Enjoying the Quiet ~ Sew & Tell - October 14, 2024

It's been pleasantly quiet around my house and studio this past week.  I spent a great deal of time in the kitchen.  I've been busy getting items baked to have on hand for breakfasts and snacks.  I have a good stash of muffins on hand and was able to get some chicken stock prepped and frozen for future soups and meals. 

I think I will plan to get some No Guilt::Go Quilt freezer to crockpot meals prepped after our travels.  I have been in a bit of a rut with dinners.  I have experimented with a few new meals and have them ready to add into my rotation.  Taco Soup and Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole.  Both were super easy to make... and delicious!  They received a seal of approval from hubby.  

Last week I told you about the leak within our water system... All has returned to normal, and the water was out for just 6 hours (and 1/2 of that time was spent driving for parts needed to get the repair done). Not bad at all!

As we were on the road, I finished up the messed-up embroidery on the park sign blocks of our Camping Journal Quilt.  Here is the top with less than two rows left to be camped and documented!

Our excitement is growing to be back on the road.... the wanderlust is strong!  I've been prepping projects to work on to pass the time.  So far, I have quilted hearts to embellish, some embroidery to try to cover up some tears on a favorite pair of jeans and a few postcard blocks.

I have been doing research about Route 66 and the points of interest and attractions along the way.  I have selected a few patterns to represent our trip... like an Interstate sign, the Lincoln home, Gateway Arch, a Whale tail, Teepee, Dinosaur print, Tent Rocks and another Petroglyph. If you are interested in any of these patterns, you can find them at Fiona Sandwich.

All images are by Rachel at Fiona Sandwich

I have had the time and opportunity to clean house... and no excuses of needing to get a quilt done.  

Since I was sprucing things up, I switched out the quilt on our guest bed.  This acorn quilt was hand appliqued and hand-quilted by my Great-Grandmother, Lala Teegarden in the 1940s.  Below is a short excerpt from her story in my Quilters Through The Generations series.

“Lala Teegarden was a member of the Trinidad Christian Church.  There was a group of ladies that quilted at the Teegarden’s.  My mom recalls, "there was always a quilt set up in the east end of the dining room. The ladies quilted every Tuesday.  Of course, whenever she had some time on her own, she would be sitting there quilting. 

Lala would piece blocks and when she got the tops put together, place them on the quilting frame ready for the women to quilt.  Any one in town that wanted a quilt could order a quilt from them. The money raised from the sale of the quilts went to the church.  Lala’s daughters, Luna and Viola, would quilt from time to time.  My mom, Tressie Teegarden quilted some with the ladies.  Everyone was welcome to sit and quilt with them."  

Mom included, despite her young age, had been encouraged by her Grandma and the other ladies though she knew that her stitches were uneven.  After leaving the house and returning shortly afterward because she had left something behind, she walked in to see her Grandma picking out her stitches.  Ooops!"

We all have to start somewhere, right???

Do you do hand-quilting?  

What was your first piece that you hand quilted?

Mine was this Bitty Block throw-sized row quilt.  It was pieced throughout 2015, and I hand quilted it in 2016.  With each row of quilting that was completed I noticed an improvement of stitch length and consistency, as well as an increase of speed.

Time for the party feature!  Since hand-quilting is the topic... Kathy Reeves showed off her recently finished hand-quilting project.  It is a table topper - a great size for a hand-quilting project and it is scrappy!  What could be better?  Head over there and show her some love. 

For those that may be curious... I decided that I will release the next Pieces of My Life block AND memory book pages here on the blog on Thursday.  The following block and pages with the newsletter will resume after we return... whenever that may be ;)  We have an open-ended tour of Route 66 and plan take our time exploring new territory!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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