Leaf Hopper

I couldn't find anything symbolic specifically for the Leaf Hopper, but it is a winged insect, that has undergone transformation from a lavae stage.

So it is a symbol of Transition, Celebration , Transformation / Change, Acceptance. In other words, Don't sweat the small stuff, be joyful and thankful for your blessings

Accept the changes in our lives as casually as a winged insect does. The unwavering acceptance of the metamorphosis is also symbolic of faith. Here we need to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. The insect understands that our toiling, fretting and anger are useless against the turning tides of nature – she asks us to recognize the same.

Blue lady bug / ladybird

We found some blue ladybugs on thelemon tree, so of course I had to draw them.
A symbol of Luckiness.
The ladybird is probably the only insect to have been consistently viewed as an omen of good luck throughout the ages.

The word 'ladybird' itself is an evolution of 'lady beetle', which was so called because of its traditional connection with the Virgin Mary. A popular legend recalls that during the Middle Ages when invasive insects were destroying food crops, the farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary and were blessed with thousands of ladybirds who quickly ate the pests and saved the harvest. From then on, the ladybird was known as 'Our Lady's Beetle', which evolved through ladybeetle, ladybug and finally to the presently known ladybird. This religious connection is also found in the ladybirds' names around the world:
· Nyckelpiga - Our Lady's Key-Maid (Scandinavian)
· Marienkafer - Mary's Beetle (German)
· Bozhia Korovka - God's Little Cow (Russian)
· Vaquilla de Dios - Cow of God (Spanish)
(‘cow’ most likely given because of the ladybirds’ markings).
· Bete a bon Dieu - literally Animal of the Good God (France)


In Northern Europe, tradition says that one's wish granted if a ladybird lands on oneself (this tradition lives on in North America, where children capture a ladybird, make a wish, and then "blow it away" back home to make the wish come true). In Italy, it is said by some that if a ladybird flies into one's bedroom, it is considered good luck.

Katipo spider

I wanted NZ natives where possible, so a large Katipo will be a great addition to the quilt.

Spider, a symbol of Mystery,Power Growth, Cunning, Progressive, Resourceful, and Creation

When we see our decisions, choices and actions as far-reaching, effective tools in life - we can see how we weave a web that can either serve us or enslave us. The Spider symbol meaning beckons us to be mindful of our behaviours - be smart about the life we weave for ourselves.

We can derive more Spider symbol meaning when we consider certain subtle characteristics that represent ancient symbols of infinity. The infinity symbol meanings occur when we consider most Spiders have eight eyes and all have eight legs. The number eight is also a symbol of infinity or lemniscate (an eight turned on its side). Also, the vibrational frequency indicates the meaning of with Maya brings about the understanding that not all things are as they appear to be.

The Spider symbol meaning in Egypt, is akin to Neith, a complex deity usually depicted with arrows as she is associated with hunting. Along with hunting, she is also associated with the creation, specifically the process of recreation in the dawning and dusking of each day. Neith is also a weaver, and is often shown with a shuttle in her hand (a tool used for weaving). It is this activity that gains her association with the Spider.

The Greek myth of Arachne, a mortal (although of noble stature) who was a spectacular weaver. Acclaim for her luscious lively looms spread over hill and dale and ultimately reached the immortal ears of Athena. Arachne claimed she was the best weaver, and thus prompted a challenge from Athena. And so, they played a round of “dueling looms,” but no one could confirm the victor. However, Arachne was quite smug about the whole process. So much so, that Athena smote her with a mighty blow of conscience and a dose of guilt. Arachne took the dosage hard, and could not live with the intense feelings of guilt and sorrow so she killed herself. Athena felt awful over the whole mess and decided to resurrect Arachne in the form of a spider so that she and all her offspring would forever be the best weavers of the universe.

Creepy Crawlies

I have decided to make a creepy crawly quilt for my youngest man, who is really in to bugs at the moment.

Using Jacquard Tee Juice Fabric pens, and Shiva paint sticks, I will attempt to create about 40 pictures of bugs and other creepy crawlies, and then make a Snowball quilt with them. So I am on the lookout for bug fabric at the moment. I have found some green/orange butterflies that he loves, and some blue/purple butterflies as well.

The creatures, or mini beasts are not just insects, but Snails fall into the invertebrates family, and Spiders do fit under arthropods, part of the arachnid family.
I have managed to draw 4 ants, 2 facing left and 2 facing right.

Ants are a symbol of patience,persistence, endurance, self-discipline, teamwork, strength, and stamina . All great things a boy needs to learn about in his process of becoming a man.
Ant teaches a sense of community, social structures, industriousness and sense of provision. Ant shows how to create by planning and discipline and patience with endurance. Ant also shows a promise of success through efforts and hard work and diligence.

Blooms and Leafy

I have read about using double threads, not a double needle, and so going to give it a try. Jan gave me some flower fabric with an iris outline, so I am going to machine embroider these with 2 threads in a single needle – Jean 100/16.

Started with the pink flower, pale pink and lavender thread. Had problems with the tension, so I loosed it off a little. Changed threads to flour pink, and a dark purple for another pink flower. I like this combination effect.

Dark purple and dark blue for the purple flower, but it just looks like a thicker thread, so perhaps dark/light combination would have been better. On the brown part of the flower, I used burgundy and brown. Looks good.
Other thread combinations used:
Burgundy and red on red flowers.
Orange and red on red flowers.
Lavender and dark blue on blue flowers.
Yellow and white on yellow flowers.

