November One Month Goal & Favorite Finish

November seems to have slowed just a bit for me... perhaps it was the fact that I was recovering from shingles and then caught a chest cold.  

Despite less than perfect health, I did meet November's One Month Goal of quilting and finishing my Pieces in the Garden Row Quilt.  Woot, woot!

Since this quilt is based on the story of a "Bride's Quilt" I would use the small chapel/storage shed that is down the road from our house for the backdrop.

I chose 5" clamshells as the quilting design... a little larger than traditional, but it offeres a nod toward heritage style quilting.

Each row of blocks tells a portion of the lives of my Maternal Grandparents, Forrest & Tressie Teegarden.  

“Bride’s Quilt”

Once upon a time, there was a little girl, who wore a bow in her hair. When she grew up, she began a friendship with a young bachelor. As the hours and days passed, they began to look at each other with stars in their eyes, and as their love grew, they thought about taking steps to the altar. So, the young girl got out her spools of thread and made clothes to get ready for their wedding ring day.

After they are married, some of their times together will be bright as noon and others will be dark as night.  But they will try to share their happiness, their miseries and their chores – she grabbing a wrench to help with household repairs and he grabbing a towel to help with the dishes.  Sometimes they will have broken dishes, but they will try to remember that “things” can be replaced, whereas harsh words, possibly spoken about the broken dishes, could chip away love.  They will try to follow the Golden Rule as they are learning to communicate openly with each other.

They will also try to keep in mind the symbolism of Jacob’s ladder – “steps of communication” between themselves on earth and God in heaven.

In keeping with the "wedding/bridal" theme... I used a pre-printed Double Wedding Ring panel for the back.

Here are a few more photos... just because. 😊

Challenge faced and overcome!  This quilt has been nearly a year in the making and it feels good to have it displayed on the back of our couch.  I have one last pattern to be released on December 8th.  You can find all of these patterns in my payhip store.

I am so happy that I had my grandparents share their memories.  I have a free document ~ Priceless Conversations ~ in the store that will help you record your memories, or use it as a springboard for asking your parents or grandparents about their lives... 

Who do you want to sit and have a priceless conversation with?

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

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

One Month Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Favorite Finish at Meadow Mist

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Sew & Tell ~ 11/28/2022 & To-Do List

It's time for Sew & Tell again!  I am anticipating that you may have had some extra time for sewing or quilting (since it has been a long weekend for some of us as we celebrated Thanksgiving in the US).  And perhaps, like me, have turned your attention to Christmas gifts.

After completing the six free-motion feathered wreaths on my retreat quilt, I decided that I really needed to set it aside and turn my attention to a commissioned Dresden Plate Quilt.   

I am happy to say that the tension issue was corrected with a change of thread and slowing down and repeating to myself "move the quilt, Melva... don't just twist it."  Thanks to those that took the time to share their thoughts and tips. 😚

I pulled out a few other items that have been in the back of my thoughts as well.  Let's take a look...

❧ The Dresden Plates were my main focus on Thanksgiving Day as we waited to enjoy our family dinner on Friday.  I was able to get all 12 of them to the point of "turkey time" LOL!  

The next morning, I made those turkeys into plates and then began the plan for the layout of the quilt...

Using a vintage cut-lace tablecloth, backed with a contrasting fabric between the dresden blocks, on point.  It won't take long before I get this together and ready for borders...

❧ Another item that made its way onto my cutting table are these cute little panels for "flat" dolls.  Kathleen had so kindly sent them to me when I completed my Paper Doll quilts in 2021.  Dave and I have some friends with twin daughters that are the same age as our sweet Maggie and had the chance to test out the quilts before I gifted them to Emma and Maggie.  They had hinted told me that they would like to have quilts of their own someday.  Amber told me that she wanted a kitty on hers... and Jade said she wanted a dog.  How lucky they are that there is one of each!

The dolls are a different size than my original quilt but the advantage is that these are all printed out... no need to create them myself... AND the clothes and hair are all done as well. :)  How fun is that!?

