Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Let's Go Camping - Friendships Made



Friends made while camping have a special bond... most of the time because it involves laughter, dirt and lack of sleep.  


While I was in Girl Scouts, I never got to experience Girl Scout camp... I did enjoy several youth retreat weekends that did involve laughter and lack of sleep, but not dirt.  This is from an Up With Youth event held in Estes Park in 1983...




Both of our daughters participated in Girl Scouts (I was even a Daisy and Brownie Troop leader) and both went to Camp Elliott Barker located near Angel Fire, NM.  Our oldest, Heather, had desired to have a horse.  So she signed up for the horseback riding camp so that she could learn about caring for the horses as well as improving her riding skills.  

The next year she signed up for the Outdoor Program Aide camp... (she may have decided that caring for a horse was way more work than she had originally thought.  😉)  The OPA program was training to be a member of the camp staff.  She and all the other OPA girls got to pick their camp names... they said it was easier for the younger campers to remember "silly names" than the actual names... I think there was a bit of privacy offered with the camp names as well.  She chose Tigger as her camp name.



She participated for two years as a camper and when she was 16 she became a junior counselor and was part of the paid staff.  She knew all of the camp songs, she was trained in first aid, fire starting, orienteering, etc.  

She loved the independence of being away from home for 2 months... I'll be honest... I struggled a little with that (yeah, yeah, yeah... I  struggled a lot!  She was only 16!)  

They would have a ten-day session followed by a two-day furlough.  And she didn't always come home.  It was a two hour drive home... a few times she opted to go to a friend's place that was "closer".  Like I said, I struggled a lot!
     
None the less, she gained great experience in handling all of her laundry and other needs and emergencies of life.  

She was even a cover girl for the camp schedule one year!!!


I love the fact that Dave and I were able to encourage both of our girls to strive to be leaders, and upstanding citizens, contributing to the future of our world.

Heather has not stayed in touch with any of the other young ladies that were counselors while she was at Camp Elliott Barker, but I know that she holds those memories as special times in her mind.  



When I asked her about her favorite memory from camp she said, 

"The camp outs! Not necessarily the sleeping in tent or cabin with 3 walls 😳 but cooking over a fire, making s'mores, and singing songs!"

Make new friends, but keep the old...
One is silver, and the other gold.
A circle round that has no end
That's how long I'm gonna be your friend.


Did you go to Girl Scout camp or Youth camp? Did you make life long friends?
Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you. 💖

Piece Out,

Melva

Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series


Linking with:
Let's Go Camping with Pat Sloan
BOMs Away at What A Hoot Quilts
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion By the River
Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

2018 Monthly Color Challenge :: Blue-Violet



If you happen to be looking for the prize give away it is on the Peek-A-Who hop post.

This month's color challenge of Blue-Violet by Jen at Patterns By Jen, was a tad bit easier than the Red-Violet of last month!  Last month I had to dig deep to find just the right shades of fabric to include...



As I pulled fabric the favorites "floated to the top" quickly...



As I pieced this block I pondered just how fragile life and relationships can be.  A word or statement to another can be misunderstood and cause some great pain.  A month ago my husband and I recently made the decision to leave the worship team that we have been a part of for nearly 17 years because of a "statement" made... an action really, but actions speak louder than words... and that action cut to the core.    

So... after being committed to attending and leading worship for so many Sundays we were a little lost about what to do on that first Sunday "off".  We decided to go for a leisurely Sunday drive on Highway 12 and enjoy the scenery of the Scenic Highway of Legends.  This was an area that was ravaged by the Spring fire this summer.  Many homes were lost, many more threatened... and by the grace of God the tiny villages of LaVeta and Cuchara went unharmed.  

We stopped for a little hike up the face of what used to be Panadero Ski Area.



Dave was a ski instructor there when he was in college...  It was quite the trip down memory lane.  



Image may contain: tree, sky, plant, outdoor and nature


But as we hiked and talked we sought solace in the presence of God in the midst of His great creation.



The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 18:21




The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. ~ Proverbs 15:4





Did you notice the blue-violet color of the Colorado skies?





We would be foolish to believe that we have never said or done something that caused damage in the relationship that had seen better days... much better days!  Our families were very close, but over the years, as I said, comments were made and misunderstood (on both our parts) that caused pain.  The pain was never addressed and simply ignored and brushed aside until we suddenly realized there was a pile of hurt much larger than the rug, and the rug could never hide it.

We have had the opportunity to visit, share and discuss some of the hurts with  with ears and hearts that were ready to listen and try to understand the others views, perceptions and interpretations of what has taken place over the years and where the chasm of damage and carnage collected.

It is no easy task to sit and discuss the topic of conflict and hear, receive and acknowledge your part in the whole messy situation.  Was it worth it?  Apologies were offered by all parties present and healing has begun.  

As with all scar tissue... it will take time.  And the reality is that the scars may never fade completely, but it can serve as a reminder of where you have been and lessons learned.

I am so grateful for the therapy time that quilting offers!  And the beauty of the fabric...  Some of the most beautiful quilts and patterns occur when there is contrast... Often the greater the contrast, the more beautiful.  




Of course, they do say that opposites attract.  So there is that...

In quilting, or even home decor or fashion, when there is a clash of colors it is easily corrected by selecting a different option...

If only life and relationships were that easy!

Do you use your quilting time as therapy?  I have also used house cleaning as therapy... crank the 80's rock & roll and clean to my heart's content.  I always feel better after a good therapy session...  How 'bout you?  Leave a comment.  I'd love to hear from you 😁

Sewing is good for your health...

Melva


Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series


Linking with:

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
BOMs Away at What A Hoot
Color Challenge Link Up at Patterns By Jen


Monday, October 22, 2018

Peek-A-Who Blog Hop & Give Away

Welcome to the Peek-A-Who blog hop, hosted by Marian at Seams To Be Sew!  Details of the give away will be at the end of the post... along with a list of all the participants in the hop this week.  

Fall is in the air as the temps drop, the leaves change color and scatter across the yard, and pumpkin spice takes over everything!

The name of the hop inspired the wall hanging I am featuring...  As well as this picture!  Part of the fun of Halloween is trying to figure out who is "behind the mask" (ok, so masks are frowned upon now days, but I think you get the idea.)     

This Halloween photo is of my husband's family... circa mid to late 1960s.  Who IS behind the various masks???  Left to right - Dave, Pat, Michael, Linda, Sharon and Marcie. 

It is actually pretty funny to look at some of the other Halloween photos and realize that the same masks and costumes are there, but on different kiddos!  

No more waiting... Here is my project.


My wall hanging was sketched out on a piece of paper while in the car...


Not all of my ideas were used... because of practicality (how do you really make a spider face recognizable?) as well size restriction.  I used six inch blocks and raw edge applique to make the face parts... for a quick and fun project.  It finished at 21" x 24".  If you wanted to use 12" blocks and a few extra faces it could make a fun throw.





Though I love each block and the personality that shows through the placement of the eyes and nose, the mummy was a favorite to make.  I used bias tape as the wrappings... 
Frankenstein has a comical look on his face, while the cat looks concerned...  and the witch, well, she had a bad hair cut. Ooops!


Fall and Halloween have always been a fun season to decorate for.  Years ago there was a small tree in our front yard that would get decorations for various seasons... in the spring it would have plastic eggs dangling from the branches and in October it would hold ghosts and pumpkins.  I must admit that I do less seasonal decor changes since our girls are grown and on their own. 




In 2000 the youth of our church held a fundraiser.  Members could pay to have a "pumpkin patch" delivered to someone's front yard.  The pumpkin patch consisted of about 20 newspaper filled pumpkin bags.  The only way they would be removed was if that person paid $20 and selected another church family to receive them. 

It was all supposed to be done on the sly and be a surprise... but trying to keep a group of pre-teen and teenagers quiet as they unloaded the pumpkins from multiple vans was a little tricky!  Let's play the quiet game... yeah, right!

Over the years we have had definitely had some fun with costumes...  Check these out!


I love the boots on the wrong feet!  haha, yes, that is me...  


Halloween 1992 - Dave with our girls... 
and our family - a volley ball player, a couple football players and a yellow M&M in about 2004 (I spy a quilted hanky wall hanging in the background that I made for my Grandma T with all of her hankies!)


Our friends held a costume party in 2000... we borrowed the cave people costumes from some friends.  There was a lot of laughter and crazy antics that happened at that party. 

Don't we look great???

