I am working on planning a quilt that I need to start soon. I want to make it for my husband, for our 23 anniversary. We got married February 14 1987, therefore, I plan to use a red heart for the center of each block, and decorate around each heart with memories of our life together. I gave Jorge a kidney in 1998 and the center of that year will have a red kidney rather than a red heart. I will embroider a stork in each year our children were born, and the last block will have many little hearts like if they were growing for upcoming anniversaries. I will have tiny pictures of places we have lived printed on fabric and attached on the year we moved, and have marked the year we got our house and the year we drove around the country together. The problem is that some years were "boring" and nothing happen, or I just can not remember what may have happened. I need to put all you brains together and ask this: If you were making this quilt, what are the things you will like to celebrate in the quilt?

I know we all have different lives, but in general, we are all very similar. Do you think I should leave those years with no memories with just the heart and don't worry about it? I am very curious to know what you all think.

So far this is only a plan, but knowing how I work, once I start I will want to finish it right away.

Maria

Thanks!! I will find out when we went to Puerto Rico to visit family and add those too. Great idea!!

Maria

I like your idea very much.

I have a feeling that once you get going on the years that you have the "definite" memories for, things will come to mind for the other years.

Maybe a wedding for another family member? When you got a pet? When the pet died? children's milestones? parents' anniversaries?

It's okay to just have a "plain" heart for the "just going along" years - nothing wrong with that !

Any family vacations with the kids? do events tendto be clustered together that you are going to have a number of bloxks that have significant life events and then a bunch without? Maybe rather than putting the years in order, you can mix them up so you could scatter the "special" years among the years that things are just going along routine. It could then kind of be like a treasure hunt. Also, I don't know how old your children are, but are there events they remember that you could include on the blocks? Special holiday memories? Funny events that happened that they remember? Sometimes it is the little things that commomorate time together.

a special gift - an event that makes you laugh about it now - where you met -

How about just writing something like..."The year I fell head-over-heels in love with you all over again". Or "I learned you like peanut butter & chocolate"

They don't really have to be exact years...as long as he appreciates that you remember those feelings.

You might add a family saying in a "boring" year.

If you had a child on a sports team, you could include a symbol to mark all the games you went to that year. The year of basketball or something.

That is such a great idea, Maria. For some of the years you can't think of other things, how about just putting a place holder like "Married for 17 years" "21 years since we got engaged" etc.

maybe a song that was popular then - or some silly sayings

Don't know if this applies to you but some couples have a special song that is "their song". Maybe you could put some of the lyrics to your song in the "boring" years.

Do you have children? Ask them. The things my kids have come up with that they remember and that were significant to them often surprises me.

In some of those years, you could make a poem about "you were 46 and I was 41, we keep on going because we're not done". :-)

The years your children graduated
The year your first granchild was born (if you have any)
A year of uneventfull bliss...those can be awesome too :D
An extra special holiday
MnQuilter has a great idea, maybe include other family's or friend's memories of certain years too....

Go through your photo albums for those years for reminders. Or do you save anniversary or valentines or birthday cards from your hubby? If so, maybe you could write some of the messages from those into a block.

I can't imagine taking on such a project. It sounds amazing and I hope you will post pictures when it's finished. What a great idea.

I think that I would put family celebrations, maybe birthday pics, or holidays from that year. Possibly kids school pics. Or embroider a favorite book/movie title that you share, Just facts that make you love him, for each year.

Beth

How about something to do with his work - a new job, promotion, etc. Or family events like a wedding in the family that you went to...

The quilt is a lovely idea, hope we will see a picture.

Maybe researching the "news" for some of those boring years will give you a clue. Maybe a heart made out of fabric that creates a special mood that reflects that year, a beautiful sunset, dreaming of the future,....

I can't think of any ideas to add at this time, but wanted to let you know that I think this is a fabulous idea for an Anniversary quilt! I know you both with treasure it for years to come. I hope you post pictures of your progress and when you finish (and a picture of your husbands face when you present it to him). :-)

Maybe put things in those years that represent his special interests, things like a sports team, hobbies, favorite foods or just the reason you love him.

I think that quilt is a wonderful idea. I have no new ideas, looks like everyone has great ideas for you. Can't wait to see it!!!!!

Do you have your house, flowers, garden?

Accomplishments and pets.

My sisters and I did this type of thing as an anniversary quilt for our parents.

Some of the things we included were significant world events that affected our family - VE Day, because Dad came home from Europe that year, for instance.
The birth of a child,
the year a child started school,
special dates (new diamond on the 25th anniversary of their engagement)
the houses each time they moved,
a pic that symbolized a family joke from a particular era in their lives,

It was fun thinking of events in their lives, and asking relatives for suggestions. (I guess I need to start another for them. It has been 26 years since the first - at 40 years!)

I think you have a great idea. Your husband will love it. I'll bet it becomes a favorite quilt of you both.

Happy quilting! :thumbup:

What a great idea! Be sure to post a picture. :thumbup:

Heart idea I used for my bf's quilt:

I drew half a heart on a piece of paper and had him draw the other half. I cut it out and used it as a template for applique.

It's wonky and I love it. It's my Pookie Heart template. I'll be using it again and again...

favorite songs or movies from that year...or, I do like the idea of reasons you love him...
(year) 17...for just being you
This is going to be one special quilt for sure. What a wonderful idea...and a kidney? He should be making you a quilt :wink: :lol: