Sunday, July 26, 2026

Hot Times ~ Sew & Tell - 7/27/26


Welcome back to Sew & Tell!  It's been a cooker here and I have been hanging out with the AC on.  My mind was buzzing with the sound of fans, but I am not uncomfortable because of heat.  "This too shall pass," is what I keep telling myself.  

The constant sound of fans has interrupted my sleep, and I may have been just a little grumpy for a day or two. It was on the second day that I decided that something had to happen...  I pulled out the violet cross-stitch blocks that came from the sister of a friend... similar to the vintage rose blocks from January.  


But first!  Let's take a look at this week's Sew & Tell feature.  Sally at Crafts, Cavies and Cooking shared her Hundred-Acre Wood quilt.

The original ask was for sage green fabrics.  Sage green covers a lot.  At the time my sage bush had mostly silvery-green leaves.  At this time of year, they are far darker green on top - more like the darker greens of the quilt.  My Russian sage still has that silvery color. 

While green is not my favorite color, I do love using green fabrics in quilts... and the varying shades Sally used in this quilt are right up my alley.  The pieced backing is a treat as well!  Make a visit to her blog to see it and learn about how the name of the quilt came about.  I love hearing the stories and "process" of decision making that one goes through from start to finish.  

The landscape in Southern Colorado doesn't have even a hint of green currently... that's how bad the drought is.  The water restrictions have been increased, including no use of a hose in the yard except for watering 3xs a week for just 1 hour each.  No filling pools of any size or spas (good thing our hot tub {set at 90-95 deg f} is good for now!

As I trimmed the violet squares and sandwiched the top, I kept hearing Dave's fears that the restrictions will become even more severe echo in my mind... meaning that any extra-territorial water users (that includes our small water association) can have service cut.  YIKES!  I certainly hope it doesn't get to that, but he is taking steps to be able to utilize the well we have.  We need to upgrade to 200-amp service (whatever that means) to be able to use the pump we have for the well.  While at the same time... we can get central AC installed.  (I am not looking forward to the cost to do this... but I do look forward to having a quieter house.)

While he worked on that with a friend some credit card thief was enjoying the use of the business cc. Grrrr... Thankfully, it was a quick resolution, and we appreciated the cc company's attention to the matter.  


After a few hours of quilting I realized that my frown had turned upside down and my mood was much improved!  To drown out the worries in my head I turned on my audio book.  I finished two this week.

Both of the historical fiction genre.  I enjoyed the story of how Clara Kelly, an Irish maid and how she influenced Andrew Carnegie.  I know it is fiction but still loved Andrew’s transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world’s first true philanthropist.

Our local library bears his name - Trinidad Carnegie Public Library.  Speaking of which... my quilts get to remain on the art wall for a second month! I've not had as many sponsors of the quilts slated to go to the two pregnancy centers I have chosen to support but there's now even more time to gain support for the cause.


A Pair of Aces was a story set in New York City in the 1930s and wove the story of a black, female assistant DA and a well-known Madame who was a Russian immigrant together to bring down a mobster.  I was surprised at the end when the two authors shared the fact that both women's characters were based on real people and actual names.  

I am still waiting for the shipment and delivery of the main fabric for Lala's Irish Chain quilt and sew Along.  I have found a comfortable place in the living room - at the computer - writing up the posts with directions for each step.  I'll be honest... the shortage of fabric has kept me from dashing ahead of everyone.  If not for that I'm not sure I would be able to hold back. And... if I get all of the posts and stories written out before the fabric arrives... look out!  I'll be dashing off in a sprint.  LOL!

Last week we sewed squares to rectangles to create corner stone units.  Are you ready for the next step?  All of the links for this sew along now have a tab at the top of Melva Loves Scraps.


One last quick 100-day thing I created was one final aqua block for the RSC.  A new color will be selected soon.  I'm guessing thinking purple since we haven't used that one yet.  Technically, it could have fallen into the "pastels" realm of the challenge.  I think it will be a good transition block.

