Butterfly Rag Quilt

I love to sew.  It is one of the ways I let my creativity show.  I also love to make things for other people, whether they are gifts for birthdays, or other occasions, or just because.  My niece Sara had a birthday party this year.  She turned seven years old.  I can remember her birth like it was yesterday.  She was then, and continues to be a beautiful, warm-hearted angel.  I have children of my own, but she has a special spot in my heart.  I do not have any girls, and girls are few and far between in our immediate family.  With so many beautiful things to make for them, when her birthday came up, I knew I was going to make her something pretty.  Pretty girls deserve pretty things.

As a sewist, I have come to love JoAnn Fabrics.  It is one of the many stores that I like to shop in for many of my crafting supplies.  They have awesome sales year round on just about everything in their store, and if you sign up to receive their newsletters and sales flyers, you will receive coupons that allow you to make your own sales as well!  This summer, during one of their awesome sales I was browsing the patterns in their store.  The patterns happened to be on sale for a dollar a piece.  Yes, a dollar.  I know, I know, a great steal!  When these offers come up I tend to buy the limit of projects that I will sometime complete.  I have many accessory patterns, patterns for dresses, curtains, purses, appliance covers, Halloween costumes, pet items, etc., from these sales. 

Owl Quilt for Scarlet Rose.

On this particular day, I found a Simplicity pattern for rag quilts that I could not pass up.  It was way too cute.  The pattern included three different quilts to make, an owl, a butterfly, and a flower.  Instantly, I knew I was going to make the owl quilt for my husband's cousin and I bought the pattern.  His cousin was having a baby girl, and she is obsessed with owls.  I made the owl and gave it to her.  She loved it.  I was proud, and surprised at the results on my first rag quilt.


I did not think immediately of the pattern when I was debating what to make Sara.  She is such a sweet girl, as I have mentioned, and I considered making her some cute outfits, but I wanted something she could have for longer than that.  Then I remembered the quilt patterns.  She is not an owl type girl.  I like the owl, and think it is rather adorable, but Sara . . . . Sara is a butterfly type girl.  And she loves purple.  And black.  So I decided that Sara was going to have a purple and black butterfly quilt. 

 

Butterfly Quilt for Sara's Birthday.  Simplicity pattern.

While I was making it,  my youngest son Roman, was certain I was making it for him.  His favorite colors are also purple and black, and whereas someday he will probably be mad at me for letting the world know; currently he is a butterfly type of kid.  No worries, butterflies are super cool.  We visited the butterfly hatching at Fredrick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan this spring (notice the picture of me in my initial blog post).  Butterflies are indeed cool, whether you like them because they are graceful and pretty, or because they are downright creepy looking up close and personal!  

Close up of the detail in Sara's Butterfly quilt.

I finished the quilt.  It turned out terribly cool, despite the errors I made.  And there are a few.  I wont point them out, but if you look you can find them.  I know they are there, and I am not to particularly disappointed in that fact.  I know it is a one of a kind gift, given to a one of a kind girl, and that smile was enough to make my heart melt, as always.  I was glad that she liked it.  I think if I were to make it again, I would add some antennae.  Just because antennae are cool and creepy!

A Promise to Myself

Tamyra at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Spring 2013.

I made a promise to myself this year, and I think it is time that I made good on that promise.  I used to write all the time.  I loved to write, it was my passion, and a stress release for me.  Over the years my writing has been replaced by many other activities, my other passions.  I have had my children and their activities to fill my days, I started sewing, I garden.  I never intended to let my writing go to the wayside, it just happened.  I promised myself that I would get back to writing in some capacity, and although it has taken me most of the year, I am beginning to make good on that promise to myself tonight.

Castle Rock, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan. Aug. 2013

I do not expect many people to share in my writing.  It has mostly been a private activity until I decided to resurrect it in the form of a blog.  I am not sure why I chose this method, but it seems easier to keep track of this way, and the multitude of devices that can be used nowadays from multiple locations to post to a blog made it a logical choice.  After all, if I were to find writing inconvenient for my schedule I am sure I would not stick to my choice to revive my former passion to its previous glory. 

Munising Falls, Munising, Michigan, August 2013.

I am hoping that I will eventually combine my passions for writing and sewing, scrap-booking, gardening and such.  I could write about my children forever, droning on and on with a few amusing quips here and there.  Some people might find it insightful, a few stories could even be inspiring and relate-able in many circumstances, and in some instances I may include them in my writing in brief snip-its as they fill my life with plenty of material to share.   My life features them and for the most part my family is my life, and whereas, I am sure there presence will appear in my blog, the bulk of what I would like to write about however will not feature them.

Lake Superior sunset, August 2013.

So I will write.  I take my first step in fulfilling my promise to myself by writing this introduction to my blog.  A short but simple insight to intentions and sources of my writing inspirations with (hopefully) much more interesting content to follow.  I may even surprise myself with this before I am done.  Only time will tell and the story shall appear in it's wake.