Beginning a new project

Photo of the center wreath.  Wrong orientation,  it goes vertical not horizontal.  Hand appliqued by Rhoda McCartney. 

I am beginning to work on my daughter's wedding quilt.  Lindsey will be married in May, just after, and I mean just after her graduation from the Air Force Academy.  Her fiance also graduated from the AFA several years back.  This quilt is the completion of my mother's work.  She began the quilt top after asking Lindsey what she would like as far as a quilt, she made quilts for all the kids and grandkids.  Lindsey said that she didn't care about the pattern or anything as long as it was pink.  So Mom did a hand appliqued pink rose wreath quilt.  She got the top finished but never got it quilted before she passed away.  So my gift to Lindsey is to machine quilt this for her as a wonderful heirloom from Grandma.  My goal is to post my progress and also to discuss my decisions on what and how I am going to do this special piece. 

I started to mark some of the quilting motifs that are on the top so that I can see them better and also to get an idea of what motifs I am going to  use and what I will need to replace with different patterns.  So I marked off the rose motifs that go around the outside and the scalloped edge border feathered motif.  Those I will do for sure.

Monogram linen hanky for center.

The next thing that I did was to go through some of my mom's old hankies and linens and found a white linen hanky with a corner rose embroidered motif on it.  I will use it in the center of the rose wreath to put her monogram on.  I also have yards and yards of Alencion lace that was on my bridal veil that I might recycle into this piece, I haven't decided yet how or where but that will give the piece a little more texture and richness. 

So this is the beginning of this project.  I will post as I can on the progress.  I will also give credit to those great teachers and companies that help me out along the way.   At the same time as I am working on this I will be making the brides maids dresses.  This is going to be a very busy several months. 

Check out Cindy Needham's blog, she has given me much inspiration and the goal to do this type of beautiful heirloom quality work and has been generous enough to personally answer my questions on cleaning this beauty.  That was one of the first questions I had to find the answer to.  The quilt top has some minor yellowing and small perhaps blood stains on it.  Quilt it first or clean it first?  That was my question.  I have decided to quilt it first and then clean it.  Hopefully, all will go well with that step after it is all done.