"To Have and to Hold...." Wedding Quilt is finally finished!

I had such high hopes for this quilt as I was making it for a cousin...first cousin, once removed actually.  I was just trying to keep some "family participation" going as we have all drifted apart in last decade. My high hopes dwindled constantly during construction!  EVERYTHING that could go wrong with this quilt DID! I ran out of fabric twice and had to alter  the design twice because I had to get different fabric. Then it was how to FMQ it with so many different colors on the front AND the back! I just had to have what I have titled the "Scrabble Tile" name and that changed other things and I had to invest in some invisible thread! Then matching all the colors of the bottom and did SITD...but thinking differently than I needed to and oh good grief....I thought I'd go mad!  I started with these fabrics and a beige that had gold sparkles on it

I finally finished it and squared it up and then it just popped out at me...it was almost finished! I did the green binding..quick and easy and FINALLY something went right with this quilt! I did a label.. that turned out all wrinkled....(Note to self: put iron on interfacing on the back next time!) But finally it was done and I washed it and took pictures, packed it up and got it in the USPS mail...delivery on Wednesday for wedding on Friday!  I literally felt a HUGE weight off my shoulders, off my mind and was so relieved I even got excited about starting something new on Monday! I hope my second cousin will like it and enjoy it...it did turn out very nice if I do say so myself!

THE FRONT OF THE QUILT

The blocks are 18"x18" and made with HST's. I tried for "wine" colors..and think I got them. The beige literally has gold sparkles in it that actually sparkle - like champagne bubbles!  Very pretty! I was going to put sashing in between the blocks as I normally do, but when I hung them on my design wall next to each other, I noticed how the edges of the four blocks together made a star in the middle! I thought that was pretty cool! I learned that I don't always have to sash!


 The left block is how I made each block. The block to the right is the star four of these blocks together made. Pretty cool to have 2 designs out of one block, don't ya think?

I wanted it bigger so I needed 3 more blocks, but I ran out of fabric and went back to Joann's to get more and of course, they didn't have any more of the sparkle beige or the maroon print. So I thought I'd just use a Kona beige and green to make blocks of just the star as the borders but realized I can't have half the star sparkle beige and the other half plain beige. I went back and got more blue and green. I laid it out on the floor to create the borders and with help from my 14 year old grand daughter, decided to make multiple borders to make the quilt larger.  The Green and blue are 2 inches and the maroon is 4 inches with a green, 1 inch binding.

THE BACK OF THE QUILT

I wanted to put their names on it some how, and the idea of the "Scrabble Tile" hit me in the middle of the night (which is when I do most of my "design" work!) I loved the idea and just had to have it! I knew she would love it! Well, long story of alot of headaches and aggravation...I finally got it together. I appliqued 2 inch letters I cut from black onto 4 inch squares. That was a big mistake as the HST squares on the front are 3inch squares (finished) and these being 4 inch (finished) was what messed up the FMQ'ing from being straight across in all SITD formation.

On my second trip to the store, I got another print and 2 matching solids to make the backwith the names in the scrabble effect in the middle.  As it ended up.. I really like the back as much as the front! It turned out really nice and I do admit, I learned alot.or "what not to do next time"s. The colors are pinks, greens, beige, and a little black (doesn't show well in picture!) The pink and green solid perfectly match the same  colors in the print.

FMQ'ing

With dark colors on the front and lighter and different colors on the back.. mainly the beige in the middle...I didn't want to take the chance of using maroon on the top and beige in the bobbin and have the maroon show through, so I thought I'd try invisible thread.  Did a little research and found that you need to wind the bobbin slowly or the invisible thread will stretch and not sew right. Of course, my machine has one speed to wind bobbin and that is fast! I played with it for 30 minutes trying to get it to go slow. It refused! So I put it in the top and then changed the bobbin colors as needed. The invisible thread worked great!  I didn't have one single problem with it! Sewed like a dream! At $4 a spool of 2200 yards (half price with coupon of course!) I won't be using it all the time, but I will keep a spool or two on hand for emergencies! And I just SITD across...in what turned out to be a complicated manor trying to match seams and colors. In the end, when finished, I realized all I had to do was just go across and up and down!

The Name

I haven't been naming my quilts, just putting a small label with a "to" and "From" blurb on it, but this time, I wanted to do a "real" label! I printed "To have and to hold, from this day forward...." Appropriate, don't you think?

Then I just put their names, wedding date and my name and year. I want to work on a better label...this one I just printed out on fabric paper and did a binding around 2 sides and then inserted it in between the quilt and the binding. And thus the name..."To Have and To Hold..."

All in all...if I could have just not run out of fabric twice, I don't think it would have been the construction nightmare it was, but I am SO glad it is done and even MORE glad that it turned out so well.

I mailed it and the tracking said she got it 2 days before her wedding on Friday the 4th. I have not heard from her yet as to if she likes it or not but I'll let you know! I guess she might have been a little busy.....


What are the memories I have made? I know the bride will love the quilt and knowing that it will be a memory for her to pass on down is the whole point of why I made the quilt. I have nothing from my child hood or my parents life. I miss that and wish I had something. Memories on their own fade, but with something tangible, they seem to stay more vivid. I hope they stay vivid for the bride (her name is Winter!) and glad I had a little part in it!

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Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!