Are you a fan of sunflowers?
When we lived in Kansas, it was a delight to drive by whole fields of sunflowers tilting their large heads toward the sun.
Sunflowers are one of the more majestic flowers, especially since they withstand the oppressive heat to actually bloom in these relentlessly hot summer days.
They are steadfast, persevering in the heat.
Sunflowers are hardy, yet cheerful.
Each plant is striking in its single, large bloom yet a whole field of sunflowers is truly remarkable.
Did you know there are over 70 varieties of sunflowers, but no two are the exactly the same...even if the seeds come from the same plant?
Sunflowers follow the path of the sun in a wonderful process called heliotropism. Their ripening seeds provide a feast for birds, bugs, and animals to munch on. And sometimes those seeds are harvested as tasty lil treats for us, too!
At the end of their life cycle, sunflowers give back what their steadfast growth has produced.
This month as we learn more about the Steadfast qualities of the Lord and attempt to motivate ourselves to remain Steadfast in our own personal goals, may we turn our gaze upward to His Light just as those steady sunflowers do!
I've got a few Sunflower options for you. The Sunflower template set has one plant standing tall on its own and the other already has stitch lines formatted for you.
The Monthly Bible Quilt Journal has the Sunflower paired with this month of August. If you have the BQ Calendar, you can peek ahead to September to find one there.
I started my page by grounding the large sunflower with a washi tape medley of green patterns along the bottom edge.
I remembered I had a card about sunflowers, so I used a tab punch to add some visual interest to the sides and glued it to the page with a couple strips of sunflower washi to reinforce it in place.
Then I used a dark yellow ink pad to gently swipe over the background of the page to warm it up. Next I began coloring around the edges of the sunflower. I emphasized the green backing of the sunflower plant to tie in with the green washi border. It would look pretty with shades of yellow and gold as well.
I wrote a verse in the lower corner to balance out the large card on the right. I considered adding verses all around the background, but ultimately decided to use the middle of the sunflower as a focal point with one key verse. I used a swirly technique before attaching the stickers and hand letter the rest of the words.
Then I used a stencil to make uniform flower petals throughout the background, using ink pads brushed lightly across the stencil.
Last week at our BQ session, a friend shared some sunflower bling with us. Those little flowers were the finishing touches for my page. (Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!)
This page will be a good reminder of God's provision to help me remain steadfast in glorifying Him alone through my actions and attitude.
What areas of your life are a challenge to remain Steadfast?
Consider #biblequilting a page directly focused on that issue.
Or perhaps you'd like to add a Steadfast Sunflower to a favorite verse in your Bible?
Read more her about Bible journaling + Bible Quilting = Saturation in the Word for a little extra inspiration!
Is music a gentle source of encouragement for you?
Sandra McCracken performed at our church a couple years ago. Her song, "Steadfast," is one of my favorites:
I did a simple #biblequiltjournal page using the lyrics of her song:
And then I created a freestyle version of a Steadfast page across from the lyrics page.
In another journal the next year I used the Title template to capture some steadfast verses in a colorful way.
hmmm...can you tell that I've been gravitating toward this theme of Steadfastness for the past few years?? Perhaps God was preparing me for a pandemic, you think?
The Sunburst template (also printed in the BQ Calendar) can be a great accompaniment to a Sunflower page. Can't wait to see what you create with these Steadfast verses and sunny templates! Please share in the FB group or drop a photo in the comments below.