Sew & Tell - 3/16/2026

I saw that Alycia was doing the quilter's rain dance the other day... she swapped out the Christmas quilt for a Spring quilt and washed her car as an extra insurance that it would indeed rain.

Here in southern Colorado, we are so very dry.  The fire danger is already high, and the spring winds are making it worse.  Nebraska has numerous fires they have been dealing with... 

So... I decided to join her in the Quilter's Rain Dance.  I changed the red and white vintage quilt on the guest bed to a very spring-like vintage pink Irish Chain quilt made by my great grandma, Lala Teegarden in the 1930s.  It is hand quilted and excellent condition for being 90+ years old.  No worries about it being exposed to sun... I only opened the window blind to take the photo. ;)

This week's feature is LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  She shared her Project Quilting piece...  The Project Quilting's prompt was opposite colors on the color wheel. 

She started with one plan, but creativity took her in a different direction.  The embellishments of various embroidery stitches and the quilting brought the piece to life and the border and binding made it sing!  Visit her blog to see close up details and read about each step she took to bring it to a stunning finish.  

I had a finish last week... A t-shirt quilt for a 21-year-old.  You can read all the details here.  He is the grandson of a HS classmate so it was fun to see several of the shirts that he and his wife would have purchased for him. 

All the while of making this quilt I was listening to books.  I enjoyed two medically themed stories; one a memoir, the other a Christian fiction.

 

After completing the label on the birthday quilt, I had a clean cutting table and empty design wall.  A clean slate!  

I had thought that a 16-patch block might be a good way to distinguish between the audio books and slow reads in the Bookish Journal quilt.  I picked apart the 9-patch to make the 16-patch... I didn't like the end result.

I tossed that block into the spare parts pile and made a new 9-patch.  My final block is the lower left. 

Let me tell you, Call the Midwife was an interesting book... though NOT as family friendly/filtered as the BBC produced show.  There were some scenes described that were shocking (I skipped that part) and others that were so well described in detail that I was repulsed by the sight and smell.  It was well done, but very graphic.

I needed something a little different After Jenny's tales and settled on A Measure of Mercy.  The Christian fiction, also about the lead character being in the medical field, this time as a doctor rather than a midwife.  Still some graphic description as they had a few surgeries that required amputations, but brief in comparison. It is the first of a series.

Here's a look at all of the blocks I have made, including one for the current listen, My Friends by Fredrik Backman.

I'm unsure how I will lay them out, but this is in order of finishing.  I'm glad I decided to pull the 16-patch, slow-read block.  In the end, it doesn't really matter, I guess. ;)

Since I had an empty design wall and cutting table again, I talked myself into cleaning house.  I contemplated my next project.  As I pulled out the vacuum (stored in the same closet as my stash) I saw the small pile of fabrics I acquired from Azure Standard in February.  

I knew I wanted to explore a second Pieces From the Past quilt using these fabrics.  I've made two blocks so far... I'm unsure if I will make it exactly as the first (sampler, row quilt) or if I want to make one more of a traditional sampler quilt using only 12" blocks.  I'll see what sort of direction I am led.  So far... I am really liking the coordination between the prints and solids.  The quality of the fabrics, while claiming to be "quilter's cloth" is a little disappointing.  It certainly is not top of the line but would consider most of it to be of similar weight as a custom order from Spoonflower.

Later this week (Thursday, 3/19) I will be releasing block #4 of the Little House Sampler Quilt.  The 4th book in the series is On the Banks of Plum Creek.  There is still plenty of time to get block #3, the Harvest Basket made and linked up for a chance to win a fat quarter.  I've seen an increase on activity in the pattern store... I hope to see more blocks join the party, it's not too late!  You'll only need about an hour to get it made.

I will be prepping for a quilt retreat at the end of the month.  The pattern we are using is called Ribbons and uses a layer cake set of pre-cut fabrics.  I've never purchased a layer cake was excited to find one in the clearance section of the Connecting Threads site.  Along with some credit I earned as an ambassador participating in their monthly prompts, I scored a great deal. ;)  They are offering 25% off site-wide with the code 3QUILT26 at check out if you have any needs this month - National Quilting Month.  I was too slow in purchasing the fusible batting that I use so much.  Oh, well... 

