Slow Change. – Karlee Porter

This month has seemed to go by

slower than January did.

Maybe its just me.

As I think about change

and what it means,

I can’t help but feel torn.

Some things feel like they just changed over night.

I left my job of 3 years

to work somewhere else for 3 months

to be somewhere that feels like it has only been 3 days.

Moving jobs has felt fast and slow at the same time.

Some days it feels like just yesterday I was in the warehouse with Lindzee and Arnie

pulling pranks on each other and sweating away loading the latest container to ship overseas on time.

Other days it feels like I haven’t been there in years.

I guess all I am trying to say is that change is inevitable.

We can try to deny it or stop it from happening

we can simply enjoy where we are right now.

I recently had the chance to visit my local Senior Community Center

and I got to visit with a few ladies who devote time out of every single day

to do service for others.

One particular woman was telling me that this year she has already made 16 quilts

that she donated to charity.

That reminds me of my own grandmother

who has LITERALLY made and donated countless quilts to the Humanitarian Center

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I asked her one time…

“Grandma, do you take pictures of the quilts you make?”

“No.”

“Do you keep count of how many you have donated so far?”

“No.”

She could tell I was wondering why.

She said,

“Quilts are made to keep people warm. I know how to make them, and there are people who need them. So that is what I do.”

I am proud to know my grandmother, Ruth.

She is everything that is good in this world.

Quilting has really brought my grandma and I so much closer.

I am eternally grateful for that.

I have learned something important from these experiences.

There is a time and a season for everything.

While I love so much the opportunities I have now, I do look forward to the day when I can devote so much more time to serving others. Just as those women at the Senior Center do, and the way my grandma has for many years now.

On another subject about change,

this month’s quilt is steadily changing.

Here are the latest developments.

First things first.

I outlined all the words and lines of the butterfly

(closer up)

I used black thread on the top and bottom. I thought it would look really cool to be able to see all the lines really well from the back.

Next thing I did was started filling in the lightest shade of yellow (The background of the butterfly)

I chose to do a swirly pattern, that I have used in basically every quilt I have done so far,

but instead of making the center of each twirl close, I left it open, so there is an open circle in the middle of each swirl.

I made sure not to go over the black letters, but do go around them.

And I was also very careful to not let it overlap into the next shade of orange. I have different plans for that.

Also, I used the light yellow thread for both the top and bottom.

I tend to always match my bottom and top threads…

it is so much easier to cover up tension issues if you do this.

At least it is for me.

But hey.

To each their own, right?

I have a litte less than 2 weeks left to finish this piece.

And as long as I keep changing it each day

even just little by little,

I am confident I will make something beautiful

and have it done by the end of the month.

Be great to each other.

-Karlee

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