A quilt of Love

So, I should have posted this long ago, as it was a wedding gift for May 4th, 2013.  However, time hasn't been on my side, but I am getting to it now.  When I finished it the month before the wedding, I had to forget about the quilt, so that I wouldn't post pictures and ruin their wedding gift.

A long day of work goes better with come coffee!

My husband's best friends said they were getting married, and I knew they would appreciate a quilt.  I knew this because his wife to be crochets and knits some pretty amazing things!  So I asked them if someone was to make them something, what kind of theme would they pick.  I listed a few and they came back to me with "Rustic".  Now that can be interpreted in some weird ways, plaid, deer, orange and shot guns, or vintage or however else you personally might view it.  So I did my best to make something I loved, that fell into their chosen theme.

It started with HUNDREDS of little squares I had to cut out (yes there is an easier faster way, but this was made from scraps, so no short cuts here), sew them together, twice and cut them in halft.  That is how I made my squares composed of 2 triangles

Once I had those, I had to press them flat and start laying them out on my bed.  I had to figure out where each one was going so that I did't end up with all of the same fabric in the same area.  Once that was done, I had to mark them so I didn't mess up the layout and sew the squares together to makes Rows!

Obviously next came pressing those and putting the rows together.  After I had to go visit the amazing Aunt Liz!  She has the Long Arm that allows me to free motion sew the quilt together.  However, I wanted the quilt to have a story, so I only sewed the squares in the middle by machine.  A decision I would soon realized would mean lots of time spent free sewing on my little machine.

If you notice, the pink note on the machine.  That's for me!  My machine wont sew unless the needle is down, this one will let you go for miles and mess up your quilt.  I obviously learned that the hard way on a previous quilt.  It is a bugger and a half to take out that mess!

 So the story in my head, was the meandering sewing in the middle is just crazy life, and all that goes on in it.  The maroon border was a wave, resembling the ripples in life and relationships.  The next border is the thin blue, I did it in looping circles, to resemble the couple coming together, finding each other and the continuing relationship.  The Stars in the tan border, and the most time consuming of all of them, was to resemble the sparks of their love and marriage.

Lots of tracing to make sure the stars looked like stars!

The last border was the thick blue one, which was more looping circles, resembling the unity of their marriage and how many more things are to come for them and complete their life together.  In my head, that is how I justified each style of boarder I sewed.  I believe most people just sew what looks good and cohesive, but I needed something more.

Aunt Liz made an embroidered label for the back, so the couple will know where it came from, but more importantly, so they can always remember their wedding date and year!

 This was my second queen size quilt and likely the most intense quilt I have done yet.  I hope it isn't a sign of things to come, as this took the bulk of a week to just do the finishing work on.  But I love the final product, and the best part is, so does the couple.  I hope it keeps them warm for years and that they continue to enjoy it :)