Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Arches National Park Shirt

It is no secret that I have loved the National Park Postcard blocks from Fiona Sandwich for several years.  I made our Camping Journal quilt based on them!  I am a member of the Fiona Sandwich National Park Travel Group on Facebook and have been ever since I discovered the patterns.  It is a space that members can share completed blocks, stories of their travels and other creative and inspiring photos and ideas.


In December I saw an ad for some shirts with several national parks stating that everyone should "rep your park."  Dave and I do often select a shirt as a souvenir from our visits.  One of the more recent purchases I can recall was from White Sands.  We looked at the NP giftshop, but the prices reflected the pride for the park.  The campground we were staying at had a gift shop and the prices for their shirts were more reasonable.  We both selected shirts and enjoy wearing them.  

But when I saw the ad, the idea of using a NP block to make my own shirts seemed brilliant!

Rachael liked the idea as well and asked me if I would be interested in creating a tutorial on the process.  So, here I am!

Dave and I have a spring trip planned to Utah to visit the Arches NP so my choice of the block is personally motivated. ;)

Step 1 - Make your block!




After making my block, I quilted the little block and trimmed the batting it so that it was slightly larger (about 1" all around) than the block itself.  

I used Hobbs Heirloom fusible batting that is 80% cotton and shrinks about 3% in size. After being laundered, it has a crinkly, well-loved, comfortable look.

If you don't want that well-loved look you can use a low-loft poly, or even pre-washed flannel would be suitable.

After quilting the block, I added a piece of white fabric to sandwich the batting and then 
marked the 1/4" seam allowance of the block and basted around the block - on the seam lines - the finished size of this block is 4-1/2".  This step not only sandwiched the batting, but it also showed me exactly where the stitching line was on the back of the piece. (This is an important step because you are working blind!)  Trim the piece so that it has 1/4" batting and backing beyond the unfinished block.



Locate the center front of your shirt and mark it on the inside.  I did this by pressing a crease with the iron.  Mark the center top and bottom of the block, noting the TOP of the block so that you sew it into place in the proper orientation. (Another important step.)


Making sure your block is straight, pin into place (all around the block) and sew.  
I used a stretch stitch so there will be just a little "give", rather than having stitches pull and break.  It also gives a bit of a decorative look.  You can choose to use a thread that matches, or you can contrast.


I used a contrasting thread in the bobbin to stitch the block into place (about 3/8" from the sandwiched block edge).  

The second line of sewing can be sewn from the front, or the back, simply stay inside the first line of sewing.  (I sewed from the front, offering a contrasting thread without rethreading my machine.)

Tip:: If you sew from the back use the basted sewing line as your guide.  Just a thread's space from the sewing line is perfect!

This second line of stitching not only adds an accent, but it also traps/seals the block's raw edges and will help to prevent any fraying that may happen with wear and washing.




The next step can be a bit scary... Turn the shirt right-side out and CAREFULLY make a small snip with sharp scissors to be able cut an X to reveal the block.

As I noted above... be certain that you mark TOP of your block so that the block is in the correct position.


Carefully, trim away the fabric...  The t-shirt fabric doesn't require any sort of finishing... It will just roll out of the way and won't ravel.

In this case, you can see, I failed to pay attention to which edge of the block was the top.  

I prepared a piece of fusible interfacing and placed it over the block with the fusing AWAY from the block.  I pressed those shirt pieces back into place and picked out all of the stitching.

I turned the block into the proper orientation and repeated the entire process and... VOILA!  I have my Arches National Park shirt.

Mistake?  What mistake???


Here's one final picture after being washed and worn a few times.

Which National Park will YOU Rep?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Scraps & Bits ~ Sew & Tell - 1/12/26


It's been a calm and productive week in the studio of Melva Loves Scraps and I am relishing the quieter routine of winter and the presence and prevalence of Shalom. 
 But before I get into that let's take a look at this week's randomly selected feature... Alycia at Alycia Quilts showed off her January Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.  She calls them Chunky Churndashes.  They're fun and bright!  And I am guessing that they will be paired with some red blocks to become a Quilt of Valor.  I mean, Alycia is the QUEEN of QOV, at least in my eyes. ;)

Head over to her blog to learn about the pattern and read about her scrap organization method.  It seems much more organized than my big scrap bin of bits and pieces just tossed in. LOL!

