Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Blessings of the Ordinary Kind

The last 10 days or so have been difficult... Oh, let me be honest... 2024 did not end on a very good note.  It was challenging for our children as well as us.  My Mom's house was a nuisance (but has finally been sold), our family has been facing loss at an uncanny rate... Cousins and cousins' children (both my side of the family as well as Dave's) have passed away.  

Just this year... 6-7 weeks in, we have attended three funeral/memorial services.  The father of a close childhood friend just passed away on Friday... news of a good Christian brother joining his wife in heaven on Saturday... and Dave's brother-in-law placed in hospice care after fighting cancer for 3 years.


As 2024 faded away I was hopeful for a joy-filled year.  It doesn't seem to be the case... however... In the first few days of January, I saw this idea/suggestion in social media.  

I grabbed a jar and some small pieces scraps (because Melva Loves SCRAPS) of paper and placed it on a shelf in my studio.  

Rather than adding a note each week, I am adding one nearly on a daily basis.  Especially on the challenging days.

I may need to find a larger jar. ;)


Some days are SO ordinary... and I need to really examine closely the events of the day to find one moment, person or event that made me smile or feel good... a smile from a stranger or a conversation with a stranger while in line at the grocery store... a phone call from a friend who wanted to check in with me... praying friends!

The feeling of fabric in my hands as I piece or press... the memories of those leftover bits and pieces from a special quilt I made for a customer of loved one.

The sunrise or sunset... the artistry of my God and Creator... the miracle of how a human body functions... just the fact that we have breath in our lungs and the blood that the heart pumps throughout the body...

The blessing of seeming to continually need to do laundry or dishes... for this means that I have clothing to wear and food to prepare and eat...

Email messages from fellow quilters and readers of MLS always brighten my day!  The other day (a day that I was especially struggling) I had a message offering congratulations that I had been included in the list of Top 100 Quilt Blogs.  WHAT???  It may be a bit "spammy", but sure enough... somewhere out there in cyberspace I was listed as #83. 😍


This is not an accomplishment done on my own... I extend many, many thanks to each of you... my cyber friends make it possible!


You encourage me and support me through all of the ups and downs of life, and you help to make the weekly Sew & Tell parties fun and inspirational. 

As I pieced this string quilt, I counted each one of you as a blessing!  And it was with each string that I plucked as I made this quilt, I offered up thanks for YOU!

Thank you!!!!!

What are some of the blessings that you see in an ordinary day?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Sunday, February 16, 2025

Still Singin' the Blues ~ Sew & Tell - 2/17/2025


 I spent the week finishing playing the "Blues".


I finished this "Baby Blues" with some large stippling, with the help of my acrylic template.  The backing is the same batik as the border, a remnant of some quilt that I made last year.  

It is interesting as I dig through the bin... as a sort of archeological dig of my quilt making career.  LOL... Bits from dresses I made for our daughters when they were much younger, roman shades that were for our youngest daughter's room, fabrics that reminded me of the western style shirts my Mom used to make for my Dad... and so many more.

As I finished up Baby Blues, I started thinking about the many long strips of blue fabrics that I had.  I decided I would make string blocks.  Taking inspiration from Emily Dennis, I offered consistency by making the center strip of each block a contrasting piece.  I chose to use a neutral newsprint fabric... some came from the neutral scrap bin and a little more came from my stash.  


I pulled out some old brightly colored paper from the scrapbooking supplies and started making 8-1/2 inch squares.  I also followed the advice from Emily gave for sewing them... only sew through the paper foundation with the first seam.  This made the removal of the paper so easy but still was available for reference for size.  

So many layout options! I will be using the lower right layout.  It is the friendliest on the eyes.  It was also the favorite of those that tossed out an opinion on social media.

I stopped with 24 blocks and plan to have a 1-inch border of the same neutral fabric followed by a scrappy strip border... maybe 3-1/2" inches???  I'll have to play with it to find the right balance.  

With February 1/2 gone (where did it go?) I realized that I need to pull my head and hands out of the blue scrap bin (back away from the cookie jar!) and get things in line for the display of a few more quilts at our local library.  I had gathered up all of the stories for our Camping Journal Quilt and placed them in a MS word document in January.  I needed to resize pictures, edit a few unnecessary items out of the stories and get it in a proper layout that could be printed and placed in a notebook.


