Camping Journal Quilt ~ Sew & Tell - 12/16/2024

It's D.O.N.E!  The Camping Journal Quilt (top) is done.  As I shared on fb and instagram...

This quilt has been a labor of love for years and documents each and every camping adventure we have been on.

It tells the stories with one block for each night's stay at a location.  It includes small things and big things... when we saw a bear or deer or bighorn sheep or a tarantula...our transition from our truck camper to the 5th wheel camper... as well as the loss of an awning and our beloved Shelby.

I will be finishing it soon and look forward to more camping adventures... while sleeping under these memories.

Thank you, Fiona Sandwich, for the patterns and inspiration. 😘

Many of the signs give some
indication to the weather/season

The various encounters with wildlife
or fishing excursions are included

The transition from the truck camper to our 5th wheel is recorded

It tells stories of each campsite since we started in 2017 - 103 campsites, in all...   

Surf & Sand, mountains, dinosaur tracks,
campfires and weddings

Now for the quilting!  Stay tuned... 

And a book! I NEED a book to document each of the stories.  I already have the stories recorded here on MLS and I recently read of a way to turn my blog to book.  I will be investigating further.

Have you ever done a blog-to-book?  

Leave a comment... I want to hear your thoughts!

A few weeks ago, as I was texting with my fashion designer friend, he thought he overused the exclamation mark.  

Perhaps I should too.  LOL! ;)

With the camping journal quilt top complete I thought I would turn my attention back to the furs.

I cut into the full-length mink.  last week and slowly (because it is all hand-stitched) got the edges turned, "finished" and stitched down.  It is so slow... It requires a larger needle and upholstery thread, and that mink hide is not easy to get through.  

I removed the pockets and tacked the openings closed.  The backing fabric is also hand stitched.  Another slow step since you are again attaching it to the hide of the mink.  My fingers get pretty sore (and weak) after several hours.  Steady as she goes, though!  The fabric from South Africa is perfect and I love that I included Angie's name and the labels as part of the back.  

I will be making a few more poms for hats this week and Vicki has asked for a tutorial.  You can count on a tutorial for these simple things coming soon. :)  I may include tutorials (or at least links to some tutorials that already exist for a few more quick and simple gifts...) Therapeutic Rice bags and Scrunchies.

I will now move on to our weekly feature... Sylvia at Treadle Stitches joined the party with two finishes using the "Happy Block", creating variations of an I Spy Quilt.  Follow the link above to learn of the similarities and the differences.

These are perfect for littles... from infant to toddler.  Well done Sylvia. :)  Welcome to Sew & Tell!

It is time to get this week's party started!  Tell me what you have been working on.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

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The Rainbow Bridge

It's been a sad time for us lately.  When our plans with our friends were waylaid last week, we shifted gears and planned for camping.  We thought we might let Shelby enjoy one last camping trip with us... We were all excited about the prospect of the time away.

Saturday morning, the day we were leaving, was not good.  Shelby had been favoring her front right leg for months, but it was even worse that morning.  In addition to that, her left leg was tender as well as one of her back legs.  I witnessed her almost fall several times.  It was evident that she would require full assistance getting into the truck AND the camper. 

We knew it was time... we could not let her suffer any longer. 😭She crossed over the rainbow bridge and is now free to chase an endless supply of tennis balls and will never grow tired or sore.

RIP Shelby Grace.  Here are some thoughts I shared on facebook...

Shelby Grace.... you came into our lives 11-1/2 years ago when we were in the middle of a career change and so much loss and pain. You taught us patience, love and devotion.  You loved everyone (except Mr. Holder), and you were everyone's favorite meth lab...You made us laugh, you made us mad... (why do you always make me yell?)   You lived so much longer than we could have ever dreamed after first discovering a lump and learning a few months later that it was cancer (almost 2 years).  We cherished EVERY MOMENT.

And today we cried as we walked you across the rainbow bridge... where you are able to run and play freely and without pain.🤎

We packed up the camper between sobbing sessions and went away to one of our favorite campgrounds in the Sangre de Cristo National Forrest ~ Alvarado.

As we were getting settled into our campsite a small butterfly hovered nearby as we set up.  I mentioned it to Dave and commented that Shelby appeared and approved.  As we were having lunch, a grasshopper wildly flew through the site and Dave said, "THAT is more like Shelby!"  Hahaha.

We were able to go on longer hikes than we have had the opportunity for in over a year... and our legs are still sore, days later!  The hikes were much quieter but still as beautiful as ever.

We mourned our loss but found solace in God's creation.

The aspen leaves were already turning!

I did sew up one block for our Camping Journal quilt... An organ cactus. I am slowly getting caught up and nearly done with the section that will represent our spring trip to Arizona and New Mexico.  