How are you celebrating National Quilting Month?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

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21st Birthday Quilt

It was just Monday morning that I started cutting into the collection of t-shirts for a customer and by the end of the day I had all of the pieces on the design wall.

Tuesday was a day to determine what fabrics to use as sashing strips and borders.  After checking with the mom of the soon-to-be-21-year-old, I was given permission to include maroon/red and grey to the black that she had asked for.  

I do love being able to use fabrics from the stash whenever possible! After making sure I had enough for the layout I had wanted, I started sewing the columns together.  

I had just enough of each fabric... there is such a minimal amount left that it was placed in the scrap bin or trash rather than back in the stash!

The greyish print that I used in the horizontal strips was from a previous quilt... The maroon fabric was left over from making the armchair covers for Dave's recliner...  The outside border was left over from a binding job on yet another quilt.

Lickety split, I had the top pieced.  The border was added and I was sandwiching the quilt by the end of Wednesday.

I chose to do a flange binding with a batik red that had snowflakes and swirls (a bit feminine but worked perfectly for that pop of color) that I picked up on a sale. It offers a great finish to the border of the quilt.

The young man played football in high school, as well as soccer and hockey before choosing to stick with football.  There are shirts from various family vacations and elementary school events.  

It was a fun quilt to make and one that I enjoyed making.  I think this was the 4th time my customer contacted me to inquire... 13th birthday, 16th birthday, HS graduation... I'm glad that she finally followed through and that I didn't give up on her as well.  Timing is everything!

The finished quilt is approximately 60"x80"... a generous size for the young man to enjoy as he watches tv or snoozes while watching golf on tv.

Or maybe that's just us... Need a nap on Sunday afternoon?  Turn on golf.  It's the perfect accompaniment to the day of rest. ;)

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

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Studio Hostage ~ Sew & Tell - 3/9/2026

 

Spring has begun to spring! Though it is very early, and we will likely still see another snowstorm or two... the tulips and hyacinths are poking their little noses out of the ground.  Our irises are turning green with new growth, as are the day lilies.

It is evident that the ground that has been dormant is waking up and releasing pollen... it happens every year... my allergies have made me miserable.  I've muddled through so far with no infection settling in and no horrible coughing spells.  Whew! It does help that I don't feel a bit of guilt by staying inside as much as possible.  The studio and fabric have accepted me as one of their own and really don't want to let me go. ;)

But before I share what I kept busy with in the studio, let's take a look at this week's featured link...  Allison at A Messy House is a Sign of a Happy Quilter summarized her green scrappy blocks from February for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

My favorites were the green pineapple blocks.  Make a visit over to her blog to see all of the other scrappy blocks she made.

Hexagon pansies were the first project to go on the design wall.  These pansies were made with a template of a 1/2 hexagon and jelly roll strips.  I won the jelly roll strips at the quilt retreat in November.  As the coordinator congratulated me, she suggested requested that I make a quilt with them and bring it back to the spring retreat.  

Since the spring retreat is a couple weeks away, I thought that I would get that item marked off the "To-do list".  I didn't really feel up to trying free-motion quilting, so I simply did an outline of the flowers and flower centers... I had asked for suggestions on how to quilt it on social media but received no help.  It seems as though they have changed the algorithms again.  :(  Trying to keep up with them is exhausting.  I'll stick to blogging for the joy of sharing my ideas and thoughts with you.  

Sorry 'bout that rabbit hole... back to the pansies. :)  No border... nothing fancy... but it is done.  If we are to have a gift exchange I will use it.  I added two little tags. It measures 28" x 32".

On Tuesday Lee Anna and I attempted to overcome technological challenges to a video call and finally settled for a phone chat.  As we chit-chatted and got to know each other better, I made the wonky star points of my Red scrappy stars, positive & negative.  

She was working on her hexagons.

Block number 3 of the Little House Sampler Quilt Sew Along - Harvest basket was released.  

The quilt math lesson was a fairly simple one.  the block has lots of pieces in it and since it is only a 6" block, the smaller pieces will be the challenging part.  The fat quarter winners from the first two blocks were notified.  Linda won the FQ from the maple leaf block party and Diann was the winner of native star party.  Who will win the FQ from the Harvest Basket party?  It could be you!  You can find the link for the post with all the details on finding the pattern here.