I also started my Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I made three scrappy, wonky star blocks in varying shades of blue as I listened to Eat, Pray, Love.

I mused about the author's worldly travels and asked myself if I would ever be brave enough to travel by myself... World travel?  Probably not.  Though I do think I would be brave enough (if something happened to Dave tomorrow) to buy myself a campervan and do some traveling within the US.  I'd start with some closer-to-home destinations first and then venture just a bit further.

My college roomie has a group of ladies that have done international travel... that is something I could be interested in.  Group travel... sign me up! ;)


When I finished listening to Eat, Pray, Love I started looking in the scrap bin and stash for fabrics to represent my block for the Bookish Journal.  I knew what I had in mind, but I also knew I didn't have any fabric that had spaghetti on it.  LOL!  I also couldn't find the specific fabric I wanted for "Pray".  

Fruit for the Eat, a stained glass look for Pray as it represents, in my mind, a sanctuary and roses and hearts for Love.  That was fun!


Though technically not IN the studio, I've spent time on the computer creating the Little House Sew Along logo and began writing out the first patterns.  It can be a tedious process.  I've used most of the blocks in previous sew alongs but they need to be re-sized for this sampler quilt.  
I'm writing out some of the math lessons as I go.  


I'm not able to listen to books when I am writing but I did enjoy a lighthearted book by Melody Carlson entitled The Christmas Tree Farm as I sewed on the hanging sleeves for the Color Wash Quilt.  I sewed one at the top edge and then I sewed on small sections in the middle.  the pockets on the edges have the ends sewn shut and I have taped the dowels together in the middle so that they can't slip or push in which causes the widest point to sag.

The Christmas Tree Farm was a short book and just what I needed to get out of my head and overthinking life.  I recently saw a meme that had someone saying to a person with their head in a book... "You spend so much time reading that you are going to lose touch with reality."  The response was, "Have you seen reality lately?"  Hahaha.  Sometimes we need to escape!

Some people travel, some read, some sew or quilt or craft...  Do you remember the Calgon commercial?  "Calgon, take me away!"  Now I'm just dating myself. LOL!

When the world gets a little too real for you, how do you "escape"?

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

By, the way... Thank you for all of the book recommendations last week!  I have a list a mile long and will begin making my journey through them.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m


Sunday, January 4, 2026

First Bookish Journal Block ~ Sew & Tell - 1/5/26



Welcome to a New Year of Sew & Tell... a place where inspiration can be found, creativity flows, progress is shared and encouragement abounds!  There were a lot of summaries and goals shared this week.  The randomly selected feature happens to be a year-end summary from Diann at Little Penguin Quilts.  Diann showed off her top 5 quilt finishes of 2025.  I'm happy to say that her Pieces of My Life quilt made the list, along with two rainbow scrap challenge quilts.  All of the quilts are lovely.  Head over to her blog to learn a few more details of each quilt.


While there, take a peek at what she has planned for this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt.  The secondary pattern that is revealed when the blocks are placed together is a bonus!  

I haven't started my RSC blocks yet, but I did finish one book and have selected and cut the fabric scraps for my first Bookish Journal block.

The pieces are 2-1/2" and will make a 6" finished block.  They fit perfectly into the small bags that I had left over from an OCC sewing kit project a few years ago.  

I'll sew them together when we travel or have daytrips, referring to the pictures on my phone for the proper layout.  

I liked the story - it was somewhat predictable; I didn't care for the occasional foul language (F-word).  

The question on the book cover - "How far would you go to keep a secret?"  I would have to say it depends on the subject of the secret.  And the consequences of letting the secret out.  How 'bout you?

I was caught up in this story as I worked on my Arches National Park block for my shirt... so much so that I sewed in my block upside down. Dang it!  


No worries... I was able to save the shirt and will be writing the step-by-step tutorial soon. 

After the mess up I grabbed my sketch pad and pencil and started designing a logo idea for the Little House Sew Along.  It will include a log cabin block as a foundation for it... I need to try to get the idea I have in my mind into a computer graphic.  Sadly, I have shared all that I can for now.  I have a good portion of desk work scheduled for my week... beyond my quilting/blogging I have all of the year-end financial stuff that needs my attention.  

Rest assured, I will be treating myself with a few minutes here and there in the studio... You know... work a little and then reward yourself with something fun.  Maybe I'll dig out my blue scraps and start the RSC!

Time to party!  But before you go... 

