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| A new generation of women is reaching adulthood. These women value family history and relationships, and they want to establish extended family ties that will last beyond their own lifetime. Separated by busy lives and distance, many of us seldom have the opportunity to really visit with our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, nieces, and old friends. A quilting bee provides this opportunity. Conversation is easy when the hands are busy. There will be time for leisurely reminiscence, catching up on current events, advice on marriage and motherhood and life in general, laughter and maybe a few tears. New brides and new babies are wonderful reasons for women to come together. |
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The Bridal Bee
The bridal quilt is
the perfect new heirloom. Created in one day by good friends and the
women of her family and then professionally machine quilted, a bridal
quilt will
last for generations.The Bridal Quilting Bee replaces the traditional bridal shower. Instead of gifting kitchen towels and small appliances, the guests contribute to the cost of the quilt. The hostess is responsible for inviting the guests, planning a luncheon, collecting money and purchasing the materials before the quilting bee. I will provide supply lists. See the Event Planning page for helpful ideas. |
A
luncheon is served around noon, and this provides more opportunities
for visiting. After lunch, while people are still at the
table, I
present a 15-minute message, usually about the family relationships of
women. I can customize this to suit your group if necessary.
A
copy of the message will be provided to the bride or new mother for her
scrapbook.
Speaking of scrapbooking, there will be plenty of fabric scraps to embellish your pages! These events create memories worthy of preservation. Be sure to bring your cameras and take home memorabilia for scrapbooks. |
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After
lunch, everyone returns to the
work. At this point, the quilt blocks should be starting to shaping up,
and it's starting to get exciting. When the quilt top is finished, it can be professionally machine quilted by me or a longarm quilter. This is an additional expense, and it varies. |
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Everyone can participate,
from young girls to great-grandma. Even people who do not sew
can iron,
rip out stitches or do any of a number of other jobs. There are jobs
for everyone.
Many hands make light work. |
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This
is what makes the quilt a precious heirloom. You will create a label
with information about the occasion, and every woman will sign it with
a special pen that will not fade away with time or washing.
Can't you imagine the bride sharing the memory with her own daughters some day? |
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Bridal Quilting Bee is one of those rare occasions when you can unite
several branches of the family, so it's fun to post a family tree to
show connections and spur conversations. Be sure to invite the
bridegroom's family, too, so you can really get to know each other.
Bring your camera! As well as enduring memories and strengthened
relationships, you will have multi-generational photographs to
treasure. |
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Display the finished quilt as a backdrop at the wedding reception, behind the gift table or the head table. If you make a scrapbook, you can display that at the reception, too. The women who participated it will enjoy seeing it again! They might even share it with the men of the family. |
| Baby
Bees Celebrating
the start of a
new generation is another good excuse for a "Women of the Family"
reunion! Baby quilts are small and go together quickly, so the plan for
these events is to make two similar quilts. Occasionally, there two
babies to welcome, or the second quilt is donated to a charity of the
mother's choice.
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Please contact me if you have any questions about organizing a Women of the Family event. |
| See the Event Planning page for more details! |
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So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 |