Made in memory of Lyla Jane, daughter of my nephew and his wife.
Technique is fabric collage, loosely following the technique outlined in the book Laura’s Little Book of Collage by Laura Heine. I used about 15-20 different floral fabrics and a lot of Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite.
The dragonfly is actually some sheer curtain fabric that I’ve had for years. I wanted it to look as if the dragonfly was flying over the flowers.
My friend Robyn quilted Lyla’s name in the leaves on her commercial machine.
The quote on the label is from a dragonfly poem that my sister-in-law has on her frig.
M&M gave out packets of wildflower seeds at Lyla’s memorial so the flower and dragonfly theme seems particularly meaningful. They have also done a lending library in their front yard for the neighbourhood children.
Thanks to my friend Candy for issuing this challenge!
The DragonflyOnce, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads,there lived a little water beetle in a community of waterbeetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pondwith few disturbances and interruptions.Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one oftheir fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad andwould never be seen again. They knew when this happened; theirfriend was dead, gone forever.Then, one day, one little water beetle felt and irresistible urgeto climb up that stem. However, she was determined that she wouldnot leave forever. She would come back and tell her friends whatshe had found at the top.When she reached the top and climbed out of the water onto thesurface of the lily pad, she was so tired, and the sun felt sowarm, that she decided she must take a nap. As she slept, her bodychanged and when she woke up, she had turned into a beautifulblue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender bodydesigned for flying.So, fly she did! And, as she sored she saw the beauty of a wholenew world and a far superior way of life to what she had neverknown existed.Then she remembered her beetle friends and how they were thinkingby now she was dead. She wanted to go back to tell them, andexplain to them that she was now more alive than she had ever beenbefore. Her life had been fulfilled rather than ended.But, her new body would not go down into the water. She couldnot get back to tell her friends the good news. Then she understood that their time would come, when they, too, wouldknow what she now knew. So, she raised her wings and flew off into her joyous new life!Author Unknown
Simply beautiful.
Thanks Robyn!
What a lovely quilt. And how kind of you to make such a wonderful memorial.
Thanks Debby. Glad to hear you are on the mend.
my eyes are leaking. you did good.
Thanks sissy! xo
It’s a beautiful quilt.
Thanks Bill! xo
Very sweet quilt, Kris!!
Thank you, Joy.
Lovely *sniffle, sniffle* I think my eyes are leaking too.
Thanks buddy. xo
Wonderful quilt and thanks for sharing that inspirational story! I was just talking to a friend this morning who wants to go to a Laura Heine retreat in Montana.
Thanks Tierney. I’ve seen some other quilts inspired by her technique and they are amazing.