I'm looking for some book recommendations.

I enjoy wholesome stories, historical fiction, and Christian fiction... Romance is okay, open door sex scenes are not.  I really enjoyed the book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and have read several of her books.  WWII stories interest me.  I've enjoyed several "classics", and I've tried Jane Austen several times... I simply cannot make it through.  I'm currently listening to Eat, Pray, Love... again, not a fan of the occasional bad language, but have seen the movie.

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:


m

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

2025 Summary & 2026 Plans, Dreams & Goals

I will not lie... 2025 was a challenging year for me and I am NOT a bit sad to see it fade away into the sunset!  I could recount the challenges and heartbreaks of the year, but instead I am going to focus on the blessings that I was reminded of whenever I was at a low point.  When one came to mind, I jotted it down on a small paper and tucked it into my Blessing Jar.

I will be reviewing them on January 1 and looking forward to a more pleasant year. 

I had a very slow year for custom orders... the blessing that came from that was that I had the opportunity to play in my scrap bins like never before.  My creativity grew and I think (?) my scraps diminished.  It is difficult to really tell, though.  No matter though...

Laura's Little House quilt reflects the books of the Little House series
& will be a Sew Along series in 2026

How many quilts did I make in 2025? Thirty-eight! (38) That includes counting placemat sets and bowl cozies as 1 project each.  I offered a pictorial summary of the quilts, minus  updated to include the last two finishes of the year - Laura's Little House quilt and the RSC Color Wash Hexagons - here.


I have estimated the amount of fabric used for the year at 117 yards... mostly from the stash.  I purchased one jelly roll and 1 FQ bundle from Modern Prairie and acquired a few pieces that were donated to me.  I feel really good about this number! 

2025 word - Trust - Here is a short excerpt from October...  I feel the same just a few months later and as Forrest Gump said, "That's all I'm gonna say about that. ;)

"Late last year I had settled on a "word of the year"... It was Trust.  I've haven't done too well with trusting the Lord through all the challenges and changes we have faced in our family this year.  As I wrapped up my third-quarter review I was reflecting on trust...

Do I trust the Lord in all that is happening.  Yes. Yes, I do.  Am I happy about it?  No, not at all!  I am frustrated and reminded that trust isn't something earned easily.  God has never failed me before... though the end result is quite different than I would have chosen."  

My daughter Rebecca, my Mom and I have selected a topical "Read the Bible in a Year" plan.  It will be a new approach for me... I've read it front to back, chronologically and alternating Old Testament with New Testament... now we are going by topic.  I think it will be an interesting experience and offer some new insight for me. I have a peace about the coming year.  In fact...

Shalom is my 2026 Word of the year.  It is so much more than just "Peace".  Here are just a few reasons why...

I welcome this depth of peace with open arms!  It will likely mean that I need to let go of that which I cannot control. The Lord's provision is ALWAYS not just enough, but enough that it makes one question... "what's this extra little bit for?"

I'll let you know how this plays out... I'm sure it isn't going to be in the way that I envision. I know well enough that I need to "hold on tight... we're going for a ride!" ;)

Plans and Goals for 2026- 

I am excited to say that the Little House sew along really is going to happen! I have the Butterfly Sonnet fat-quarter bundle from Connecting Threads on hand and will be finalizing my patterns and quilt math lessons.  Patterns & lessons will be published twice a month.  You can get a clearer understanding of what the "math lessons" might include by following the highlighted link above. 

Start date to be determined... So many new BOMs start in January... I want to hold back just a bit... probably February.  This will give me ample time to get all of the ducks in a row and not place too much pressure on me.  Remember... I need Shalom Peace in my life... no pressure! LOL.  There are only 9 blocks - the center of each block is 6-inches, surrounded by a log cabin layout that brings the finished block to a 16-inch square block.  The series will be finished by June... just before any busy summer-school's out-gardening season plans.

Laura's quilt is lovely, and I am pleased with it, but this second Little House quilt will have more of a "Caroline" feel... A little more refined or mature... I want to get the color placement of each block just right so that the "story block" doesn't melt into the log cabin blocks framing them.

Watch for details!

I have a few other possible collaborations.  I'll let you know if I have a proposal accepted. ;)  One may see me revisiting and republishing the Pieces from the Past series. 💖  


I have two "long-term" projects in mind for 2026... I'll join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge again.  This time taking inspiration from Yvonne at the Quilting Jetgirl on instagram with scrappy star blocks.