While I was hiding away in the quilt studio early in the week, Dave was out helping a neighbor and fixing a leak in the water system.  This meant that I had plenty of time to enjoy my books.  I finished four bookish journal blocks.  

With This Pledge is a Civil War historical book based on actual events and documents.  I enjoyed it.

Bookshop by the Sea was a light-hearted, Christian romance novel.

I f i n a l l y finished Table for Five by Susan Wiggs.  This has been on my nightstand since at least November.  It is the first physical book block for the journal.  I only read for about 15 minutes before turning out the lights.  So, it was a slow read.  Should there be some sort of designation for that?  How would I do it?  

I'm open to suggestions.

It's a clean romance novel that I would rate as a PG for some language.

I am still currently listening to the Briar Club.  It is set in the 1950s in Washington DC.  A murder mystery novel. I'm currently writing this on Saturday morning, so the likelihood that I finish it by Monday is strong.

I have the cutting table cleared, the machine had a little pedicure, and the design wall is empty.  What's Next?

I have a box of t-shirts for a custom memory quilt waiting for me!  Good thing too! I was about ready to start cleaning. LOL!

Oh, and this finally happened!  We attended a softball game for our 1st granddaughter.  She's not in any of the pictures, but she had a great game.  SIL was there and not two words exchanged... though I did witness him reminding Emma that she needed to go give hugs to us after she changed her shoes.  Continued prayers for healing in the family relationships!

Before you go... let me get to know you.  Let's play a game of this or that...  I'd go FQ bundle... they can always be cut into strips. ;)

THIS:  Fat Quarter bundle?  Or THAT:  Jelly Roll strips?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Happiness is Homemade at Esme Salon

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Tuesday Turn About at My Wee Abode

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Artsy Fartsy

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Little House Sampler Quilt Sew Along ~ Harvest Basket - Block #3

 

Welcome back!  It is time for block #3 of the Little House Sampler Quilt Sew Along.

Book #3 is the story of Almonzo Wilder's childhood.  Unlike the other books, which follow Wilder’s own life growing up on the American frontier, Farmer Boy tells the childhood story of Almanzo Wilder, Laura’s future husband. Set in 1866 in upstate New York, this book offers a vivid and detailed look at what life was like for a prosperous farming family in the post-Civil War Northeast.  Farmer Boy is structured around the calendar, offering readers a month-by-month account of life on a working farm in the 1860s. 

The inspiration for this block comes from Chapters 19 & 20 (Early Harvest & Late Harvest) with the stories of harvesting hay, oats and wheat, as well as beans, pumpkins, carrots, turnips and potatoes.

There was no time for rest and play for anyone in the family.  While the boys were all out in the field harvesting, the girls were in the house preserving.  Cucumber pickles, green-tomato pickles, and watermelon-rind pickles; they dried corn and apples and made jams and jellies.  Nothing was wasted of all the summer's bounty.  Apple cores were saved for making vinegar and a bundle of oat-straw was soaking in a tub on the back porch.  Whenever there was a spare moment, Almonzo's mother braided an inch or two of the straw for making next summer's straw hats.

The block that accompanies this book is the Harvest Basket.  It was originally a part of my Pieces From the Past series (Basket of Diamonds) and measured 9" finished.  For this quilt, like all of the LHS blocks, it needs to be 6" finished.  As you can see in the photo above, the block layout is 4 x 4 units.  Each unit needs to measure 1-1/2", finished.

The square pieces simply need 1/2" added for the seam allowance.  And like the Native Star block last time, when making Half-Square Triangle units you add 1" to the finished unit size = 2-1/2".  For a more precisely sized unit, many will add 7/8".  I prefer to use the oversized method because it allows me to square up the unit when trimming and the end result is a proper sized finished block.  Remember, you get two HST units from each set... In this pattern you will have a few extra HSTs, as noted on the pattern.  (The extras can be placed in the spare parts department.)  

Add the log cabin frame around the block and then come back to link up your finished block for a chance to win a prize!

Now for a little fun, here's a trivia question for you to answer before you go to payhip for the pattern.  

