A Wedding present

Two very dear friends of mine got married recently. Short of cash, but buzzing with inspiration, I decided to make them a present. Like hubby and me when we got married, they've been together for a long time, and didn't really want anything in the line of "setting up home together". So the gift had to be something that had special meaning for them, rather than of major practical use.

Using my idea of a hanging ornament (see my post, "Make your presents felt" from May 2013), I decided to combine a variety of techniques to create these intertwined hearts.

On one side I embroidered the first initial of each of the happy couple. The colours used were lilac and purple - the theme colours for the wedding.

On the reverse side I embroidered the date of the wedding. Across this I stitched a thin ribbon tied in a bow, to represent the tying together of these two, precious hearts.

Suspended in the tassels hanging from the bottom of each heart are nuggets of rose quartz and amethyst. These two stones are rich in mythology, combining beliefs of true love and protection. The happy couple had scattered them on the tables at their reception.

Finally, on each end of this three dimensional ornament is a piece of needle-felting which has particular significance for them. It comes from a family saying - that all you need to give to someone you love are roots and wings. The roots are to keep them safe and grounded, and the wings are to help them fly and be the best that they can be.

I think this is a beautiful sentiment, and knowing that their wedding rings are engraved with "roots and wings", I wanted to incorporate it into the gift.
I needle-felted some purple mohair wool into a flat piece, before cutting it into a wing shape. This was then felted onto the heart, along with some cotton knitting yarn to create the "roots".

This whole piece is filled with meanings that are very particular to this couple. I hope I have done them justice, and I hope that this ornament is a symbol of the shared joys of their combined hearts for many years to come.

H.x