I do not think I ever mentioned, but Fire Child is a little artist. She loves to be creative – from playing with yarn, to painting oceans. (By the way, she turned 4 not too long ago). I remember one instance, at Christmas time, we were watching a tv special, a santa one, and she saw the reindeer flying. Although a totally different situation, still the same completely… She said “I need to go draw a reindeer!”  I watched her very adamantly get off the couch with a confirmed little gallop to her desk. A few moments later, a new masterpiece – a sleigh of reindeer.

A Butterfly

I saw myself.. I could be in the middle of dishes, and all of a sudden, see a design in the bubbly water, and jump to the living in my yellow rubber gloves and sketch out the picture in my mind – yellow gloves still there, little droplets of water span the paper – but my newest idea for a masterpiece…

So.. this new idea came to me, to involve my daughter…  Why not design a design together? Maybe it is crazy… but what better way to really create a memory, or even a design, than an icon of her present mindset?

Her drawings are so free… Sure, maybe not proportionate… Sure, maybe silly colors or little scribbles in unexpected places. But that is where the magic unfolds…  Her mind, unmolded, her eyes, visions unrestrained…  Completely undisturbed. I see her focus, but only so slightly… as her crayons move as swiftly as her mind, but with fluidity.

A Unicorn

Whether it be intarsia… or bobbins. So many ways to have color work play into an afghan… or onto anything really for that matter. Why not incorporate some of Fire Child’s art? I can see a little afghan with maybe large squares… each having a design within it… Or maybe a large afghan with a picture on it. Maybe, a little purse, with a butterfly cross stitched on it.

An Elephant

This line of patterns would be entitled “Child’s Play?” or maybe “Through A Child’s Eyes?” Now, wouldn’t it be neat… to maybe come up with some 12 X 12 squares… for charity purposes? I think I may just do that.. Come up with a couple of squares, with Fire Child’s designs incorporated into them..

Maybe one of her flowers… Maybe one of her puppies… Now I do not think that has been done before! And what a personal touch it would be to have that kind of square added to an afghan… What do you think?

Unicorn, with wings wearing a necklace, smelling a flower. Drawn on computer.

Yes.. we must think outside of the box.. Guess sometimes I fall off the box Sometimes it takes me a little while to get back. And yes, I can hear my brother saying “oh no.. here she goes with another idea…” But it is unique, is it not?? I think it would be incredible.. Of course with many ideas, there is always tweaking needed…

I think she would love it as well… I have a large bin that I keep each and every one of her “masterpieces” in. And each day, about 10 more are added, and some days, many many more…

What is so great, is that the drawings are perfect! It is the imperfections that make them perfect… And that is why they are so suitable to put on an afghan.. to put on a square.. to put on a tote or lapghan.. Each one has its own character, its own personality. I don’t know about you, but I would love to have something not machine generated… but something intrinsic, unique, and perfect from imperfectness – and what better than from the mind of a child?

Niters all!