I really did not want to do it... I kept thinking, "I'd rather be quilting!"  But once I got started, it wasn't so bad.  I did enjoy the trip down memory lane as I recalled the memories.  The good news is that I was able to get it finished and it is ready for printing.

The other item left to do for the exhibit is to get the Camping Journal Quilt ready for hanging.  Do I really want to put a hanging sleeve on this quilt that I plan to use in the camper?  No, not really.  Will making some temporary hanging strips to pin into place with large safety pins be the best thing?  Probably not.  The quilt is LARGE and heavy... Do I want that pulling on the quilt with safety pins for a full month???  No, not really.

Any ideas or suggestions for remedying this problem are welcome!  

Leave a comment...


This brings us to the time for the weekly feature... This week it is Diann at Little Penguin Quilts.

Diann (and many others) have also been digging into blue scraps.  Her Quarter-Star blocks are lovely!  

Head over to her blog to see what other scrappy blues she has made.

It is time to get the party started.  Link up your recent finishes or progress on projects.  I want to see what you've been sewing.

My studio has been a refuge this week as we face struggles in life.  Rest assured, I have leaned in (hard) to the comfort of the Lord and those that have reached out to me.  Between sewing and singing along with the music, I have found peace.

Life continues with more challenges... Mom will be having cataract surgery in March.  Sadly, this means that Dave and I will not be taking a long spring trip. :(  But I have my eyes on the days between surgeries and appointments in hopes of some shorter trips south.  On a good note, (!) the closing for her house is on Wednesday.  It will feel good to get that burden off the plate.  YAY!

That's all I have for now.  Remember, if you have a suggestion for a way to hang a large quilt with temporary hangers, give me a comment!

Keep piecing,

Melva

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Sunday, February 9, 2025

Singing the Blues ~ Sew & Tell - February 10, 2025


After a strange turn of events leading up to the baptism service for our granddaughters, I am singing the blues.

Because of a choice (ridiculous) demand by the SIL, we were only able to drop off the special dresses and gifts.  I have so many words that I want to say! I am practicing restraint and will simply pour my feelings into this month's RSC color ~ blue.  I refuse to let my joy be stolen... 'Nuf said.  


After a rousing session of house cleaning, I pulled out the blue scrap bin and started with some of the bigger chunks for my 3" hexagons.  

And then I started my Korner Kabin blocks. This time, I chose to use a fun novelty fabric featuring Kats... Yes, Kats in the Korner ;) 


In the spirit of the season of love, I pulled out another vintage quilt for the guest bed.  This Hearts and Flowers quilt was made by my Great-Grandmother, Lala Teegarden.  She was part of a quilting group comprised of ladies from the First Christian Church in Trinidad.  You can read her story from my Quilters Through the Generations series here... and a related story about a quilt that found its way to me for a repair here.  It was moving to think that I not only held something that had been made by my Great-grandmother, but that I had the honor to repair it... my stitches, right alongside hers.


Because of the mild weather and 60- and 70-degree temperatures (the first false spring), we made great progress in our camper reno.  Each afternoon we stopped at 2 p.m. to accomplish a little more... By the week's end we had the flooring and trim installed throughout.  We have only two stairs left to finish.  Dave will be building drawers for a little extra storage.  


Leanna at Not Afraid of Color showed off her Stay At Home Round Robin progress.  Her most recent addition included production feed sack fabric pinwheels.  So sweet!  

I wish was in a more cheerful, joy-filled mood, but I continue to remind myself... This too shall pass... and "cast your cares on the Lord... for his yoke is easy and burden is light".  Did you know that your spirit is lifted by singing?  You cannot be angry when you sing... just give it a try ;)

I will be found in my studio in every extra moment I have this week doing just that... lifting my spirit by singing praises to the Lord... probably with the music just a little louder to encourage me to sing along.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Friday, February 7, 2025

A Dress Maker's Finish

What a busy week it has been! If you visited this week's Sew & Tell party, you will recall that I was making dresses for our Granddaughters.  They will be baptized on Sunday.  We have had some beautiful weather all week and wanted to take advantage of it to work in the camper... but we both had work to get accomplished.  So... we devised a plan to work in the shop and studio until 2 pm, and then head to the camper. (I'll give a full update on the camper reno in a few days with the next Sew & Tell party.)

