by my mother from a craft show.
My mother did try her hand at quilting before my middle child was born.
It looked like it would be really nice; she was a seamstress and would use her electric machine, however she never did complete the cot blanket and I ended up giving it away to a thrift store after she died in the hopes that someone else would complete it.
I can just imagine the beauty and colour of the Indian patchwork!
I too admire very much the bead work and bright deep colours of South Asian hand-crafted items.
I too learned to use a treadle machine when I stayed with my grandmother for a time as a young adult.
This was the same machine that my grandmother and my mother too, used before she emigrated.
Sorry I can't relate to your question directly, and I do hope that someone out there will be able to!
I look forwards to perhaps a photo posted of any projects.
The only thing I can relate to in the slightest way, is that I have made many so-called "American hooked rugs" not to be confused with latch-hook.
Rug hooking was used by the pioneer women to make rugs out of hand-cut strips of old clothing, and was very interesting and artistic as any individually designed and hand-worked project can be.
I learned rug-hooking as well as the art of using an antique wheel to spin sheep's wool into yarn from my mother.
Here's to our memories biglouis 
My sister and I became grannies around the time I retired. I'd done the hexagon hand-sewn patchwork as a kid, but never completed anything.
So babies all got cot quilts, and bed quilts a few years later.
biglouis - what a fantastic story.
I went to patchwork classes over 12 years ago and I really enjoyed it but I have an old “Newhome” sewing machine and it weighs a ton! The classes were upstairs with the car park a walk away and it was hard to carry everything plus the machine to the room. I stayed for 3 years and learned lots of ideas both hand sewn and machine.
I am in the process of making this single bed duvet cover. Originally it was going to be a proper quilt but I haven’t got the area to cut out the backing and wadding and attach them.
My next project is to try and make a quilted psychedelic jacket for myself for a bit of fun. Watch this space.
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