Below was a fundraiser at the local art museum... we were in "Pair-a-dice"... I know a little cheesy, but it was fun too!


Time for give away details!  I will be having a random drawing for a beginner friendly and fat quarter friendly row quilt.


Rules are simple... leave a comment before October 28th.  
Tell me which character of the quilt is your favorite... or let me know which costumes are prize winning!

Remember, if you are a no-reply blogger you will want to leave your email address along with your comment  (ie. - melloscraps(at)nolanqualitycustoms(dot)com) so that I can contact you if your name is selected as the winner.  

The hop give away features prizes from the Fat Quarter Shop and Timeless Treasures... use the raffle copter




a Rafflecopter giveaway




a Rafflecopter giveaway



I have several social media platforms.  You can catch up with me on facebook at Melva Loves Scraps and on instagram @MelvaLovesScraps.  Or you can follow along via email (sign up on the sidebar) or on bloglovin' too.  



I think that covers all of the details... Be sure to visit all of the hop participants! Their links are listed below...

Piece Happy,

Melva


Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series

Monday, October 15, 2018

Save The Bees - Block 3

The Save The Bees block was a quick little project that I was able to do early in the morning before breakfast...

Early morning time in my studio is a favorite of mine and I'm not really sure why I don't do it more often.

Well, maybe because if I go in there early, I get lost in there and don't get all of the necessary "chores" done... okay, yep, that's it!



As I enjoyed my early morning studio time I was also sipped a cup of spiced Chai latte sweetened with a little honey...  

A few months ago several girlfriends and I were together for a weekend of being unplugged and reconnecting with each other.  

Every get together that we have is a special time and involves some special activity coordinated by a lovely gal that loves to ask questions.  She presented a scripture from Psalm 119...


"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

She asked us to share what this verse means to each as an individual.

To me, my time with that group of ladies is like the honey in my tea.  I love my chai tea every morning with a splash of cream... but the honey in my tea is like my relationship with those ladies.

They are the ones that have been there by my side -  through the ups and downs, twists and turns and challenges of life... life made even sweeter by knowing they were lifting me in prayer and ready to step in to help when needed. 


What gives your life a little extra sweetness?

Leave a comment... I love to hear from my readers. :)

Quilt happy,

Melva
Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series


Friday, October 12, 2018

Moose Go Camping!



When Joan, at MooseStash Quilting, created this block "Moose Go Camping"  she had no idea how true of a statement that was for me!


It has been over two months since we had been camping with our daughter and her family!  How did this happen???

With deadlines for my husband in finishing a project he had been working on, unfortunate timing of poor weather and other events and trips, time just did not allow it. 

We were finally faced with, take a few days and go, or take the camper off of the truck.  As luck would have it... we had an appointment to get a new windshield in our jeep, as well as a need to get to Pueblo to see our daughters and grands, along with some errands (ie., shopping for a few items we cannot get locally).  

The weather was predicting cool temps and overnight rain, but we have a heater in our tiny, tiny home and it does not leak.  We enjoyed time watching a football game and spending time with the grands and then lunch at a local brewery and a nice visit with our daughter and her husband as we caught up on life and the progress of their new house being built.

But, NO!!! we are not taking the camper off.  We have plans to go south into New Mexico and Texas to enjoy some great bike trails.  

So... We. Must. Go. Camping.


We Moose Go Camping!




Camping is what we did... 

Upon our return home I finished the tent and moose... I noticed that as I appliqued this block my mood was improving as I progressed.  

I had started out a bit grumpy... okay, a lot grumpy, despite the recent night away.  

But as I enjoyed a cup of tea on a cloudy, drizzly afternoon, my mood was changing... 

As I shared on instagram... "There is nothing that a little faith, a cup of tea and some quilting cannot fix!" 

One "Moose Have Faith!"


What do you do to turn you mood around?
Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you. :)

Quilt happy!

Melva
Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series


Linking with:

It's A Wild Life BOM at Sew Incredibly Crazy
BOMs Away at What A Hoot Quilts
Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Mid-Week Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Fiber Tuesday at The Quilting Room with Mel
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished Or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilt


Saturday, October 6, 2018

Quilters Through The Generations - Deborah Wheeler

It has been a while since I have had a Generational Story to share... But Deborah Wheeler has graciously agreed to share her family's story of quilting through the generations.  

