Grow Old With Me - February Journal Quilt

I am not sure if I will get a bit of a telling off from my journal quilt partner J for this...but I've finished my February journal quilt!



Those who know me may not be terribly surprised to hear that romantic isn't really a word that figures in my vocabulary, but hey - it's February, month of a million yucky hallmark valentine's cards - why not do my take on it? And here it is: "Grow Old With Me". Let me explain.

The quilt represents what as I see as "true love". The woven central part makes a grid of 12, which is how many years I have been married. The materials used represent the mixture of elements making up a loving marriage - so we've got a bit of glitz and glamour (the silk and the brocade), then there's the process of ageing together (the rust dyed fabrics, lace and ricrac). Next up is the revealing of one's inner self (the strip of wadding included in the weaving - usually kept inside the quilt, but this time exposed). The tweed represents comfort and safety - not romantic but a vital ingredient in a loving partnership. Then there's the hearts, a universal symbol of romantic love. These particular hearts are showing some signs of distress (thanks to a heat gun!!) but are still held together by an interconnecting series of threads. Despite the wear and tear, they remain strong and together. For me, romance isn't about sugary sweet love but about growing old together, hence the name of the quilt and the label at the top (made from a piece of the colour catcher sheet I used when I washed the red squiggly fabric - it was just too pretty to throw away).

Oh, and the black jumbo ricrac? Where does that fit in? Erm, it's there because I like ricrac :-)