EVERY QUILT HAS A STORY TO TELL!

Every quilt has a story to tell!   Sewing...another passion....what is the story behind this quilt?
 (coming soon)





This is a current project yet to be quilted and edged.

THE STORY

                                A WEDDING QUILT

Entry date: October 18th   My sister, Hannah, made a wedding quilt for us years ago. I have always known that I wanted to do the same for my children blessing them with a wedding quilt. July 22, 2006 our son Michael married Heather; and, the quilt is still not completed but will be in 3 weeks! Some of the reasons of why are outlined below.

What is a wedding quilt? It is a quilt made up of individual squares made by any/all of the women on the grooms and brides side of the family. Each women receives in the mail detailed directions and a pattern for piecing their personal square. Before mailing it back they are encouraged to embroider their name on the square. The embroidery is open to creativity if you choose; I love this part a lot and encourage individualism. (My Aunt Sally embroidered her name with a stick figure holding a hockey stick; Sally was my coach in high school. In the quilt above a cousin embroidered  three fish as ''he'' loves to fish. A boy sewed? Yes! He wanted to participate so why not? I loved it, the mother thrilled and so did the bride/groom.  
The colors used in the quilt can all be determined by you, some determined as I did and will explain later or, relatives select all the colors for their personal square. 
The quilt squares are pieced together by you, the designer and completed; or, hire someone! I make a square that says the couples name with the following below, each row as follows: ''their wedding quilt;" ''given in the year of;" ''July 22, 2006."** We hang the quilt at the wedding behind the bride/grooms table.

HOW TO: Long before the wedding, the designer of the quilt, selects a pattern for the quilt and mails detailed instructions to each woman on the bride and grooms side of the family with or without fabric with a specific date that the square is to be ''in your hands'' for construction.
 (Be aware that there are inexperienced sewers to non-sewers! In the case of this quilt some non-sewers asked friends to construct the square or hired someone to piece it together which worked out wonderfully. Do not be surprised if some family rejects the idea and do not participate. This, although disappointing, is not a big deal; we all have busy lives and priorites! Judging, conversing etc. would only compound/dampen the spirit of the quilt for the couple and for you as well.)
In the case of this quilt I chose the base colors of the quilt as Michael loves green and Heather loves lavender purples. Wow, what a challenge that was for choosing fabrics. 


After devising the pattern pieces and instructions I ask a friend who knows nothing about sewing if she would be able to construct the square. I also ask her to teach me how to piece the square. Adjustments are made to the directions and pattern. Mail.


Once you have received all the squares, it is imperative that you evaluate and square off each square (ha ha) so that they are all equivalent; they are all the same exact size! This was the major reason for the delay in this quilt. I pieced this quilt almost twice totally trying to make it work. I will never again choose a pattern with long diagonals. The fabric on the bias of course stretches and unless all your sewers are experienced there will be so many different size squares and it will be very difficult to piece. I had to take apart many squares and/or add fabric to them. 
After or during the time I am squaring up the squares (ha ha ha) I lay them out and select the fabric(s) that will hold it all together color wise. These include the binding, borders and backing. 

**Baste "waste  canvas" (counted-cross stitch fabric that will fall away when wet) to your fabric.

Waste canvas is made up of woven threads held together with a specific starch. When wet it will dissolve.  This helps with placement of the stitches. Although the lines look uneven in this photo they will not be when completed; the unevenness appears due to the way I have pulled the fabric taut. 

I have chosen the lavender fabric which will not be placed within the quilt pattern but on the border at the bottom, centered.

If you are interested in more information, detailed instructions, pitfalls to avoid jot a note here and I will get back to you. I will post the quilt in 3 weeks when it is completed.  HAPPY QUILTING!