What does Almanzo win first prize for at the country fair?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth 

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

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Please NOTE:  This linky party is for Little House Sampler Quilt blocks only. ;)

That's A Wrap ~ Sew & Tell - March 2, 2026

Another month gone.  Poof! 💥 Just like that February is gone! I'll give a quick review and to wrap it up, I'll tie a pretty little bow on it. ;)  But first, let's take a look at this week's feature.  Nan at With Strings Attached shared a picture of a few placemats she made... 

"we Rotarians cooked, assembled, and delivered 130 spaghetti dinners for area seniors/shut-ins.   

This is the service project for which I made placemats all last year.  I don't know how the recipients reacted, but Rotarians liked them!  Admiration is great encouragement.  I've decided I'll make placemats for 2027. " 

It sounds like a great service project as well as an opportunity to empty those scrap bins I have!  I think the local senior center might appreciate some.  

In this second chapter of 2026, ten blocks were pieced to represent the second chapter of my reading journal. Ten books finished... some better than others, but isn't that part of life?  You have to try different things to help determine what you like and dislike... And just because you may not like something doesn't mean that it isn't important.  

The most challenging read was The Names.  It addressed domestic violence... not a topic many really want to delve into.  Does domestic violence need to end?  YES!  But much like alcoholics, the abused needs to make the decision to make it end and leave.  I've never been in such a situation, so I'll stop right there.

 

Some of the more enjoyable books I listened to were Hurricane Season, by Lauren K. Denton and Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink; Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse and the Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick.  The two latest listens were A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor a story of children saved from the streets of London in the late 1800s and early 1900s; and Smitten which is a collection of short stories about four friends trying to turn Smitten, Vermont into the most romantic town in America.  Cheesy, goofy, predictable stories with the four friends eventually falling in love and admitting their love for four different guys.  The stories did address some serious topics such as overcoming the emotional trauma of an abortion, learning to trust others despite previous hurts and breaking free from the emotional control and manipulation of others (people pleasing)... All the makings of a light-hearted Hallmark-style love story that saves a town.  As goofy as it was... I liked it. What can I say???  LOL!

I finished four quilts this month... The quilted panel, the vintage doily and this scrappy green baby quilt for a customer which will be delivered at the end of this week.

And my vintage linens quilt!  It is my favorite.  💗

What started out as a whim and no real plan has turned out beautiful!

I am so pleased with the finish that includes linens stitched by hand by my Grandma, Tressie Teegarden.  (You can learn more about in the Pieces in the Garden posts.  Follow the link on her name or click the Pieces in the Garden tab at the top of the page.)

According to a note she left pinned to them (click the link to see a photo of it), she and her friend Alice would sit and sew together, making samplers, pillowcases and other items for their hope chest. Since she married in 1935, at age 20, some of these pieces are approaching 100 years old.

I backed some pieces with fusible interfacing to keep them from going all willy-nilly. The alternating 16-patch blocks include linens and fabric from vintage aprons my Mom used to wear... most from the 1960s.

The backing matches the binding and the small border. Both the print and the vintage looking linen colored border are from @connectingthreads Perfect for this finish! 

As promised... here's the pretty little bow 

It is a new month... which means a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, which is red.  Red is not one of my go-to colors for projects, but I'm sure I will be able to make several blocks of my scrappy, wonky star blocks in positive and negative... I even have some new red scraps from the Linen Quilt Border. ;)

While Dave was away with the guys, I sorted my stash... It should be fairly easy to pull out what I want.  How long will it stay so nicely organized?

How do you sort/store your stash and fabrics?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Happiness is Homemade at Esme Salon

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Tuesday Turn About at My Wee Abode

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth 

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

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This, That & the Other ~ Sew & Tell - 2/23/26

Welcome back!  I say that to my readers and participants of the Sew & Tell party, but also to Dave, the mighty hunter camper, has returned and I am so happy. 💓 He returned empty-handed of any game but filled with stories and memories to share.

But before I get to my week of This, That & the Other... let's take a look at this week's feature.  Leeanna at Not Afraid of Color has been participating in the Stay At Home Round Robin challenge and shared her interpretation/creation for the "curves" prompt.  I've enjoyed reading about and seeing all of the various responses to the prompts in the challenge, but Leeanna has a knack for some amazing art quilts.  She has not disappointed me with this water lily in the lower left corner of the photo.  She shows us all the steps she took (and thought process) to get to her finished block... go check it out! 

