How to make a wedding quilt for Yve and Bren by nonnacookbooker

"A labour of love"

How I did it: I called this quilt Windows of Your Life depicting the last 10 years of Yve and Bren's journey....

Even though I have had this goal on my 43 list since the day I joined, I only worked on this particular quilt for the past 12 months.

Over several trips to Japan this quilt began to form in my mind.  We collected many fabrics, embellishments and components through these trips and other overseas trips.

I sourced a lot of ideas from different Craft shows, stores and our travels...  Photographs from these trips and Yve and Bren's many travels helped enormously.

The quilt encompasses Yve and Bren's travelling adventures all the way through South Africa, Europe and the U.K.

I learned a lot making this quilt ~ from new techniques, using different components to trying to establish a pleasing design.

The best gift out of all this was presenting this quilt from ME on Christmas morning and seeing the wonderful smiles on their faces.

Lessons & tips: A love of sewing and a lot of patience and dedication is needed to make a quilt of this proportion

Resources:

  • The guidance and loving support of my family
  • Help from so many other quilters
  • Trips to many different locations, finding just the right combination of fabrics and embellishments
  • A good sewing machine


4 people found this helpful
 

Dec 30, 2008, 04:58PM PST | 19 comments | 55 cheers


Comments:

Jessy

Truly a work of art, Nonna

You are beyond talented, and I know they are beyond happy with that incredible gift.

Dec 30, 2008, 05:45PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou dear Jessy...

you are very, very, kind.

Beyond happy is a good description of their faces when they opened the parcel!

Dec 30, 2008, 07:03PM PST | Respond to this 4 cheers

DoubleN

Not only

is it beautiful, completely custom-made and unique, expertly-crafted, and a labor of love – but it also has personal significance, which is probably the coolest thing of all about this. Wow! You have outdone yourself, Nonna! Kudos!

Dec 30, 2008, 08:06PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 3 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou:))

... that means so much!

Dec 30, 2008, 10:54PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 5 cheers

DoubleN

When I read

how it reflects their travels, it reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books – The Josefina Story Quilt. It’s a beautifully illustrated book about a quilt that incorporates into its design the events of an American pioneer family as they traveled by covered wagon to their new home in the west. Thanks for the reminder; I may have to track this down for my granddaughter. :)

Dec 31, 2008, 06:45AM PST | Thread | Respond to this 4 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Oh..

yes, you must:))

Dec 31, 2008, 01:47PM PST | Respond to this 1 cheer

RuthG lives.

Every applique

& every stitch & color in this quilt must be immensely meaningful to Y & B as well as to you. What a lovely, full-of-caring, beautiful gift!

Dec 31, 2008, 01:30PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 5 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou dear Ruth...

... that is very sweet of you…

You are right though. This quilt was a definite labour of love, and with every block that I stitched, I put my heart and soul into it :)

Dec 31, 2008, 01:50PM PST | Respond to this 2 cheers

Mary Hawkins is ignoring cheers on this site for now. I still like you!

What an amazing gift!

Congratulations! That’s really an heirloom…

Jan 05, 2009, 08:13AM PST | Thread | Respond to this 7 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou Mary...

... I think it is something that they will treasure for a long time to come… Certainly a lot of love went into this quilt :)

Jan 05, 2009, 12:53PM PST | Respond to this 3 cheers

renewalsh A Burchell's Coucal, like the one in my garden

It's lovely

Could you show a close up of each square and explain what it means?

Super to see such loving creativity!

Jan 07, 2009, 10:59PM PST | Thread | Respond to this

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou :)

If you go across here Ume has all the blocks photographed and an explanation of each one on Flickr!

Jan 07, 2009, 11:02PM PST | Respond to this 1 cheer

renewalsh A Burchell's Coucal, like the one in my garden

Found it

after I’d made the comment.

I LOVE it. Enjoyed the SA connection as well.

(BTW, I had a group of women fromRotary make a ‘group quilt’ symbolising the projects the Rotary Annes did. It worked really well and was auctioned off to raise funds. Before it was auctioned, I had pictures taken. I will try to find the pictures and scan them in if you are interested.)

Jan 07, 2009, 11:32PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

nonnacookbooker

Heh..

...glad you found it!

I would love to see pics of the group quilt if you don’t mind. Thankyou :)

Jan 07, 2009, 11:45PM PST | Respond to this

JudithKD Requests no links, tweets, or shared content ...thx!

Nonna,

So glad this is finally done and done to your satisfaction.

What a wonderful friend and mother you are!

Best—
jkd

Jan 09, 2009, 06:31AM PST | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou dear Judith...

... you know,I was torn about it being finished. I wanted to give it to them, but I had put such a lot of myself into this quilt, that it was like saying goodbye to someone special.

Many thanks anyway. I certainly was very, very, happy with how it all came together:)

Jan 09, 2009, 01:23PM PST | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

(This comment was deleted.)

Feb 16, 2009, 03:06AM PST

(This comment was deleted.)

Feb 16, 2009, 12:15PM PST

nonnacookbooker

heheee...

thanks KM. There certainly is a lot more than just a few bits of fabric. I certainly enjoyed making this, and I appreciate you taking the time to look at it….!

Have you been across here to have a look at the blocks individually and an explanation of each :)

Feb 16, 2009, 12:18PM PST | Respond to this 2 cheers

metafora77

Lovely

It’s beautiful, meaningful, hand-made with love, and meant to be used for comfort and warmth. Wonderful gift!

Aug 21, 2009, 06:05AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

nonnacookbooker

Thankyou so much...

... well it certainly is being used and loved. It looks superb on their bed !!

Aug 21, 2009, 04:09PM PDT | Respond to this 4 cheers


nonnacookbooker has gotten 55 cheers on this entry.

 

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