My second project is a Bookish Journal - made of 9-patch blocks reflecting the cover of a book (similar to Charm About you on instagram)

These "book blocks" could be prepped and "kitted" and used as a travel project.  Since I have taken to listening to audio books as I spend time in the studio, I thought this would be a good way to journal my "reads."


I've been asked by Rachael at Fiona Sandwich National Park patterns to choose a pattern and offer a tutorial on creating a "souvenir" National Park shirt using the reverse applique technique that I shared earlier this year.

That should be fun!  I know exactly which block I want to use.  Arches NP has been on our travel bucket list for several years and we are going to make it happen in the spring of 2026!

Perhaps I'll be spotted at a few quilt shops while we travel... I'd love to offer a "Story Telling Quilts" program.  Do you have a favorite store/club/guild you'd like for me to visit.  Let me know by sending an email or leave a comment.  Be sure to leave an email address if you are an anonymous commenter.

Enough about me... 

What are your plans for 2026!

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

m


Sunday, December 28, 2025

End of the Year - Best of Sew & Tell


It's the final Sew & Tell of 2025!  Each and every party has been filled with inspiration and creativity.  I've enjoyed seeing the progress of quilts, some from start to finish and I've enjoyed seeing how each quilter approaches a project differently.  I'm so glad that we can all celebrate the finishes (some for years old UFOs) and the completion of a particular step.  We celebrate the big finishes as well as the small ones.  We are a community of supporters!  And I am grateful for the support that you offer me.  THANK YOU!


This week's feature is one of those years-old UFOs... Astrid from Red Needle Quilts proudly (and by all rights) showed off her Over the River and Through the Woods quilt. A UFO that is finally finished after 16 years.  It includes embroidered winter scenes and words, many flying geese and some lovely stars.  Head over to Astrid's blog to celebrate her finish and see more details and photos.

Her pieced backing is a treat as well!

Since this is the final party of the year, I thought I would take a look back at some of the favorites that have been shared throughout the year - 1 for each quarter or season of the year. 

Melisa at Pinker 'n' Punkin Quilting & Stitching always has an assortment of projects that she shares... her little winter scene is just one example. Her seasonal decor is delightful, and she often has small embroidery and cross-stitch patterns that she offers.  If this is something you enjoy, you'll certainly want to stop by her blog.  You'll leave feeling lighter and happier.


Sharon at Dragon's Heart Quilting shared her progress of a lovely quilt that represents my spring choice - Jade Garden. the use of pastel pinks and purples with the green remind me of a garden waking up with the warmth of spring sunshine as the earth thaws and springs to life!  I can almost smell the sweet scent of flowers blooming.

Sharon documented her progress, and you can find all the details by visiting her blog by following the highlighted link above.


My summer feature is brought to you by Gwyned Trefethen - Pond Life which was the product of a Project Quilting challenge.  The challenge given was to use the color of your birthstone.  Gwyned's birthstone is an emerald.

The muted tones and gentle pastels appeal to me and I can almost hear the frogs croaking and the feeling of a warm humid day.

It was just a few years ago that I learned of the Project Quilting challenges.  I've not ever participated but I have followed along to learn of the prompts and allow some loose ideas to roll around in my head.  Mostly, I just admire the many projects that I have seen and enjoy the stories of the making of them and the logic used to produce such projects.  Be sure to visit Gwyned's blog to read about her Pond Life quilt and how she finished it.


The fall feature comes from LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  She creates a lot of smaller "art" pieces and this patchwork pumpkin came from a small collection of fall scraps.  

This photo shows an earlier stage of the project, but the finished piece is stunning!  Follow the link above to see the finish!  

LeeAnna struggles with chronic pain but doesn't allow the physical limitations she encounters along the way to stop her creativity.  My visits to her blog always leave a smile on my face!

I've been reviewing 2025 and writing all about it... and planning for 2026.  The full story will be published in a few days, and I'll be sharing in the Planning & Dreaming linky-party at Andrée's Quilting & Learning, opening on December 30th.

I've not had much quilting going on... I finished my Color Wash quilt!  I finished it on Christmas Eve.  I have to figure out a hanging sleeve system that will keep the outermost points hanging out.  I have a couple ideas and will see what works.  For now... here's one of her glamor shots.


I'll take two more days to finish scrapping our 2020 travel photos and then start in with a new project.

