So Much to Sew & Tell!

The "work" week was a short one for me... but I managed to get a bunch done.  I'll get right to that.

I got the fence rail blocks joined to complete the top... It is huge!  Too big, I think.  I will need to take it to my Mom's house to see how it fits on her bed. I need the backing, which is in the mail, before I can move forward.  According to tracking info, it should arrive on Tuesday.

I finished the memory bears!  What a big project to be done with.  The teddy bears had their picnic as I watched a few episodes of Heartland, and went away from the binging session stuffed!  They are now complete with cute little button eyes and noses... ready to remind the various recipients of the love that Lucy offered to others throughout her life.

I played around some with our Camping Journal quilt and have a final plan of layout for the remainder of the quilt.  Planning the blocks, prepping the kits and actually stitching them up is nearly as fun as making the various memories that each block represents.  That little picnic table with the playful dots floating around will forever remind us of the time in Crystal Beach when we lost a few dominos down a hole in a small table on the deck.

I spent time petting the fabric that I received in a recent fabric swap hosted through the Fiona Sandwich Postcard group.  It is always a fun thing to participate in.  I spent a fair amount of time as imagined the different ways that I could use the variety of fabrics.  

It was fun all the way from the selection of the fabrics to share with others to receiving the swap package with a wide variety of fabrics in all sorts of colors.  This time Rachel encouraged participants to include how the giver of the fabrics would use them.  

And finally, I created a 3-dimensional block for this week's mini-quilt challenge ~ #22/52.  I found a tutorial for making the 3-D pinwheel.  And since it is Memorial Day weekend in the United States, I chose red/blue fabrics and quilted in a few stars in the background. ☆ It could make a fun, stimulating baby quilt... Hmmmm, something to keep in mind!

This week's Sew & Tell feature is Gail at Quilting Gail. She shared her recent finishes - including her Studio 180 Island Batik challenge, Baby Stars and a really cute Retreat Bag.  Well done, Gail! 

What is your favorite part of quilting?  

Is it the planning and fabric selection?  

The cutting?  The piecing? The quilting? 

Maybe it is the binding?  Or, perhaps, it is the admiring and loving of the quilt when it is all done?

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

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do 

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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While I Was Away...

The thing about going to a remote canyon campground is that there is no cell or wireless service.  Such was the case on our recent trip to Villanueva State Park near Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Just a short 2+ hour drive for us and we were in a canyon with the Pecos River flowing next to our campsite.  

Three days of very little connection with the outside world was refreshing.  We hiked up to an overlook and found that there was indeed a little service... enough to respond to some family messages... but not enough to send a selfie that we took (which is a really bad one BTW).  Our 10-year old dog had decided she was a little tired and was going to lay down (a rare occurrence for her when we are out on a hike).  

Side Note: I don't think I let my readers know that she received a diagnosis of cancer in March. 😭 A friend had suggested a supplement that has helped some human cancer patients in their own battles with the disease and she gave us some samples to try out.  She had developed a limp that was getting much worse, very quickly and after just a few days of using the samples, the limp was completely gone.  

That was when we decided that she would get to enjoy camping with us as much as possible for this year's camping season.  Her limp has not returned, and she is enjoying life to the fullest (at a pace that is a little slower than her typical frenzy).

View from the lookout point

Back on trail... The park map showed that the trail was a loop.  However, we lost the trail shortly after the lookout point.  We turned back and tried again... shortly after, it was evident that the trail was not clearly marked, and we didn't have much interest in wandering around trying to find our way back down.  We turned back once again and retraced the trail back down.  

We did, however, encounter many wildflowers. Here's a sampling...  Notice that that little cactus is laying on its side, roots not fully in the ground... and yet, it still bloomed.  I think there is a lesson is this for all of us to learn. 😉

As we relaxed by the river, we enjoyed the birds that were around.  Lots and lots of doves.  There was even a pair of doves building a nest in the tree next to our site.  It was interesting to watch.  It was also entertaining to watch a squirrel and robin face off with each other.

Cathedral Windows - 2.0 ~ #21/52

I Found A Quilted Heart hearts... a short trail of love left for others to find

My rendition of the stained-glass dome at the Cathedral we visited in Beaumont, TX in March

I stitched on my stained-glass pieces as well as a few quilted hearts...  One of the hearts was left to bless someone at the Pecos National Historical Park.  

