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Thursday, August 29, 2024

My Heart Beats for You ~ TGIFF


Welcome to TGIFF and Melva Loves Scraps!

This is the place where quilters get to celebrate their recent finishes.

I'll get the party started with a Plus Quilt that I started in June


I had it sandwiched and ready to quilt but had to set it aside as it was (finally) time to get my Mom moved. There were several other interruptions that happened before I was able to focus on the quilting in August (but I'll skip all those details).


As I quilted this wedding gift for a nephew and his soon to be bride, prayers for the couple were stitched in with each heart and "rhythm" that was made.  Hearts were stitched only in the center of each plus.

I'm sure any cardiologist or doctor, nurse or medical professional would have something to say to me about the inaccuracies and irregular rhythms, but sometimes, when newly in love (or even years later) your heart can be all a flutter for the one you love.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;)


The back of the quilt includes a vintage marriage certificate panel that I have filled out with the names, date and location of Brett's & Julie's wedding day.



Here are a few more "glamor shots".





































Now it's your turn!
Let's see your finishes :)

Keep Piecing,

Melva


Sunday, August 25, 2024

New Week = New Quilt~ Sew & Tell

Man-o-man, oh-man, the weeks are flying by!  Everyone seems to be surprised that it is late August... So, at least I am not alone!


After returning home I needed to sort through all of my sewing stuff and get my mind square with the Camping Journal Blocks that I pieced on the road.  I was able to get a small section ready to add to the borders of the quilt (sans the embroidery on the signs).  Here's a quick peek at what I have ready to add...

It was a good project to focus on for a few hours as I did laundry and cleaned house.

It jumpstarted me to have an interest in getting back to the wedding quilt that was placed on hold due to life getting busy with grandchildren, Family Camp and Mom's move.

My original hope was to have the wedding quilt finished before our trip for the 50th anniversary party to be able to leave for the bridal shower just one week later.  

Since that didn't happen, it will be gifted in October when we include the trip to the wedding in our "fall trip".  In the words of the old Doris Day song... Que Sarsar. :)


I will be hosting the TGIFF party this week and "My Heart Beats for You" will be the star of the show.  Be sure to come back to see her finished and showing off in her Glamor Shots.

Next up is a Baby's First Year quilt.  The customer is a repeat customer and has requested "I just want it all patch work and dark deep colors like the one you made for Scarlett… we all covet that one."  

I believe the top will come together quickly... 



There was another Pieces of My Life pattern release.  Block #15 ~ Cornerstone & Chimney accompanies a story of our first apartment, pets and friends.  (If you are doing the QAYG layout and are ready to join the first two sections together, you can find the info here.)

Our wedding and having our first place together to call "home" was when I felt as though I was an "adult".  We had full responsibility for our bills, rent, housework and meals without help from anyone else to assist.  Included in those bills was the responsibility to repay Dave's parents for the cost of his schooling to become a Gunsmith.  Since he was paying out-of-state tuition, it was quite hefty... though in comparison to the cost of a college education these days it was insignificant.

It got me thinking... What was the event or moment that you felt like an adult?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear your thoughts.


Last week's party was fun and inspirational! Melisa at Pinker 'n' Punkin Quilting invited us to join her for a dish of peach ice cream as she showed off Flaming Butterflies ~ The Butterflies are set with a Whatcha MaCall It blocks and is quite lovely...  Hop over to her blog to see more photos and to show her some love.

"This quilt is in memory of my sis, who Papa called Flaming Amy. She was a spitfire.🔥🎇 I finished Flaming Butterflies just in the knick of time. I will put it in the hoop tomorrow.  Tomorrow marks three years 😔😢💔. How can that be?" 

That's all I have this week. Don't forget... Come back for the TGIFF party at the end of the week!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Thursday, August 22, 2024

Pieces of My Life ~ Cornerstone & Chimney

 

Welcome back for another session of the Pieces of My Life Sew Along!