What sort of plans or dreams do you have for 2026?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m





Sunday, December 21, 2025

Laura and FMQ ~ Sew & Tell - 12/22/25


I offer to you a happy and festive greeting as we are in the midst of the "most wonderful time of the year."  We are ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior sans any tree.  Dave and I are both fine with it... I have strung lights around our living room windows and have our most favorite decorations out, include our little nativity scene and vintage Christmas ornaments in vintage boxes.  

I don't forget that there are many people that celebrate different holidays at this time of year, including the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah).  I cannot locate the story I did a few years ago about the number of celebrations that take place in the month of December, but if I recall correctly, it was about 13. (If I find it, I will share the link.)


Jocelyn at Happy Cottage Quilter showed off her Christmas Gift table runner.  Her daughter selected the fabrics.  Jocelyn didn't really want to cut the fabric into small pieces and chose to keep the pieces large enough that the print was not disturbed.

I think her choice was a wise one and the presents and bows are picture perfect.  The binding looks to be a print of Christmas lights...

This was the first project she has finished since a back injury.  Nice job!

Be sure to visit her blog and show her some love. ;)


I spent the first portion of my week getting the 2019 photo album done.  I did just that AND I ordered photos from 2020.  I had originally planned on getting all of the photos I wanted to order into a file on the computer for when I heard of a great sale... it just so happens that I found a 2-cent sale on prints.  The order still cost me about $50, but that was so much better than it would have been at .25/print!  If that were the actual cost... our photo albums would cease to be made.


When the album was added to the bookshelf, I returned to the free-motion quilting of my "Laura" quilt.  I was listening to Marie Bostwick's "The Book Club for Troublesome Women."  It was a little slow going (for me) as the characters were introduced, but I was drawn in as the book club and friendships were formed.  The beginning of the book reminded me of "Mona Lisa Smile"... How girls/ladies/women were expected to get married and be stay-at-home Moms.  I struggle with that... I seem to be caught in a weird chasm because that was all I wanted to do.  And I didn't mind...

Sure, I had some work experience as a secretary and receptionist... it isn't rocket science, but I was good at it.  I still am!  That is the bulk of my role in our business.  Dave does the work in the shop... I do the work on the computer.  Before becoming self-employed, Dave worked outside the home, I worked small, part-time jobs that offered flexible hours to accommodate the schedules of the girls' activities.  I managed the home and finances, cooked, cleaned and any income I earned through my pt job was extra and went to savings.  Dave managed the outside... any repairs the house needs, mowing, shoveling, etc.  Many Most times, I was by his side as we made improvements to our house and yard.  It was a sad state of affairs when we moved in in 1995.  

Don't get me wrong... Absolutely I believe that women should be treated equally in any work field.  They should not be limited in the advancement of their careers... if they want to advance.  Or in their choice of a career... I guess I am just an odd duck. Have you read the book?  Did it stir up any emotions for you?


I had many more thoughts and emotions as I listened and quilted... there were a lot of feathers on Laura!  I will spare you of a continued diversion from quilting news.  I will say that I was pleased that I dealt with minimal thread breakage.  I do have a few places where there are skipped stitches... the few that look bad will be located and marked as I bury the thread tails and properly fixed.  I think I finally figured out the positioning of the quilting line in relation to my body... working on the left side of feathers, keep the spine in line with my torso.  Working on the right side of feathers, keep the spine running nearly the length of the sewing table.  Maybe I need to make a cheat sheet note to put in my little box of notions that lives next to Jazzy.

I know just what paper to use for such a note!  I received a fun little package in the mail the other day from a "significant-other-in-law" (it's complicated).  She included a note saying that she thought of me when she saw them. ;) Aren't they cute!?!

I need to select a binding.  I may choose to do a scrappy binding with fabric left from the Walk on the Prairie FQ bundle.


The lighting is bad, I know... horrible even!  It was late in the day and the ceiling light in my studio casts a yellow hue.  I'll get better photos when she is ready for her glamor shots.

I've made progress on the Color Wash Hexagon quilt too!  I am 86% done.  I think I may actually have the hand-quilting done by the end of the year. YAY!  Just in time to think of a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.

I'll leave you with a little giggle... especially since I did both quilting & scrapbooking.  😂


Merry Christmas!
And if you don't celebrate Christmas... May your holiday celebration be blessed.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

m