Friday 18 July 2014

From A - Finished Red Letter Day Quilt

Both Kelsey and I found ourselves in friendly Manitoba for Bree's wedding last weekend. Despite a fairly tight timeline, Kelsey somehow managed to finish Bree's wedding quilt with time to spare.

In short the wedding was amazing. In true Bree fashion, every detail was perfectly planned and beautifully executed. We were both in the bridal party so unfortunately, you'll have to console yourself with quilt photos since I have absolutely zero wedding pictures to share.

Red Letter Day Quilt

Even the unplanned details were perfect. About 20 minutes before the outdoor ceremony, the skies opened to offer a torrential downpour with a side of hail as a wedding gift to the bride and groom. Although Bree and her new hubby got stuck in the worst of it, they were instantly greeted with teams of family volunteers to towel them off and wash the mud off of the bride's dress. While they were being tended to, all remaining warm bodies sprang into action and managed to transform an old (and leaky) tractor barn into a Pinterest worthy ceremony site. I can honestly say that I've never seen rough and tumble farmers take draped burlap, lace and paper poofs quite so seriously. Totally heart wrenching (in a good way).

And if that wasn't enough to warm your hearts, our grandmothers (one bio and Bree's gran that we've adopted as our own) offered marriage advice from their collective 115 years of marriage that brought on the tear equivalent of the torrential downpour outside. It was epic. I can't wait to see the video.

Red Letter Day Quilt

Back to the sewing. The quilt turned out beautifully and I think it meant as much to Bree to receive it as it did to us to make for her and her Mr.

Kelsey opted for an all-over stipple to avoid competing with the bold piecing of the large blocks. It gave the quilt a beautiful texture.

Red Letter Day Quilt

We backed it with some of Martha Negley's Tree Rings print which seemed fitting for the occasion. I made a simple label out of some of the leftover scraps from the top and sent it to Kelsey with my blocks. She sewed it onto the back of the quilt and blanket stitched around the edges to jazz it up a bit.

Final Quilt Details:

  • Quilt Name: Red Letter Day (The pattern name was so appropriate for the occasion, we couldn't imagine changing it)
  • Finished Size: Perfect cuddle size for 2 (a.k.a. 67.5" x 67.5")
  • Fabric: A random assortment of solids from the Fox Field coordinating solids bundle from Pink Castle Fabrics and stash prints, Moda Bella Solid in Snow for the background, Martha  Negley Tree Rings in blue for the backing.
  • Quilting: All-over stipple by Kelsey

Red Letter Day Quilt

Lastly, a dorky picture of the two of us taken with a self-timer and a camera that was precariously balanced on the hood of a car. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Red Letter Day Quilt

Looking at these photos makes me wish I was still home in Manitoba. That prairie sky definitely gets under your skin.

Linking up to Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.

8 comments:

  1. It's gorgeous. The quilting looks great -- I agree you wouldn't want anything to compete with those fantastic blocks. Your photos make me want to visit the prairie!

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  2. What a beautiful quilt!

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  3. Gorgeous work as always girls! Your cousin is a very lucky girl :)
    And i love the shot of the two of you!

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  4. What an amazing wedding present. I'm sure they will cherish it for many, many years. And your pictures are awesome! I've never been to that part of the country... I think I should! :-)

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  5. Beautiful work as always! Looks fantastic!

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  6. My daughter recently moved to Manitoba. I have never been that far East - and I am glad to read you say it is a good place to be. The story of the help you got at the wedding made me smile and I know there are good, no, great people everywhere, it is just far away. Love the quilt, love the story and thanks for this post.

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  7. love this quilt- and the pictures - dorky ones are always the best!

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  8. Gorgeous finish, and nice to see you two together! :)

    I would freak if I was a bride with an outdoor ceremony planned and bad weather, but then again I'd never plan an outdoor wedding...haha!

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