Thanks For Stopping By!

Thanks for stopping by Melva Loves Scraps!  The title says it all... I love scraps! I am a Homemaker who loves to quilt, especially with a scrappy look.   I love the challenge of working with scraps, remnants and cast-offs to bring forth something beautiful.

This doesn't just apply to quilting, but with life in general!  I love to cook.  But given the fact that Dave & I are empty-nesters, this means that we have plenty of leftovers.  I love to accept the challenge of transforming leftovers into new meals.

I also have a love for scrapbooking and have a serious need to get caught up... I am three years behind!  This blog was originally started in 2011 when I participated in a weekly scrapbooking challenge.  I soon lost interest in the challenge and the blog went to the wayside until I submitted a block for volume 8 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks publication.  It was shortly after that I decided that this blog would be a great way to document and share the stories of my quilts and some of the thoughts and experiences of life as I create them.

I hope that you enjoy your visit and that you will choose to return on occasion because you just never know what I might be doing or what my latest project may be.  Some say I am crazy, some say talented… all I know is that life keeps me on my toes!   And I do my best to keep a positive attitude and a sense of humor… and my faith keeps me on my knees and looking up.

Remember, when life gives you scraps, make a quilt!

Some of my favorite quilts…

Desert Oasis...

was a quilt created during a very uncertain time of our lives.  My husband had faced some serious challenges with his job and the future of our financial security and employment were hanging in the balance.  At the same time my Dad was facing the last days of his life. You can read the entire story here.  This was a quilt that offered healing to me as I worked on it.  I enjoyed using it for a short time… I then passed it on to the brother-in-law of a former high school classmate who had suffered a serious stroke.  He has since passed away, but his wife continues to enjoy the quilt and draws comfort from it.

The Rooster Quilt...

was probably the most intimidating quilt that I have made.  It consists of 1,092 pieces that are 1-inch finished squares.  It was a springboard type project - I recently did another one of a cross and I am currently in the midst of laying out and piecing another “photo” quilt... the face of Jesus. 

The Broken Star Quilt...

was one of the most difficult quilts I have done… It was a 30-year old kit with pre-cut pieces that were inconsistent in size.  You can read about this quilt and all of the headaches and problems I faced while piecing it here.

This Love of Log Cabins quilt was created while I was part of the Addicted to Scraps group  associated with Quiltmaker Magazine & Bonnie Hunter.  

The full story about how there were two misplaced blocks that were discovered after it had been completed and what I decided to do to fix it is here. I was working with a deadline and felt rushed... which is probably why the misplacement was overlooked...

Had I been a little more diligent in taking photos along the way I may have noticed the misplacement of the two blocks.  

It was about 17 years ago when I had started going to a block of the month group and one of the tips the teacher gave was to go to the hardware store and buy a peep hole and use it backwards… it reduces the quilt top so that you can have a better view of what the quilt top looks like from a distance.  Rather than use a peep hole, I now use my digital camera. I snap a photo and can quickly see if there is something out of place…  This is the technique I have used with the digitized Jesus photo.  

I could see that the shading around his nose & lips were quite right… So would change a few blocks and snap another photo and then change a few more... the changes toward the end were very subtle, but necessary.  Have you ever done a pieced "photo" quilt?  Any tips you are willing to share?

So, my tip for quilting... take lots of pictures.  My tip for blogging... take lots of pictures... Readers like pictures and to see the progress of a project.

This is something that I have emphasized to my husband, Dave, over the past three years.  As the "director of marketing" (just one of many other roles) for our business I am always looking for something to share on fb for his page Nolan Quality Customs.  I have been encouraging him to start his own blog... He has been in his trade (gunsmithing) for 30+ and he taught for 18+ years during that.  He has a wealth of knowledge that he can share in his trade. So there is another blogging tip - Just Do It!  At least start it and it will evolve into what it needs to be.  

Again, thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melva               

See what other quilters are talking about at Quilter Blogs