Pretty Little {Mia} Maids {and Beehives and Laurels} All In A Row

We are daughters of a Heavenly Father, who loves us. –Young Women theme

Last summer a series of events happened that led me to buy yards and yards of the coordinates in Deena Rutter's Good Life fabric line, which is centered around the Young Women program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I wasn't directly involved with the Young Women {girls ages 12-18} in our ward, but I had a specific project in mind. It was one of those moments where I followed that little impression without knowing exactly why. I went to a couple of different quilt shops in town and ordered the rest on-line and in the end, had enough fabric to make 54 of those cute little Personal Progress totes. I had several thoughts on what to do with all of those, which included making them for the Not-So-Little Bugs to give as Christmas gifts for cousins, organizing an activity for the Young Women in our ward {congregation} to make them, selling kits on Etsy and selling them ready-made on Etsy. It wasn't something that was pressing, because I always have a zillion things going on. Besides, our Church encourages us to be prepared by storing up food and necessities in case of an emergency. I'm also working on storing up a two-year supply of fabric and projects. I think I'm nearly there.

When I worked on the totes I made as Christmas gifts, I realized that this wasn't really a beginner project. While they are simple and quick to put together, you have to be accurate and pay attention to the details, so contacting the Young Women leaders in the ward and suggesting it as an activity for them kind of fell off the list. But, one of my cute sisters {I have three sisters and they are all very cute} is a leader over the Young Women in her ward and when she saw the totes and that I had a surplus of fabric, she took 15 kits off my hands. Her ward reimbursed me for the cost of the supplies and I volunteered my time to make the embroidered labels for them, because they really do make the totes special. Hers are all finished and handed out to the girls in her ward and I'm hoping to see pictures of them really soon.

That left me with enough fabric for 37 more totes. Still, it wasn't really pressing, except for where to store the fabrics, which were all washed and mostly pressed by now. So, I entertained the idea of selling kits or ready-mades on Etsy again. Sometime. In the future. When I have a few extra minutes.

And then the call came and all the pieces fit together and that little impression to buy a bunch of fabric for no clear end made sense. You see, our Church runs on volunteers. Every position is filled with a volunteer, but not in the sense that you sign up to do what you want. Rather, you are "called" or appointed to do a certain job. You always have the option to say no, if you don't want to do it, but I believe that even if I feel unequal to the task, I will be blessed with the help I need to get the job done. In early January the Bishop {similar to a Pastor or Minister, but again is a volunteer} asked if I would work with the Young Women in the ward as, to use the lingo {we really do have our own vocabulary}, the Young Women President. At the time, I was so excited! Now, I'm mostly just super busy and a little overwhelmed. But I already love the girls so much and am still really excited to be a part of helping them know that God loves them, who they are and what their purpose in life is.

In my spare time, I've been working on birthday gifts for the girls in my ward. Here are eight I finished in February for the February and March birthday girls. {There are nine in the picture, but I switched out the light green ribbon on the one that is grouped together with two others in the middle for an orange ribbon and didn't have individual photos of the other two totes, so, there you are.}

This calling is a lot of work. On a slow week, I only have one extra meeting or activity with the girls. But most weeks there are two or three or four, which explains a little bit of why I haven't blogged much lately. It is taking some getting used to, but as I mentioned, I already love the girls and the six other women who are leaders with me. I am so excited to learn and grow with them. And now that LadyBug has turned 12, she is in Young Women with me. I'm so excited for her! And I'm looking forward to working on my Personal Progress with her. Which means I'd better make a tote for myself, too!