12 in 2012 - January Finished

So, for my 12 in 2012 I only had one project on my list for January:

January - Wedding Wall Hanging Present

Now that it's been gifted, I can share my January finish. But, before I share, a little back story.

I have known Val for...11 years now. We met when she was 16 or so and still in High School and I was 21 and finished with my undergraduate degree and had moved back home. I started an informal group of writers that met a couple times a month locally to read their own and each others' poetry and such. I was instantly struck by this quiet, polite young woman who reminded me very much of myself at her age and felt very maternally towards her.

Part of me always will. After a while of writer's group meeting, Brian started to come around because he had met Val through another one of her passions, Ultimate Frisbee. Long story short, Brian and Val started dating and got married this past October.

When Val asked me to be a bridesmaid for her wedding I was instantly honored and very touched. I knew I wanted to make her something very special for her wedding. Which was totally beautiful and fall themed. From the "unity volcano" to the carved pumpkins and herb centerpieces, the wedding was completely reflective of Val and Brian and the crazy-beautiful love they share.

Fall and crazy-beautiful love led me to imagine two birch trees (one of their favorite trees) on a fall background of leaves, to look like two white trees in a fall forest.





Often when I start creating something from scratch (anything really, it doesn't matter the medium), finished size is not something that comes into my thought process early. Much like I think I remember Stephen King saying about writing books, it kind of has "a life of it's own and tells me what it's going to be like in the end.". So, I started with the trees and then pieced the entire background in my "faux-crazy-quilted" technique. It is kind of a combination between a whack-n-stack and a crazy quilt.

After I had the main part pieced it came to me how it wanted to be finished. It needed some cross-stitching to add their names, date and wouldn't a quote from the vows they wrote themselves be perfect. So, I harassed them while they were on their honeymoon in New Zealand and they got back to me with the line, "I am precisely where I ought to be". Which is perfect and sums them up so elegantly.





And here it is. All finished and gifted and hopefully I'll have a picture of it hanging in their apartment some day to share with you all. But they love it - and that's all that matters.