In August of 2014, we attended the wedding of a second cousin (SC)... the bride, my SC, is an incredibly strong, intelligent, graceful, compassionate, caring, and beautiful woman.
And I say that because 1) she IS all of those things, and 2) everyone thinks she looks just like me and if that is true, she is 'mini-me' (and I can only hope I have some of those other qualities). :)
Seriously, my SC is an amazing woman... and because of that, I was thrilled when I was asked to make the flower girl baskets and the ring bearer's pillow for the wedding.
As the wedding gift, I wanted to make a quilt that reflected them as a couple So I considered that she loves sunflowers and they are developing an organic farm.
So with that in mind, I had made a quilt top for the couple but the best laid plans... as they say.
My quilting machine developed a problem and, as we had to order parts, I was unable to complete the quilt before the wedding.
Thus, I went to the wedding empty handed but with a promise of a quilt.
Once we arrived, I quickly assembled the pieces and parts that flew with me to the wedding. The bride's mother assured me that the bride would love the pillow and baskets, which were carried by twin girls.
It was a gorgeous wedding... but not your standard wedding....
...the bride chose to decorate with burlap, doilies, and wildflowers,
...the wedding was held in a very old church where the chapel was actually on the top floor,
...the reception was held in a beautiful park next to a pond,
...I was allowed to help decorate for the reception, which was a lot of fun,
... but you just don't see the bride skipping rocks in a pond at her reception very often. Like I said, she is an amazing woman.
Returning home, the parts for the quilting machine had arrived.... but then, a bit of LIFE happened:
I was ill for a bit, friends had emergencies, or something urgent needed to be done.... and suddenly, it was time to prepare for Christmas.... Then New Year's.... finally, things died down to a dull roar and I looked around and realized the quilt was not yet done.
Feeling extremely guilty, I contacted the bride, reminded her of my promise of a quilt, and with the very best intentions, planned the immediate completion of the quilt.
Enter LIFE again... G'kids needed gramma for a week while they were off school. My mom needed assistance and some ferrying to doctors. Then we sold our Iowa house and had to travel to Iowa to dispose of the remaining furniture and take care of a few other obligations.
Ahhh, but the guilt.
To compensate for my guilt, I decided to make the quilt top a bit larger.
Of course, making it larger meant an additional delay as the quilt's coordinating fabrics had been returned to my stash as the top was previously considered "completed".
However, I can finally announce that the elusive / mythical wedding quilt was finished... and shipped to this amazing couple.
Oh, and a little surprise was sent along with the quilt :)... just because I love them.
My sincere apologies to the couple for my tardiness...
Please know that the quilt is filled with love, and hope, and prayers for a long and happy life.
Love you, ABC!!!
With the advancements in my skills on Georgie, my longarm, I decided it was time to put my quilting confidence to work. 