I started with three wedding dresses... my intention was to make three smaller dresses using pieces, parts and leftover fabric so that each baptism dress included a portion of all three dresses.

After a quick fitting session on Sunday, I got right to work. Each of the girls had a special request. Thankfully, I was able to fulfill each request.

Here's a look at each dress as they were originally made...

Here's a look at the three dresses ready for Sunday...



Our daughter Rebecca suggested that I make some special keepsake ornaments with scraps. Mom came to help and it seemed right that I include fabric from her wedding dress as well.  She made her dress in 1960... and remade it a few years later to make a dress for me in 1967.

Each dress could be included in a 4-patch with the back of the keepsake made from "their dress". The backing for the grands came from their Momma's wedding dress.


The good news is that there was enough leftover fabric from making Heather's dress in 2014 that I didn't need to actually cut into the dress. Should one of her daughters choose to wear the dress at her wedding, it is available.

I do love it when a plan comes together as I had hoped! Though, the waiting for the package that contained one of the dresses was excruciating,  that time of waiting helped me to be fully prepared with the dresses for the fitting session... That fitting session removed any questions and doubt that I had in how they would look and if they would, in fact, fit.

Here are the bonus dresses they get... each unique, yet similar. 

I didn't often dress our daughters in matching outfits, but the few times I did... this was pretty much the reaction I got... Hahaha!

Did you dress your children to match? 
As a child, did you get dressed to match siblings?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from. 

Keep Piecing, 

Melva

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Sunday, February 2, 2025

Dress Maker - Sew & Tell ~ February 3, 2025

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps & The weekly Sew & Tell party!  Also... welcome to February... the shortest month of the year.  Blink and it will be gone in a flash!


I did a variety of little things this week. Among them I wrapped up the use of my pink scraps and finished a second pink scraps baby quilt.  I shared a few thoughts of The Great Scrap Bin Phenomenon here.

Head over there to read my correlation of the never-ending scrap bin to doing laundry (naked). 😂

We had a blustery and snowy, cold day that I passed as I did some baking and adding labels to the four quilts that I completed in January.  I added hanging sleeves to two of the three quilts that will be on display at the local library again in March - celebrating National (World) Quilting Day on the third Saturday (March 15th).



And then, for something completely different... I started transforming a dress that I wore in 1998 when Dave and I renewed our vows into a dress for our 10-year-old granddaughter to wear for her baptism. It needs a second ruffle, but I was waiting for her to try it on to see what length I need to make it.

The skirt is from fabric that was used in her Momma's wedding dress.  The ruffle will include some lace from my/Rebecca's wedding dress.

I waited ALL WEEK for this box to arrive...

I have one week to get three dresses finished.  A visit is planned so that some fittings can take place this afternoon (it is Sunday morning as I write).  Since the box with the dress and lace that I wanted to use arrived late, I made up two dresses for the younger girls to try on.


 I anticipate needing to make a third pink dress for the oldest... because, you know, little sisters can get something without big sis being included;) but that can happen after the baptisms next week.  

How was your week?

Time for the weekly feature.  Nann at With Strings Attached shared some scrappy placemats.  Here's what she had to say about them.  

The parts department had two 80" lengths of neutral-squares-neutral (6.5" wide) intended for a border that I didn't use.  I added another strip of squares, then sewed the lengths together, and cut into four 20" pieces.   

I'm using the serpentine stitch to quilt these placemats.   The photo shows the borders sewn on but not yet sewn down. 

I giggled about the "parts department"... Is that what we're calling it now?  LOL.  She showed off her RSC pink stars too.  Head over to her blog to take a look.

It is now time to kick off the party 🥳 The more, the merrier. 

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

The Great Scrap Bin Phenomenon

YOUR BLOG NAME Like most quilters, I have marveled at the phenomenon of a scrap bin... I joined the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year and for this month of January, I have been "in the pink."
How the scrap bin looked at the beginning...

For four weeks I have been making use of pink scraps... I started with some 3" hexagons... moved on to some scrappy "Korner Kabin" blocks and then a baby quilt... and then, my latest finish, another baby quilt.


With all the scraps I have used, one would think that the bin would be looking a little empty...  I can assure you that that is not the case!  Why in the world is it not empty???  By my estimation, there are 2-1/2 yards (total fabric) used in these baby quilts.  

