Saturday, March 31, 2018

Quilters Through The Generations - Ann Hicks





Today I welcome Ann Hicks as she shares her family's story of quilting. Ann has a perpetual smile on her face and a positive outlook in life. She has a great appreciation for hand quilting and does not become overly concerned if something seems to be taking longer than it should. She simply goes with the flow and is not easily excitable. She has influenced many throughout her life as she loved and cared for numerous foster children for many years... Her love for life and quilting will carry on. Here is her story...


I started quilting shortly after I was married to my second husband, Bob in 1973.The first quilt I remember actually finishing what was to be a crib size for my daughter’s first baby. It was squares already stamped for cross stitching. I bought 6 squares but by the time I had finished the cross stitching Sharitta was already in school, so I was going to need at least a twin sized quilt. I bought more squares and this went on and on until I ended up making a queen sized quilt for her high school graduation. I had done the whole quilt in hand stitches so it did not hold up well after being washed. I learned so much doing that quilt! 





My mother, Lourenna Caton Perry, was a quilter.  This Cathedral Window quilt was one of her quilts.  





Below is the Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt that she made for my first baby, my daughter Tami Hicks Threats.







My maternal grandmother (mother's mother) was Mary Clinton Caton and she also made quilts.  She sewed all of her life making clothes for her six children.  She and her husband, Noah, moved to Colorado just before her second child (my mother) was born, circa 1915.  My Grandfather came with friends and carried household items in a covered wagon.  My grandmother and her daughter arrived via train.  My Grandfather drove the stagecoach to Cripple Creek before working in the Golden Cycle Mill.  He passed away from lung problems just before I was born in 1943.  My grandmother continued to sew for living until she was in her 90s.  


Below is one of Mary's quilts... notice the "empty space quilting" in the white filler squares.  Beautiful!




My Great Grandmother on my Mother's side was Lourenna Jane Williams Clinton and she made this scrappy quilt on the left...

I personally love the Baptist Fan quilting that works well with the curved piecing of the blocks.  It could easily fit into a modern (improv) quilting category... Timeless!







My paternal grandmother (dad's mom) was Julia Ann Washburn and married Gus Perry.  He owned the Palace Market on West Colorado Avenue in Colorado Springs, CO.  

My Grandmother Perry (in the photo from 1906) was a quilter as well! 





The Double Wedding Ring quilt shown to the left was made by her.



Julia's mom, my Great Grandmother - Florance A. Washburn was... guess what??? Another quilter!  She made the scrappy quilt pictured below.









Ann shared that she is unsure of who made this quilt, but she has memories of sleeping under it as a child... no doubt covered in love. 






My daughter Tami made this baby quilt...  I did not teach her how to quilt.  She learned the same way I did - by watching others and by trial and error.  



But, I did teach my Grand-daughter, Catrina Claire Threats to quilt.  She quilted this pillow top and then sewed it together and finished it while in 8th grade.


















This pillow is very special to me because it is made from a quilt originally pieced and tied by my Great-Grandmother, Florance A. Washburn circa 1874.  In 1907 my Grandmother, Julia Ann Perry, repaired it.  In 1999 I cut the old quilt into small pieces and made pillows for all of the girls in my family.


After the many lessons learned along the way and through the years, I made this Double Wedding Ring quilt - about 20 years ago.






I made this quilt for my son-in-law, Tyrone... Can you tell he is a Washington Red Skins fan???












Between 1995 and 2000 my husband, Bob, and I made and sold porcelain dolls.  He made the porcelain part and I made the cloth parts of each doll.  I would also hand-quilt a small quilt for each doll.  This was our first doll that I had promised to my sister.  We had no idea that she would look exactly like her grand-daughter!

All of my quilts have been gifts, so I haven't sold any, except for the ones that were sold with the dolls.  We sold those for $150 - $200 each.



My favorite quilt is a lap quilt that I made as a gift for my husband, Bob.



Because he passed away just a few months ago, it is even more special to me.








I have never participated in a quilting group, but I would probably enjoy it, though I haven't quilted for several years.

I think that now is an opportune time for Ann to start quilting again!  

What do you think?  
Any words of encouragement for her?

As I look at the quilts made by the women of her family, I am convinced that Ann's love for the slower pace is hereditary.  As I look at the details and intricacies of the piecing and small pieces of fabric they used the quilts, they no doubt took a long time to finish.  I think I could take some lessons from Ann about the slower pace and worry less about how quickly I can finish a quilt.

Thanks Ann for inspiring me!

Do you tend to "rush through" a project, like me?
Or do you enjoy the slower pace, like Ann?
Leave a comment below - I love to hear from my readers...


Quilt Happy!

Melva



Tuesday, March 27, 2018

No Guilt - Go Quilt - #3

Hey all!

There hasn't been a lot going on in my studio that is new and exciting, or that I can share progress on.  





I finished the wall hanging that I had been quilting last week... I hand stitched the hanging sleeve and the binding while completely unplugged from the world and at a "girls weekend".  It was a much needed time of rest, refreshment, sharing and laughter (and even a few tears).

I cannot share a photo of the completed quilt though as it is intended as a gift for a special someone in April.  (Be sure to come back when I reveal it!)





This morning we awakened to it lightly snowing... and the forecast indicates that it will snow most of the day, with little accumulation.  We need the moisture desperately as we are hovering in a severe/extreme drought.  

And since I will be working all day out of the house tomorrow, I have chosen that today I will spend aaaaaaaaaaaalll day in the studio catching up on a new BOM - "Let's Go Camping" by Pat Sloan - but without guilt!  I thought these blocks would go nicely with the "It's a Wild Life" blocks from Sew Incredibly Crazy.




The crockpot is going with some BBQ chicken - no recipe required for this meal...




Three chicken breasts with BBQ sauce of your choice topping them.  I have used my home-made "Ultimate BBQ sauce" recipe that is from Tyler Florence - all with substitutions and alterations to accommodate my dietary restrictions.  If you have an interest in how I do that, let me know and I will fill in the details.


Do you have a favorite BBQ sauce?  
Do you have a favorite crockpot recipe?
Please share!  I love hearing from you...

In the meantime, you know where I can be found... No Guilt...

Go Quilt!

Melva

Linking with:
Fiber Tuesday at The Quilting Room with Mel
To Do Tuesday at Stitch All the Things



Melva Loves Scraps - Home of "Quilters Through The Generations" 


Saturday, March 24, 2018

Color Challenge - Yellow

March has been B.U.S.Y.!  I shared at the beginning of the month all of the various activities... you can catch the line-up here.



It seems like long ago that I made my yellow block for the March 2018 Monthly Color Challenge.  It features flying geese - one of my favorite blocks...  However, to be completely honest, yellow is not among my favorite colors.

Yellow =  sunshine.  Yellow = sunflowers.  Yellow = my Grandma's favorite color.

All things that I love. So...

Maybe it is because I cannot wear the color yellow? Seriously!  It makes me look ill!  I'm not sure...  

None the less, I am not afraid to use the color yellow, it just isn't one that I naturally gravitate to. That would be blue for me!  It's like a magnetic draw. 

And if you look closely, (but who will do this?  I am not submitting for judging), this is not one of my better constructed blocks... I'm not sure what happened, but I have a few points missing. Hmmmm....  I think I used the 1/4" foot rather than the scant 1/4" setting on my machine.  

I could have, and probably should have, ripped out stitches.  But... no.  In the end, when the blocks are all assembled it will "add character" right?  This is what they say about imperfections... they add character... or interest... or whatever.  LOL.




Note to self! Always use the scant 1/4" setting!

Are YOU a lover of yellow???  
What color do YOU feel a pull toward???  

I would love to hear from you... leave a comment below.

It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiney day!

Go quilt something,

Melva

Linking up with BOMs Away at What Hoot Quilts
Melva Loves Scraps - home of Quilters Through The Generations

Friday, March 23, 2018

Oh Deer!

Last month I stumbled upon It's A Wild Life block of the month over at Sew Incredibly Crazy that looked like fun and was still in its first month - no playing catch up! - bonus.

Since Dave and I plan to enjoy lots of camping trips with our recently acquired truck camper I thought it would be fun to have a quilt to commemorate the events of the year.

The blocks for February were maple leaves... quick and easy!


The March block is a really cute block, but applique is not a technique that I favor.  I quickly prepared the background of the sky and the pieced meadow which I knew I wanted to make scrappy style... and then I set it aside for a few weeks and when all other projects, deadlines and distractions were out of the way I started in on the deer.  

I pulled scraps of fabric from my scrap bin and started... the clouds - made of flannel and the deer were finished... And it was time for the flowers and birds... that is when I decided that there were too many small pieces for my liking and chickened out opted for some sunflowers and a few butterflies in their place.


I used a narrow, black, zig-zag stitch to outline the bodies and features of the deer and used mono filament thread (clear) for everything else.  

Yes, the doe's leg is the basically the same color at the meadow patch right there, but animals often naturally blend in to their habitats.  Right???

None the less, block #2 is done and is a fair representation of the area we live in...  Check out the deer in our yard!

Image may contain: horse, outdoor and nature

I am ready for the April blocks! 

Are you a lover of applique?  
If so, maybe you could share some tips with me... 
(or maybe I need take a class on it.)  
But tips are good!  
Leave a comment and let me know.

Quilt Happy!

Melva

Melva Loves Scraps - Home of Quilters Through The Generations
Linking up with:
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
BOMs Away at What a Hoot Quilts


Monday, March 19, 2018

No Guilt - Go Quilt - #2

I have a wall hanging that I recently finished and it is ready for machine quilting on my Babylock Jazz... in its new custom table, no less!




So here is what I have in my crockpot, allowing me to enjoy an entire, guilt-free, day of quilting.  Thanks Gooseberry Patch!



This is a versatile recipe and I have made it with chicken and pork - it is all personal preference and what may be available on sale at the time.  Also, we opt for flour (or gluten-free in my case) tortillas, rather than the corn.

If preparing this as a freezer meal, place all of the ingredients (except the tortillas and garnishes) into the freezer bag. Remember to slip the recipe in the outer bag so that you know what it is, as well as all ingredients.  And remember, for an super easy clean up, use a liner bag. =D

With the left-overs I have transformed it into a Mexican (tortilla-like) soup and serve with quesadillas.  

There you go... Go quilt!




Melva


Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series


Linking up with:
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
To-Do Tuesday at Stitch All The Things
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Quilters Through The Generations - Mary Jo Cousins

Mary Jo Cousins is the most recent quilter to be featured here in the Quilters Through The Generations series.  She is a lovely lady who has a heart for the Lord, her family and quilting.  Mary Jo and her husband, Bob, have lived in several states as he is a (now retired) United Methodist Church pastor.  Here is Mary's story...






I come from a long line of quilters! Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers and great grandmothers were quilters. My mother (pictured at the right), Florence Bruning, has also quilted. 



 I really did not start quilting large projects until I was retired. However, I was a sewer. I made clothing for my children as they grew up and also myself and husband. 

My first real project was a tea towel. I participated in 4-H from the time I was 6 years old. Later in college one of my majors was Home Economics, now known as Human Ecology.

When I married, my husband and I received several quilts. One from each of my grandmothers, that were hand pieced and hand quilted. That was the beginning of my collecting quilts. I now have many quilts from many places. To name a few, there is a sunbonnet sue circa, 1960, a quilt of state birds that are tube painted and also a lone star that was made by my mother. 

My husband has received quilts that were made by his mother and grandmother (maternal). Among them are a Dresden plate and double wedding ring and a hand embroidered flower basket - included in the picture below.




The family quilts pic shown above is as follows  left to right back row.

White with cross and flame of Harley Davidson bandanas, I made for Bob in 1995. It is and applique on minky
Little sliver of green print is  comforter my Grandma Maude (Mom's mom) made for our family.  It uniquely has another quilt as batting.  It is tied.
The Turquoise and white Half square triangle zig zag was a birthday gift in 1990 from Grandma Maude
The Sunbonnet Sue was a Graduation Gift from Grandma Murphy ( No relation only family friend)  It was made in 1964,
The next little brown print was a comfort quilt I made for my son Bobby when he was 4.  It snapped around him while he watched Heman! Made in 1970s
The red and white check was made by Grandma Maude.  Unsure of date.  
Grandma was a hand quilter, and sometimes hand piecing.

Next row  left to right.
Yellow  state bird quilt was a gift for our wedding in 1966 from Grandma Maude
Sliver of pink and white is half square triangles lap quilt - tied - from Grandma Maude.
The next Churn dash Or Monkey wrench was made by my Grandma Lottie Mae Bruning, (Dad's mom) as a wedding gift.
The next quilt is a double wedding ring, pieced and hand quilted by Bob's mother Helen.  It is dated 1931.  It has been quite worn.  I am sure Helen used it on their bed for quite a while.
The next is a Dresden plate or friendship ring that Helen made and hand quilted - no date.

The lone star in front was made by Grandma Maude.


In the future I will receive quilts made by my Great Grandmother Bruning who made a lone star for my Dad as a wedding gift.