I've been keeping with the 100-days of creativity challenge... baking or cooking (breakfast) on the grill has qualified as "creative" a couple times... and I have a crock full of pickles on the kitchen counter currently.  Somedays I consider the time of writing here on the blog as my creative time...  It all keeps me going!

How is YOUR "voice of creativity" expressed?

I just read a thing on-line about how fabric has been used as political statements for centuries.  I learned during the Pieces From the Past sew along that the Double T block was such a statement. It was quite interesting!

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Thursday, July 23, 2026

Lala's Irish Chain - Week II


Welcome back Melva Loves Scraps and Week 2 of Lala's Irish Chain Sew Along.

This week's step is adding cornerstones (2-1/2" squares) to the 2-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles - one on each end.

Press seams to the cornerstones.


Let me offer a quick introduction of Lala Teegarden as written by her youngest child, Forrest E. Teegarden (my maternal grandfather).

My Mama's name was Atchafalya Davis.  She was known as Lala.  She was born on October 14, 1876, in Knoxville, Ray County, Missouri.  Lala bore the lovely Indian first name that her family shortened to "Lala".  Mama was a seamstress in town.  She also cooked meals at the Christian Church once a week.  

And from my Mom's memories of her...

Her parents were John Munroe Davis and Susan Independence Albertson Davis.  Grandma was short and she had white hair that went to her waist.  She wore it in a figure eight on top of her head.  She was easy going.  She did lots of things for the Christian Church.  Once a week she helped to serve a noon meal to raise money to help pay for the new church.

Grandma had a quilting frame set up in the dining room where ladies from the church would come and quilt.  Grandma often sewed for other ladies to earn some spending money.
The ladies quilting group

I would have enjoyed a day of quilting with Lala.  The ladies often sold the quilts that they worked on.  You can read one story of how a quilt I believe was one such quilt found its way into my hands via a customer HERE.

I'm not a part of a regular quilting group, though I have attended a few retreat weekends.  I adore the Elm Creek Quilt books and have often dreamed of having such a special circle of friends.  I am, however, so very grateful for the friends I have here at Melva Loves Scraps!

Do you have a close circle of quilters?
Do you work on your own quilting projects?
Do you work on a community project?

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

Late to the party?  No worries!  You can find the fabric requirements here and the cutting instructions here.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m




Sunday, July 19, 2026

R & R in RR ~ Sew & Tell - 7/20/26


Thanks for coming back to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party!  I did not have much of a chance to visit everyone this week... But I have a good reason for it!  I know that you are all familiar with the party and trust that you made visits to those that share links.  Many thanks for doing that!  Since I was amiss in my task, I'll be skipping the weekly feature. 

My reason for being a poor hostess??? We were off camping in the mountains surrounding Red River, NM. 😎 I'll do better this week, promise!


It was such a refreshing time!  Three nights of some of the best sleep (which we refer to "camper sleep)!  Quiet mornings as we watched the day wake up, enjoyable bike rides into town as we observed what had changed and how since we visited last October and short conversations with residents and visitors as we strolled the sidewalks in the afternoons before the monsoon rains started, followed by pleasant afternoons and evenings putting together a puzzle and listening to the book, "Theo of Golden."

Lunch at our favorite place... Red River Brewery was a must.  It was during that lunch that we discovered that we could access an upper patio with beverages and people watch from a perch!  LOL!  We returned home on Friday afternoon so relaxed... yet we were still, somehow, tired.  Though... maybe it was not really tired.  It may have been just truly relaxed, mellow and unwound.

The high temps while in RR were upper 70s and lower 80s.  We returned to upper 80s at home and the use of the AC unit in the living room and the sound of fans helping to distribute cooler air to the rest of the house.

It is this time of the year that I find myself resisting the afternoon sun in the studio by 3 o'clock and in search of a cooler place.  I could have had the window unit placed in the room... I opted out because I enjoy the mornings in the studio more than the afternoon anyway! 


I pieced Bookish Journal Quilt blocks on Saturday morning...

