Wedding Gift

As I mentioned our friends Matt and Candra got married last weekend.  I knew I wanted to make them something as a gift but I didn't know what.  I saw the beautiful McKinley quilt pattern on obsessive crafting disorder and I thought it was perfect!  I modified the pattern to be bigger and instead of using charm packs, I just cut out my own 5x5 squares.  I absolutely love the fabric!

Here's the full quilt, thanks to KC for holding it up for me in the backyard.

A couple of close-ups of the squares and the backing, made with a twin sized brown cotton sheet from Target:

 I hand embroidered their names on the front:

 Used my Stampin' Up Big Shot to makes some 'flowers' to add some appeal:

I made a cute bride and groom card to go with it:

 This was definitely a time consuming project.  I loved how it turned out.  I had hoped to make it bigger.  I just knew that with the late start, I wouldn't have been able to make it bigger and finish on time.  I spent an entire weekend sitting at the kitchen table, just quilting. Matt and Candra loved it, I'm glad that I did it!  Thanks for your advice that you would have loved to receive something like this.  It definitely gave me the motivation to get going on it.

Anniversary Gift Ideas

Our first wedding anniversary is quickly approaching (middle of next month).  We are planning a trip (still undecided as to where - yeah, we need to get on that) but I would also like to get KC a gift as well.  I think it would be cool if we could stick to the 'lists' of what to get for each anniversary.  I was doing some web-browsing and found out that there are 2 different lists for Anniversary Gifts.

There is the Traditional List and the Contemporary List (found here):

Anniversary Year	Traditional Gift	Contemporary Gift
1	Paper	Clocks
2	Cotton (Calico)	China
3	Leather	Crystal, Glass
4	Linen (Silk)	Appliances
5	Wood	Silverware
6	Iron	Wood objects
7	Wool (Copper)	Desk sets
8	Bronze	Linens, Lace
9	Pottery (China)	Leather goods
10	Tin, Aluminum	Diamond
11	Steel	Fashion jewelry
12	Silk, Agate	Pearls, Colored gems
13	Lace, Moonstone	Textiles, Furs
14	Ivory, Moss Agate	Gold jewelry
15	Rock-crystal/glass	Watches
16	Topaz	Silver holloware
17	Amethyst	Furniture
18	Garnet	Porcelain
19	Hyacinth	Bronze
20	China	Platinum
21		Brass, Nickel
22		Copper
23	Sapphire	Silver plate
24		Musical instruments
25	Silver	Sterling silver
26	Star Sapphire (blue)	Original pictures
27		Sculpture
28		Orchids
29		New furniture
30	Pearl	Diamond
31		Timepieces
32		Conveyances (e.g., automobiles)
33		Amethyst
34		Opal
35	Coral (Jade)	Jade
36		Bone china
37		Alabaster
38		Beryl, Tourmaline
39	Cat's-eye	Lace
40	Ruby	Ruby
41		Land
42		Improved real estate
43		Travel
44		Groceries
45	Alexandrite	Sapphire
46		Original poetry tribute
47		Books
48		Optical goods (e.g., telescope, microscope)
49		Luxuries, any kind
50	Gold	Gold
51
52	Star Ruby
53
54
55	Emerald	Emerald
60	Diamond, yellow	Diamond
65	Star Sapphire, Gray
67	Star sapphire, purple
75	Diamond, diamond-like stones, gold
80		Diamond, Pearl
85		Diamond, Sapphire
90		Diamond, Emerald
95		Diamond, Ruby
100		10-carat Diamond

So I can choose from Paper or Clock if I stick with the 'lists'.

• For clock I was thinking Watch (because I'd like a new watch too :-) ) and then realized that Watch is actually listed for 15yrs.  Hmm, so I guess that means I can't do watch.  I could get him a clock, but we don't have many clocks around the house and I don't know where I would put a clock.
• Ok, so paper.  I've done my share of picture books and photo albums so that's not going to work.  I've done tickets to sporting events before as well (and with his wacky summer Ultimate schedule, who knows where we will be on what weekend).  I love the idea of the architectural letter pictures of last names as seen on a few etsy shops.  I purchased a few prints from one of these shops for a wedding gift this past year and they looked great (I think it might be more for me than for him though)!

What did you get your SO for a first wedding anniversary gift? Did you stick to the traditional or contemporary list or just get something you thought he/she would like?  Any suggestions for me?

P.S. A 10-carat Diamond after 100yrs?!?!  I wonder if anyone has ever been married for 100yrs.