December, 2006

I want to share my experience of creating a wedding present, a Double Wedding Ring Quilt, for my son Ben and his intended bride, Sara.

I chose a Double Wedding Ring, because their (yes, they both have them; Ben said, "Why should she have a ring, and not me?"  so their) engagment rings are created of rubies and sapphires -- their birthstones.  I think that is wonderful thinking, and I want to honor it by creating this quilt for them.

I want to chronicle the experience of building the quilt, because I see that it is a wonderful metaphor, as are their wedding rings, of the human connection we all have.

As a mother, I have a different perspective and element of caring than they have for one another, or will have for their own children.  I want to weave that brand of caring into my gift to them.

I chose fabrics for the 95 arches which create the wedding ring circles in blues and reds.  I was happy to find a matching print in each....six in all, as their are 11 stripes, with a center one, so the center one will stand alone.

Each print has it's own significance.  The center stripe in each arc, and the backing of the quilt will be a chinese crane print.  The Crane signifies long life - and I wish that for them and their marriage.  So I found a blue, a red, and a purple print in the Crane.

Purple is the blending of their red/blue and will be a theme color at their wedding, I'm told.  So!  I found a perfect purple nubby silk to place between the circles in a diamond shape.

The reds and blue prints are:

1) concentric circles - to represent the ripple effect we all have on the lives of one another

2)  a sparkly  print - to add light to their lives, and to capture all the available light

3)  fern - to capture the essence of the beautiful fern in hawaii, that is first to work its way through the black lava.  To me, nothing is more inspirational than the tender green shoots of a delicate plant coming through the powerful black lava.

4)  a Chinese print with the "double happy" wedding symbol, and other chinese symbols of good wishes for a blessed union, printed in gold and black.

5)  a watermark kind of print that was just pretty, and came in both red and blue....but as I think about it, contains lights and darks....and I know that shadows add definition and variety to life, and I wouldn't even wish a life with no shadow for my own children.  While the Sun can be called the source of all life, yet it can burn us, and shade gives us protection from the sun, and adds beauty and definition to the folds of our lives.

6)  the Chinese Crane - which will be the pinnacle print in each of the arches.....

The background of the quilt is in black, rather than the traditional white, because who in this world of ours today wants a quilt in red, white and blue?

AND because black is a blending of all the colors, just as white is a blending of all the colors.....I've always been fascinated by the concept that in the physical world, of pigments and paints, a blending of all of the colors creates black, while in the color spectrum of light, a blending of all the colors represents white.  That speaks worlds to me - the ying yang of life.....

The woman from whom I bought the fabric was kind enough to find me a rare and beautiful black, called "jet" which is the blackest you can buy.  Wasn't that sweet of her?

I bought the fabric on December 2, after dropping Chris and Marie and Al and Elaine off at their cruise ship.  We had spent a marvelous day together, swimming with dolphins and snorkeling in Kona.  It was such a highlight of a day, I'm happy to have then been able to purchase the fabric for the quilt, and to have been able to do so in the glow of such a happy time.

I also want to find the gemstone properties of their birthstones, and weave them into the quilt, as well.  I will do that.

AND, I'm reading Neale Donald Walsche's new book, Home with God, which I know Ben will enjoy when I give it to him, and I want to also weave those thoughts and ideas into the quilt as I work on it.

Quilt-making goes way back with me and my boys.

When Chris and Ben were young, prolly 10 and 12, I created beautiful quilts for them in a Double Attic Window pattern, in jewel tones of red, purple, blue, green, and black.  I made Ben's with no-wale corduroy, and a black background.  Chris's didn't hold up as well as Ben's has, because I discovered the corduroy after I'd made Chris'.  Now I know.

Ten years later, when the boys were 20 and 22 and 16 and 12, I made them each new quilts.  In fact, that year, I made SEVEN quilts for Christmas - always was a little insane....

Ben created his own design, based on his membership in the Red Door Society and the Rainbow Dance Troup.  He and I shopped for the fabrics

and I created a quilt like this.....  The gray is wool.  He placed this picture of one of the blocks on the front page of his website.

Rainbows also have played a significant part in our

lives.  In this case, Rainbow was the name of his

University dance troup.

In my case, for now, I live in the "Rainbow State" of

Hawaii, and I cherish the beautiful rainbows in my

daily life here.

I also love the diversity that rainbows signify...

Here's some of what my book has to say about rubies and sapphires:  "Love is in the Earth - A Kaleidoscope of Crystals" by Melody

Ruby - Astrological signs of Leo, Scorpio, Cancer & Sagittarius)

.....this mineral stimulates the heart chakra and assists one in the selection  and attainment of ones ultimate values.  It further stimulates the loving emotional side toward nurturing, bringing spiritual wisdom, health, knowledge, and wealth.

Ruby is known as a "stone of nobility", gathering and amplifying energy while promoting and stimulating mental concentration.  It can improve ones success in controversies and disputes, encouraigng gentleness and discouraging violence.  It is an excellent shielding stone, protecting on all levels and safeguarding ones consciousness from psychic attack.

It has  been used to induce stability in ones economic status; it has been said that as long as one retains a bit of ruby, wealth will never depart.

It is also said to have been used to protect the wearer/carrier against unhappiness, distressing dreams, and lightning!