This session features a block I call Cornerstone & Chimney.  
The questions revolve around your first homes, jobs, pets and friends.  For Dave and I both, aside from dorm rooms, never lived anywhere but at home.  And it wasn't until our marriage that we had our own "Home Sweet Home."

Since we just returned from a trip to Illinois, the subject matter of our first apartment and memories are fresh in my mind.  



Dave's sister and BIL had purchased their first home just months before our wedding and we were lucky enough to become the new residents of 408-1/2 La Fox River Drive.  It was the upper floor of this Victorian style home.  

The entrance was on the side of the house, near the back.  I can very nearly recall the sound of the door, creaking floor and stairs as well as the scents that come along with the old homes.

The yard was open when we lived there... it has since grown up and has iron fence and gate that prevents people like us from walking up and wandering around as we reminisced about our first 2 years together there.

We talked the sweet landlady into letting us get a cat.  Rusty was an orange tabby Tom cat that had interesting markings on his side... (think target).  We got him when he was about 9 months old from an animal shelter.  He had a great personality and demanded that we pay attention to him when we were there.  He picked us!  He was well behaved and loved watching the squirrels and birds from the upper windows.

He would follow the squirrels from the kitchen window to the living room window.  Mrs. Schuett (the landlady) would often sit on a bench by her back door.  Rusty would sit in the kitchen window and talk to her.

One hot summer night Dave moved the small window AC unit from the living room window into one of our bedroom windows.  Rusty would sleep with us and he enjoyed the cooler temp offered by the AC unit.  Sometime in the early morning hours Dave had gotten up and Rusty followed him out of the room.  It wasn't until Dave needed to get up to get ready for work that he realized that the living room window that no longer held the AC unit was wide open (without a screen)... and Rusty was nowhere to be found inside the apartment.

Ummmm... Rusty was under the tree outside the side entrance to the apartment... and he was NOT happy.  Ooops!


After moving from the apartment and having children, Rusty eventually became an indoor/outdoor cat. This was with much thanks to a toddler releasing him from his harness while unsupervised outside.  He never wandered far, and he would ALWAYS ask to be let back into the house when he had to use the litterbox.  He was the best cat and never gave us any problems.  He even welcomed a yellow lab as his bestie.  Samantha Amber joined our family in 1988.  

Sam and Rusty would play and wrestle together until Rusty's entire head was wet from being in Sam's mouth.  LOL.  It was a regular event every afternoon following naptime.

Sammie Girl had one litter of puppies... 8 black labs.  We sold all of them. Sam lived for a long 15 years.  We heard from several of the owners of her puppies over the years and learned that she had outlived a few of her babies.  She was a great dog!  Right up to her last days on earth.  She was irreplaceable.  So much so that we waited a full 10 years before getting our Shelby Grace.


It is the memories like these that become the cornerstones of our lives.  Which means... now is the time to get over to payhip to grab the pattern for the Cornerstone & Chimney block.

It is a simple block to piece.  But be careful with your 1/4" seams.  If you have mastered the scant 1/4" seams your block will be oversized.  

If you have not, I have built in a fool-proof insurance by making the final pieces 1/2" larger than the other "log" pieces.  

This was a trick I learned from Eleanor Burns' patterns for log cabins.  Either way... if needed, trim your block down just a little, center your 12-1/2" ruler on the block and trim.

Be sure you come back and link up your finished block!  

What was your first place like?  
Did you have an apartment or house?  
Did you rent or did you own?
Did you have a roommate?

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

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

We have returned home after a fast and furious trip... 1200 miles from Trinidad, Colorado to Algonquin, Illinois.  Two days of driving there, two days there and another 1,200 miles in the two days back.  If you're wondering... that about 18 hours of drive time one-way.

Totally worth it to have all 8 of the Nolan siblings together to celebrate 50 years of marriage with the first-born of the family and her husband. It has been 15 years since that last happened.

In birth order, right to left...
Linda, Mike, Marcie, Sharon, Dave, Pat, Chris, Amy

If you missed seeing the Golden Anniversary quilt that was given as a gift, go HERE.  The fact that there was an intersection with their last names meant that we HAD to drive the 20 minutes from the hotel to get photos... Totally worth it.  Go check it out ;)

I passed the time on the road with some hand sewing and we listened to a few audio books.  One we enjoyed... the author was Tracie Peterson; the story was Under the Stary Skies.  We tired a few other books, but either the narrator was not appealing to us, or the storyline was lame.  Maybe we are too picky.  Either way... they were all free to listen to through the Libby App.  (The app worked really well as long as we had cell service.  But when you are traveling on the remote eastern plains of Colorado it gets a little hit and miss.)  


I had prepared several EPP blocks that will be included in our Camping Journal Quilt.  These included a couple campfire blocks, a modified Mesa Verde block, a portion of a petroglyph block, and a block to represent the fabulous sunrise we saw while camping near the Organ Mountains.  I still have a few more to make to complete the "journal" of our spring trip to Arizona and New Mexico.


I had been feeling a little bored with this ongoing project... I started it in 2018 and I have been missing our quick get aways but this was a good time to somewhat caught up and renew some energy and interest in the project.  I have blocks selected for the remaining trips/nights that we have had this year.  Now, all I need to do is pull fabric and prep my "kits".

While on the road, Dave and I talked about our fall trip.  We will be returning to Illinois in October for a wedding.  We have a tentative plan the direct route (I-80) there with stops planned for Ogallala and Fremont, Nebraska, one night in Iowa and then the Paul Wolff Forest Preserve near Elgin, IL.

Our return trip will find us gettin' our kicks along Route 66.

I finished a few quilted hearts and sprinkled them around as well. 



I like to have a variety of projects to work on when I travel so that if I get bored with one, I can pull out something different.

One project that will be included in my travel sewing bag next time will be some embroidery.  I found these peel and stitch transfer sheets in one of the "deal of the day" emails about a week before we left.  I was excited for them to arrive since I have a few jeans that I wear when camping that have some minor repairs to them and I have wanted to add some embroidery to them to help disguise the repairs and "dress them up a little."

While I was excited for them to arrive the day before we left, I quickly realized that they are blank sheets to be printed on.  I thought they came with a few designs already printed on them... but they are blank.  No big deal... I just decided to leave them for another trip.

I know that there are lots and lots of free embroidery patterns out there.  I'll have to look back at what the Texas Quilt Gal linked to a few weeks ago when she joined my Sew & Tell Party. 

Speaking of my Sew & Tell Party... It is still open.  Feel free to drop by.

Do you travel with projects?
What sort of projects do you like to work on?
What supplies do you need to take with you?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Secret Sewing Reveal ~ Sew & Tell


It's official!  The 50th Anniversary quilt has been gifted and I can finally give a full reveal.

This quilt began with inspiration from Amanda's Westwood Acres Fabric and her Golden Afternoon quilt.  I would have loved to have purchased a kit or pattern from her, but neither were available.  

Since I needed to come up my own design, my intent was never to copy her pattern or quilt exactly so I didn't spend a great deal of time staring at her picture.  I knew there were stars and an Irish chains.  I also knew I needed the center of the stars to be 6" squares... large enough to hold congratulatory messages to the lovely couple.  

I also knew I needed 12 blocks.  Enough to include a message from each sibling of both families.  One block features the names of the couple and their wedding date.  One sibling of the groom has passed away, but was included with his name in a heart.  Each message is as unique as each sibling.

This is the finished quilt.  It is quite different from Amanda's but I am so pleased.  


Linda Nolan married Carlton Hopp on August 17, 1974.  When considering options for taking photos we had a winner when we discovered that there was an actual intersection of Hopp(s) Road and Nolan Road. 💛 It was a 20-minute drive from our hotel to the location, but worth every minute!

We then traveled to a few places that have been significant landmarks of their lives.


They lived in the upper floor of this Victorian home when they started their family
When they purchased their home, Dave and I started our married life together here.

Saint Margaret Mary Church where they have been involved
in the music ministry for all of their marriage




The quilt was well received and brought a few tears as they realized that there were personal messages included.


We'll be headed home soon... so time to start the Sew & Tell party!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

linking with:

m


Sunday, August 11, 2024

Sew & Tell ~ Pieces of My Life Section II




Welcome! I am still working on the secret sewing project sooooo....

This week's show for Sew & Tell is the layout of Section II of the Pieces of My Life Sew Along.  All four sections of the quilt are the same, just rotated... (no, I did not forget how to count.... Remember, block #11 ~ Solitaire Diamond ~ has been released, but will be used in Section III... )
Cutting instructions are the same as Section I:

2 - 2-1/2" x 12-1/2" strips
2 - 2-1/2" x 18-1/2" strips
2 - 3-1/2" x 12-1/2" strips

Layout your blocks and strips as shown in the photos.  You can join units together as you desire but I used the following order so that I could chain piece until the final seam.  

Join your 6-1/2" blocks together.  
Add one 3-1/2" strip to the block intended for the lower left unit.  
Join your 6-1/2" blocks to the upper right block.
Add the second 3-1/2" strip to the lower left block.  
Sew a 2-1/2"x12-1/2" strip to each of the remaining blocks. 


Join the 18-1/2" long strips to the remaining units. 
Join the 18-1/2" long units to the 12"+2-1/2" strips units. 
Join the two units together to complete the section.  
Each section should measure 28-1/2" wide by 30-1/2" tall.

The remainder of the detailed Quilt-As-You-Go instructions can be found here.

Here's a closer view of the quilting I did for each block/filler strips

Quilt as you go... as desired ;)

Okay, I can't resist... here's a sneak peek at the secret sewing I have been doing.  I have the border to quilt and then I am ready for binding.  I am 100% confident that it will be completely finished before we leave on Thursday. 🌟I just couldn't resist sharing a peek.  👀


This brings us to the weekly feature... Linda at Texas Quilt Gal shared that she has been in a bit of a slump lately.

This has been the summer of the slump for me (in fact several months of slump), but Karen's plan of doing "a little each day" struck a chord, so I did some actual sewing yesterday and finished the next block in Joy's Say It With Flowers BOM. This sweetly simple block of the month has required the least amount of thought for me along with a great deal of enjoyment stitching in front of the TV at night, so it is one of the few things I have "kept up" with this summer. 

Head over to her blog to find the links for the BOM and more.  I think everyone has experienced a slump.  I know I have lost my Sewjo...  I find that doing a small, quick project helps me.  As well as some self-care.  I did a few things this week for my self-care.  One was using some detoxing foot pad and foot soaks and making sure I was getting ample rest.  I even had a nap or two.  It felt good!

What have you done to come out of a slump?  

Leave a comment... Your ideas and plans are always welcome.

The party is started!  Share what you have been doing and feel free to share more than one post as the party is open alllllll week.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Thursday, August 8, 2024

Pieces of My Life ~ Wedding (Ring) Day

 


Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and the Pieces of My Life Sew Along!  

Can you believe we are more than halfway through this sew along event???  And that we are already sitting here in August? Schools and teachers are preparing for the return of students... And Dave and I will be celebrating our 39th anniversary in just a few days.  Where has the time gone????


With the last block (Large Spool) I shared details of my wedding dress...  This time I focus on the rest of the events of our Wedding Ring Day.


I was just 20 years old, Dave was 22.  

I lived in Colorado; Dave in Illinois. He has a large family; Mine was a much smaller family.  Most of his extended family, aunts/uncles and cousins were unable to make a trip to La Junta for the wedding ceremony. As Mom and I reviewed the list of guests we anticipated, a last-minute decision was made to extend an invitation to all of the members of the church we were getting married in.  Since I grew up there and Mom worked as the financial secretary for about 15 years at that point, there were many that had asked if they could come.  In all, we had nearly 100 guests attend the ceremony.  

