So, I’ll take this moment to thank everyone who participated and helped me make a quilt that is as special and as unique as Josh and Lorraine are.

But before I close out, I wanted to post this picture, which I found deep in my photo archives a couple of weeks back.

This is the square that inspired it all.

As I explained in a prior blog post, I was asked to make a square for my friend Kolbe. I was a bridesmaid in her 1995 wedding. (Hard to believe it’s actually been 15 years!)
And of course, I thought the whole wedding quilt idea was so brilliant that I needed to do one myself.

And now I have. Overall, it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and I have to admit I do have the knack for it. So I know I’ll quilting from now on.

Perhaps in my rush to finish, I have the fabric bunching up in odd places. I’ve had to touch up the iron-on transfers and re-do stitches. And I think I have sewn one of the squares upside down — (but it’s not something you would immediately notice.)

But I am happy to say — IT’S DONE!

Sewing like a madwoman for the past few days, I have completed the quilt.

It has 30 squares, contributed by so many friends and family and imbued with some many wonderful memories and images that I think Lorraine and Josh will treasure it.

Thanks again to all of you that contributed. It is truly your help that made this project a success.

See you at the wedding.

Don is an arborist who owns his own environmental consulting firm and is working on his PhD at the University of Florida in plant pathology. Hence, the tree motif.

Don and I were actually married under a tree – an ancient oak called the Fairchild Oak, located at Bulow Creek State Park in Ormond Beach.

It’s a great shot of Josh mid-air. Love that you can see Josh’s shadow on the sidewalk.

Marcelo did well with the whole fabric transfer paper / iron-on process.

Yes, the quilt is done!

I’ll post photos tomorrow. Need some rest.

doublehappiness_square

This is the Chinese symbol for marriage and although our family is not Chinese, it has always been a favorite symbol of mine.

As you can see, it is the same symbol done twice. That symbol means happiness and it is said that with marriage, your happiness doubles.

In case you’re curious, there is also a small box underneath. That is a Chinese stamp in the style used for someone’s name. And the name happens to be mine.

The story behind that is, that I have been involved in martial arts for many years with a family-based martial arts system. Family based means that the grandmaster is considered a grandfather and all his top students are considered his ‘children.’ Once you’ve attained a certain rank, you also receive an official name that recognizes you are part of the family. So that’s what that is.

We have images related to music, coffee, basketball.

We have photos from family trips for both Josh and Lorraine.

We have a tractor. We have oysters

We have some nice photos of the two of them, well wishes for their happiness and even a Bible verse.

Overall, I couldn’t have planned it better.

It is a clever combination of the Portland Trailblazers logo, done in New York Knicks colors, with the addition of an NY reference below.

Of course, his participation was possible through the wonderful work by his mother, Kirsten.

Again, she has really helped to make sure that the Beaudry family was well represented on the quilt.

Of course, who doesn’t love kid’s art, especially of their hand prints.

And he included a self portrait as well! This will be such a precious sight, many years from now, when Jakson is grown and Josh and Lorraine can reminisce about his younger years.