A Bucket List for 2016

As the year of 2015 nears the end, I am turning my thoughts to 2016 and formulating some ideas for what quilts I would like to make... A "Bucket List" of sorts.  

From another blog... 100 Things Every Quilter Should Do  There are 28 items on the list that I have yet to do.  I probably won't complete the list in 2016 because there are some things on the list that won't happen - like create a Pintrest board with quilt images - I just don't mess with Pintrest.  And I don't see that I will be visiting Paducah or Houston during the big quilt shows...

While that was an interesting list I am going to make my own list.

1.  Crayon quilt

2.  Learn to free-motion quilt "feathers"

3.  "Pixelated" photo quilt

4.  Hand quilt a throw-sized quilt  

5.  Make/Give a wedding quilt (pattern yet to be determined)
6.  Denim Cathedral Window quilt  (I have some denim circles cut but need to work on selecting the flannel)

7.  "Wonky" scrap quilt (something like this one...)  

8.  Submit a block to Quiltmaker for their 100 Blocks, vol 14  (watch for updates about this one!)









9.  Amish style quilt  (I love the jewel-toned solid fabric used in this one!)

10. Participate in the local Farmer's Market - Trinidad Community Farmers Market
11. Donate a quilt for a fundraising event

So, there you have it... my "Bucket List" for 2016.

May your coming year be blessed with friends, loving family, good health and lots of quilts!

Happy New Year!

Melva

Merry Christmas!

I am a few days late...  I love this poem... a testament to the generosity and hearts of kindness of quilters. Merry Christmas!

A Quilter's Night Before Christmas

(author unknown)

'Twas the night before Christmas,

And the quilts were not made.

The threads were all tangled, the cookies delayed.

The stocking weren't hung, the pantry was bare.

The poor weary Quilter, was tearing her hair.

Stacks of fat quarters, tipped over in streams.

Visions of Log Cabins, had turned into dreams.

When what to her wondering eyes should appear,

But a bus full of quilters with all of their gear.

They went straight to work with just a few mutters,

Sorting and stitching and brandishing cutters.

The patterns emerged from all of the clutter,

Like magic the fabrics arranged in a flutter.

Log Cabins, Lone Stars, Flying Geese & Bear Tracks

Each quilt was a beauty-even the backs.

Her house how it twinkled, her quilts how they glowed.

The cookies were baking, the stockings were sewed.

Their work was all done, so they folded their frames,

And packed up their needles, without giving their names.

They boarded the bus, and checked the next address.

More quilts to be made, another quilter in distress.

She heard one voice echo, as they drove out of sight,

Happy quilting to all and to all a good night!

~Author Unknown

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

As I look back over all of the quilts I have made this year a few stand out... And here's why.... 

My Top Five - 

5 - This modern quilt was a new style for me and I loved the batik African-style fabric.

4. - This Patriotic wall hanging is among my favorites because of who it was for - a very special friend - and for what it means to be the Lay Director of a Walk to Emmaus weekend.

3. - This log cabin quilt makes my top 5 ... for a couple reasons - I love log cabin blocks and it covers our bed.  But more than that I love the colors and for sometime I had wanted to make a quilt using the brown/blue combo.  This quilt helped me to become a better quilter... You may notice the mis-placed blocks on the left side of the quilt.  I couldn't just leave them there!  I pulled the stitches that held the blocks in place and then hand sewed them back in, in the proper placement.  It was necessary to do since it was to be part of the quilting tutorials that Bonnie Hunter did for Quiltmaker magazine.

2. - This Air Force Academy quilt features the 2017 graduating class of cadets.  The son of a dear friend graduated from the Academy a few years ago and it continues to hold a special place in my heart... for all of that the cadets do just to be accepted into the Academy, for all of their hard work while a cadet and for what their future hold and the risk involved in their commitment to the Air Force.

  1. - This quilt... actually there are four of them - all are MS quilts in memory of Tracy Valdez, the daughter of a close friend that lost her battle with MS in 2011.  I had donated some blocks to a group, Quilts for MS, in 2014, they had quilt tops made and auctioned them off as a fundraiser.  Tracy's mom, Sandi, purchased two that had a photo block of Tracy on them.  I made two additional quilts so that Sandi's 4 grand-daughters would each have one.

 Grand Prize Winner! ~ This Broken Star quilt was actually one of my least favorite to make, just because of the difficulties I faced in making it.  It was a kit that included inconsistently sized pieces, causing the assembly of the quilt to be the most difficult quilt project I have faced so far.  However, the finished project is beyond astounding!  And I am proud to say I did not quit!  And I can check off one of my "Bucket List" items!

So there you have the run-down of a "few of my favorite things".  Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melva

See what other quilters are talking about at Quilter Blogs

The "Annual" Update...

     This year was a very busy year!  I spent many days in my sewing room quilting.  I completed 22 quilts in total and quilted  four more for a friend. 

