Saturday, November 30

A Bahamian Wedding Gift


My sister-in-law, Andrea, got married on the beautiful Fernandez Bay Village beach on Cat Island in the Bahamas.  She and her now husband, Bill, wanted a laid-back beach wedding with no stress, and they got just that!  We happily joined in on the stress-free action...we'll, as stress-free as life with a 10 month old and a three year old can offer!

Such a sweet little darlin'!
I relaxed on the beach one morning with Jack-A-Roo sleeping on my chest, and I daydreamed about what I could do for Andrea and bill for a wedding gift as I watched Daniel and Justin kayaking and playing in the sand.

Daddy and the Dapper Doodle kayaking in the bay
And then it hit me!  I could make napkins for them!  Not just any napkins, but Androisa napkins!  Androsia is the "fabric of the Bahamas", and the beautiful turquoise color of the fabric I chose was one of the many beautiful blues of the Bahamian bay which was the perfect backdrop of their wedding!

Hand washing the fabric in warm water to remove the excess dye
Grandma gave me a bag of Androsia "scraps" that had been on a shelf in her closet for years.  I am so obsessed with the fabric that I, in turn, stashed it away for a few years....I hesitate to use it because I would hate to waste it, or make a wrong cut, or use it all and have none left!  I have hoarded it in my closet for a couple of years now too.  You could probably call it vintage Androsia by now!

Air drying in the sun
 I pulled it off the shelf, hand-washed it, and left it outside to dry.  After it was dry I ironed it and cut the pieces that would be perfect for the napkins while making sure to include the Androsia name on each napkin.

The finished napkins
Making the napkins was very basic, but it took me a while because I am a perfectionist (thanks to my Mother dearest). 
 
I wasn't sure how to present these napkins, but a quick rummage through my crafting supplies provided some black and yellow ribbon which is wrapping enough to me!  (Fun Fact - turquoise, yellow, and black are colors of the Bahamian flag!)

I'm pretty tickled with the end result
Congratulations Andrea and Bill!  I hope that when you use these napkins that you are reminded of your beautiful wedding and the sweet promises that you made to each other on that beautiful beach in the Bahamas!
 
Love!