Knitting has always been part of our friendship and we are both major fans of the designer Nicky Epstein. We each get a copy of every book she writes. When KNITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD arrived, I called Jamie and told her that if I ever won the lottery I was going to have someone knit me the exquisite Edwardian Lace Coat project on the cover. I'd never seen a sweater more beautiful, I knew it was my style and that I'd look good in it, but I knew I'd never knit it for myself.
Jamie's idea of a good time is to tackle complicated socks, lace shawls, and fisherman sweaters. When she told me she'd knit the Edwardian Lace Coat for me if I bought the yarn (a high end mix of cashmere and silk), I told her to go lie down till the notion passed, that it was too much work and I couldn't possibly say yes. She insisted that she needed a new project that would take a lot of concentration (she was going through a bumpy patch because of a loved one's illness). She explained that I would be doing her a favor by giving her such soothing luxurious yarn to work with. How could I say no when it was presented that way? I ordered the yarn in my favorite shade of eggplant purple and had it shipped to her door!
Jamie came for a visit when she was done with the first panel, which gave us a chance to get our picture taken holding the book. I asked her to take pictures as she was knitting so I could chronicle her Labor of Love for our scrapbooks. I wore the coat for the first time at a fall wedding, where it received many compliments and gave me a chance to bond with all of the fellow knitters at the reception. My husband took photos of me so I could show Jamie how happy I am with her creation.
I may not have won the Mega Bucks (though I buy a ticket every month), but when it came to the friendship lottery, I'm a millionaire!
Materials:
- Adhesives: ZipDry Paper Glue and Kids Choice quick grab tube glue (Beacon Adhesives)
- Embellishments: 3mm Adhesive Jewels in Fawn (Bazzill Basics Paper), My Reflections/My Stickease Veranda (Close To My Heart), yarn, yarn ball label
- Patterned paper: My Reflections Veranda Paper Packet (Close To My Heart)
- Printer and photo paper: R1900 printer, Premium Photo Paper Glossy (Epson)
The design strategy behind these two layouts is the same as in Labor of Love, Part I (Fifteen Thousand Petals, Scrapbooking.com, September 2009) -
1. Chronicle a labor of love, act(s) of kindness and generosity, in a two-page spread.
2. Use the first layout to show the work in progress (making a runner for a wedding, knitting a sweater, baking for a birthday celebration, or whatever the labor of love might be).
3. Use the second layout to show the results (the wedding, the finished sweater, the cupcakes at a party, etc.).
4. Embellish the layouts with something from the labor of love (silk petals from the runner for Part I, yarn and yarn labels for Part II).
5. Tell the story through the photos. Keep the embellishments to a minimum, a few stickers and gems or brads will be plenty.
6. Notice that the two background papers share a small vertical row diamond pattern (as long as the patterns coordinate there is no need to use the same paper for both layouts unless that is your preference).
Options: *Go digital so you can print the pages for more than one person.
*Make a pair of mini albums (one to keep, one to give to the person whose labor of love is chronicled) instead of 12 x 12 layouts.
*Use fewer photos if you're a minimalist.
*Use more embellishments, sew, distress, or otherwise alter the look to suit your style.
*As always, choose adhesives formulated for what you're attaching (Quick grabbing tube glue holds the yarn in place, jewels are adhesive backed).
To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.
