guilty quilty number one

I sense a pattern emerging. This time last year I was engulfed in the biggest sewing project of my life so far. It was to be the first of the “guilty quilts”.

My very good friend Henna and her Mr B were married in November last year. (Henna had been one of my friends from high school, and we still hang out together today). They announced the date they were to be married on about 4 months before the date, but unfortunately I had been booked for a job on that very date way back in January of that year. I know how much stress planning a wedding can be, so I didn’t say anything initially, hoping I could work out a way around the problem. But there was no way I could really get out of it. And I knew it.

I felt terrible about not being able to be there for them, and also very upset that I wouldn’t be there to see them be married. Henna was upset when I broke the news to her, but dealt with it very well. The week before the wedding Lacey-T and I went and stayed with her at her parents house like we used to in the old days (they were married there the next weekend). Henna was sweet enough to break the rules; get all dressed up in her replica 60’s ‘Mod’ style wedding dress and boots and little tiara, to show me her outfit. We helped her pick out which jewellery to wear, and got a little teary at how great she looked.

The following weekend there were married in the garden on a hot spring afternoon surrounded by their friends and family, and they partied hard well into the wee hours of the morning. I managed to make it there at midnight and joined in the celebrations.

Earlier, when I first realised that I wouldn’t be able to be at their wedding, I set out to hand make a gift that would hopefully make up for my absence, and help alleviate my guilt. Henna and Mr B met in San Francisco where he is from. Mr B has a special connection with Mexico as he spent much time there and even did aid work at one point, so he took Henna travelling through Mexico. So as far as I was concerned my project had to be Mexican themed.

I set out to make a quilt for them. I researched Mexican, Aztec and Mayan colour schemes, motifs and patterns, and eventually came up with a plan. It took me much much longer than I thought it would. I spent almost every weekend working on it for around 3 months, but the result was much better than I anticipated.

They both loved it, and the best compliment was when Mr B said that everything about it felt familiar (which is nice considering he’s so far away from his home). They told me they would keep it forever, and it would never ever leave their bed. And as far as I know, it hasn’t.

(It did help to alleviate my guilt a little, but I still wish I could have been there).