BRIDAL COUPLES

I offered a patchwork blanket as a wedding present for my fellow student Betty. Unfortunately its production and the wedding itself coincided with moving from Paris over to Stuttgart... somewhat stressful this... a tiny little bit... it was. ;)

I cut the fabrics in Paris, then went off to Germany with them to my parents' for a weekend. To prepare the move really, but aside from that to profit from the existence of a sewing machine at their house. ... Only did my frenetic marathon-sewing make the machine smolder - literally! :o ... The engine blew up! Great. I hurried to a friend of my mother who kindly borrowed me hers. But I had trouble with that one too. And time was ticking away! ... So back to basics - "basics" meaning the old Singer sewing machine with foot pedal, whose v-belt was a touch loose... But with a lot of tiring energetic pedalling it worked surprisingly well. And I could travel back to Paris two days later - with the assembled squares of fabric serving as top side of the blanket. There I was facing the next problem: lack of work space! The 1-room-apartment (including kitchen, bath & corridor) measuring IN TOTAL - mind you! - only 29sqm. For laying out and fixing two layers of textile with a layer of wadding inbetween...not ideal. I worked on the floor squeezed inbetween the couch and dining-table, a part of the blanket thrown over the bed. Squatted down, bent over, on my knees, crouched under the table I made it somehow. Three layers of material sized 2,4m to 2,4m sewn and quilted by hand.

In the end I was simply happy I had finished it. And pleased with myself for having produced a nice wedding present of use. My (former) husband though wasn't sure anybody apart from himself (and MAYBE the closest of close family) would deserve a present that elaborate!?! But he had those kind of doubts regularly...each time I made something, be it a blanket, a place mat, potholder, bonnet, cushion... If possible he'd have kept clinging on to everything! ;)