Finding Joy

Finding Joy - Thread Catcher

I wish my picture was as awesome as the Lillyella one!

Let me start with a quick brag on my sister-in-law (sil)....  she is one of the most unselfish people I know.  She has made sacrifices that people cannot comprehend. She has lived most of the past two decades in a place that few will ever understand. It was all for others with no personal gain. Last year marked a new start for her and I can't say how happy I am to see her full of life!  It reminds me of a butterfly....  waiting patiently until the perfect time to come out of the cocoon. 

Recently, on Facebook, I saw someone post about making a mat to go under their machine...  the picture showed a mat with an amazing paper pieced butterfly and a thread catcher.  My sil has been asking me to make her a thread catcher for at least two years so when I saw this post I knew I had to do this one!!!  I did some research and finally found that it was a free design from lilly ella and it was amazing. I decided to learn how to paper piece!!  Not as easy as I thought!!  

Everything complete.

While I did all my research on Pinterest I found a few other pieces that I thought would be perfect...  I decided to do a small mat for her to use while she sat and did her embroidery on the couch...  I kept the butterfly theme and figured the thread catcher could just be moved from the large mat to the small couch one.  I also decided to do a stopper for the foot pedal of the sewing machine (even if it doesn't get used).  

It took me a while to decide on colors and such but I love the way it turned out!!!  

The perfect label used as a pocket.

My paper pieced butterfly!!

My try at the selvage pocket.

The actual thread catcher.

Couch mat with pockets and pin cushion.

I added some shelf liner so it won't slide.

I am blessed to have a sil that will cater an entire church event for hundreds of people or bake cupcakes for a bridal shower of someone she doesn't even know or make cookies for a bake sale or pick up my kid at the last minute and even feed him....  I could go on with this list for awhile!!!  I know that she is not thanked enough for everything she does and I hope that every time she sticks a thread into that thread catcher she remembers just how amazing she is and just how very important the simple things that she does are. 

Keep pushing through and make every year greater than the last!!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2 NIV)

Linking up with crazy mom quilts


P.S. --  I still can't figure out how to get rid of the space on top!  Sorry.