wedding quilt--process

My niece Emilee asked me to plan a signature quilt for her wedding to her Andy last September. (We have three Andy's in the family now, so each is referred to by the woman he belongs to.)

I decided to use Bonnie Hunter's Bricks and Stepping Stones pattern.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/bricks-stepping-stones.html

I cut out 3 1/2 by 6 1/2 rectangles from a variety of paler lavenders and periwinkles and sat at a table at the wedding helping people ink their sentiments. 

It was a clash of cultures. Her northwest Iowa family and friends tended to write blessings and prayers. Some of his central Iowa family and friends were inclined to include sly references to what would happen in the bed this quilt would end up covering.

Yesterday I decided it was time to get this put together before it became a millstone. There were about 58 signed patches. I am making the quilt with 144, so they can get additional signatures added once it is done--her parents and sisters didn't get to the table, and I assured them I'd have plenty blank ones for them.

(I did play the aunt card and threw away one block that was very vulgar. Yeah, I'm that aunt...)

Most of the blocks will need to be gone over with the ink to darken them. I'll do that with my sister when it is finished.

I bought an Accuquilt Studio Cutter this spring and have the strip dies. I used the 2 inch strips for making the four patches. I tore off 13 inches from the purple and the floral batiks, used the die to get twenty 13" strips, sewed them, then ran through the cutter again to get 120 2-patches to sew into 60 4-patches. I did this 3 times, so I have 180 4-patches to work with.

It was an efficient process and a good way to get to know the cutter better. I've used it on a few other projects this summer and am seeing its potential.

I hope to have this off to the quilter before Faculty Week starts mid August. My summer of sewing is drawing to a close.