"How much?"

I asked the 'Postmistress' in the local newsagency/post office.

"Upwards of AUD200," she replied to my question on the cost of posting 'The Wedding Quilt' to California.

I was aghast.  Admittedly, this is a king size quilt, measuring 90 x 90 inches, and it weighs in excess of 10kg.

But that's a lot of money to still risk it being stolen en route.  Insurance won't cover the financial loss, and certainly not the sentimental loss.

The wedding quilt has a long history of heartache.  I started it as a gift for a family member in 2005.   For one reason or another it didn't get finished until 2015, after the intended recipient divorced, and several years after my darling Mum died.  Mum and my sisters helped me to pin baste the quilt when they were on a visit to Australia and I have very happy memories of the gossip and laughter we shared (plus a few glasses of wine) as we pin-basted it on a huge dining table in the house they had rented for their Australian trip.

The original pattern is from an American quilting magazine (and I forget which one it was now) and I modified it to create the centre panel, adding trapunto and applique hearts to what is an otherwise very plain, and traditional, quilt.  Both the applique and trapunto were firsts for me.  I drew the hearts freehand on tracing paper and kept redrafting until I had them the way I wanted them.



I had always intended to have my Mum and sisters sign the quilt so that I could embroider these as another keepsake.  Sadly, I never got around to that and now it is too late.  My Mum was a wonderful person and I miss her every day.

The quilt stayed basted for several years as I was terrified of quilting it myself.  Eventually, following another visit to Australia by my sisters, I got it quilted by a longarmer.  I've never had my quilts quilted by anyone else before, and I was very pleased with how it turned out.

I especially like the way the quilter picked out the faint geometric shapes in the main background fabric and repeated these, and flowers, in the large plain blocks.  She did petals in the hourglass blocks, and added feathers to the borders.

I machine stitched the binding on this quilt - another first for me - because by the time I got around to that I just wanted it finished.  But I'm not sure I will ever do this again, as I kind of missed the final hand sewing, even though I was impatient for the finish.

 
Both my sisters are fantastic women.  One (Mandy) owns and works her own flower farm in England - and I made her a quilt featuring flowers and gorgeous spring colours a few years ago. It reflects her passion for growing things.

My other sister (in California) is a single mother with adult children of her own and she fosters children in need. She has just, at the age of 50, adopted one of her littlies that she has fostered since he was a few hours old. Sadly, his mother was an addict and couldn't care for him. Laura nursed him to health through drug withdrawal after he was born. She loves him dearly.

Laura has such a lot of love to give, and this quilt reflects her passion for loving and caring. So I've decided to give it to her.

Now I need to decide on a name for it as I can't keep calling it 'The Wedding Quilt'. I thought 'Kisses for Laura' which picks up on the hourglass blocks, as depending on the angle, the gold blocks look like kisses and I love Laura very much.

Now I need to decide whether to risk posting it...or I could just go to California for a holiday and take it with me.

Guess what Laura? I'm coming to see you in September next year!  'Kisses for Laura' will be on the plane with me!

Hubblebird