I don't do much with art quilts... but I often go through a similar process with most of my quilts.  Sometimes the end result is so very different from what my initial thought or plan may have been.  Just like last week when I was working with the vintage linens.  I had thought a small crazy quilt wall hanging was my intention.  

When I realized that I didn't have enough embroidered pieces to do that I started adding in some of the crocheted edges... but then the blocks needed something more.  As I woke early one morning, I knew exactly what they needed... alternating 16-patch blocks!  But I was short enough linens.  I decided to dig a little deeper and found some vintage aprons (1960s?) from my Mom.  

I mixed them in with 3-1/2" linen squares and smiled.  The colors are washed out a bit at the bottom of the photo... indoor lighting. :(  This top is ready for borders but will wait for the delivery of the fabric I purchased from Connecting Threads with my monthly ambassador credit.  My machine was in serious need of a quick pedicure since the linens produced so. much. lint!  Follow the highlighted to link to see just how much.

As I pieced and pressed and rearranged blocks on the design wall, I listened to books... uninterrupted since I was the only one in the house.  

When I was satisfied with the layout of the linens I moved into cleaning mode and finished two books over 3 days as I sorted and reorganized my fabric stash and thoroughly cleaned my kitchen... top to bottom!

The Girl in the Blue Coat was a WWII story. After listening to that historical fiction and serious topic, I needed something a little more familiar and lighter... Mary Poppins was just the ticket... though I was surprised at how different it was from the movie. 🤷‍♀️

The next morning, I started three different books before settling on The Restoration of Celia Fairchild. I love the way Marie Bostwick can bring humor into her stories while revealing serious subjects and events.  I will say I shed a few tears for Celia but cheered as her friends gathered around her in support... Celia was indeed restored in the end.  I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

By mid-week, I was tired of the quiet.  I switched things up and pulled out all of the photos from 2021 and the beginning of 2022.  I gathered together my scrapbooking supplies and literature I had saved and set up a table in the living room.  I enjoyed reliving our travels and events of just a few years ago as I moved onto the book The Names.  It was a difficult book to listen to.  Domestic violence was in the forefront as three different storylines were told... all based on the mother's decision on registering a child's name.  Two names were against the father's (the abuser's) wishes and the third revealed their lives when she registered the name she had been told to use.  

Not only was the topic an uncomfortable one, but I also found it difficult to follow as the three stories were told in chapters that paralleled the same time by name - Bear, Julian and Gordon.  I would have had an easier time of following along had the entire story of one character at a time had been the format.  None the less... I finished the book and the block. ;)  I had discovered the floral print as I sorted my stash by color and knew immediately that it was destined for this book cover block.

If you missed it... The second block of the Little House Sampler Quilt Sew Along was released - Native Star.  You can find the link to the post that includes a math lesson and photos of the block as well as the link to the pattern... HERE.

Linda, Texas Quilt Gal was the randomly selected winner of the Little House Maple block draw.  The link for the maple leaf block is still open and will remain open until the end of the sew along.  

I have another fat quarter to be given away with the Native Star link up.  Get your pattern and join the fun!  No blog? No social media?  No problem!  Send me an email with a photo of your finished block and I will get you entered.

I picked up some new garden/farm themed fabrics this week...  which has me longing for spring. The duck print has small packets of seeds on it and is so cute!

You may recall that I don't do much gardening, but I do have a small area in front of Dave's shop that has parsley and oregano growing in it.  I harvest several times each summer and enjoy the leftovers of when my daughter Heather wanted to have a small garden during her college summers.  She definitely has her Grandpa's green thumb!  She has a container garden at her home and has it set up with an auto root watering system that she built.  It's really impressive!  

I want to start in on a new Pieces From The Past quilt, but that will need to wait until I get a commissioned baby quilt made.  My customer has requested that it be in greens.  How convenient that it happens to be the color of the month in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  💚

That's all I have for now... but before you go...

Have you started thinking toward starting your garden?

Do you start from seeds?  

Or do you start your garden with small plants?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Happiness is Homemade at Esme Salon

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Tuesday Turn About at My Wee Abode

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

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