Love the effect and the technique, will be using this one again.

Decided to try and quilt using the two threads, and chose dark green/light green combination. Followed the outlines of the main flowers first, then randomly created stalks and leaved. Had a small issue of thread looping at the back, but changed the foot pressure and the top tension and that reduced the problem, but it didn’t disappear. Tried to zigzag the border using the double threads, but it kept snagging, so changed to a single thread.

Small yellow beads finished the yellow part of the iris, and a red dragonfly brooch I picked up at the $2 shop flies between the flowers.

I am surprised how effective the double thread technique is, and how easy it creates interest on the quilt. The plain flower fabric had been transformed and it was me who did it.
Not quilting in the ditch is still a dilemma for me, but I am getting better, it is just practice outside the comfort zone. These small A4 quilts are good to practice on.

Recycling and circles

Decided to use up some of the thread ends I had been collecting in a tissue box this year. I laid the threads out on “wash away” , chucked some red and yellow Angelina in for good measure. I had some small scraps of plastic film that I had used for dragonfly wings, so I snipped this smaller and sprinkled the snippets on top. I pinned it all around the outside. Using a grey thread first, secured by sewing around the outside, then large circles and swirls in all 4 quarters. Changed thread to a blue silk, and sewed swirls all over. Then a variegated metallic thread, that always breaks, always pulls, and I always manage to break a needle using it, and today was no different.
After soaking the “fabric” in water, I didn’t rinse it as fully, as I wanted the residual glue to hold it together when it was cut into circles. I ironed double sided Vilene to the back, and kept the paper attached.
I keep looking at the fabric, the Angelina catch the light. The small random triangles of plastic film peek through the other threads, also catching the light, so decided to call it “let there be light”.
Possibilities for the design include circles spirally from large to small, or vice versa. I like the idea of different sized circles but I guess will wait and see, depends on how the outlines of the circles sew.
I have been doing some reading on Crop Circles, so these have inspired me to gradually decrease the size of the circles.
Had a play around in “Publisher” making perfect circles, numbered them from large to small, and then printed them out. Roughly cut the circles out. and then glue stiked the circle patterns to the back of the fabric (Paper of Vilene). Violà, cut out perfect circles following the printed circle.
Decided to embroider an asymmetrical circle in a mixture of green threads using free motion zigzag. Still having difficulties with the green varigated thread, but feel I have created dimension. I even remembered to stabilize the back of the fabric before starting sewing – I am learning!

After removing the paper backing, played around with the placement of the circles, pinned them in place, and then ironed them to the fabric. Because of the texture of the “thread” fabric, the Vilene didn’t hold very well, so I ended up glue sticking the circles down.

A metallic silver thread sewn in a curved line from the largest circle to the smallest circle, following the line of the large green circle. I have left the edges of the circles unfinished, and they have fluffed / fringed up creating an unexpected contract to the embroidered circle. Quilted around the circles using a burgundy thread, and quilted smaller circlers inside the large green one. Finished the quilt with a silver sequin and purple bead.

No dragonflies in this quilt, but uses the theme / symbolic “into the light”, and be aware how our life can be transformed when we light a candle, instead of cursing the darkness.

Adinkra Cloth

In the last Quilting Arts magazine, there was an Article on Adinkra – West African Symbolism printed onto cloth. I don’t want to make the stamps, but I am fascinated with the symbolism. I will print the symbols onto fabric using a bubble jet printer.

Using a freezer paper pattern and Shiva paint stiks a I made a dragonfly in the middle of an A4 sized cotton cloth. When dry, I removed the freezer paper.
Considering the words I used in the previous collage, I looked for symbols that reflected the dragonfly.
Using “Publisher” I made several Adinkra symbols ready for printing in a grid pattern. Symbols are from www.welltempered.net/adinkra.. Traditional Adinkra cloth usually has one symbol per grid with very close spacing.
BESE SAKA “Sack of cola nuts” (affluence, abundance, prosperity)
DWENNIMMEN “Rams horns” (humility, strength)
MMERE DANE “time changes” (change, life’s dynamics)
OSRAM NE NSOROMMA “the moon and the star” (love, faithfulness, harmony)
SESA WORMUBAN “I change or transform my life” (Transformation)
BI NKA BI “no one should bite the other” (peace, harmony) I really like this, it reminds me of Ying/Yang)

I also found a Southern Pueblo Indian symbol of the dragonfly, connected with water (purity), and renewal (transformation, change).


Had problems with the network, so had to physically put the file on the bubble jet’s home computer. Didn’t have Publisher, but Corel Photo House, so I had to convert the file, and reformat, as the margins were different to my laser printer set up. Grrrr.

Changed the printers properties to “Transparency”, and “Best”. The freezer paper backed fabric printed okay, but the ink didn’t like printing over the Shiva painted dragonfly. I left it overnight, and heat set it in the morning. Because of the printer set up, I will have to stitch extra “grid” rows on the outside, but it should be okay. I Sewed around the quilt “grid” but didn’t like it, so unpicked it.

Decided to echo quilt instead, starting around the dragonfly in orange thread. Much better result. Had to add a small border of orange fabric to bring it up to A4 size. Zigzagged around the outside with orange thread. The creative imaginings has been used as a force within me.