Theo of Golden... Excellent book.  Here's the author's description of the book.

Theo of Golden is the endearing story of a curious old man who quietly moves into a southern city and, for reasons unknown to anyone but himself, undertakes a campaign of anonymous generosity. 

Theo’s love for people, combined with his fondness for books, art, birds, and story, unite in a colorful expression of outreach and affection. 

Stories are shared, friendships are born, and lives, in response to his inexplicable kindness, are affirmed and transformed. 

The old man, no stranger to sadness and loss, quickly becomes a welcome presence in the community but his new friends and neighbors wonder, who is Theo? And why is he here? 

Beautifully written stories of kindness and neighborliness are always timely, but perhaps especially so now. 

Meet Theo of Golden. He’s happy to meet you.

We loved it and it left us wanting to share more kindness and neighborliness with others and asking ourselves, "how can we do that?"

I was able to finish the Porcupine Year (book & block) just before we left.  The second book had a different narrator which I found an improvement.  I will pick up with that series after I listen to my full Libby bookshelf.  I didn't have any fabric with a porcupine on it, so I settled for some woodland creatures. ;)

Up next is Carnegie's Maid, followed by Necessary Lies, A Pair of Aces, Nora Goes Off Script and One Thousand White Women.  I'll be sewing (and cleaning and laundry) with earbuds!


I am ready for Week II of Lala's Irish Chain.  The story has been written, and the pictures of the next steps have been inserted.  

Do you have your pieces cut?  

You can find those instructions by following the link above.  That is where you will find the fabric requirements as well.

I know that I could have probably saved some time by using strip piecing for the patchwork blocks, but I really wanted to have more of a variety than strip piecing can give you.  I'm pretty certain that Lala would not have used strip piecing. ;) And I'm still quite surprised at how many of you told me you would want to join the sew along!  It's been magical and special... and I look forward to seeing your Irish Chains. 💗

Have you read Theo of Golden?
How do you spread kindness to others?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Thursday, July 16, 2026

Lala's Irish Chain ~ A New Sew Along

Welcome!  It didn't take much convincing for me to turn my idea of replicating my great-grandmother's Irish Chain quilt into a sew along.  

I shared my plan and asked if anyone might be interested in sewing along with me...

There seemed to be a strong interest so here we are!

Just like that... 🪄 We have Lala's Irish Chain Sew Along!

I'll run it a more "informal" with a new step each week for 8-9 weeks.  No weekly prizes this time but I'll offer a chance to win something for those that get the quilt finished.  I'll be giving instructions for two different sizes original size - 7 x 8 layout or 8x8 layout, which is what I will be making.  The original will finish at approximately 78" x 88".  The larger size will be approximately 88" square.

The schedule will look something like this:

Week 1 - Cutting Instructions
Week 2 - Setting block frames with cornerstones
Week 3 - Frame setting blocks
Week 4 - Patchwork Pairs - set 1
Week 5 - Patchwork Pairs - set 2
Week 6 - 5x5 Patchwork blocks
Week 7 - Layout and Top
Week 8 - Border
Week 9 - Sandwich & Quilt

It isn't a difficult pattern and honestly, if you want to sew at a faster pace by figuring out the steps on your own... that's fine too!  This would make a great leader/ender project if you have another quilt you are working on. ;)

I will not (I keep telling myself this!) be making a second quilt as I have in a few other sew alongs (LH and Pieces of my Life).  For this reason, I am really going to try to slow my pace and be closer to the steps of the participants.   I will need to work ahead just a bit in order to get photos of each step.

Here's what you need for fabric:

3 yards of background fabric
1 jelly roll of 40 2-1/2" strips (or lots of assorted scraps)
3 yards of main color (this includes patchwork blocks, border and binding).
Backing of your choice

So here we are... Week 1 with the cutting instructions.  Original size numbers are in the parentheses.  

Background fabric:
32 (28) 6-1/2" Squares
128 (112) 2-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles
128 (112) 2-1/2" squares

Main color fabric:
288 (252) 2-1/2" squares

Assorted fabrics (jelly roll or scraps)
384 (336) 2-1/2" squares (for the patchwork squares)
128 (112) 2-1/2" squares (for the cornerstones)

If you know me... you know that it could not be a real Melva Loves Scraps Sew Along unless I share some stories or photos and such about Lala Teegarden.... Just who is she?  And what did she do?  I'll fill in some details next week.

Before you go... I'd love to know...

Will you be using a jelly roll?
Or will you be using scraps?

Happy cutting!

Melva

Linking with:

m

Sunday, July 12, 2026

The Beginning of a Beautiful Thing ~ Sew & Tell - 7/13/26

 
Welcome back to Sew & Tell... the weekly party where you are able to share your recent projects (finished or progress) and friends get inspired and encourage one another!


I had a fun week in the studio.  But before I tell you all about that let's take a look at the featured selection from last week's party.  There were several scrappy style projects shared but Alycia's Pringles quilt in progress was the one that was randomly selected.

She had a huge growth spurt all due to the AC going down and repairmen needing supervision.   I'm sure her dogs would have done a fine job on their own... or not. ;)  If you want to know more about how it all started and the dimensions of the pieces she is using head over to Alycia Quilts.  What a fun scrap-buster!


I started the week out with a new wall decor plan...  Using some of the "African fabric" from my stash closet I created some new quilted wall art pieces.  I used wool batting scraps and did some quilting and then wrapped them over 8" x 10" canvas boards.  

Below shows them in context, on the wall...  I wish I didn't have the electrical cord there but I've gotta have light!  And having it overhead without needing to rewire the house requires an extension cord. ;)


Pleased with the way it looks I was on the hunt for my next "creative" project for the 100-day challenge.  Someone recently asked me what the 100-day project challenge was... "The 100-DayProject is a creativity excavation.  It’s about unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity by committing to a daily practice every day for 100 days."

My personal challenge is broad and forgiving... It doesn't have to be the same project every day... It doesn't have to be the same activity every day...  It only needs to be something that you make with or put together with your hands.  It doesn't need to be ALL day, either!  Ten to 15 minutes... or 4-5 hours... whatever works. Now, this fits into my wheelhouse!


Anyway... I was looking for my next creative project.  I had finished 2 books and made their 9-patch blocks and was cleaning up from that quick project and putting away fabric in the stash closet in the guest room. 
(See my thoughts on these two books here.)

I've been enjoying seeing the Irish Chain Patchwork quilt made in the early 1940s by my great-grandmother when I have need to go in there...

I had a new jelly roll in hand... Suddenly I found myself writing out the dimensions and number of pieces needed and calculating how many blocks I needed to replicate the vintage quilt... and how many I would need if I made it larger... and which blue fabric I should choose...

Several readers chimed in that they would be interested in a sew along making Lala's Irish Chain quilt.  Well then... let's do that!  It will be a beautiful thing!

Watch for details later this week! Start gathering your supplies now... I'll be waiting for you... and my delivery of fabric.  Here's what you need for fabric:

3 yards of background fabric
1 jelly roll of 40 2-1/2" strips (or lots of assorted scraps)
3 yards of main color (this includes patchwork blocks, border and binding).
Backing of your choice

I had to order additional light blue fabric from Connecting Threads for my main color.  Yes, I settled with the light blue ;)  It was the most popular choice on social media and here on MLS.  As a few pointed out... how can you go wrong with either?  LOL!  More than that... I decided that I would keep the quilt, using flannel rather than regular batting to make it a lightweight summer quilt - Dave liked this idea as well.  The same blue fabric will be used for the backing.  

The "summer quilt" we currently have is 20-ish years old and looking a little tattered and worn.  I will repurpose in some manner... maybe later during the 100-day challenge. 


As I cut the pieces for Lala's Irish Chain, I listened to The Italian Ballerina.  Very good book.  The story told of how a small Jewish girl was saved by two American soldiers during WWII.

