I have so many projects in the works right now, my mind is full of ideas. I love spring for that... along with a million other reasons... everything coming back to life- green, blooming, growing... it's the best. All that frozen, stagnant winter brain stuff of mine is over and I have more ideas than I can possibly bring to life as quickly as I want to.
May is my favorite month of the year.
I wanted to have so much finished to show you by now, but I honestly have about twenty sewing projects going at once. Sometimes (yup, like spring) I just work better on lots of things at once- it's some sort of cross-pollination thing... one idea leads and flows into others. And so I go from one to the other project/idea like a bee, almost.
So for now the design for the tea towel I showed a little peak of awhile back is what's finished. I like how it turned out. It's a plain old craft store tea towel that I added appliqued fabrics to, my red crocheted flowers, and some sweet vintage Black-eyed Susan trim found on Etsy. The butterflies are appliqued fabric, the words are written with water-soluble embroidery marker, and back-stitched in three strands of embroidery floss. I love the words... the whole quote is from Romans and goes something like this, "be transformed by the renewing of your minds". It feels like my creative journey over the last four years. It's been very transformative-ish... and sorta butterfly-ish. I stop and land here for a bit and then fly along over there... admiring the beauty of all I find along the way, then posting about it. It's how I've rolled. And you know what?? It's not a bad way to figure yourself out, I've decided... it looks like lots of superficial flitting along, but it's an uncovering too, of sorts, finding all that you love, and then (now) putting it all together. (I went to design school and worked as a designer in many different jobs, but I was always designing what other people wanted me to, not zero-ing in on my own style. I'm thinking now that lots of kid raising had something to do with that delay too! ;)
Wholeness. I have hunted for it for four years. And those four years were pretty rough years at times... a year of watching my Mom slowly die from dementia (I don't know of a more horrific way to die) and another year grieving her death. Deep issues surfaced within my family during my Mom's illness- Dad, sister, brother, myself, and have been the source of heartache too. I was so stressed, my hair even started to fall out for awhile. A few more health problems gave me a scare too in the last couple of years, but most have thankfully been solved.
The first year of this blog I didn't know what it was supposed to be about, or the business I had launched for that matter... blogging and writing did not come easily either. (Putting it out there publicly is really intimidating for me at times). I named it Monarch Post because all I really knew for sure about it was that I was going through a time of personal transformation and the monarch butterfly fit that transformation image perfectly, still does.
But through it all a picture finally presented itself... and... fiiinally, I got it. It was my life... this business was meant to be about my life/our life... whadayaknow- ha, ha! Crafting, children, creativity, gardens, flowers, food, justice, spirit, joy. It feels like a homecoming, a circling back around... a transformation- and it feels really great. It probably sounds silly, but I knew when this little tea towel project was done that I was at the beginning of that wholeness I had searched for... all the little pieces of what I love coming together somehow... so easily, so full-circle moment...finally. It flowed. Things are moving along in a happy direction now. Staying true is hard work though... I read a quote on another blog one gray day, "Keep your face to the sun and you cannot see the clouds" ~ Helen Keller. And that is exactly what it takes to get through the hardest times, I've learned... and also just putting one foot (however freakin' weary) in front of the other. every. single. day. on that journey of keeping your face to the sun. I'm so glad I started to blog and hopefully, blog designer number four will be able to give me a new blog design soon.(Sorry for the long mess here... not my plan). I never kept a journal growing up, but now I can see the value of journaling... it's like a road map of where you've been; looking back and forward leads you along...like the real labyrinth at church I walked during Lent this year... you do eventually get to the center- going forward and backward, backward and forward, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other...you cannot, can not fail to get to the center... labyrinths, I learned, were created to symbolize the spiritual journey everyone takes through life. Such a great metaphor for that journey through life, don't you think?
Tomorrow we're digging up sod and planting a kitchen garden in the completely un-landscaped east area of our backyard. Mike and the boys are also digging up the grass along the east fence to eventually be landscaped. This summer it will grow zinnias. We've got plans for plants, trees, and a waterfall in the north-east corner of the yard. And a two-level rock deck project for next summer that will circle under our lovely honey locust tree. I am really looking forward to it all. Oh, and we decided as a family to dive in and craft goods in fabric and wood for the local farmer's market this summer. The kids, Mike and I are really excited to do this too- after all it fits the plan... children, creativity, and joy!
And so anyway, as usual, I'm writing and rambling along in hopes that you find something to take with you too on your creative journey through life. It's the other equal reason for being here at this blog... you know...?? It really, really is :)
Hope your weekend is lovely.
XOK
LOVE this post Kelly!! and your 'transformed' t-towel design is gorgeous. We have a labyrinth near our home I walk & I loved your description 'you can not fail to get to the center' Such a great metaphor I agree ♥ I know your farmer's market stand this Summer will be a huge success xoxo
Posted by: Deb | May 02, 2012 at 08:45 AM
I love the quotes and scripture you mentioned..pressure of family and loosing a loved one it really tough...
Love your encouragement I am reading while you are coming out the storm and it truly is..... a creative journey :)
Have a blessed week blogging friend!
xo
Kay Ellen
Posted by: Kay Ellen | May 02, 2012 at 10:16 AM
I will have to check out the book- thanks Kay. You are so sweet.
Posted by: Kelly | May 02, 2012 at 09:00 PM
Thanks so much, Deb. Every once in awhile I have to pour my heart out...and then I wonder what I've done...but I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And yes, labryinths are cool!
Posted by: Kelly | May 02, 2012 at 09:02 PM
Hi. Wow. What a lovely blog.
I am amazed and humbled by you finding me, then reading a post about grieving your mother, the labyrinth, the importance the blog takes...
All meant to be. Why am I amazed at what is continuously amazing? Well thank God, truly, that I am.
Posted by: Robin Thomas | May 03, 2012 at 07:42 PM
Obtaining my to comment is always tough, but that post was definitly worthy. I just want to say hi and tell you that i is going to be back
Posted by: noutSMotBatte | June 03, 2012 at 08:01 PM
I have been lurking around here for fairly sometime but i havent made a comment, just thought i would say hello!
Posted by: mafelaFramb | June 09, 2012 at 01:14 AM
I'm glad you've been lurking around here, and even happier you stopped to say hello!
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