And then, today, as I was finishing up my second scrappy pink baby quilt, I grabbed a few pieces that were cut-offs from the border and binding.  Ah-HA!  Yes, I have used up scraps... but in the process, I have also created more.  🙈

So, you see... it is like doing laundry... (bear with me) Unless you do the laundry completely naked, you will always have more laundry to do... because those clothes you're wearing right now while doing laundry... they will need to washed tomorrow sometime too. ;)

For quilters... unless you use only pieces from the scrap bin for the entire quilt, you will end up with additional scraps.  Hahaha!  I'll be looking for more creative ways to finish up scrappy quilts that will not create more scraps... or at least keep them to a minimum. ;)

Have you experienced this same phenomenon?

That's all... Carry on and...

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Sunday, January 26, 2025

In The Pink ~ Sew & Tell - January 27, 2025

 

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party!

I finished up the Red Skies quilt last week!  I am so very pleased with it.  In case you missed it, you can see some additional glamor shots that I shared HERE.


Since the design wall empty, I returned to my pink scraps.  It was in my dreams (again) that I was quilting... This time I saw that I was using bigger pieces of pink and a stack of fabric squares that were purchased in Hawaii in 2004 when our daughters earned and made a 2-week trip with the Girl Scout Troop they were active with.


First up is this big block baby quilt.  After working with 2-1/2" blocks for Red Skies 6-1/2" seemed huge. ;) The larger blocks and the smaller in size project, helped to make this scrappy "In the Pink" quilt come together super, duper fast - less than 2 days start to finish. The Hawaiian blocks are cut to 6-7/8", perfect for a 6-1/2-inch half-square triangle.  

This quilt will be sent to young woman that was one of the other scouts that made the trip in 2004.  Here's the story:  A few years after the trip (in the fall of 2008), she and her Mom hit a very difficult time in their relationship.  Grace was a good kid and only asked that her Mom be (and act like) a "parent".  At the time, Grace found herself to be more responsible in guiding and caring for her younger sisters.  Grace's Mom had reached a point of frustration and stated that it was just too much for her and they both needed a little "space."

Grace asked if she might be able to come stay with us for a while.  (The timing was interesting because just 6 months prior I heard the Lord telling me I was going to be serving as His hands and feet (arms?) as I held and loved on some children at an orphanage in Romania.  Turns out we didn't need to go anywhere! God delivered the one that needed that attention and love to our front steps.)  We welcomed her with open arms stating that she was welcome for as long as she needed a place. While with us I made her a quilt for Christmas.  I have searched through all of the photo albums and archived photos and cannot find a single picture of her or the quilt I made her... Ack!  It was a quilt made of denim - pockets and all - and fabric with shades of pink printed all over it with large paisley shapes, from pastel to bright.  I called the quilt the Traveling Pants quilt... The books/movies were popular at that time.  And I wanted her to remember that she would always be welcome at our house and that love was tucked into each pocket, wherever she might go... and that her phone could be as well.  She may have lost misplaced her cell phone several times while with us. LOL!

As I pieced this quilt, I had many memories of the time Grace was with us.  One memory in particular... I recalled hearing quiet voices coming from the room Rebecca and Grace were sharing late one night.  I was all prepared to offer a scolding to both of the girls, despite the fact that our Rebecca was in college... When I opened the door, I found them both sitting there with their Bibles open having a conversation about what a particular Scripture passage meant.  Ugh... I hated to bring an end to that, but it was late, and they needed to be up early the next day to get to classes.  

She and her Mom were able to reconcile after a few months.  Grace graduated from HS, went off to college, became an Occupational Therapist and got married. She and her husband will soon welcome a baby girl.  And that little gal can grow up hearing the story of how Grace once visited Hawaii... and so many more stories and adventures that Grace has had in her life.  So... there's my Sew & Tell for the week. 

I'll be found in my studio this week laying out and piecing the other two scrappy pink quilts that I made in my dreams. ;)  But first, let's take a quick look at the randomly selected feature for the week...


Gretchen at Gretchen's Little Corner showed off block #10 of 25 of her Elegant Garden quilt.  Looking lovely, Gretchen!

Be sure to give her a quick visit to see the other nine blocks. :)

Quilters are some of the most generous and kind people out there and often involved in some sort of community outreach.  But tell me...

Have you ever been on a mission trip?

I've not been on an actual mission trip, but that time with Grace was a mission trip brought to me. ;)

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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