The panels have had the fusible interfacing applied to them and the dolls are cut out.  I'll continue to cut out the clothes in the evenings as we watch tv.  A friend recently asked me if I had any of the Anne of Green Gables (1980s) movies and if they could borrow them.  I located them and have been enjoying them as well.  As we watched the first one Dave did a search for info on the plot, cast, etc.  He asked me if I knew that there were four of them in the series... I replied with "yes, I did know that."  We have completed the second one, which was in two parts in my recording.  He has enjoyed them much more than I ever would have anticipated!  

❧ I have all of the makings for a pillow to match Hanna's first year quilt ready to go... One of her personalized blankets, a pillow form and some cute quote panels.  We will include a pair of jammies with the pillow and pillow coverings for her Christmas gift... 

❧ I'll be working on some additional assembly instructions for the Pieces in the Garden quilt and the final story and block of the series.  

There is still time to get your Broken Dish blocks completed and linked up for a chance to win a prize package from Cornerstone Tea Company.  Stephanie is offering a 20% discount with the code of CHINAPLATE.  You will not be disappointed in her tea selection!  Be sure to check out her store!

Last week Carol and Brenda showed us some fabulous projects... you should go take a look!

I have an idea for an Anne of Green Gables quilt... Possibly a sew along for 2023... I need to let it roll around in my mind a little longer to determine the feasibility of it.  

Are you a fan of Anne?  

Have you watched the series from the late 1980s?  

Would you be interested in an "Anne" sew along?

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

Be blessed and Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

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Thanksgiving Tea with Tressie & Forrest

Welcome to teatime with TT... Tressie Teegarden.  Today, we chat with Tressie (and Forrest) about their memories of Thanksgiving... grab a cup of tea and settle in.

Grandma, how did your family celebrate Thanksgiving when you were young?  Did you have guests?

We had big dinners.  Turkey, pies and the works.  There was always a big group of relatives.  Mom did most of the cooking.

Grandpa, what about your family?

We always had a big turkey dinner and sometimes there were 30 people there.  A lot of the time it was in Stonewall at Auntie Bob's.  My mom and sister (Viola, aka Bob) were the ones that did all the cooking.  We always had really good rolls, pumpkin pies and my favorite, mince meat pies.

Did you ever host a Thanksgiving meal after you married?

Tressie: I cooked one Thanksgiving dinner.  A 30-pound turkey, rolls, pies, etc. Lots of relatives came to the house (on Prospect Street in Trinidad).  Kids ate lots of olives and put seeds in flowerpots, ash trays and lots of other places.

Here is the Werden family's dinner roll recipe:  

And this is another recipe for bread... It is written on what seems to be the inside of an old Mode O'day envelope... no scrap of any sort wasted!

I have my own childhood memories of helping to make the dinner rolls.  I was allowed to help shape the small balls  and carefully place three in each muffin tin.  The three balls would join together to form a "clover leaf" as they baked.  As they rose in their pans before baking, they echoed my excitement as they baked, and the delicious aroma filled the kitchen.

It was always a treat to grab one, still warm, pull it apart and spread butter on it... it was like a little taste of heaven!  Oh, the turkey was ok, mashed potatoes were nothing special and I didn't like stuffing/dressing or gravy.  

Cranberries were always another favorite side dish of mine and was one that I insisted on having once I joined Dave's family.  I still make them and we will have today- though I sub in coconut sugar for the cane sugar.

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, may it be a blessed holiday and lest you forget... we should offer our thanks each and every day.

Our "official" family dinner is planned for Friday.  Family, food, fun, love and laughter... I have so much to say thank you for. 💗

What are you thankful for?

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

Remember... the Broken Dishes pattern is free until December 8th.  Once your 12 blocks are finished be sure to link up for a chance to win a prize package from Cornerstone Tea Company!  Stephanie is offering 20% off with the discount code of CHINAPLATE... valid through December 7th.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at True Blue Quilts 

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Wednesday Wait Loss at the Inquiring Quilter

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

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Sew & Tell ~ November 21, 2022

I have spent the past few days convalescing in front of the television again... partially because I fell victim to a chest cold and just as I was improving Dave joined me.  He did a beautiful job caring for me and insisting that he prepare our meals, allowing me to rest and heal.  What a sweet guy!  I just love him so much!  So much so... that I passed the germs to him.  Ooops... 