The first quilt I made for my Grandson was a bow tie baby quilt. Then I made him a “Tigger” fleece and flannel quilt that he wore off the binding. The latest quilt was his high school graduation T-shirt quilt. 









Our Granddaughter received a youth flannel quilt for Christmas 2013. I did not get a baby quilt made for her. Her most recent quilt was a fun Halloween quilt. 


These latest quilts are my own design.





I recently finished a memory quilt for a friend of my Grandson. The young man lost his life in an auto accident with a drunk driver. His mother had saved some of his t-shirts, and I was glad to make them into a memory quilt.

I have fun making quilts for others... 

I belong to a church quilt group that makes charity quilts for the homeless and several charities across the Colorado Springs area. 

I piece tops for my long arm quilter, who prepares children’s’ quilts for children of active military service persons who are on assignment away from the family. Each quilt is made with a photo of the parent. This to keep the image of the parent close by. 

I have made Quilts of Valor for veterans. 

I seem to give away my quilts and hope they provide snug warm feelings for the recipient.  Like all quilters I have UFO’s and plans for many more. My greatest pleasure is in piecing and design layout.

As you can see Mary has a generous heart and a wonderful collection of family quilts!  I have provided the link for the QOV if you have an interest in supporting the organization by making quilts for them.

When asked which quilt is her favorite, she answered with the Lone Star quilt that is currently on our bed.  I love the darker, rich colors!





I personally like the Double Wedding Ring quilt... 

Which one is your favorite?


Leave a comment to let Mary Jo know which one you like.

Sew Happy!
Melva

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

UFO Blog Hop

Welcome to the Quilt Qwazy Queens blog hop hosted by Marian at Seams To Be Sew! The subject of this hop is UFO's - for those that may be new to quilting terminology, also known as Un-Finished Objects.


Prize details and the list of participants follow my UFO post...









UFO's are a bit alien-like to me because I dislike Un-Finished Objects (projects) It is just my personality type. So, for me, a UFO sighting in my studio is a rare thing.

I only have a few that I would consider Un-finished... and one is actually un-started, but I have fabric set aside waiting for some brilliant inspiration to hit!





#1 - is the t-shirt quilt that I have had stored in the basement dresser for a number of years. A few years ago the collection of shirts had grown to the point that the drawer was over flowing. So, to save room, I cut the blocks out of the shirts that I wanted to use. This project has moved forward this year in the manner that I all of the said blocks now have fusible interfacing on the backs of them - they have been relegated to the basement dresser once again until further notice.





















#2 - Some would not even consider this a real UFO because it is nothing more than three large pieces of fabric - but I really do have specific plans for it! I just need to drag my scrap bin out and start making some wonky log cabin blocks to create furrow rows alternated with some of the farm land fabric.


#3 is the collection of 6-inch blocks from the 2017 Moda Christmas Blocks...


I am open to suggestions for these blocks!





#4 (and the final one) is the star of this post. Last year, using my Grandpa's ties (and the only two of my dad's - indicated with the arrows in the photo) I started making Dresden plates. I was unsure how many I could cut from the ties so the size of the project was/is dependent upon the availability of plates. After working through about half of the tie fabric I had six plates.

I was stumped...  I am unsure of how many plates I can complete with the ties I have available.  As well as being unsure of what layout I wanted to use. Did I want to use only plate blocks?  It seemed to me that they needed to be alternated with filler blocks... Perhaps with crocheted doilies?  But I only had five in the closet...

And then as I was rummaging around for something else I located a table cloth that had some "fancy cut work" on it.  It was quite large and in good shape with the exception of the center of the cloth where there was a hole or two.  I grabbed my 12-1/2" ruler and started fussy cutting...  I have 16 blocks!  They will look great with the dresden blocks...


I am still unsure of how many plates I can get from the remaining ties, but at least I feel as though I moved forward.  YAY!

Are UFOs a common occurrence for you?  
How many do you have?  
(Is it even polite to ask that???) 
Probably not...

Leave a comment with a suggestion for the Christmas blocks or let me know how many UFOs you have sighted in your closet.  

I love to hear from other quilters!
You can keep up with me on facebook or Instagram as well!


Prize details 


The FatQuarter Shop March 15 - 22, 2018 150.00 Gift Certificate



X-Block Rulers = US Shipping Only 
BasiX Template, Baby BasiX, 6 1/2 X-Block, 6 1/2 X-Block Mini, 6 1/2 X-Block BellyButton Rulers/Templates

PARTICIPANTS...

Thursday, March 15, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018