Wedding Shower Present for Amber

My White cousins grew up in Indiana.  The youngest is my cousin Kathy, the only White girl cousin.  Her daughter Amber is getting married in North Judson, IN, this Saturday to Derik Lenig.  This belated wedding shower present is an insulated casserole carrier, complete with a 9" x 13" covered pan and a spoon for a carrier handle . But this isn't just any spoon.  This spoon is one made by my cousin Jerry White - Amber is his niece.

The church where Amber is getting married is one I sat in many times when as i child I visited my grandparents Jack and Eloise White.  My uncle Leonard, my dad's only brother,  and his wife Elizabeth were married in that church.  My grandpa Jack's funeral was in that church.

 Making this shower present has put me into a "Circle of Life" mood. A former student and his wife just had a baby. Amber's getting married. A guild friend just last night sat with her father as he passed from this life. For now, I rejoice in Amber's new life as a bride and a wife.

The carrier opened up

The top and bottom portion folded over the 9" x 13" pan

Present Parts

 

My best friend's son is marrying, and his fiance's wedding shower is Sunday. I'm sad about missing the February meeting of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, but I'm thrilled for my friend and her family. I found an unusual batik, one side is metallic and the other isn't. I'm currently working on quilting this with a metallic thread. The binding and handle straps will be a solid black. And the batting is a thermal batting. The spoon which serves as the handle is one made by my cousin Jerry. And who doesn't love a 9" x 13" pan with its own cover? This casserole carrier will be fabulous!

For Erin and Matt

Erin White and Matt Johnson are getting married this Saturday in Mishawaka, Indiana.  Erin's father is my cousin Jerry White

I know two things about Erin - she's an English teacher and she's traditional.  She mentioned that she liked my Aunt Betty's quilts.  One is a quilt with red thread work (which I don't do).  And she also said she liked blues.

Not much to go on.  But here's what I was thinking as I created this quilt.  Matt is a golf course designer.  Erin is traditional.  And I haven't got a clue what their tastes are.  So neutral was the way to go.  This quilt has an architectural feel that Matt may appreciate.


Erin comes from a tradition of quilting.  My grandmother Eloise Sheehan White was a quilter.  So was my aunt Jean White Gill.  My cousin Jerry spent a summer with Aunt Jean in Alaska years ago when she was working on the pipeline.

This quilt has been constructed using all the neutral white, creams, beiges, and greys from my stash with some blue batiks serving at the grout lines.  It has a wonderful scrappy but unified look.  There were "bricks" left over from the front of the quilt, and I used them to make a pieced backing.

My friend Ebony long-armed this using a big loopy stipple - it's a soft look which contrasts with the hard lines of the design.
The bottom picture shows her stitching.

I'm mailing this quilt to the couple - it will be waiting for them in Virginia once their wedding is behind them!

76" x 92"

All in the Family

My cousin Jerry's daughter Erin is getting married this summer, and of course there will be a shower for her. My mom and I can't go to Kansas City for this shower, but we are sending this casserole carrier as our present. Jerry's a woodworker who made this fabulous spoon for this project. Should I sign Jerry's name to this present?

A: A Purse and Two Boxes

Q:  Name three beautiful things made by two White cousins

This hobo bag is my second one from the Abbie's Hobo pattern, and I'm liking how it turned out.  John and I are heading to some of the national parks of the West, and I think this bag will comfortably serve as my purse and a daily carrier for my iPad.  I'm crazy about this batik, and this is the almost the last of it.














Earlier last week I posted a picture of the fabulous spoons my cousin Jerry made me.  And in that photo were two little round things.  These are boxes that Jerry turns, and I'm thrilled to have these along with the spoons.

My Cup Runneth Over!

With wooden spoons!

My cousin Jerry White finds joy in his family, his mechanical engineering work, and his woodworking.  In February I sent him one of my casserole carriers and asked if he would make spoons for future projects.  He agreed.

Look at these!  They are beautiful!

Jerry's daughter Erin is getting married this summer.  Seems like one of these carriers might be an appropriate shower present! 

Thank you, Jerry - these are fabulous and nicer than anything I could have bought!

Bartering Services

My cousin Jerry is a craftsman both in his vocation (engineering) and his avocation (wood working). I want spoons from him, and this casserole carrier is on its way to the Kansas White House. Now he'll be able to see exactly how I want to use these spoons. The discovery I made today is that the spoon handle needs to be almost 10" long. A spoon that is 13" in length would be ideal. But I have no idea whether what I'm asking him is reasonable or feasible.

Check out this blog entry from last June - Jerry gave me some of his work, which I treasure and use.

Crafts for the Crafter

Over the weekend I saw 4 of my 6 White cousins - my parents and I drove to North Judson, Indiana where Kathy White Mattraw hosted a graduation party for her son LJ. My Aunt Betty looked great, and I loved seeing cousins Bill, Larry, and Jerry.

Jerry drove in from Kansas City. He's a mechanical engineer and enjoys woodworking, as did his father and as does his brother John in Atlanta. These spoons and boxes are lovely, and I'm pleased to have them. Click on the picture to see these pieces better. In exchange I'd like to do a house quilt for Jerry and his wife Connie. They have 3 children - one teaches in Virginia, one just started med school, and their youngest just graduated from high school.

Not with us physically but certainly in spirit were my Uncle Leonard (my dad's brother) and my cousin Jim. Both of them are still missed greatly. My visit with Jerry was a highlight of the day - he's become the wise tribal elder of the family. What a rock solid man he is - and a heck of a woodworker! A note about the wood used: the darkest box is from sassafras wood that Bill gave him. A note about the quilted background - it's my table runner made from purple and red scraps.