Our vows did say "in sickness and in health, for better or for worse" after all.

But because I was essentially not allowed to spend any time in my studio, by order of Dave, I don't have much to show.  

With the exception of removing quilting stitches from my retreat quilt as I vegged and watched Runaway Bride, there has been no quilting.  What a very sad week!

The feathered wreaths were coming along.  I had two done with four more full wreaths and multiple partials... I wasn't overly pleased with the look of the first one but pressed forward and saw improvement with the second... though I was still considering ripping them out and trying something different.  I placed the quilt in time out and when I returned on Thursday morning, I had decided that they didn't look so bad.  

I carried forth with a third one... it was better... and then I had peeked at the back.  *UGH*  The stitching was unacceptable.  Having a nagging headache and sore throat with an irritating tickle I decided to go sit and visit with Jack as I binged Heartland and The Crown.

It didn't take long to undo what I'd had done since the stitching was loose.  When I was done with that it went back into time out...  I'll revisit it very soon.  I have changed the needle... checked the threading of the top thread AND the bobbin... gave the machine a cleaning...  My next step is to choose a different thread.  Since I was not feeling 100% I suppose it could be that the issue was completely "operator error."

Any other suggestions???  

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

I did return to my studio to do some minor repairs to some shorts, jeans, jackets and a blanket... but what fun is there in showing that???

I'll show you some of the items shared last week that caught my attention...

Kathleen McMusing showed us her adorable Alphabet baby quilt...

And Melisa shared some red embroidered snowmen... A-dor-able!  She is a person after my heart... she had been stitching it while camping.  😍

Now it is time for you to show your projects!

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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Lily Clara Bridal Veil Finish

I finished the embroidery on the bridal veil block medallion over the weekend and since it was only becoming a table topper, the top was ready for quilting in no time at all!

If you missed it before, Lily Clara is a character from a story told through letters by The Flower Letters... here is their description of the story.

When spirited dressmaker Lily Clara Moore answers a matrimonial ad, she heads west for an adventure that quickly turns out to be more than she bargained for.

The year is 1884, and a little town in the western United States has found itself the destination spot for cowboys, prospectors, and outlaws.

Welcome to Frisco, Utah, home to the newly discovered Horn Silver Mine, the most lucrative silver mine in the world. But there's a scandal afoot in Frisco, one that could bring down the entire Horn Silver Mine, and Lily Clara finds herself at the center of it. The only thing that can save her is her own tenacity and the letters she's been exchanging with a very handsome Pinkerton agent Matthew Hickman.

Set in the anything-goes, rip-roaring Old West, the Lily Clara series is big on adventure, intrigue, and of course, unforgettable romance. Throw in an outlaw chase, a vengeful vigilante, and a good old fashioned Spanish treasure hunt, and the Lily Clara Collection is a wild western like no other! 

The rose print fabric has been hanging out in my stash since 1995!  Back before I had become a serious quilter.  It had originally been purchased to become window coverings for the master bathroom.  I had just enough left to use in this table topper.  

The deep rust fabric adds a nice contrast to the beige top... and the binding was a remnant piece from two other quilts with vintage like buttons all over.

The crosshatch quilting was done using a special stitch on my babylock machine to look similar to hand-quilting.  I'm not sure it really does, but it does remind me of a vintage quilt with the medallion in the center surrounded by a tiny bit of stippling.

The border has free-motion leaves as my husband, Dave, suggested... "It needs something 'pretty' on the border to go with the pretty in the center".  I confirmed his thoughts and shared my plans.  Great minds think alike!

The button print border fits with the story of Lily Clara as she is a seamstress.  Here's one final shot of the back of the topper... the quilting really stands out and reminds me of a whole cloth quilt. 

The finished topper is approximately 52" x 28" and will fit perfectly on my Mom's kitchen table. 

Before quilting this table topper, I pulled out one of my go-to instructional quilting books... Harriet Hargrave's Heirloom Machine Quilting for the inspiration on this piece.

Where do you find inspiration for your quilting designs?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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Keep Calm and Check Things Off

Life, after a month of disruptions and distractions has happily returned to quiet and calm.  For this I am so, so, SO grateful.