Her love for quilting is rooted deep in her DNA as she grew up with quilters all around her, playing under a quilt frame as a young child, and learning embroidery as a preschooler from her grandmothers.  

Many of her quilts are given as gifts as she enjoys sharing something she made that will not only keep them warm but also remind them of how much they are treasured.  

Thank you Deborah for sharing!  I enjoyed learning of your family... I am certain that others will as well.

Have YOU ever made a quilt or helped make a quilt?

I have both made and helped make quilts. 

Who helped you get started quilting?

My mom, Shirley Flinn,  and my grandmothers, Rose Flinn and Betty Zinn, got me started on handwork when I was very young (preschool age) by doing embroidery  and also getting me to help hand quilt whatever quilt happened to be in the frame. I was always encouraged to help even if my stitches were those of a beginner.  


I remember when I was too young to quilt, we would play under the frame as my mom, grandmothers or the ladies of our church women’s group quilted above us.  It is one of my earliest memories. I loved sitting around a quilt frame hand stitching with my mom and my grandmothers.  On my 50th birthday my Mom and my sisters helped me hand stitch a quilt I was making.  My mom has also helped me on another quilt I made.  She is a very accomplished hand-quilter.  She checked out my hand quilting and matched her stitches to mine so the quilt looks like it was quilted by one person (although her stitches were consistent and mine were not!)

Tell me about your first quilt...

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by quilts as my grandmothers and my mother quilted, as well as some of my aunts, great grandmothers and great aunts.  





Over the years I made a few quilts with help from my mom.  One was a friendship quilt - shown here -  we made in girls club at our church.  We each made blocks using tri-chem paints and put our name on the blocks.  My mom then hand quilted it for me.  



I also made a baby quilt for my husband’s niece when she was born and a couple of quilts when our oldest daughter needed a bed quilt as well as one for our bed (both from fortrel).  



I had to look up what fortrel was... turns out it is a polyester fabric developed by Fred Fortress - here is what I found.  
Fred Fortess, a developer of Fortrel polyester and holder of 40 patents, died Saturday in Philadelphia. Mr. Fortess, who was 77, worked on development of man-made rubber and easy-care and flame-retardant fabrics. He worked for 31 years for Celanese Corp., where he received patents for new fibers and dyeing and finishing processes.

The first quilt I made on my own was the fortrel quilt I made for our daughter. 

These quilts were made before I knew anything about quilting such as a quarter inch seam or how to match up seams. I used a template cut from a cereal box and scissors to make the blocks.  In spite of that, both of these quilts were well loved and are worn out. 

My other “first” quilt was made in the beginner class I took with my sister, at a local quilt store - The Quilting Bee - in 2005.  By this time my children were all teenagers or done with high school and I had time to pursue quilting, something I had always wanted to do.

I remember being so nervous with all the new tools that were available.  They sure made quilting a whole lot easier than cardboard templates.

Below is the quilt I made in that class.  


It was a simple row quilt.  We had a wonderful instructor who taught us all the basics of quilting. And I haven’t looked back.  It is something I love to do. 

I still have the quilt I made in that class.  I use it on the coldest of winter nights. I also have the fortrel quilt I made for our daughter and hope to take it apart, repair the top and put new batting and backing on it.

Who taught you to sew?

My mom, Shirley, taught me to sew and to hand-quilt.  She is an excellent seamstress. I also took Home Ec classes in school.  The teacher said I would do a lot better if I would follow her instructions but I thought my mom gave better instructions and they didn’t always agree with what the teacher said! 

My mother has made many quilts and continues to do so.  She makes a lot of whole cloth quilts that are hand quilted.  Each of her grandchildren received a baby quilt and her children all got at least one double size quilt for high school graduation.  They are well-loved.

I don't have a good picture of my mom's quilts because the quilting does not show well... but she usually does the orange peel quilting design which was traditional in my Grandma Rose Flinn's family. She does not piece many quilts but her hand quilting is wonderful.    She also includes either a ruffle or prairie points around the edge.  All our girls had the ruffle on their baby quilts... and one of them, as an adult, may still like to hold the ruffled edge when she sleeps. 

Mom made this car quilt that featured embroidered car blocks for my brother when he was a teenager.




Did your grand-mother(s) quilt?  Great-grandmother?



My maternal grandmother, Betty Zinn, and my paternal grandmother, Rose Flinn, both were expert quilters.  



