Pillow Connects Generations

    Hi there I  am Karen Marie Kedzuch from Dragonfly & Lily Pads. I am excited to start a new journey with you as a guest on Live Creatively Inspire.

Thank you to the team for welcoming me to this fantastic opportunity. I am happy to get to know the many readers as well as Inspire you to Live Creatively.

Well folks it is on with the show………………I hope you enjoy my post.

Were engaged with a dazzling smile, sparkle her eye and a glistening ring. The day had come when the four year old, who became my niece on our wedding  day, would become a bride. What could I do to make her day special? I made  handmade dolls, accessories, and gifts for the nieces & nephews during their life but, this is different.

  I asked my niece if she would like me to make her ring bearer pillow. My Mom started the tradition, for us when she made the one, my nephew carried for our wedding 30 years ago. I made one for his wedding when he married his sweet bride.

 Down in my basement is treasures of family history, with his mother’s wedding dress & veil, his sister’s veil plus so much more. I decided to ask my sister in law if she thought my niece would like her pillow out of Grandma K’s wedding attire, along with parts of her mother’s veil. The idea was received with an overwhelming yes. This time I would make the ring bearer pillow from family heirlooms connecting four generations.

The dress was stored for 67 years in blue tissue paper enclosed in an archival box. It was not sealed and preserved. That being said in had shredded in many places, the tulle of the veil is disintegrated but, the lace details, and color were in good shape. The first few cuts into the the pieces felt like splitting history. I even felt a little sad, thinking of time that has passed. I also had feelings of happiness, saving these shredded bits of fabric, to keep it in the family.

 

I was able to make hair bows for the Flower girls. First I hand washed each the pieces selected for the pillow and bows with Oxiclean. Next they air-dried overnight. I hand stitched every piece of these precious heirlooms.The girls hair bows are made in layers from their Nana’s & Great Grandmother’s veils. The bottom layer is tulle and center lace are from their Nana’s veil. The middle Lace and satin layers are from their Great Grandmother’s dress and veil. I simply sewed a loose straight stitch along the edge of each layer. Gathered the layers to create the circular shape. The top center is delicately secured to all the layers, I pulled the thread through to the back leaving, a good amount to attach to alligator clips.  My great-nieces and great-nephew are the third and fourth generation in this story.

The pillow design came from the shirring on the sleeves of Grandma’s Dress. The front and the back of the pillow are made from long sleeves of her dress. I cut a long rectangle of fabric and shirred it to create a gussets edged pillow. To attach the back to the front, I hand stitched the gussets to the front, then to the back leaving an opening to fill the pillow with fiberfill. I used the same design to include the brides mothers dress as the girl’s hair bows. My favorite part of the pillow is how I attached the rings. I took a section of the dress with the loop & buttons, finishing it by sewing fabric right side together turned it right side out and tacked it into the lace bow. The rings are buttoned to the pillow. I Love Buttons! The colors of the wedding are Navy & Green, like the shower post, which is why I tacked the navy and green ribbon to add a spot of color.

 These sweet pictures are on the big wedding day. It is the second wedding in three weeks my great-nieces and great-nephew have been in this Summer. They did a terrific job and the excitement was exhausting. You can see the first shower post by clicking here.

 

The Bride & Groom Celebrated surrounded with Love. 

Honoring all the loved ones who have surrounded them in life.

 

          The Bride’s Grandma & Grandpa married in 1946 , Mother & Father 1974,  Bride & Groom of today 2014 

~Let your Creative Spirit Dance ~

 

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Until next time, 

Karen Marie

 

Guest post from: Karen Marie Kedzuch  Dragonfly & Lily Pads

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