Tuesday's To-Do Musings

It has been several weeks since I linked with Home Sewn By Us for their Tuesday To-Do planning party...  Life was really busy, and suddenly all of the deadlines have passed and I have time to relax and take time to smell the roses.

Well, sort of... While I don't have any quilt projects waiting in line and screaming for attention, I DO have a need to begin writing out the patterns for the final six blocks of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along, along with gathering more family photos, stories and research dates and events... oh and stress over the fact that I realized that I have some of the letters that my Grandparents received from former German POW men out of chronological order.  **sigh**  Do I move things around?  Do I leave them???  

This is what happens when I guess at the translation of the dates/months.  All things considered, I have decided to leave them in the order as planned for my blog, but should something more transpire 'post sew along', I will certainly rearrange.

So, what will I plan for the coming week?  Besides plans for camping... 

❧  Prepare a few more Postcard Block kits for the camping journal quilt.  

I need to get two ready to from our weekend of "cabin camping" with our girls and grands.  

Recently I completed enough blocks to fill another row.  I now have seven rows done.  Still no idea how many rows I will end up with - perhaps 10-12 - but my husband has requested that the quilt be plenty big so that there are no gaps when we sleep on our sides.  Once I have determined that there a enough rows, I will add a small border and then add more journal blocks to create another border, two blocks wide.  

But in order to add more blocks we need to camp more!  I did notice last year that we didn't camp much in the hottest part of the summer either.  Campgrounds tend to be fuller and we have had some unpleasant experiences (like last year when we had the grand-daughters with us and loud, intoxicated neighbors that didn't seem to care that we were trying to sleep - none of us were happy campers!)

My most recent additions to this quilt were the sandpiper bird, sea turtle and pelican.  All representing nights from our vacation in February to the Gulf Coast of Texas.  The majority of the block patterns in the camping journal quilt are available from Fiona Sandwich.  A few are my own design - these three included.

We have had a few discussions about where we want to go next year.  It is looking like Southern New Mexico and West Texas right now, but there is still a lot of time between now and then and that is always subject to change.

❧  Scrapbooking!  I want to get the year of 2018 in the books.  I have had the pictures on hand for several months, but finally feel ready to archive them.  And when done I will be only 1-1/2 years behind.  

I am gaining ground!  I think I was 5 years (or more) behind at one point!

I mentioned previously that I will be doing some pattern writing... 

Anyone interested in doing some pattern testing for me?  

The individuals that have tested previously have recently had to drop out due to health challenges and busy schedules.  The patterns range from easy-peasy, beginner friendly to moderate difficulty with techniques that include traditional piecing and some foundation paper piecing.  Please leave a comment here (with an email address so I can respond if you are an anonymous or no-reply commenter or send me a message at MelvaLovesScraps@NolanQualityCustoms.com

 Piece Happy!

Melva

Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along

that features vintage Kansas City Star quilt blocks!

Linking with:

What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Colour & Inspiration at Clever Chameleon Quilting

To Do Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter