The Wedding - Daniel & Hillary

It's been a long time coming. As they said in their announcement:

"Daniel & Hillary

are getting...

married! Finally."

They've known each other for more than seven years. They were planning on getting married two years ago, broke it off, and then got back together around Christmas time last year and made the final decision which culminated in a wonderful celebration on Friday, the 23rd of September, 2011.

We had it in our back yard which seemed roomy and large to us at the time, us being the only two people living at this address right now, but became downright cozy, if not cramped, when we set up 92 chairs on Friday morning for the wedding ceremony that afternoon. I could just kick myself for not taking pictures. I meant to. I had every intention of doing so, but for some reason it didn't happen. Steven extracted some stills from his video footage so I could have something. I'm hoping we can have access to the digital photos that the photographer took.

Of all the pictures that were taken on that day there is one that was taken, with my eyes only, that I'll never forget. I doubt the photographer got it. In fact I'm sure she didn't for her camera was focused elsewhere, as were most everyone's eyes. It's tradition for everyone to stand and look towards the bride when she walks down the isle with her father, glorious in her finery. It's her day. It's her right. I glanced, but I did not follow her with my eyes. Not because she wasn't beautiful, she was breathtaking. And not because I didn't love her, I do. I was looking at someone else. I wanted to see something else, and I wasn't disappointed.

My favorite part of the whole day was my son's face when he saw his bride for the first time in her wedding dress walking down the isle towards him. If he has ever been my Sunshine Boy it was in that moment. It wasn't the dress...no. It was her, and more importantly, her choice to make this commitment to him, and only him. His eyes held all the love I have ever wished for him. I wanted to see that. I wanted to be a witness to that moment and see that devotion, that caring, that commitment. I'm so happy for him. Truly and deeply happy for him.

The refreshment area

Me, Daniel, Hillary, Steven

Daniel's Side of the Family...or most of them that were there.

Daniel's immediate family in attendance

Hillary's immediate family

Photo Table

The reception area

Wedding Quilt Continued - Putting it all together

One week ago today I started cutting.
At 8:30 this evening I put the final border on and it's ready for the quilter.

It has been asked if the definition of madness might be to take a perfectly good piece of cloth and cut it into hundreds of little pieces, then sew them back together again.

I'm not completely convinced that they might not have a point there. (Double negative intended)

Block 1 pieces -          697
Block 2 pieces -          588
First border pieces -        7
Final border pieces -  +   4
           Grand Total - 1,296 pieces

I've participated in greater madness than this, and will probably continue to do so. I find it oddly therapeutic. Which may well confirm the diagnosis.

*Very Deep Sigh*

Wedding Quilt Continued - The Cutting/Sewing of Block #2

I started cutting for block 2 when we got home from The Greek Festival on Thursday night. Since I was working from a picture of a quilt that I saw online and then drew up in my quilting software, and not from a published pattern, I had to do a lot of the math and figuring myself.

This is one of my worksheets that I'm using for cutting. I've found that quilting has kept my brain pretty limber. I'm grateful for that. As my mother has often reminded me, "Use it or lose it Kristine." Well, I'm using it.

For all of the triangles in this block I had to use templates like the one shown at left. I needed to cut 144 light half-triangles like the one shown, 24 dark half-triangles, and 52 dark full-triangles.










I cut several strips the height of the template in both light and dark fabrics then laid the template on top making sure that the edge of the template sat square against the edge.  Then I laid my ruler on top of the template, lining my quarter inch seam line on the ruler exactly on top of my solid stitch line on the template. Then cut. Also trimming the little corners to make it easier to line up my pieces when sewing them together.

In addition I cut 9 dark 2 1/2" strips and 9 light 2 1/2" strips, sewed each dark strip next to a light strip then sub-cut each strip set into as many 2 1/2" segments as I could get out of each set. All those pieces had to come together like this during my Friday sewing session:



Each 12" block contains 32 pieces. (There are 12 of those totaling 384 pieces) Each 12" x 6" block consists of 17 pieces. (There are also 12 of those totaling 204 pieces)

For a grand total of 588 pieces for Block #2.

The Greek Festival

The Greek Festival last night was wonderful, the food was totally yummy and the dancers were awesome.

...But on the way there we had a bit of a scary moment when cutting diagonally through Pioneer Park to get to the Greek Orthodox Church on the corner of 3rd S and 3rd W.

The sun hadn't even begun to touch the horizon, it was only a little after 6:00 pm. A frantic eyed woman (honestly, she looked and acted a bit...touched?) approached us and said in a panicked voice, "Do you have a cell phone? Do you?"

