I made this little fabric memento for myself to commemorate my wedding day. I got married on a tiny island in Scotland called Sanda back in 1997. Back then it wasn't the swanky holiday place it is now. My husband and I had been on holiday there the previous year and he proposed to me on the beach, we were the only people staying on the island which only has a few cottages and a lighthouse, and it was very magical experience, so we decided to go back and get married there. It was a bit of a logistical feat, we had to take everything over there by small boat, cake flowers, table linen, the lot, as well as our guests. It was a small homemade affair before homemade weddings were fashionable, and the daughter of the then owner of the island made all of the beautiful food for our special day as she was studying at catering college. A few days before our wedding the weather was so bad we didn't think we would be able to get over to the island but the day before the seas calmed and the sun shone on us on our wedding day. On our holiday there before we got married I collected lots of shells from the beach, which I have kept all these years. There were lots of these worn limpet shells with holes in the centres which I love and I've used one as the central little 'frame' on this piece. I've embroidered our wedding date inside...and of course a tiny boat.