It is said to have been one of the stones used in the breastplate of the high priest.

The energy of the ruby is intense and vivid, bringing lucidity to the dream state and conveying understanding and control of the role and action of the mental state upon the physical realm.

The ruby encourages one to follow bliss.  It is said that ruby will ight the darkness of ones life, giving birth ot a spark of light which progresses throughout the body and spirit, conquering darkness on all levels.  The energy can assist one in chainging ones world, promoting creativity and expansiveness in awareness and manifestation.

There is way more about rubies in the book....and I imagine that those particular things will be beyond the interest of the couple in question...so there's more in the book "Love is in the Earth" by Melody, if you're interested.

Sapphire

(Elemental astrological signs of Virgo, Libra, and Sagittarius)

There are many colors of sapphire...I will choose some of the highlights, especially of the blue sapphires, though Ben's seems to be the Purple Sapphire, as it is the sign of Virgo...so I'll capture that one , too.

.....this mineral can be used to rid one of unwanted thoughts and to bring joy and peace of mind via opening the mind to beauty and intuition.  The Sapphire brings lightness of joy, with depth of beauty and thought, to the wearer.

The sapphire is known as the "stone of prosperity", sustaining the gifts of life and fulfilling the dreams of the consciousness.  It tends to both focus and emanate energy withut ones consious initiation.

It is said to have been one of the stones used in the breastplate of the high priest.

Blue Sapphire (Gemini) - vibrates to the number 6

assists healing in all parts of the body.  It stimulates the throat chakra and assists in communication.

It assists in p roviding strength to the user and helps one in endeavors of diversification.

Star Sapphire (Sagittarius & Capricorn) - vibrates to the number 6

Enhances the centering of ones thoughts.  It brings the knowledge of human nature to the user and enhances the ability to understand the intentions of another.  It helps to make one cheerful and friendly.

It can also facilitate contact with teh beings of planetary worlds other than the Earth plane.

It is known as a "stone of wisdom and good luck", helping one to regain the conscious recognition of the perfect order of the universe which exists at birth.

Indigo Sapphire - Astrological sign of Sagittarius - vibrates to the number 6

provides for alertness and attentiveness, stimulating the center of the third-eye and inspiring creativity in the higher realms of psychic awareness.  It assists in the eliminating the negative energies from the chakras and from the aura, acting as a reminder that the total responsibility for ones thoughts and feelings lies within the self.  It also further facilitates the udnerstanding of ones responsibilities and provides for guidance in acceptance of same.

It is the "stone of encouragement", strengthening one's ambition to contineu pursuits and to grow toward the "unreachable" horizon.

This stone is a constant reminder that "the gtruth shall set you free".  It helps one to access information which will strengthen ones resolve and which will further ones growth.

Purple Sapphire  - Astrological Sign of Virgo - vibrates to the number 9

Enhances spirituality and diminishes attention to the unnecessary cares and worries of this world.  It can be used to stimulate meditation and to awaken the crown chakra.  It has been used to clear the path through the chakras such that the movement of the Kundalini in unimpaired.

The advance to spirituality, which is initiated by purple sapphire, brings a condition of peace and oneness to the user.  It is known as a "stone of awakening".  The recognition of the bonding, of all that exists on the Earth plane with "All That Is" is manifested.

As Ben's mom, I find it interesting that you can't just look up "Sapphire" and write it down in simple terms.  Like Ben, the energies of sapphires are complex and deep.

Sapphire!

Soothing, sensuous blue; liquid blue; evening sky blue; cornflower blue ... these are among the many shades of this lovely gemstone. And yet, there are many colors and hues of Sapphire from which to choose: the hot and soft

pinks; the oranges, greens, purples, golds, yellows and whites...all for your pleasure.  Since ancient time, man has treasured Sapphire. Some thought the heavens crystallized to form a huge Sapphire upon which the earth rested. All sought the pure colors of this gemstone variety as an expression of beauty and wealth. Yet, the perfect Sapphire is as rare as the finest work of art. Thus, over the centuries, we have evolved methods to enhance the purest hues of Sapphire.

Rubies!  Passion, excitement, luxurious opulence ... these are just a few words that describe our fascination with this most precious of gemstones. For thousands of years, man has sought to own precious Rubies as symbols of devotion and objects of desire.

Rubies!

Sara

Ben

Full circles - blue and red

other options - notice the "melons" here are all purple, and the centers alternate between black and purple.  I COULD use the purple crane fabric for some or all of the centers.  THEN perhaps we'd like the melons black?

   half circles - all black - purple squares

I rejected this one, because I like whole circles, merging, rather than each half meeting the other.

It does have a nice pattern though

one problem I encounter with these fabrics is that the strips aren't very wide...in fact, you cut the fabric into 2" strips, sew them together into 11" widths, and then "arc" them.  So each print is only about a 2 square inch piece in the arch

I also have this fabric in the same red and blue, but the cranes were so large I couldn't even get ONE in a strip - I was HAPPY to find the smaller print in cranes above.  SO, perhaps I could use the red, blue and purple cranes in the centers?

Lots of possibilities.

Heres the latest thinking!

Use this PURPLE only in the centers, by doing some "fussy cutting" of the centers, incorporating pairs of cranes, and perhaps TRAPUNTO them!

the drawing below shows that idea.