Thinking she might be some kind of panhandler I said, "No, no cell." When in truth it was nestled safely in my purse slung across my body. Ignoring what I said and walking backward now so as to face us, continuing her warning as we walked in the opposite direction, she spoke more loudly saying, "They're fighting over there. Really arguing! Call the police now before someone gets shot! I don't want to see a murder right in front of my face! I tell you! Someone's going to get killed!" I could hear more of her warning as it faded behind me and I started looking around for what might have frightened her. Ahead and to our right were a group of about 6-8 black men either poised menacingly or shoving and verbally abusing each other near the rest rooms near the center of the park. Even though I was walking with my big strong hubby we began walking faster. As big and strong and protective as he is, he isn't a man of steel and can only stop a bullet as well as anyone could, with much pain and blood involved. I clutched his hand tighter. We kept our eyes forward as we approached, came abreast, then passed the group. I murmured quietly to him through my teeth, "I hope we don't get shot just walking through the park tonight."


I felt a little better as we got further from them and I could no longer hear them when we came upon another group of young-ish men, mostly black and maybe a few Latinos arguing loudly, chins jutting forward aggressively across a couple of picnic tables. I tried to tune it out but I think 90% of their conversation consisted of the F*** word in all it's various forms accompanied by many threatening hand gestures featuring either their middle fingers or clenched fists.


All the stories about this park and the increased police presence there came back to me and I could feel my shoulders drawing up to my ears. A very typical sign of stress for me, and a reason that I see a chiropractor. Steven let go of my hand and gently put his arm around my shoulders as we continued on towards civilization just a hundred feet away. I could even hear the sound of Greek music and smell the food.


Ahhhhh...nothing between my shoulder blades but a throbbing ache from tension. I wonder if it would feel much worse to me in a war zone. Although I do remember seeing stuff like that on a regular basis during my High School years in So. California during the 70's. I don't remember feeling that stressed then.

Oh yeah, that was when I was an invincible teenager.

Needless to say we didn't cut through the park to get back to our car. We walked around it and watched the most gorgeous sunset on our way home.

Wedding Quilt Continued - The Cutting/Sewing of Block #1

I'm a marathon sewer. When I start it's hard to stop. I just keep going, and going and going. I've had people ask me, "Are you sure that you'll be able to finish this quilt by the wedding?" which is now less than 3 weeks away? The answer is, "No problemo! Unless I get deathly ill, injured or die, it will be done in the time allotted and probably earlier." It's my nature. I only get slowed down by 'sewer's block' which is similar to 'writer's block': when inspiration is thin and/or mangled or I lose interest in a project.

Okay, Monday was the washing day.

Tuesday was the cutting day for Block #1. I started after dinner and finished before 9 pm.

There are two main blocks, when laid alternately, create the overall pattern, or movement in the design.

 

All totaled for Block #1 x 13 plus 8 half blocks and 4 quarter blocks there are 697 pieces.

Wednesday was sewing Day for Block #1. I was going to take pictures of the process but I got lost in it and forgot.

There are 13 full size blocks (12" x 12" finished - 37 pieces each), 8 half blocks (6" x 12" finished - 21 pieces each), and 4 quarter blocks ( 6" x 6" finished - 12 pieces each).

697 pieces have now been reduced to 25.

Tonight it looks like the Greek Festival for dinner so probably no cutting for block #2 until tomorrow, unless...unless I have time when I get home.

The making of a wedding quilt -

I thought it might be interesting to do a time lapse blog on the making of a wedding quilt.

Daniel is my third born child and second son, born the day after Valentine's Day, February 15th 1985. He's my sunshine boy. His favorite color when he was a munchkin was yellow and he had/has one of the most contagious smiles I've ever seen.







He's never been afraid of getting his hands, or anything else dirty. He's got a very unique sense of humor which keeps us all going and one of the softest hearts imaginable.

I'm really emotionally invested in this quilt for some reason, not only because it comes from one of the deepest places in my heart to a dear and beloved child but because it's one I've dreamed of making. I'm sure the reality will not begin to measure up to the imagined original but we have to begin somewhere.

First we must begin with the inspiration. When his fiance, Hillary, was over with her mother, step mother and sisters to take a look at the back yard and what could be done with it we discussed colors. I got to see her bridal pictures which were taken out on the salt flats during sunset. They're Bee-Ewe-Tea-Full! I loved the stark lines and dramatic colors in them. The wind was blowing and she looked breathtaking. It was definitely her element. She's going to have lavender in her bouquet and when I mentioned sunset colors for their quilt she seemed to take to the idea. My mind began to race...

Batiks!! I love batiks. Love, love, love them. Whenever I want to treat myself I work with them.

First, I soak them in a water, vinegar, salt solution to set the dye. I was told about this process by a Navajo quilting gentleman. It works. I've never had a problem with colors   running when I do this.

 

I wanted to see how the progression would look wet...hmmm...the darks look really dark and the yellow and medium blue aren't there because they've already been washed and dried.

Here are all the fabrics I'll be using the darks will be more 'present' than the lights in order to create the contrast to see the overall design.

This is going to be so much fun!!