Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentine's Day, 2008!!!

Every year I make my husband a quilted valentine, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you. I haven't always done it, but I've done it for a while, so this will be a post full of pictures.
This is the 2008 installment. This year I stepped out of my box and made an "art" valentine. I clipped snippets of fabric which I layered behind bridal netting. I rough-edge appliqued the fish on top, satin-stitched the edges and quilted the lettering. Voila. C'est finished. ;) (Excuse my pseudo-French.)

Last year, he decided that he was really into model railroads. This primarily consists of reading about them, and keeping his trains in boxes. But if he likes trains, and it's going to be his hobby, I'll definitely encourage him.

We were married in 1981, so 2006 was our 25th anniversary. No, we weren't married in February, we were married in June. But still, I thought 25 years deserved some recognition. I drew the design on silver lame and reverse-appliqued it over a background of dairy cows. For those of you who don't know, Pete is a dairy veterinarian.

Yep. No comment on this one.

In March of 2004, we took a trip to Tahiti. In preparation for it, we read up on the culture and what to expect. That explains the tane/vahine designations. Also, the broderie perse flowers were from some fabric I bought on our honeymoon to Oahu way back in 1981...

More cows, and milk.

I must have been feeling patriotic in 2002. I think everyone was.

At one time, fly-fishing was Pete's passion. He rarely goes fishing any more.

This is his valentine from 2000. Back in 1996, we'd taken a trip to the UK. I took some pictures at Melrose Abbey. I LOVED the stone carved windows, although they were quite broken and there was no glass. I took several pictures, and one view had a rolling hillside with sheep on it. Several years after making this valentine, I made a quilt entitled, "If Melrose Had Glass."

1999 was your basic heart on heart valentine. The red fabric is chintz. Until this year (2008), every one of these valentines has been hand-quilted.

More fish...even though he wasn't fishing...

I distinctly remember making this valentine. It was in 1997, and I was sitting in a gym - I think we were in Riverdale, but I can't be sure. My daughter was playing basketball, the afternoon was ticking away, and I HAD to get this valentine finished. whew! Made it before the buzzer! :)

And finally, this is the valentine that started it all. I don't even remember making it. But around this time I was making Christmas tree ornaments, and hearts with ribbons was one of my first designs. I think that explains the loop for hanging. Then again, this was a dozen years ago - who knows what I was thinking back then?

And on that, I wish you all a happy Valentine's Day.

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