Sew & Tell - 10/4/26

Hi!  My name is Melva... and this is my blog, Melva Loves Scraps.

I've been absent for the past several weeks so I thought I would take the opportunity to re-introduce myself! LOL!

Our travels and adventures were safe with several highlights and making it a memorable trip... mostly good, with a tidbit of challenge sprinkled in.

Within the first few hours on the road, we encountered our first challenge.  We made a stop to use the pitstop and when I exited the truck and turned toward the camper my eyes noticed something out of place!

Oh! NO!  It was cloudy, cool and just starting to sprinkle.  We knew were driving into a storm with rain predicted most of the way from CO to IL.  

Dave did some quick thinking... we visited the family dollar store across the highway and purchased a large (clear) storage tub, a knife, and tape.  I made a few more visits to get scissors and a marker.  An your later, we were back on the road with a repaired window in place...  I returned to my hand-quilting and audio book #1 - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Not perfect, but it did keep the rain out!  Do you remember the old television show from the '90s - MacGyver?  This guy is a MacGyver!  The repair got us all the way to IL with no problems, though we did purchase some better tape once we reached our destination for the reunion events.

We made that tape purchase while collecting the items needed to MacGyver his eyeglasses since the left temple broke as we drove across Iowa.  A pair of Foster Grant sunglasses along with an eyeglass repair kit, nail file and a pair of pliers got him all fixed up and looking good for the gathering of classmates from H.D. Jacobs HS, Class of 1981.

The rain held off long enough for us to enjoy the kick-off of the homecoming game and then settled in for most of the weekend.

Between reunion events, we entertained ourselves with visiting some thrift shops and a very, very large, very, very good Antique Mall.  We found some great deals at Goodwill and they followed us home.  Among them... a brand-new pair of Levi 501 Jeans, some flannel work shirts and a pair of shorts for Dave.  I also purchased some patriotic fabric... Just $3 a bag.  The floral red is a continuous 3-yard cut.  The others are 1+ yards or more.  What a bargain!  I'll share soon what my plans for them are.  Here's the crazy bunch that gathered for the 45th reunion...

As we bid farewell to Illinois, we started book #2 - Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks - and made our way back to Iowa and then headed south to Missouri... More specifically, Hamilton, MO.  Though we resided at a State Park about 20 minutes from Hamilton.  

Hamilton, Missouri - the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company, also known as Quilt Town.  It was fun to wander the streets of the small town and see the variety of stores and the clever marketing they used to develop the themes of them.  Fresh Cut Market was strictly pre-cuts, the Flower Shop was all floral fabrics, etc.

After a few hours of doing that Dave (& I) were bored with the window shopping.  Honestly!  I didn't even buy any fabric from Quilt Town!  We enjoyed lunch and then went to the Missouri Quilt Museum.  Now... let me tell you... THAT was an impressive place to visit.  Dave enjoyed it as much as I did.  I have set a new life goal for myself but will not reveal what it is at this time.  There is a little groundwork to be laid out, and I want to be sure to get all my ducks in a row.

The next day, we drove into Kansas City to visit the Arabia Steamboat museum and the Museum of Trails in Independence.  The Steamboat Museum was amazing!  The Trail Museum... disappointing.  Oh well...

We moved on to Kansas... we detoured off I-70 to Wamego for a quick bite to eat in the camper followed by a visit to the Wizard of Oz Museum and winery... I bought a souvenir and then we drove to Russell, KS where the campground featured the sound of the trucks driving on I-70 and cows bawling from a nearby feedlot... and the aroma... well, I'll leave that to your imagination. ;)  Dave was struggling with an ache in his jaw at this point... he was a good sport as we continued our adventures.

The intersection near our site...

I kid you not... Main Street was a dirt road. It was a short stay, and we survived one night and then drove to Scott Lake State Park.  While there we drove the Little Jerusalem Site and hiked several miles in a light rain.  It was interesting to see... the sudden change in landscape was fascinating, but after our visit to Moab in April, it was pretty unspectacular.

It was about a 7-mile drive on dirt road that was a little soft and slick in spots.  4-wheel drive was a good thing to have!  We finished the afternoon out with a visit to the "Chalk Pyramids" since the camp host suggested it.  Well... THAT one did not disappoint!

The journey back to the lake was another 4-wheel drive adventure...

Since we were at the Lake over the weekend, we joined the very large crowd at a craft fair that was in town... It was HUGE!  We wandered, and looked and taste tested some more wine... I purchased the second bottle of wine in the photo above.  I like to buy the wines from the different places and save either the label (or if there is an embossed cork, I will make a magnet out of it) as my souvenirs.

Sunday morning greeted us with sunshine and Dave was ready to get home.  He loaded up with pain reliever and drove us home as we finished book #3 of the trip - Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.  

As we unloaded the camper the pain in his jaw increased and he struggled throughout the night.  On Monday morning the dentist offices we would trust did not have any Drs in that day.  We were able to get him some antibiotics and have since decided that he had a severe sinus infection that was not in the upper sinus cavity.  He is mostly mended and almost back to normal.  

I passed the time on familiar roads hand-quilting... I am nearly done with this little panel.  I was able to try out my new Roxanne thimble.  I found it easy to use.  I had a traditional thimble as well as the spinner ring that I purchased to try out a couple years ago.  All three work well for me and I cannot say that I have a preference.  I did notice that with each thimble I would hold the needle just a little different.  When one started feeling uncomfortable, I would switch to a different thimble.

I had a quilt deadline as soon as I got home.  I remembered that I needed to get my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt finished and, in the mail... I thought by Friday.  Turns out I gained a few days and that helped take some pressure off of myself.  I was able to get it done AND get caught up on laundry and housekeeping.

I will get a label on it and ship it off Monday afternoon. 

I could go on and on, but I really need to go supervise Mr. Dave.  He has construction tools in his hands to install one last cold air return for our new furnace.  So much for the housekeeping that I did.

I keep seeing the saying... If I clean house it just gets dirty again... If I make a quilt, it stays made!  It is so true!  I have so many thoughts and ideas in my head and no time to get them written down.  It's driving me nuts!  I feel like a pinball bouncing around in a pinball machine.  I have Lala's Irish Chain Quilt to still finish, Bookish Journey blocks to piece, a letter to write to the Quilt Museum and a plethora of creative ideas fighting to get out!  😮 Send help!

What do you do to help yourself stay organized and focused?

Leave a comment... I need the help!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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