June 24, 2010

Wedding quilt process post #1

Aw. That's sweet. This happened four years ago. Four years? Wow. A few days before the wedding I got a Great Idea. I would make a wedding quilt. Every guest at the ceremony would take a piece of fabric and make a prayer or wish or blessing for us and I would use the fabrics to make a quilt.

It was a sweet part of the ceremony. It was also like a hundred degrees out, and these puppies doubled as handkerchiefs for sweaty guests. Half of our friends watched my dad mop his brow with his and told us we "should wash them". Anyway, guess what's happened with those fabrics over the past four years?

Yeah. Sad. Despite the new home ownership, the graduate school and the breeding in the intervening years, the real reason this quilt hasn't gone anywhere is a case of quilter's paralysis. First of all, I shopped for these fabrics in an incredible rush and without much fabric choosing experience. Would I have chosen these same fabrics today? Heck no. So when I look at these fabrics I am a little perplexed. My husband, for his part, requested that the quilt "not look like a regular quilt". So I have a bin full of fabrics I don't love, and I need to turn it into a quilt that doesn't look like a regular quilt.

As my current quilt project nears completion, I find myself pondering this quilt constantly. I want it done so so bad. During nap time today I got the bin out and counted and measured the pieces, and thought about how I want this to go. I want the piecing to be simple enough to not stall out for the next two years. I want the design to symbolize togetherness in some way. I want to use at least a piece of all 65 scraps of fabric in that bin. And I would like, at the end of it, for us to actually use that quilt on our queen sized bed. So. That's where I am. I've got a couple ideas that I'll share with you next time but I welcome any thoughts on this matter!

6 comments:

nocton4 said...

with all that love and thought in each and every piece, it can't fail to be wonderful ... look forward to seeing it xx

Brenda said...

I see summer and fall colours in that bin....or sky and earth colours. How about lots of wonky houses, symbolizing the new home you made together, surrounded by other wonky houses, with some maverick stars in the sky. use Gwen Marston's Liberated Quilting books as inspiration. good luck!

Unknown said...

What beautiful colours. They will make a beautiful quilt and yes I was thinking of something like Brenda mentioned... something unique and different resembling your life together.. can't wait to see it happening.

Jessica said...

excellent story, sweaty brows and all.
Find a good background color (cream, tan, navy, my current fave: kona herb) and a pattern that will just showcase a uniform glimpse of your special fabrics. how about a medalion center with words of love all around?

good luck with whatever you decide to do. I have 75 3.5" blocks with well wishes from my last quilt guild that i never assembled.. i have the pattern in mind, but it's far, far at the bottom of the to do list.

carolyn said...

how about a wonky log cabin?

Katie said...

Wow you are a woman after my own heart!! Crazy! I had the same thought a short time before my wedding July 4 2009... LOL.. I got super muslin and had everyone sign a 4" square. The kids usually drew pictures... the younger guests (our age LOL) usually drew funny pictures that suggested naughty well wishes.. . ugh.. not something I need hanging in my foyer.. hahaha. My whole issue?? I did not seperate the seam allowances.. my excuse for not messing with it ... yet. there is still time!!!! can't wait to see the results from this too1

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