Making Butterflies

The clock was ticking away the hour, every second, getting closer to check out on the time clock. Our facility was extremely strict about overtime. That evening was especially busy for me as Supervisor in the Rest Home since many of the Doctors preferred to make their monthly rounds on my shift. They knew, and rightfully so, that if they called me asking permission to see their Residents in the evening, after office hours, there was no way I would refuse them. They also knew that by calling me ahead of time, I would have all their Patient’s charts neatly stacked in the shelves of the rolling Doctor’s cart with a “Honey Do” list taped on the top allowing them to be in and out of the facility in the shortest time possible.

With each Doctors visit, we were required to document their visit in each of the Resident’s charts, as well as any new orders written. Those new orders also required fulfilling the Doctor’s wishes such as ordering medications, and putting it on the Medications Sheets or Treatment Sheet, etc. I had finally finished all the documentation required and was putting away the Charts when I turned around to find a wheeled Blood Pressure Cart directly in my path. One of the C.N.A.s recklessly rolled it into the Nurses Station in a hurry to get done. Unfortunately, I did not see the cart in time, to keep me from tripping and falling on the floor, quite away from the Desk.

Luckily, it was also time for a change of shift, the Night Nurse quickly ran to my side to check on me. I told him I was in a lot of pain. He asked me If I could stand and I managed to get up, luckily for me I was not driving myself home, my husband had come to get me. Because of this injury, I required a left hip replacement in 2000. Unfortunately, the joint needed to be revised nine years later in 2009. With that revision, I had three dislocations and three surgical revisions.

We were attending the Baptist Church during this fiasco that year. After church one Sunday, Ruby, one of the ladies of the church, asked if she could come to visit me. When she arrived, she was loaded with yarn, scissors, an exceptionally large yellow plastic Measuring stick, and some other plastic pieces I had never seen before.

Seeing the puzzled look on my face, she announced, proudly, “I am going to teach you how to do Plastic Canvas to give you something to do while you are getting ready for surgery and while you are healing.”

“Plastic Canvas?” I asked, “What is that?”

Proudly, she pulled a small birdcage out of her bag, with a tiny white plastic bird setting in a swing, this object was covered with yellow and white yarn, something I had never seen before. Looking up from my chair I asked her, “You made this? Her proud smile was a definite yes,

She inquired, “Have you ever done embroidery?”

“Well…. Yes… on pillowcases and such but nothing like this.” I puzzled.

“Well… we use a lot of the same stitches but on plastic instead of cloth. I’ll show you, OKAY?”

She quickly set about getting all the tools together, along with a pattern and a choice of yarns and plastic canvas needles, large and very dull on the end. She pulled out the pieces of plastic canvas squares and explained to me the difference between the #7 canvas and the #10 canvas. The numbers mean there are more spaces in a square for the number 7 than there are for a number 10.

She laid the canvas flat and using the ruler counted out the number of spaces required for each piece, drawing a line to cut with the scissors. She cut four sides to build the building, a piece for the floor and 2 pieces for the roof. The pieces that made the building were cut into a frame-like shape and yarn would make the bars on the cage. With the pattern, there was the type of stitches to be made for each piece. When everything was ready, she picked up a piece and carefully stitched it so that I could see what she was doing. When that was done after a few stitches she asked me to try and I did it very successfully. Smiling she said, I’m going home now, and I will see you tomorrow and see how well this is working for you OKAY?”

I picked up the plastic canvas and continued working and following the pattern just as she had taught me. As a help to me, she left me the completed project to compare my work to. Before I knew it, it was completely stitched, it was only about Six inches big, so it really did not take long. I was surprised and it was so much more fun than embroidery, I found I really enjoyed it I was able to better relax the pain in my leg as well.

The next day, she showed up as planned and was quite surprised to find my project completed and in good order for a beginner. Grinning widely, she mused, “I think you are going to like these things as well.” Reaching in her bag she brought out some pattern books, more colors of yarn, and more ideas for crafts.

With my surgeries and recuperation, this was a welcome pastime. In a few months, Christmas would be upon us, so I decided to make Plastic Canvas gifts for everyone, I was enjoying it so much. It was during this time that I found my most favorite pattern of all, Butterflies! I loved this beautiful insect and having the ability to make objects with the Butterflies in the pattern was Heaven!

I was setting in the chair thinking about my next project when I noticed the shade on my lamp. It looked so faded and dull. I took it down and got out the measuring tape. The lamp had sections in it, but that didn’t detour me at all, I loved the idea of a great challenge. I got the pattern out for the first Butterfly on the first section of the lamp, soon I was drawing the patterns freehand.

I picked out my colors and went to work making the sections for the lamp when I was done, I put it all together. When Ruby and Mary from the church came over, I showed them my lampshade. Mary remarked how beautiful it was. I quickly told her that I just a beginner and how I had learned everything from Ruby.

Shaking her head, she said, “I never taught you that! That…. You taught yourself, you are no beginner, you are an Advanced Student!”

With that lamp and the many things, I have made over the years, there has never been a craft I enjoy more than Plastic Canvas. Something I may have never learned if it were not for my multiple surgeries and the care and concern of a wonderful woman teaching me this great craft to get me through my difficult healings. For that, I will be forever grateful.