Last time, I shared different suggestions made by brides, like you. Today I have another suggestion from one of those very same brides. I have taken Mari's idea and added a little twist to it and I think that you will enjoy this idea.

Mari had the wonderful idea of asking her grandmother to make a quilt for their wedding. Mari then plans on hanging the quilt at their wedding reception and using it like a guestbook. Rather than having their guests sign a book that they probably won't look at too often, they thought they would have their guests sign their quilt and write any messages or advice that they would like to, right on the quilt.

I think this is a great idea! What a wonderful weddding keepsake! I think that Mari and her future husband will get a lot of enjoyment from reading their quilt over and over again.

So, what is my twist? Well, I have heard before of people who have taken their old T-shirts from high school and college or their clothes from when they were a baby and used this material to make a quilt. Why not use old T-shirts and clothes of both you and your fiance to make a quilt? Every other square could be the bride, and every other square could be the groom.

Now, not only would you get a lot of enjoyment from looking at your quilt, but your wedding guests might have a lot of fun seeing what you were involved in. If possible, you may even take some of the scraps from your wedding dress and/or the bridesmaids dresses and make this into a square as well.

Of course, Mari is very lucky that she has a grandmother who knows how to quilt and is willing to do this for Mari, but not all of this are this lucky. I did some research on how to make a quilt, and it seems to me that part of it is relatively simple and part of it is a bit more difficult.

Here is a site that will help you with the more simple part: http://id.essortment.com/howtoquiltmak_rzpj.htm I looked in my local phonebook and also discovered that under the word "Quilt" and "Quilting" that there are a couple of shops and organizations in my area that will do custom quilting. You may be able to start your quilt on your own and then take it to one of these stores to finish it.

Here is a site that offers quilt patterns: http://www.jinnybeyer.com/free_patterns.cfm Also, if you go to your local craft store they may be able to give you resources on how to make a quilt and may even offer classes.

Another idea is to have a "Quilting Shower". Of course, you cannot tell someone to throw you this sort of shower, but you could drop hints to your bridesmaids, mom, and mother-in-law-to-be who may take part in planning your shower. For this shower, ask guests to bring a square of fabric that they have made themselves and may be significant of some memory of the bride or groom. Then, you can put the quilt together at the shower or have the pieces stitched together professionally and given to bride and groom as a wedding gift. This quilt can then be taken to the reception and used as a guestbook as described above.

As with all craft projects, be creative! Maybe you don't have the time to make a large bed quilt, but can make a smaller one for a wall-hanging or to drape over your couch. Maybe you can put a piece of material at each place setting and ask your guests to write a message on the material - after the wedding take them to a quilter to be put together. There are lots of possibilities and I am sure that all of them will make your wedding very unique and special AND have the bonus of creating a wonderful memory for you.

I hope you have enjoyed these ideas and I thank Mari for sharing her superb idea with me. Good luck with all of your wedding planning! Remember to have fun and not get too bogged down in the details!

Sincerely,
Kelly Kons, kelly@bwedd.com
http://www.Bwedd.com/TrueCompanions/