Ring Pillow and Wedding Garter

Here is a little beaded ring pillow I made about 10 years ago. At the time it was a kit from a very small firm, but I'm afraid I no longer remember the details. It has beads and sequins worked on white silk and I think it looks very pretty.

One thing, I don't know when ring pillows became fashionable, or where they came from. When I was married 30 years ago in Japan, the pastor placed our rings in his open Bible for the wedding, which I thought was very nice.

This is the tatted wedding garter I made at the same time. It is the 'something blue'. For those from a different tradition, I grew up with the little rhyme that says a bride should wear, 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.'

I had several atempts before I achieved a garter I felt happy with. The edging is my favourite one, which I have used for so many years that I no longer know where it came from, maybe Mary Konior, or it may be a traditional one.

I also made little tatted flowers and sewed them down with a pearl in the centre. I think this version works well.