What a rich history we explored on day 2!  A site that encompasses many different cultures and eras... the pueblos of the Ancestral Pecos people, the Spanish conquistadors in search of gold and the friars that brought a new religion to the area, the Apache and Comanche tribes; the travelers of the Santa Fe Trail and the Civil War battle that lasted just 3 days.

It was an enjoyable stroll compared to the rugged trail we navigated the day before!

Each evening found us relaxing as we read until our eyes could no longer stay open and ended up with a book falling out of our hands... usually shortly after 8 pm.  And we would sleep soundly for 10 hours!

Were it not for a neighbor RV camper running his generator for hours on end, the trip was peaceful and restful time.  We were trying to give them grace for the disruption... but it was frustrating to have the noise of the (construction-grade) thing!  (Dave assures me that had it been a small Honda, it would have been tolerable.)  

All I have to say is that the companies building newer campers with refrigerators that run only on battery need to rethink this!  There really needs to be an option for propane as well.  We are able to go boondocking for days and days (probably 5 days) before needing to consider charging our batteries.  A propane fridge really is the way to go... and no microwaves! (Rant over)

Upon our return, I have assessed the projects I have in que... The Rail Fence quilt will be a quick top to finish.  Mom is not wanting it heavily quilted so it may even be done by the month's end.  I have two more memory bears to sew together and a beautiful red Dresden Plate quilt top for a customer.

Vacation is over... time to get to the studio.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch

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The Light Within ~ Sew & Tell

Every once in a while, your path in life crosses with someone else and the 30 minutes or so that you visit with them, about once a year, they impact your life in a positive way.  

Ten years ago, a guy was walking past our house with his son and our new puppy attempted to tag along on their walk.  They brought her back and we struck up a conversation with him.  Tony... Tony the truck driver is how Dave has referred to him over the years.  (Yes, we do know his last name.)  Tony is an interesting guy and we always enjoy when he stops by, which is usually about once a year.  

Tony added us to his Christmas card/letter mailing list a few years ago, and we have gotten to know him and his (large) family... They live in Waco, TX and he is a mover.  He and one of his youngest sons were in the area and they came by last night.  Our conversations have grown longer and they are still just as enjoyable as the first one was.  Each one of his children that have accompanied him on his visits is just as pleasant to be around.  

Interesting circumstances that allowed our paths to cross. Knowing that Tony is a Christian brother is what makes our time together so enjoyable.   We met him when we were wandering in a deep valley and just beginning to navigate our way on a new path.  Dave had just recently left his position as professor of gunsmithing and we were working on improvements to the former-barn-turned-shop where Nolan Quality Customs is now housed.  He has watched the growth of our business and has prayed for us, just as we pray for him.  Tony has a light that seems to shine through... And Dave and I are well aware of the source of that Light.

This week's mini-quilt ~ #20/52 ~ was supposed to be a Cathedral Window... my experiment, again, didn't quite turn out as I had planned, (that is what happens when you don't follow a pattern, lol) but what's not to love about a stained-glass window?  The chain stitching really helped to redefine the windows. 

We are off camping... there was a small change in our plans because of rain, so we chose a different location. I'll be finishing another block for our Camping Journal quilt.  Specifically, a stained-glass window block to represent our visit to the Cathedral in Beaumont, Texas during our spring camping trip.

Here's the photo that I am trying to recreate...

I have selected several fabrics that were dyed using the eco-printing method.

I'll likely revisit the Cathedral Window mini quilt idea in the near future using a different method... 

This brings us to Sew & Tell ~ May 22, 2023...  This week's randomly selected feature is Cheree from The Morning Latte where she shared her progress on the "Opening Day" quilt.

It is now your turn!  Join Sew & Tell... the link will be open through Friday evening.

Let your light shine bright and keep piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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PS... I don't think I ever shared the cross I made with shells and driftwood!  It is on display on our back patio. ♱

This & That and a Mini-quilt Challenge Update

As I finished the Ribbon & Lace quilt, I was struggling as I was doing the free-motion quilting of the feathered wreaths, in particular.  The thread kept breaking when I was moving in one specific direction.  I could make the interior feathers without much of an issue.  I could do stippling and loops, again without much of a problem... but those outside feathers were a pain in my hiney!

I cleaned the machine... I adjusted the tension... AND I tried to slow the stitching speed... I had some luck with that for a while, but it became harder and harder to control the speed.  Dave and took the foot control off of the machine and had a look-see inside.  There really isn't much to the pedal, but he took it to his shop and cleaned the contacts.  It was better than before, but still not as it should have been.

I ordered a new foot pedal, but it would be a week before it arrived.  Dave made a small block of wood that he mounted to the foot pedal, creating a forced stop for the speed.  As a temporary fix, it was taped to the front of the pedal, and he added a few layers of tape to the top to fine tune the speed that I was after.  The new foot pedal is sooooooo much better!  I just plumb wore it out!

Have you ever had an issue like this?  Sewing machine maintenance is an important part of being a quilter or sewist.  How often do you change your needle?  How often do you clean and lubricate your machine?

I clean all of the fuzzies out and change the needle after each quilt, unless of course it is a smaller table runner or baby quilt... I'll do it after a few smaller projects.

Like when I was done making the small bags for several of the ladies at the Bible Study.

I heard from several of you that you made some as well...

Lynn White shared pictures of the bags she made... Aren't they cute? Did anybody else make a bag or two... or three or four?  Send an email... I'd love to see them!

I have been working on this week's mini-quilt challenge... It is coming along.  I'll share the finish when I get there.  But it's been a while since I did a review of the mini-quilts.  Since then, I have finished eight more...

Spring is in the Air - 12/52

Orphan Smocking & Applique - 13/52

Matchstick Modern - 14/52

Flight of a Butterfly - 15/52

Danita's Angel - 16/52

Peace & Love - 17/52

Tiny Windmills - 18/52

 

Dimpled Checkerboard - 19/52

This checkerboard mini was inspired by a small Trip Around the World block and the dimpled quilting in the center(ish) of each square gives it the texture I was looking for.  💙 It measures 6" inches... each one of those squares is approximately 1/2" square. And I love the fade of colors.  

Mini #20/52 is coming soon!

Thanks for the visit and keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch

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Sew & Tell ~ May 15, 2023

The week went on and on, and on, and on...  I had the same view each day and it seemed that all I did was quilt... on the same quilt that I have been quilting for over a week...  Oh, wait!  That is exactly what I did. Haha!

I reached the finish line on Friday!  Woohoo!  The binding was done, but there were hundreds of thread tails to be managed.  Ugh... What a tedious task... all done while watching listening to and glancing up on occasion, to Heartland and Call the Midwife.  I've seen both multiple times and enjoy the storylines (mostly, boy does Lou bring the drama to Heartland!) so it is really just some mindless activity to pass the time.

Dave assisted with an outdoor photo shoot.  Early on Saturday morning I remembered that I had the large quilt frame from the Pieces of the Past presentation that I could use.  I had wanted to have a pretty, scenic backdrop for the shoot, but the wind was just a little too much to safely accomplish that, so I had to settle for a place out of the wind which was on the southside of our home.  

The label has been attached to the back and the last three quilts for my customer will soon be on their way home. It feels good to have them all done.

I snuck away to my studio to work on the mini-quilt challenge, #19/52... it was inspired by a small pair of Trip Around the World blocks that Yvonne, over at Quilting Jetgirl had shown.  

Using scraps of blue just 1-inch wide, I made this mini-quilt... 6-1/2" square, which is read for quilting.

This was actually more labor intensive than I had anticipated, and I didn't get it quite right, but I still like the gradual increase in color that I achieved with it. 💙 I used strip piecing to make the checkerboard layout and was simply adding rounds of color... not the same as a Trip around the world.  Oh well...

Speaking of trips... guess what??? LOL!  We will be heading off into the wild woods of the San Isabel National Forest soon.  If the weather forecast changes and chances of rain reduce, we'll be out of her soon.  I know that the area needs moisture in just about any form that it can get, but camping in the rain isn't much fun.  ☔

So, this week, I'll be returning to the memory bears since I still need six more.  My friend has finally accepted the fact that I don't want to make more beyond them.  

Should I get a little bored with them, I have the rails cut for the Fence Rail quilt that my Mom has requested and there may be some quick piecing to make the 20-inch blocks.

This week's feature are the small gift bags from the One Gift A Month Challenge that Gail at Quilting Gail is participating... She ruminated on why we put off small tasks and why she had avoided finding the ribbon to complete these little bags.  

Haven't we all been there at some point?  

What small task have you put off recently?  

I am horrible at getting birthday cards or thinking about you cards out in the mail.  I certainly enjoy getting cards and letters in the mail, so you would think that I would easily put forth the effort to do the same for others...  None the less, I have some cards to drop in the mail this week!

Don't put off joining the Sew & Tell Party!