     I was selected to be part of an elite group of quilters - “The Addicted to Scraps” quilters -  by the editors of the Quiltmaker magazine.  With each publication they feature a block pattern by Bonnie Hunter, a well-known quilter & teacher.  Each person in the group was to make two quilts featuring one of her block patterns.  The quilts were then featured in their blog, magazine or “digital class”

  This Idaho Square Dance quilt  was my first one to complete for the group...  You can read all about the quilt here Zia's Square Dance.

And this Log Cabin Love quilt was quite the challenge for me!

     I spent a fair amount of time driving up and down I-25 as Mom’s chauffeur as she consulted with an orthopedic surgeon in south Denver & scheduled surgery for a double knee replacement in May. She  has regained full range of motion, is no longer in pain and  is once again enjoying her daily walks. 

     August was an exciting month… I had the opportunity to meet Bonnie Hunter as she filmed tutorials for Quiltmaker, we celebrated Emma’s 1st birthday...

We also celebrated our 30th anniversary and the airing of the NRA All Access show that featured Dave and Nolan Quality Customs!

You can watch the video at https://gunsmithing.nra.org/

     We have worked consistently and diligently for the past 2-1/2 years in getting the business started and growing and felt that we were finally in a position where we could take a little time to travel.  We drove to Sun Valley, ID in October. We stopped in Salt Lake City for a day on the way there.  We explored the Temple Square as well as Salt Lake & Antelope Island.  While in SV we enjoyed several days relaxing at a friend’s condo, taking long walks and leisurely drives on back roads.

     The girls have their own busy schedules , between work and friends but  we do catch up with them every few weeks - usually by us traveling to Pueblo to run errands or to help with a project. 

     2015 has been a great year… but what does the future year hold? Isaiah 43 says 

  Join us here next year to find out… or keep up with us on Facebook!  

Christmas blessings to you,

Melva

Blessed to Pieces!

Last weekend I started another Bronco's quilt... As I finished up the top and waited to hear from a friend about whether or not she wanted to purchase it as a gift.

I knew I had an order for a table runner that had been requested.  However, I allowed myself to become distracted and started placing on the design wall a series of tiny (1-1/2 inch squares) in a variety of colors... 

with the intention of someday reaching a final outcome that resembles this...

Isn't this one of the coolest things?!?  For years I have been in awe of the quilts that are "pixelated" photo quilts and those that had the patience to make them. This is probably the closest I will ever come to making one.  

I was having a good time!  I really didn't care that I had another project waiting in the wings...  At that moment, I only wanted to work on the Rooster! It was nearing the end of the day on Sunday and the harsh reality of the situation was that I needed to walk away from my design wall and all those tiny nuggets of fabric and go figure out something for dinner... **hanging head and pouting** I went.

Monday morning arrived and as tempting as it was to get back to the rooster - I mean the little pieces were still laying on my ironing board and what I had started was smack dab in the middle of my design wall!  None the less, I pulled out all of my red scraps and proceeded to make 48 flying geese for the flag table runner that I had an order for...

   And then suddenly the order turned into two!

So there you have it... my week thus far!  It has been quite productive... and fun!

I do love being able to make quilts for others and contribute to a portion of our income.  What a blessing!  A blessing that I do not take lightly...

So, now that those projects are on their way to their happy owners (yes, the Bronco quilt was purchased by a very special lady who is giving it to her sister. As she would describe her... the #1 Bronco fan!)  I can turn back to my rooster.

I am approaching it in much the same way as I did counted cross-stitch.  Doing a section at a time with all the same (or in this case similar) color...

Do you know of a better way???  Let me know.  I'd love to hear from you...

May you be blessed to pieces during this Holy Season.

Melva

Who Can Use Some "Happy"?

The news reports of late have been quite depressing and disturbing.  It seems that the world has gone mad!!!  Mad, I tell you!!!!!!!  From the Paris terrorism attacks, to the Planned Parenthood attack in Colorado Springs and the attacks in California yesterday... 

I don't know about you, but I could some some "happy" about now.  

Here is just one page that I found that has positive stories that can help to restore my faith in humanity... Positive News

To help with my "happy" I have put on one of my favorite Christmas shirts and will be headed to my sewing room.  But really, how about some "pay it forward" random act of kindness stories?  What happened to the stories of people paying on lay-away accounts of strangers and giving money to random shoppers?  What about the gold coins in the Salvation Army buckets?  Kindness is just as contagious as violence and anger...

In the meantime, I have a quilt that is ready for binding.  

I am vacillating (haha! A big word... in an attempt to keep my posts a little less boring) between hand sewing the binding and machine stitching the binding with a decorative button hole stitch - I saw this on somewhere on the web... I think it was from Amy's Creative Side... (I should really pay more attention to these details. :/ ) Nope not at Amy's. But I still enjoy her blog.

The hand stitching of the binding is always so soothing for me and offers an extended period of time in prayer as I hand sew... but the idea of using the button hole stitch is very intriguing to me.  

I love to try new techniques...  I think I just made the decision... Button hole binding it is!

Do you have a  personal pay it forward story?  Please share!  I could use some happy... and there are a lot of people that could use some happy.  I am here to encourage you... share!  

Happy Christmas!

Melva