A Special Surprise

Over the summer I had a lull in my custom quilting orders.  I took advantage of the time to improve some FMQ skills as well as completing some "general housekeeping" things here on Melva Loves Scraps.  At the same time, I worked to update my husband's website.  (I don't often procrastinate... But the anxiety I feel from the need of uploading new pages for him is real and is always a task I can easily talk myself out of.)  I found distractions, and lots of them... such as reading email. 

That is what I was doing one day when I happened to scroll all the way down past the highlighted special deals in the newsletter from Nancy's Notions that is now a part of the Missouri Star Quilt Co.  I saw the question "Are you a sewing or quilting rockstar?"  I contemplated their question.  While I feel very confident in my sewing and quilting skills, I don't necessarily really believe that I am of rockstar celebrity status.  

After weeks of contemplation, on a whim a few weeks ago, (because I was procrastinating) I said, "What the heck... just make a submission." So, I did.  I sent in four quilts, and the stories of them (because every one of my quilts have a story) for consideration.  

Last week I had a message informing me that I had been selected for a Quilt & Tell feature.  

"We loved the story and all of the information you included as well.  It will be posted on our website on Wednesday, be in our newsletter on Thursday, and be on our social media on Friday of next week."

Wow! 😁 What a special surprise...

So... if you are a first-time visitor stopping by because of the Quilt & Tell feature story, WELCOME! I am thrilled to have you visit.  Let me tell you a little more about myself.

I love scraps.  I love vintage quilts and I love preserving the stories of quilters and the quilts they make.  

I live in Trinidad, CO – the far Southeastern portion of the state, between the plains and the mountains. I am a Homemaker who has a passion for all things quilty.  Did I mention that I especially like a scrappy look?   I love the challenge of working with scraps, remnants and cast-offs to make something beautiful.  My favorite quilts to make are quilts that tell stories ~ Stories of a family member through custom memory quilts ~ like The Legacy Quilt ~ or another "heirloom" type project.  

Quilts can tell the story of a particular time of history ~ such as the Pieces From the Past quilt or the Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail quilt. It can tell the story of a life like the Pieces in the Garden Quilt; Or it can tell of one's adventures and travels ~ like the Camping Journal Quilt I have been working on for several years.

If you are a part of a guild that might like for me to visit and share some of these quilts and their stories, let me know.  I am just beginning to explore the opportunity to travel for such events.

Melva Loves Scraps 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 2013 when 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.

Another regular feature on Melva Loves Scraps is the weekly Sew & Tell party.  A linky party where you can link up blog stories or social media posts to show everyone what you have been up to.  It is fun to see the variety of projects and the progress made in a week and find new inspiration to grow your own creativity.  I hope you'll join me. 

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and that you will choose to return... 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!  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.  

If you'd like to know more about me, leave a comment and feel free to ask me anything... (please note ~ if I feel it is too personal, I'll simply delete and pretend it never happened. 😉)

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

PS - I'd love to have you follow me.  You can sign up to be notified when I have a new story up in the right sidebar, just below the search box.  If you want to keep up on social media, you'll find me instagram at @melvalovesscraps or on Facebook at Melva Loves Scraps.  If you still use bloglovin' (whenever it happens to be working), you can find the link below the place you sign up for email.