I happily ticked things off of last week's to-do list, including some items that I knew were on there, but did not share last week.  One such item was the last Pieces of the Past block of the month "class" at the LQS.  One quilter is caught up and ready to tackle her sashing strips and borders and two of the quilters are scrambling to get caught up so that they can participate in the quilt parade that is scheduled for December 7th.  Having in-person feedback on the stories, blocks and the patterns has been invaluable... and it has been fun getting to know the ladies that have stuck with the BOM.

✔  Other items at the top of the list that I did share... Quilted slippers!  Warm and cozy, perfectly non-matching and comfortable.  Though I have to say that the hand-sewing to attach them to the soles and to sew the binding on them made my fingers ache.  However, in the end, completely worth the trouble.

✔  Pieces in the Garden pattern release and photo shoot.  I took several photos.... this is a sneak peek.  More to come with some detailed shots. I thought that since it is a "Bride's Quilt" I would use the small chapel/storage shed that is down the road from our house for the backdrop.

The Broken Dish block and story of Tressie's art classes are available here.

Quilty mail was received and sent...  Two wishes on their way!

Dave's very first customer recently had a hunt in Africa.  He and his wife were with us at a show in Dallas at the beginning of this year.  I was keeping my eyes open for some unique fabrics (think scarf or tablecloth) that I could use in a quilting project.  Many of the booths had such items, though only for display purposes.  Though that did not stop Dave from making an offer to purchase one.  While traveling to one of their safari hunts, they made a special stop at a market.  They specifically chose these two pieces for me.  

I made a wall hanging and purses with the last items they gave me.  I can't wait to make a few projects with them! 😍

As I look forward to working with these, I will try to stay focused and work on these items on my list...

❧ Quilting the Sticks & Stones Quilt from my first retreat.

I will be doing chain-like quilting in the stones and feathered wreaths in the sections where the sticks come together...  Vines and leaves will be in the first white border surrounding as well as the white section of the off-set border.  Feathers will be in the piano keys border.

❧ Making a table topper with the embroidered "Bridal Veil" that was supposed to be done for my Mom's birthday on November 1.

This one should come together quickly... watch for a finish later this week!

As I am working on these two projects, I'll have plenty of time to entertain different ideas for the fabrics from Africa and would love to hear from you!

What would YOU make?

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

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

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Sew & Tell ~ 11/14/2022

Welcome back to Sew & Tell... the place where you share your recently completed works of art or progress on a project.

I finally had a more normal routine of time at home and in the studio!  YAY!  It always does my heart good to have some good therapy sessions as I pet the fabric...  And I had plenty of time with my honey... (which also does my heart good!) venison bratwurst has been processed/mixed and made and currently reside in the freezer ready for our enjoyment over the next year.  

During one of my therapy sessions, I made myself the quilted slippers I have been wanting to make... I pulled out a quilt that had been passed on to me for "completion".  It was missing 3 or 4 hand-quilted wreaths, which I did and then placed in the closet. 

In May of this year I pulled it out and made some covers for our patio furniture...

There were two rows of the quilt remaining and with a little fussy cutting to position the stars on each piece of the slippers, made my slippers!  The fact that they don't match makes me love them even more. 😍

Last week's Sew & Tell had two wedding quilts included.  They are both lovely and both projects that required much love and time.

Linda's wedding quilt was for her great-nephew and his new bride...

And Kathy's was for her daughter and son-in-law... and the most impressive thing about the Welsh Wedding quilt is that is hand-quilted!

Beautiful job ladies!  👏👏👏 Be sure to visit their blogs to see even more amazing photos.  💗

I'll leave you with a funny message from my oldest daughter... Heather is a Medical Lab Scientist who works in the blood bank of a hospital and shared this humorous slide and some of the comments... 

 One saying, "Wow! Someone is really into quilting.  You might say it is in their blood.  I'll let myself out..."   However, funny as it may be... you do NOT want a culture of your blood to look like this my daughter went on to explain... This person was septic, and the red "quilting stiches" were bacteria. 😨  Bad stuff!

My response was then "just don't bleed on the quilt!"

Time to share!

Keep Piecing... and don't bleed on the quilt. 😉

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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