Goodbye and Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my last day as your host on the 52Q.  If you have enjoyed following along with me this week, please follow me on Instagram, and subscribe to my blog, The Homemade Heart.  I have truly had so much fun this week, and thank each and every one of you that took the time to like and comment on my posts, and participate in my hashtag prompts.  It means the world to me to be a part of such an interactive, supportive, creative community.  Thank you all! And thank you to Chris, for organizing this whole adventure.  It has been a wonderful ride!

Thank you

I requested this week, because it culminates in my birthday!  I turn 30 years old today, which to me is such a gift.  I believe that we only get better as we age, and I am so honoured and grateful to have the privilege of aging a little more each year.  I have really enjoyed getting to look back during this week and reflect on my craft, my creativity, and what I have learned thus far in my journey.  I loved getting to share some of my projects with you, and some of my favourite things, including fabric!  I loved getting to share a craft night with you, and see what you all made.  This has been a fabulous experience, and I will remember it as a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone birthday. 

Chris has asked that all the contributors to the 52Q share a piece of patchwork to be made into a quilt.  This is my patchwork square.

I wanted to make a square that represents me and my week on the 52Q.  Since it is my birthday week, I decided to go with a birthday cake square, using some of my favourite fabrics and colours.  I found a pattern I liked, but it was too large to comply with the 8.5 inch square requirement.  I tried fiddling with it to make it work, but just wasn't happy with the results.  I took to Excel and planned out my own version, including three candles, one for every decade of my life.  

I know I said I'm a paper and pen planner, but I do use Excel sometimes

I selected a healthy mix of my favourite prints: mice on bikes from Lizzy House's Catnap, two pink prints and purple birds from Violet Craft's Brambleberry Ridge, green bees and flowers from Heather Ross's Briar Rose, teal circles from Eloise Renouf's Shades of Spring, purple unicorns from Heather Ross's Far Far Away, purple Mochi from Cotton and Steel, yellow linen from Kate & Birdie's Blueberry Park, and Heartfelt from the Littlest collection.  

I had a lot of fun (and only minor frustrations - I'm looking at you, candle holders!) putting this block together.  I feel like it is an excellent representation of myself as a quilter and a person, and here's why:

1) It has animals on it.  I kinda love animals.
2) It has words on it.  I adore reading, and have always had a special place in my heart for writing.  Since starting my blog last summer, I have found a new love for the written word.
3) The idea came from an existing pattern, but I designed the actual pattern I used.  This is a common theme in my work.  I have written about creativity before on my blog, and this is an area I struggle with.  While I am perfectly capable of coming up with a design of my own, I can hardly call it an original design.
4) It isn't perfect.  And neither am I.  But I learned a lot while making it, and can only keep improving!

I hope that you have enjoyed following along with me this week, and I hope that I have inspired you to learn something new!  Remember that there is no harm in trying.  Remember that there is no harm in failing.  Remember that every mistake is a learning opportunity.  And remember to have fun!

Post by Laura - Week #9:   Laura is an adventurous crafter who enjoys sewing, knitting, crochet, cooking, making cakes and blogging. Quilting is a relatively new string to her bow - but after quilting for little over a year she has completed three quilts and is working on a La Passacaglia quilt as a new project for 2015. Laura blogs and shares her crafty life at  http://thehomemadeheart.blogspot.ca/