Sewing For England

I took a very large suitcase when we went to England. After all, I had a wedding quilt to pack. The Groom was ‘in on’ the gift having provided the Bride’s color preferences. Pastel and white.

I believed the Bride would like something simple, but pretty. I started shopping for fabric and creating ideas. My original fabric purchase was gorgeous.

Although this is beautiful fabric…it just wasn’t ‘right’ for this project. Not pastel-ly enough…too orange (coral) and grey. I put all my pieces away for another ‘someday’ project.

The good thing about living where we do is that although there are not any large fabric stores, there are some fabulous small fabric stores. I set off for Cle Elum to Ruby’s. There are only two people who work at Ruby’s, Ruby and The One That’s Not Ruby. The One That’s Not Ruby spent an hour scouring the bolts with me to find the right amount of pastel fabric that would fit my vision.

…and so I began The Wedding Quilt again. A nine patch made with two inch squares.

My design wall is an invaluable tool for me, holding the fabric up where I want it as my plan comes together.

There was one more trip to Ruby’s. I needed a smidge more green stripe fabric for the binding. We (the One That’s Not Ruby) and I spent another little while scanning the bolts. They’d just moved everything around. We couldn’t find it. The One That’s Not Ruby took my number as she thought she might have just a smidge of it at home. She’d look that night and meet me in the morning if it was so. (Just the kind of customer service that comes with living in the country).

I am learning more on Bess, my long arm. I did a swirl design along the edge and then circles in the body of the quilt. The scary part of trying new quilting designs is simply that you don’t want to mess up all your hard work at this ending point in the process.

Unfortunately, cell phones do not do the quilt colors justice. The quilt came out just right and the Bride was stunned, so I am blessed.

I was back at Ruby’s looking for animal fabric last week. The One That’s Not Ruby wanted to see the final pictures and asked about the trip across the pond. So I filled her in on the whole story, including the part where we found out the day before we left, that Cousin Mike’s Wife (my new UK-BFF) was having a birthday while we were together.

“Do you have a table runner or something?” My Loving Spouse asked.

‘Hmmm, no, but I think I could come up with something’. Remember those pieces for a ‘someday’ project?

I needed a bit more of the coral, which My Loving Spouse went off to buy. (I couldn’t go, as I had a date to go wine tasting with Number Two Son and because well, ….priorities.)

I really like the wider border we chose to make the creating of it a tad faster. I plan to make more like this in the future.

I told my UK-BFF she could re-gift it, if it wasn’t her ‘thing’, as I didn’t know what ‘her thing would be before we came.’ She said, “Are you kidding!” Gave me a hug and a kiss and stated “I LOVE it!”

and believe me….I am blessed.