As I looked over our guest book, I saw names of people that I haven't thought of for years.  There was a surprising number of church members.  Some were Sunday School teachers from my childhood, and youth group leaders in my teen years and childhood friends and their parents and siblings... I smiled as I recalled my memories of each of them. 

Dave's parents would have preferred to have a larger celebration... That big party would have to wait until we were settled into our apartment in Illinois.  


I was content to have a simple reception in the church basement with cake and punch, mints and nuts. I made hundreds of cream cheese mints. 
(All in the early morning hours... before 6 a.m...  August in La Junta, CO can be very hot...  It was not uncommon for the temperatures to rise over 100 degrees F.  And many days it was in the 80s by 8 am.)  If you have never made molded mints, you mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and mint extract (and a drop of food coloring, if desired), shape them into small marble sized balls and roll them in granulated sugar.  You then press them into a mold that has been coated with granulated sugar to prevent them from sticking.   

Grandma T. made the cakes; Mom & Grandma decorated the cake layers together.  I remember Grandma needing more cake mixes.  I volunteered to drive to the store.  As I walked out the door she said, "Be sure to get Duncan Hines cake mixes.  Betty and I are not getting along today."  If you look closely, you can see the plates of nuts and mints.  You may also notice that the bottom layer of the cake is sagging just a little.  After we cut the cake and the top layers were removed, that bottom layer sprang back up as if nothing had been wrong. ;)


Following the ceremony, we visited with each of our guests as they passed through the receiving line and then we cut the cake.  As we prepared for this my Mom looked Dave straight into his eyes and told him "Don't you smash that cake in her face or get any on her dress".  Haha.  She may have threatened him with bodily harm.  He was nice and so was I. 
 

Since we didn't have a meal to offer our guests, one of my aunts hosted a small gathering for the out-of-town guests to be able to have a light meal as well as some additional time to visit with each other.  Dave and I made a brief appearance before we left for our "honeymoon".  

It was one night in a small cabin at a lake.  It was a 2-hour+ drive for us.  The plan was for Dave's parents and younger siblings to meet up with us the next day to "tour" them through the mountain community of Cuchara.  Dave and I were up early so we could enjoy some alone time and a walk around the lake.  It was a beautiful morning.


We had been married about 1 month when Dave's parents hosted a party for us... a chance for all of his family, extended family and friends to celebrate with us.  There were 60 in attendance for that party.  The size may have been smaller, but the party was bigger and included food, cake, music, lights and dancing... and a bar.


We enjoyed opening the gifts as our guests watched at both receptions.  Thirty-nine years later we still have many of those wedding gifts... among them is the microwave we got from my in-laws, the set of hand-painted china that Grandma T painted with pink wild roses; our everyday silverware, casserole dishes, tablecloths and napkins... and who could forget the cash?  LOL!  I don't remember the total amount we had been gifted but can say that neither of us had ever held that much in our hands at one time. ;)  I know it helped to pay for the expenses we had in setting up our apartment with painting, cleaning supplies and stocking our pantry.


So, there are most of the details of our Wedding Ring Day.

It is now time to head over to my Payhip store to get the pattern.  This block features four square-in-square units, strip pieced rectangles and a square.  You'll find that it pieces together fairly quickly.  make sure you come back to share/link up your finished Wedding Day block.

Since we are more than halfway through with the blocks, I'll be sharing the layout for the second section of the QAYG soon.  Come back on Monday and my Sew & Tell Party to get the details. 

As I have reflected on our day, I have no regrets and wouldn't change a thing. Except for getting more of a "honeymoon"... (that story was included in my newsletter) but in short... we should have kept our plans a secret. ;) And since we have deferred any sort of big trip for ourselves to including the girls, maybe a crowd funding account would be an option. Haha! I do have the button below for a small Ko-fi donation. LOL!

Did you have the opportunity for a special honeymoon?  

Leave a comment telling me about it.... I'd love to live vicariously through you.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m