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

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Ribbons, Lace & Fancy Finish

It has been a real journey as I finished eight quilt tops that were pieced by Mary Margaret Smith ~ the last of them was by far the fanciest of them all.  Thirty blocks, each with a different design made from ribbons, lace and fancy stitching.

Trying to capture a good photo of this white, very large quilt is difficult.  I can't really take it outside to photograph for fear of it ending up with a big dirt smudge or stain.

This photo will have to suffice (for now)...  The shadows help to show the quilting and some of the lace/ribbon.  (I may get brave to try an outdoor photo session tomorrow, with assistance.)

Here's a close up of the block with her initials and the year, 1998...

Cheri, who commissioned me to finish her Mother's tops saw the photos on social media and this is what she had to say...

Oh Melva, Mom would love it !!! I know she is looking down right now and is totally in awe !! I think this one was her pride and joy and she never got the chance to finish it. You have done amazing work ! It's perfect !!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I'll be binge watching shows as I bury the hundreds of threads that resulted from the custom quilting.

Any suggestions for shows to watch?

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

Be blessed and keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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Windmill Mini ~ #18/52

Mini Quilt-Challenge #18/52 was inspired by a Sew & Tell share by Melisa at Pinker Punkin Quilting...

The tiny windmill blocks, that measure 2" square and is 6" square overall, reminded me of the giant windmills about 40 miles to the north of Trinidad...

It was then reinforced by a portion of Scripture that was noted in my current Bible Study, from Hosea 7...

They turn, but not to me—

    turn here, then there, like a weathervane.

The song "Turn, Turn, Turn" comes to mind as well... which is what I was singing in my mind (maybe humming aloud) as I stitched in those little arrows...

Ecclesiastes 3 (the Message)

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,

A right time to kill and another to heal,

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer,

A right time to make love and another to abstain,

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses,

A right time to hold on and another to let go,

A right time to rip out and another to mend,

A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

A right time to love and another to hate,

A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.

14 I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

15 Whatever was, is.

Whatever will be, is.

That’s how it always is with God.

I have been using my Message translation for my daily readings this year.  It can be a bit challenging as the verse notations are not always individually noted, but grouped, because of the way it was written to encompass several verses (such as vs 2-8 above), but I have come to love it.  I find it helpful to use a parallel or comparison reading on BibleGateway if I am looking for a specific verse address.

Our daughter gave me this Bible a few years ago.  It's funny that she gave it to me because she knows that I don't like adult coloring books... yet she gave it to me anyway. LOL!  I started out inviting others to choose a picture to color and sign it and date it for me.  Each time I come to one of those pages I remember them in prayer.  I have added a few notes and drawings of my own... If you were to thumb through, you would notice that I have more sketches and drawings of my own sprinkled throughout than the actual coloring pages of my own.

Dave was raised being taught that you don't write in a Bible.  I used to be of the same mindset but have slowly changed my ways.  As you can see, I have no problem with writing some of my thoughts in this one... after all, it was designed specifically for this purpose.  

Enough of my rambling... 

Do you have a favorite Bible translation? 

Or a favorite daily Bible reading plan? 

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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Sew & Tell Party~ May 8, 2023

Our escape for the weekend was wonderful and all that we had hoped it would be.  We were camping in the Cimarron Canyon State Park, located between Cimarron and Eagle Nest, New Mexico.  There was no cell service which allowed us to truly unplug and enjoy nature.  The campground was quiet, despite the fact that a scout troop was there for an overnight. 

We saw bison, antelope, and deer on the drive to the campground and we saw turkey and blue jays in our campsite... Dave tried his hand at fly fishing again at the small lake.  He had a few nibbles but was unsuccessful in getting one to shore.  I sat and watched him as I stitched a few quilted hearts and a postcard block for our camping journal quilt.  (I'll be giving an update about our camping journal quilt soon since I have completed two rows that will be top border.)

We enjoyed a hike up to an open meadow that overlooked a portion of the canyon and left a little quilted heart hanging on an old fencing corner.  Each night we retired to bed a little earlier than we do at home and read ourselves to sleep.  Shelby enjoyed the trip as well.

By the time we left Friday morning, I had been able to get 17/30 of the ribbon and lace blocks fully quilted.  I'll continue to quilt away on it this week... after I attend the final session of Bible Study and deliver a few bags to the ladies that requested them. 

This week's Sew & Tell feature is Patricia at Faith, Trust and Breast Cancer... She shared this adorable little kitten patch that she made at a class

Your turn for Sew & Tell!  Show us all what you worked on last week.  

Did you run into squirrels like I did?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

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