My Grandma Zinn (pictured on the left) always had a quilt on the go.








Grandma Flinn (pictured on the right), who lived in the same farmyard as we did, would stop in to hand quilt whenever my mom had a quilt in the frame.  









These are very special memories for me.  My Great- Grandma Conway and Great-Grandma Boettger (my grandmother's mothers) were also quilters.  

Here is a four generation picture from 1959 of my Great Grandma Conway, my Grandma Zinn, my Mom Shirley and me (a baby).  Turns out we are all quilters.


My sister is the caretaker of a family heirloom crazy quilt (pictured below) made by my Grandma Flinn’s sisters in 1900 - this was the year my grandmother was born - prior to their move west from Ontario, Canada.  


When her sisters made this quilt they were ages 14, 12, and 6.  I also have aunts and great-aunts who are/were quilters.  These are the ones I know of and I am sure there are others both present and in the past who passed on this love of quilting through the generations.

My Grandma Rose Flinn was an excellent embroiderer and she, along with my mom, taught me to embroider.  I do not have either of their skills but still like to do handwork once in a while.

Have YOU taught someone to quilt?  

My daughter Cherilyn and I did the Oregon Shop Hop in 2007 and we made a quilt together using the blocks we collected.  My daughter still has it.  I didn’t win her over to quilting.  She said she will stick with stained glass.

How many quilts have you made?

I have made more than 50 quilts ranging in size from wall hanging to queen size.  My favourite blocks are friendship star and churn dash.  Plus I love house blocks.

Do you have a favorite quilt?

Hmmm...I like them all but I really do treasure the quilt (pictured below)  that my Grandma Zinn gave me for my high school graduation...   


...and the one (pictured below) that my mom made with fabric I purchased on a trip to Missouri when I was a teenager. (you'll notice the ruffled edge)



Do you participate in any quilt groups?

I did belong to a quilt guild for a while but found that with working full time I did not have time to work on my own projects so I have put that on hold until I no longer work full time.  



I do belong to an on-line facebook group, Prairie Quilt Militia, where we make mystery quilts and block of the month. I really enjoy the mystery quilts I have made with this group, two of which I finished this year.  (shown here...) 


There are also retreats for those who are close enough to attend.  It is a wonderful group.



What do you do with your quilts? 

Most of my quilts are given away to family.  This quilt was donated to Quilts of Valour.  I have given several others away... one quilt I gave to a community member going through treatment for cancer.  Another was given to a coworker when she entered a new chapter of her life. I find it very rewarding to know that something I have made will keep someone warm and also remind them of how much I treasure them.

I have never sold a quilt or entered any quilt competitions. I quilt for pure enjoyment and do not have a desire to enter any quilt competitions.
  
Where do you get your inspiration from? 

I get inspiration mostly from fabrics and colours.  I usually use patterns and then pick out colours that I love to work with or that the person whom the quilt is for will love. 



This year I made this Big Foot quilt for my husband for his birthday...



Bill is my biggest supporter of my quilt hobby and he is great at picking out colours for my quilts.




I also completed this rainbow quilt for our daughter and her husband for their anniversary this year.



What is your favorite part of quilting? 

My favourite part of quilting is the piecing.  I love small pieces.  And then hand stitching the binding. The hardest part for me is figuring out a quilting design.

Why do you quilt? 

I quilt because I love the whole process and find it very relaxing.  I also feel connected to my family's past because it is something that the women in our family have done for generations.


*****

Deborah shared that she wouldn't always follow her Home Economics teacher's instructions because she had learned differently from her Mom.  

I, too, was a "rebel" in Junior High Home Economics...  During the clothing construction portion of the class the teacher wanted us to pin across the seam and sew over the pins.  I had been taught in 4-H that you should pin parallel to the seam and remove the pins as you approach them because sewing over them was just an accident waiting to happen when the needle hit the pin and would break.  

Now, with clothing construction as well as quilting, I will pin across the seam... but I NEVER sew over the pins (or if I do it is an accident).  I have had way too many broken needles.  And it is startling when it happens.  

So, which method were you taught in sewing?  
Do you sew over pins?  
Or do you remove the pins?

Feel free to leave a comment or question for Deborah as well...

I love to hear from my readers...

Quilt Happy,
Melva


Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series