Sew & Tell Anniversary Celebration & Give Away~ 7/31/2023

The anniversary of hosting the Monday Morning Sew & Tell party slipped by recently, but I am ready to celebrate with a giveaway!

I have eight nine mini quilts that are ready to be loved, appreciated and used in whatever manner you see fit.  They are a handy size for a mug rug, but I'm certain that each one of you could find a great and unique use for one. Leave a comment letting me know which one you would prefer to have.  I'll do a random drawing and if you are lucky, you'll get the one you desire.

I also have three of the portable sewing tables that I'll include in the anniversary celebration.  Thanks to some loyalty rewards, I'm able to ship via USPS flat-rate at no cost to me.  Sadly, though, only US addresses are accepted.  One tray is all outfitted with the cutting mat and magnetic sheets (shown here), the other two are still naked.  Let me know if you want one of these.  Most likely, because there will be extra room in the box, I'll include a bag of scraps from my scrap bin.

For both give aways, please make sure you leave an email address if you are not logged in to comment.  If I have no way of contacting you, I cannot notify you if chosen as a winner.

How's that for celebrating???  

On to the rest of my Sew & Tell for the week...

1)  What's black & white & red all over?  Using scraps from the black and white t-shirt quilt, I created a new mini quilt for the challenge... 

Quilted with red thread, that gives a little pop.  I staged it with fabric I am using for the backing and binding of the off-white/cream t-shirt (quilt #2/3) for my customer, which is a print that features old fashioned newsprint.  Thus, my question above. 😂

Actually, as, I have reflected on my choice of the red thread, I see it as a choice that is tied to my Bible readings of recent.  

I have been in the book of Isaiah lately and the prophesy Scriptures of Jesus as the Messiah have stood out to me... "why are your robes so red, your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?" (Isaiah 63)... 

Many years ago I heard a message about how there is a golden thread and a scarlet thread woven into the Bible. The golden thread points to God and the scarlet points to Jesus... 

So, what is black & white with red all through it???  The Holy Bible.  It offers instructions for life.  It is very black and white... no grey areas there... and the scarlet thread writings throughout the Old Testament that points to Jesus, and the red-letter writings (Jesus' words) of the New Testament.

2) Our granddaughters have birthdays to celebrate so I decided I could not wait for a craft day with them to try out the reverse tie-dye.

I looked back at the pictures so that I could try the same styles that they had chosen.

I'm still not fully satisfied with the results of the pieces for the grands... I'll be giving them another try.  I had them too densely folded for the bleach formula to saturate into the deep crevices.  I will saturate the fabric with water before applying the bleach formula.  I think that them being wet will allow the "dying process" to soak in with more prominent results.

The navy fabric was bunched up and sprayed with the "dye".  I am pleased with the results!  Now I need to decide what I'll be using it for. 

3) The off-white/cream quilt is under the needle!

I have strained a muscle in my back somehow so, sadly, sitting for extended periods of time to get it fully quilted was not possible. 

We are headed out for a little adventure with Shelby and her camper this week and whether quilted or not, it will still be here when we return later in the week.

Maybe I'll be sharing a Friday finish!

This week's feature is Alycia, the Quilty Girl.  She shared a finish from the Dakota Inspired Mystery Quilt.  Alyicia has a new mystery quilt starting soon.  You can catch all of the details on her blog.

If you've made it this far in reading, now is the time to link up your most recent project and then leave a comment about your choice of the mini quilt and portable sewing table.  Have a great week!

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

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

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Creativity Beyond the Studio

It has felt like I have lacked creativity in life.  Oh, sure, I've been cranking out a mini-quilt each week and I am loving the variety of colors, techniques and textures that have resulted.  But I've been unmotivated to have creative ideas in the kitchen/cooking area.  I did not prep the freezer to crockpot meals as I have in the past... our freezer has not had ample space for me to do 30 or so meals.  I could have done a smaller amount but instead, opted for one or two at a time as I found great deals on the proteins included in some of them.

The good that has come from this situation is that I have been able to figure out some uses for our "instapot".  I like that the liner of it is stainless steel and I can place frozen meat in there without concern that the liner will crack from it.  I am able to use the sauté setting to brown chicken breasts or thighs or even cook ground beef with onions and garlic and then choose a different setting such as a custom pressure cook, or slow cook (or a combo of them) and walk away.

I have been pleased with the shredded barbeque chicken, chicken and rice pilaf and am getting ready to try out a version of fajitas with a skirt steak as well as Italian shredded beef.  It's only taken me 2 years... The use of the Pampered Chef quick/slow cooker has kept our kitchen (and the rest of the house) much cooler.  You may remember that in the past I would place our crockpot in our laundry room (with door shut) as our "summer kitchen".  

The spaghetti that I tried out recently passed the taste test.  Though I would probably cook the marinara sauce on the slow cooker setting for 2 hours and then add the pasta and extra water for the 8 minutes of pressure cooking.  Here's the recipe I (basically) followed: I used one 15 oz. can diced tomatoes and one 15 oz. can sauce, no chicken broth and 1-1/2 cups water when I added the pasta.  I also browned Italian seasoned ground turkey, onion & garlic, but meatballs could be added too.

Spaghetti & Sauce

2 tbsp (10 mL) olive oil

6   garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning

½ tsp (2 mL) red pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups (1 L) chicken broth

1 can (28 oz./794 mL) crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

1 lb. (450 g) spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds

½ cup (125 mL) water

After browning the meat and adding the rest of the ingredients, I pressure cooked it for 15 minutes to really infuse the flavors throughout.  I added 1-1/2 cups water and the pasta and pressure cooked it for 8 minutes. 

Fewer dishes, less mess, less cooking time and heat that is generated during the process... it is all a win-win!

My daughter gave the reverse tie-dye a try and had great results with chlorine bleach.  I've been itching to give it a try!  Instead, I exercised a few creative muscles by turning this small wooden tray with dividers into a small travel sewing table.  

This tray had some magnetic puzzles in them, and they were pulled for packing in Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  The trays were too good to toss... they are actually made of wood!

I cut down an old cutting mat to fit in one of the spaces.  I also recycled some magnetic advertising sheets by cutting them down to fit into a few compartments to hold needles, pins, scissors, or anything else that you might need.  I have three of the wooden trays... if you are interested in having one (in the raw, no cutting mat or magnets), let me know.  I'd be happy to share... I'll even throw in a few fabric scraps. 😍 Leave a comment or send me an email if you want one (US mailing addresses only).

I've got memory quilt #2/3 on the design wall and ready for sashing strips and borders.  This one is being done in off-white and cream fabrics.  The backing will be an old-fashioned newsprint fabric.  

If all goes well, If no other distractions come up, I'll be quilting this over the weekend and have another finish to share with you at the Monday morning Sew & Tell party.

How have you exercised your creative muscles lately?

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

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

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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Mini Quilt #30/52 ~ Summer Fun Kawandi

With the dog-days of summer upon us, people across the northern hemisphere are seeking relief from the high temperatures.

What exactly are the dog days of summer?  The “Dog Days” of summer last from July 3 to August 11. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! Today, the phrase doesn’t conjure up such bad imagery. Instead, the Dog Days are associated purely with the time of summer’s peak temperatures and humidity.

This week's mini quilt challenge found me pulling a small assortment of teals to give Kawandi quilting a try. After reading skimming a few articles that were the result of an on-line search, I learned that Kawandi quilting has a specific technique where you start the quilt at one corner of the sari; then, the fabric patches are worked towards the center with running or back stitches in a spiral manner.  New patches are laid on top as needed, with edges turned under.  (I skipped the turned edges part.)

Kawandi quilting is a traditional craft in western India, brought to that region via African slaves. 

Using fusible batting for this little project was ideal since the fabric didn't require pinning to hold it in place...  That is until I reached the center.

I finished the mini with the backing folded over (raw edge again) and stitched down.

The colors and texture, especially the back of it) remind me of a swimming pool and takes me back to my childhood of spending days at the pool.  I would have morning swim lessons and then I'd be there again in the afternoons with friends as we splashed and played, keeping cool during the dog days of summer.

Those thoughts of the pool bring back vivid memories that involve all of my senses.  The cool temperature of water and the warmth of the sun and concrete as we giggled during the rest periods that took place every hour for 10 minutes.  The texture of wrinkly fingertips from being in the water for such a long period of time.  The smell of chlorine mixed with the smell of dill pickles that came from the pickle plant that was located across the highway. Weird, I know... but I am not alone in recalling that odd scent.  If you grew up in LaJunta, CO, you just know... LOL!  The look of the bronze Coppertone tanned skin of the lifeguards and the sun-bleached hair of the fair-haired people that spent hours at the pool.  And I cannot skip over the taste of a twist cone from Reid's Drive-in or a float from the A&W Root Beer stand that was across the street from the pool to hold me over until dinner time.  So many memories!

What are some of your favorite summer-time memories?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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Sew & Tell ~ Black & White Finish

Hip-hip-hooray!  The Black & White t-shirt quilt is finished.  It is the first of three for a customer.  My impatience paid off for refusing to wait for the fusible interfacing (which finally arrived on Saturday).  This finish is going to be the focus of this week's Sew & Tell.

She finished at 60" x 80", utilized a variety of black/white fabrics as sashing strips and borders, and was quilted with grey thread with an elongated crosshatch layout spaced at 4" intervals.

A few of my favorite blocks are the ones that include pockets ~ one on the front and back each... and the "Cheers" blocks.  Dave and I watched Cheers when it was on prime tv and then again in syndication, and most recently we streamed it on Netflix until it was no longer available.  

"Friends" will always be our favorite, but, I digress...

As I was marking lines for quilting, I wondered about the recommendation given on the package stating "quilt up to 4" apart...

My elongated crosshatch measures 6-1/4" in length and 4-3/4" wide, while the parallel lines are 4" apart.  I'm not worried about it much, but just curious...  

I understand that the quilting is to hold the batting in place, and that it keeps the batting from sagging with time and use.

Have you ever had a problem with batting because the quilting was not dense enough?

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

This week's Sew & Tell feature is Gretchen at Gretchen's Little Corner.  She is approaching the last of the hand quilting of her Lady Jane Quilt... and it is beautiful!  Here's a closeup, but if you want to see more, hop over to her blog by following the link above.

Time to join the party!  Since the anniversary of Sew & Tell came and went somewhat unnoticed, I feel that it deserves some celebrating.

Next week, I'll be giving away my collection of mini-quilts ~ I currently have 8 of them.  So that means there will be 8 winners! Be sure to come back for your chance to win from a random drawing. 😊

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

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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Basket Weave Mini Quilt

This week's mini quilt challenge, #28/52, utilizes leftover, narrow scraps from my friend, Pat. 

Leaving the raw edges, they are woven together (reflecting the fabric on the back of it) and quilted into place.  

I then added a small touch of embroidery to enhance each square.

Summer temps finally arrived last week and the AC window units have been installed.  I dislike the constant sound of them and additional fans to move the the cooler air around.  But, on the other hand, I am not melting into a puddle of mush and feeling unmotivated to work in the studio.

I am very motivated... so motivated that I refuse to wait for the delivery of the interfacing that tracking info indicates will be delivered by the 21st.  That is still days away... 

That said, I am making it a goal to have a sandwiched quilt ready to go under the needle by Friday when the interfacing is due to arrive. 

I guess that shows a bit of my impatience... I think I have grown in the patience area over the years.  Maybe it is just that our children grew up and flew the nest so my patience isn't tested at the level that it used to be.  LOL!  Or, maybe it is true that I have become more tolerant and patient.  

I have heard many times, "never pray for patience... you'll be given plenty of opportunities to practice it!"

Patience was required as we awaited the results of the reverse tie-dying activity at our family camp weekend.  

Turns out we didn't have chlorine bleach... we had a splash guard clorox that had no chlorine.  So sad... we will try again in a few weeks when we get together for a special craft day with the grands.

There were card games and clue games that took place, a water fight, coloring, scavenger hunts, archery and pellet gun shooting... walks, fort building, food prep and eating, snacks, s'mores and doughboys, fire building lessons and campfires as we enjoyed the sunsets.  Memories made for all four generations of Nolan Family Camp weekend. 

Is patience something that comes naturally to you?  

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you about how you handle situations that require patience. 

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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 ~ July 17, 2023

Last week I suddenly realized that I have been hosting the weekly Sew & Tell party for more than a year!  It's been great fun and extend my deepest gratitude for each one of you that have joined the party and invited to come along.

Also last week I was about to go stir-crazy while in a holding pattern of waiting for fusible interfacing... I should be able to move forward with my customer's quilts very soon!

In the meantime, I entertained myself as I worked to make a quilt from the collection of crazy quilt blocks that came with 8 other tops from a customer earlier this year.  

Here she is all wild and crazy in the wild!

Family Camp was a blast... Pictures will be shared soon.  

This week's feature is Jocelyn at Canadian Needle Nana with her Solidarity Sampler... 

Your turn... share your projects. :)

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

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch

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Wild & Crazy Quilt Finish

Last week, you may remember, I was in a holding pattern as I waited for fusible interfacing to arrive so that I could move forward with my customer's t-shirt quilt... The "Ask Me Anything" episode was fun.  To those that asked questions, thank you!  

I am still in that same holding pattern but grew bored with all of the other small things I filled my time with (household chores)... and it has finally reached the point of summer that we HAD to install the window AC unit in the living room... which means it was too hot for any kind of cooking or baking...

For my own sanity, I needed something to sew.  I dug out the box of assorted quilt blocks that came from my customer earlier this year (recall the 8 quilts, including the fancy ribbon & lace quilt?).  I had played with a layout several months ago, so it was a quick task to sort them into the rows and join them together.  Once I located a piece for the backing, I press-fused and pin basted the sandwich and started quilting.

I used a hanging diamond pattern, with 1-1/2" spacing and plan to hand sew the binding this weekend.  

We are headed to my uncle's property for a long weekend of "cabin camping" with our girls and grands.  Dave and I will be in our camper, along with our youngest daughter, while our oldest daughter with 4 children will occupy the cabin.

Lots of camp-like activities are in the plans.  In previous years, the kids enjoyed  tie-dye projects.  This year, Rebecca will be leading us all in reverse tie-dye.  I have purchased some solid fabrics for them to dye... one 3 yard cut I want to use in a quilting project, maybe as a backing, but maybe as a whole cloth.

The 1-yard cuts are for the kiddos... The two older girls have birthdays coming up very soon, and I will make something for them with the fabric they dye.   Maybe some summer dresses, or maybe pillowcases.  I'm not sure.

I am open to suggestions... Leave a comment telling me how you would choose to use the fabric.  I'd love to hear from you!

I have got to run to get the binding on the Wild & Crazy quilt.

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Sew & Tell ~ July 10, 2023

Sadly, there is not much going on in my studio.  This week's mini quilt is another one that I actually stitched on our trip to Illinois.  It came from the collection of crazy quilt style blocks from my customer that had the fancy ribbon & lace quilt.

There is a section of road across Nebraska that was a little rougher than normal.  So, rather than try to piece one of the camping journal blocks, I pulled out this piece... something that didn't need careful and precise stitching.

Mini-quilt challenge 28/52...

Using the open space on this crazy-quilt orphan I allowed all of the big stiches and gradual spacing of the lines to create texture. 

The play of the light and shadows add to the dimension of the piece. 

This mini seems right at home next to a tree, with its natural patterns of the bark, in the forest preserve where we enjoyed the trails while on vacation.

I am slow-stitching a woven piece from an assortment of narrow scraps from my friend, Pat, for my next mini.  Here's a little sneak peek...

On Friday, since I didn't have any finishes to share, I decided to try something new.  A quilt blogger's version of "Ask Me Anything."

As I explained... "I've seen a few people on Instagram do a "ask me anything" videos... Usually when they are on a long road trip or just to pass time as they wait (for whatever it is they are waiting on).  It's always fun and interesting to see what questions are asked as well as the answers.

Here are some of the questions I've had so far...

~ My question is about your travels. Is visiting quilt shops part of your travel itinerary? What is your favourite place that you have visited on your travels?

~ I am still fascinated by your living in the mountains (not too far from my dream state of New Mexico, right?) and would like to know if you enjoy looking at mountains every day as much as I think I would. Or do they just fade into the background?

Also, who does most of the cooking around your house? My husband recently acquired an outdoor griddle and has been looking at recipes like I used to! I am very tempted to let him take over the cooking - lol!

~ Camping!! i have always wondered "where" you camp. i.e. forest service, nat parks, state parks, private? Do you make reservations ahead of time, or just go? What are your favorites (I promise not to show up!!)

~ This is a fun one.... What was your worst quilting disaster?

And I had one over on fb...

~ I'm a beginner but would love to learn. First step?

Here's my answer... sign up for a class if possible. If that is not possible, start with a smaller project, like a baby quilt or table runner. One that uses pre-cut fabrics such as a jelly roll strips or layer cake squares would be my recommendation. Also, check your seam allowance on some practice fabric for 1/4 inch.

All great questions... well except for the one that inquired about my worst quilting disaster... Well, actually it was a great question, just not all that fun to recall.  But, we are called to be humble.  And admitting our shortcomings and failures helps with that.  So... thanks for asking Kathleen.  Sincerely, thanks for asking.

Last weeks Sew & Tell party had 18 entries.  A fabulous turnout!  Linda, the Texas Quilt Gal was randomly selected as this week's featured quilter.  How serendipitous since her share was about finishing her Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail Quilt.  The sew along that I hosted in 2021. 💕

It looks marvelous Linda!  Thanks for joining the party.

That's all I have for now... If you have any burning questions for my "Ask Me Anything" episode, feel free to leave a comment.  And, don't forget to join this week's party.  The more, the merrier. 😁

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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Episode One of "Ask Me Anything"

I've seen a few people on Instagram do a "ask me anything" videos... Usually when they are on a long road trip or just to pass time as they wait (for whatever it is they are waiting on).  It's always fun and interesting to see what questions are asked as well as the answers.

I am in between projects waiting for supplies to arrive...  And I have all of the "kits" prepped for the latest blocks to be added to our Camping Journal Quilts... I thought I would try something new and (hopefully) fun.  

So, here I am with a quilt blogger's version of "Ask Me Anything".  Blogger version because I am not brave enough, nor tech savvy enough to try it on insta. 

Your questions can be quilting related or just life in general... 

Need tips? Ask away!  Questions about quilting techniques, pattern designing/writing or fabric/color selection... welcome.  Questions about camping and hiking?  Questions about tools, notions or supplies?  Also fair game...  Questions about our family?  Yep, those too.  

Basically, ask me anything by leaving a comment.   If I feel that your question falls into the realm of "too personal" or that the answer might fall into a TMI category, the comment will not be "published" or answered...  

I'll be working on some slow stitching on my next mini-quilt... here's a sneak peek 👀

Ready? GO.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

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 ~ July 3, 2023

With summer in full swing, I have been thinking about the various sounds of the season... The Fourth of July is nearly upon us and the celebration with family and friends, for many, encompasses an extra-long weekend since the 4th falls on Tuesday.

The sound of crickets chirping outside the windows, the laughter and squeals of joy (and sometimes the cries and wailing of little ones) as children play in a pool or in the water... the sounds of fireworks in the neighborhood... dogs barking in response.  And the drone of fans and air conditioners working to keep the air just a little cooler.

These were just a few of the thoughts I pondered as I worked on a few mini-quilts requested by a customer.  A matching set of four that resemble the Colorado flag.  You see, my customer is headed to a family reunion cruise to Alaska and each attendee was requested to bring a few items that represent the location of their residence.

This is not the first time I filled an order for them.  Earlier this year, I made two wall hangings for them... the Colorado flag with prairie point mountains and Fishers Peak and Simpsons Rest.

Their family does something unique by having an auction... What a great idea to cover the cost of room or facility rental.  

As I finished up the mini-quilt/mug rugs, I turned my attention to our Camping Journal Quilt.

I completed several blocks while traveling to and from Illinois for the Nolan Family Reunion.  We enjoyed five different campgrounds along the way, with the longest stay in Illinois at a Forest Preserve.  It was a lovely place to camp... quiet with well-spaced sites so that it didn't seem as though your neighbor might hear you whisper.

We met several people and had some nice chats.  On our first day there we were just settling in for a quiet afternoon.  I was going to sit and stitch and Dave was going to do what he loves to do... people watching.  

A young lady, Samantha, selected a site and proceeded to attempt to set up her tent.  Another guy that was also in a tent was soon helping her and Dave was chuckling.  Next thing I know, Dave was going over to assist.  Things were not going well, and I was soon called in as well.  

The tent that had just been purchased was obviously assembled incorrectly. The IKEA like instructions indicated that it was a quick 60 second set up that required just two people...  It took 4! of us nearly two hours to get it set up correctly.  There was a twist in the body of the tent as it was attached to the poles.  A screwdriver was required to correct the issue.

Then... we figured out that the poles had not been put together properly and hinged in the wrong direction.  The support for the rain fly seemed to have been MIA, but the tent was up.

We walked away as Samantha was happily filling her new air mattress... less than 10 minutes later the photo shown is what we saw.  She had not unzipped the bottom of the door zipper and attempted to get her giant mattress through the small opening, causing a collapse.  She was deeply embarrassed when I showed her the lower zipper.

We were grateful that it was not sweltering hot, and sticky with humidity.  The skies were a clear blue and free of the haze from smoke.  We enjoyed the trails throughout the property... on bike and on foot.  Shelby enjoyed the many walks and attention that she received from us as well as all those we met along the way.

(They say that the area was in a drought... though it is still green in comparison to what we know drought conditions to look like.)

The Family time was so special.  We visited with one of the last remaining Aunts on Dave's Mother's side.  She was thrilled to have us visit with her and her youngest son who cares for her.  There was an evening of dinner with two sisters and brothers-in-law, breakfast with a brother and a campfire evening with the sisters and spouses again.

The formal reunion brought numerous cousins as well all of the Aunts & Uncle from Dave's Dad's side. Laughter and stories were abundant.  While the travel time across the country was long, we are glad that we did it with a joyous event, rather than a somber funeral.  With the oldest living aunt at age 85 and the youngest living uncle 75, we are well aware that such a sad occasion could be right around the corner.

We passed the time of driving listening to Harry Potter 3&4.  These will be the last of the HP books we borrow from the library... #4 was almost 20 hours long!  We cannot imagine how long book 7 would take to listen to.  We'll find something else for future travels. 

Here's a look at how our Camping Journal Quilt is coming along...

I have the patterns selected and laid out to continue the border... 16 in all for now.

On our return home we stopped off in Ogalla, Nebraska at Lake McConaughey for two nights.  As we wandered some of the sites in town we found a small craft store that was going out of business.  They had reached the point where everything that remained was discounted 80% off the sale prices marked.

I snatched up a few of the last remnants of fabric and a spool of thread for just $4.12.  

What a deal!  Nearly all of the fabric was gone, as were pattern books.  She had lots of lace and trims and zippers.  I passed on all of that...

Remember... zippers and I are not really friends. ;)

Thanks for the spectacular showings in the past two weeks of Sew & Tell.  I have taken the time to visit each link and admired each and every project shared.  

The featured projects are from Andree and Laurie...  Well done!

Time to link up this week's projects!  

Keep Piecing,

Melva

PS... before you go, what sort of sounds of summer do you hear?  Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you 😍

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

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

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Andree's Rainbow Neighborhood

Laurie's Unfinished Turtles