I then started a short (5 hours) audio book by Louise Erdrich, The Birchbark House.  It was recommended on the Modern Prairie blog.  

"The Little House on the Prairie books only tell half of the story of life on the prairie and manifest destiny. To read about the experience of the indigenous people who lived on the prairies, read The Birchbark House series by Louise Eldrich. 

It is the story of a little girl named Omakayas. She is a member of the Ojibwe community, is the same age as Laura Ingalls, and lives near the same area where some of the Little House books take place.

The story is filled with Omakayas’s stories of nature, her family, handcrafts and food that were vital to the survival of the people living on the prairies. It’s a wonderful companion to the Little House books."

As a lover of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the LH books I felt it was worth checking out. A few hours in now, it is evident to me that it was definitely written (and narrated) for a younger audience, but still interesting.  Have you heard of this series?

That's all for now.  Let's get the party started!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Thought-filled Thursday

I've had more "free time" lately and have really missed the whole process of quilting... every step involved.

From the inception of idea to the designing of a pattern and fabric selection... the cutting and piecing... and quilting and finishing.  Every. Single. Step.  It's been over a month since I have had a quilt finish!  Ack!!!

I've enjoyed the 100-day challenge that I have embraced for the summer months.  The variety keeps me going.  I've baked... I've done paper embroidery... I've pieced... I've redecorated my "art" wall in the studio... I've even learned about creating reels for social media. LOL!


I have passed the days unguided and free...  recently I have finished listening to two books - The Secrets She Kept was the second in a series.  My personal opinion was that it wasn't as good as the first.  

A mystery needed to be solved... and in the end, it was.  Some of the characters were annoying as were a sub-plot or two... and some of the lines were so cheesy.

Perhaps it was the narrator that made me feel this way.  Nonetheless, not a book that I spent time grieving at the end of it.

The Girls with No Names... a heartbreaking story that took place in the early 1900s.  This one required some time to process.

I tried to start a new book right away... I was unable to truly focus on a new story.  I started Theo of Golden but set it aside because I think it is one that Dave will really enjoy.  I'm saving it for a trip.

So... sans any ear buds and book... I turned my attention to a vintage quilt that was made in the 1940s by my Great-grandmother, Lala Teegarden.  This quilt happens to be the quilt that is currently on display on the guest bed.

I recently picked up a jelly roll from Connecting Threads and started imagining the fabrics in the set paired with blue.

But which blue?  The lighter blue?  Or the darker blue?


The darker blue is much more traditional and stands out... the lighter blue offers a softer look... very much low volume.  Almost like a watercolor.  It could make for a nice summertime quilt... especially if I were to use flannel instead of batting.  If I make it larger than the original quilt Dave and I could have a new summer quilt for the bed.   

The traditional is much more my "style"... but how does one grow and evolve if you never try something new and step outside the box.

I think I need to marinade on this!  I'll ask Dave what he thinks as well.

As I continue to think and consider I will be at the cutting table.  I have calculated on paper all of the sizes and number of pieces needed.


For anyone interested... the patchwork squares in the 5x5 block are 2-1/2"... making the block 10" finished. 

I could implement some strip piecing for the patchwork... but I think I want the opportunity to carefully select the blocks for the "scrappy" look.

Besides... I'm not in a hurry, right!?



The setting squares are also 10" finished... but I am making mine with a 6-1/2" square with a 2-1/2 frame with cornerstones. 

An up-close look at the original block reveals that the cornerstones are appliqued into place... I am choosing to do it a bit different with a pieced block.  

The original layout has 28 blocks each in a 7x8 layout.  If I make it larger it will have 32 each and an 8x8 layout.

I'll start with cutting pieces of the white fabric for the smaller size... I can always cut more... and then I'll move on to the cornerstones.  

It seems strange to not have to rush into a decision and not be concerned about trying to get it finished as quick as possible...  I could get used to this. ;)  Does anyone want this to be a sew along?  Leave a comment...

Chime in with your opinion about the lighter or darker blue... 
Why would you choose that color.

I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m



Sunday, July 5, 2026

Scraps for a Cause ~ Sew & Tell - 7/6/26

I hope that you enjoyed the Patriotic weekend celebrating the 250th birthday of the United State of America 🎆 and that it was a safe and fun celebration.

Ours was pleasant with cooler temps. ;)  But before I jump into the activities of the week, let's take a look at this week's feature...

Gwyned shared an 8″ x 8″ sampler quilt to incorporate several of the Pinterest inspirations (of FMQ). Isn't it amazing?!?  Head over to her blog to learn more about it.

Our weekend activities found us attending the "dry" 4th of July parade.  The drought conditions have forced the city to implement water restrictions which meant not allowing the water parade to take place.  It was still well attended.


On Sunday morning we were up before the sunrise to drive to a small balloon rally held in Raton, NM.  Just a short 30-minute drive delivered some fun entertainment.  It was a joy watching the patchwork of colors ascend into the sky.


The smoke from the fires in Southern Colorado has been horrible making it difficult to spend much time outside due to poor air quality.  Two of them within a 1-hour drive has affected numerous friends we know, none have lost their homes or businesses.  The fire crews are finally getting a handle on it.  Continue to pray for them and those that are displaced. 

While the poor air quality is an inconvenience, we are grateful for the fact that we are not directly impacted by the fires.

We have several friends that were evacuated from their home on Monday.  They then had to evacuate from their "safe place" on Wednesday because of a shift in wind and sudden growth of the fire.  The fire is located near the castle we had visited when camping two weeks ago!  And it is about 5 (&7) miles from our daughters' homes in Pueblo... Yikes.

All this to say that I've been searching for ways to keep my mind and hands occupied and body cool... and then I found a free pattern for a sweet little mini-Dresden block (from A Crafty Fox) on Tuesday and since I had Red/White/Blue on the mind I played with them for a few hours while it was cooler in the studio.  The studio gets quite warm in the afternoon and by 3 p.m.... I am ready to scoot out of there for the day.

I had one plate circle and started auditioning assorted centers.

On Wednesday I decided that I liked the flag circle for the center... and then proceeded to make another "plate" of red and white and placed the dark blue circle in the center.  Ta-da!

What should I applique them on to?

I assisted with the hanging of my quilts on the art wall at the Trinidad Carnegie Public Library one morning.


Here's the information about the display...

In 2025 I joined an on-line challenge for quilters – The Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The “rules” were pretty basic.

Pick a project that is simple and will work with the scraps that you have. Square or rectangle blocks are common.  Maybe you have too many strings or crumbs (tiny pieces of fabric). You can make the Rainbow Scrap Challenge work with what you want to use up.  Each month will have a new color assigned (suggested) to work with.
My personal goal was to use as many scraps as possible that I had tucked away in storage bins for the quilt tops and use larger pieces from my “stash closet” for the backings.  The quilts on display here (and many more) were the result of the challenge.  

Some quilts were given as gifts, still others were purchased by customers.  In total I made more than 30 quilts and in a rough estimation I used over 117 yards of scrap fabric!


All of the quilts displayed are ideal for babies or toddlers.  I know of two crisis pregnancy centers that will make certain these quilts will find a good home.  If you would like to be a part of making the donations even more special, you can “sponsor” a quilt by making a monetary donation via Venmo.  

The average sale price of the quilts is $40 each. If you would like to donate one of these quilts to the centers, you can make a payment of $40 or more.  Be sure to include the name you want on the donation card to be sent with the quilt.


A donation of or any amount will help to cover the cost of delivery.  
The quilts will be offered to the Hope Pregnancy Center in Trinidad.  A few will be sent to a special organization that celebrates with the Moms who choose life over a visit to the Fort Collins Planned Parenthood center by hosting baby showers.  

Would you like to join me in supporting these two organizations? Scan the QRC.






 

Let's get the linky party started!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m