I have selected the blocks that will represent this most recent camping trip... the first without our Shelby Grace.  It will be a hiking boot with some rainbow dog paw fabric as the background, a butterfly and a grove of aspen tree trunks.

I can't believe we are less than a month away from our fall trip!  I will work hard at getting the last two blocks for the spring trip completed so that I can get a better idea of where I am with completing the left border section.  Once it is filled in, I will be ready to begin the final two rows at the bottom of the quilt.  I need to know how much room I have to work with.  

In estimation, I have room for 23 single blocks before the "journal" is full.  Eeeeek!  

I had been getting a little bored with this quilt, but now that I realize I am so close to a finish I have a renewed interest.

With our fall trip around the corner we look forward to exploring some new roads and areas.  We'll be attending a family wedding and then travel Route 66 from Chicago to Albuquerque.

Have you made the Route 66 trip?

Are there any "must see" stops we need to know of?

Leave a comment... I'll take notes as I hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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A Slow Stitched Sew & Tell

It's Sew &Tell time... Welcome!  I had a super productive week with two fabulous finishes that I shared late in the week.  You can read all of the details here.

I am still in a holding pattern for finishing the Denver Nuggets basketball quilt. The backing fabric should be delivered on Tuesday.

After a thorough cleaning of the house and bathrooms, I turned my attention to our Camping Journal quilt. I made a few more park signs and then I created a few kits for the blocks I decided to include to represent each night of our stays.  Below are two for our stay at Palo Duro Canyon State Park where we enjoyed plenty of hiking... 

The scene represented in my block above

As I sat and stitched and enjoyed a variety of shows (Little House, a hallmark movie about a veil, Heartland and others, I kept thinking, "I have other projects I should be starting."  But I told myself to just sit and enjoy... So... I did.  It was relaxing and cozy.

For the coming week, I will allow my attention to turn to a few new projects.  I had a request for another Colorado Flag table runner and a set of 4 bowl cozies in the colors of a Colorado flag.  

The table runner will be easy and quick... I need to think on the bowl cozies. As luck would have it, I happen to have the 100% cotton batting required for the cozies since I had a customer request a few microwaveable potato baker bags before Christmas.

Let's take a look at this week's feature... Nann at With Strings Attached shared several finishes, but her nine-patch with gold-ish/cheddar setting squares captured my attention.

It is a bold color and as an "unofficial" challenge to myself this year, I have a desire to use more bold colors and quilt-outside-the-box in some of my projects.  

Does the fact that I stated that here make it official now?  If so, disregard it!  

I have a friend who loves purple and encourages me to use it more in my quilts.  I find myself naturally drawn to greens in many of my quilts... blue is my favorite color... Orange is probably my least used color in quilting... How about you???

What color is your favorite to use in quilts?

What color is your least used or favorite?

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

Stay warm and Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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Tuesday To-do and Talk...

I've had lots of things going on... and feel a little scattered and unable to focus on what I really want to. And I was reminded this morning of something I learned way back in 1999... (How can it be that it has been 24 years???) I digress...

Unless you set your priorities, the world and those around you will set them for you.

Often times, when I am feeling distracted or unfocused, I realize that it is others that have stepped up and rearranged my priorities. 

And, sometimes, life just happens and there is no control over certain situations, and they demand my attention. 

You may recall my post a few weeks ago about talking with my Mom about a plan for her future.  Phone calls need to be made this week to schedule appointments to visit a few senior apartments.  This is something, even though I brought up, would rather set off on the back burner.  I keep telling myself, she's fine in her home.  And then I think of the approaching snows of the winter that Dave and I will be responsible for managing.  That alone, is (almost) enough to pull the subject from the back burner and get serious about it.

Ok... whining and complaining is done.  I'll just pull up my big girl panties and pick up the phone.

Other distractions... 

*  The partial remodel/shower repair.  It's not that big of a deal or disruption.  I mean, I am only the assistant to the repair guy (Dave), but when he decides to do something, I drop everything and make myself available to him.  It's just the way we do life together. :)

* I was asked to lead a craft activity for a youth group.  The youth meeting is on Friday.  They will be making two different jar mixes ~ Sand Art Brownies and Power Bar Jars.  I've made up one sample (slightly modified from the original recipe) so that we can all enjoy the tasting of the Power Bars when they are done assembling the jars.  Labels need to be made and fabric jar toppers need to be cut.  I'll share photos of the group and the recipes (original and modified) in next week's Sew & Tell party.

Pssst... This week's party is still open.  Join the fun!

* When I was asked to lead the youth activity, it was mentioned that perhaps I'd like to lead a craft activity for the Ladies Bible Study group.  That will take place on Thursday.  Magnetic Prayer Boards are on the agenda and all of the supplies for the projects need to be purchased and gathered together.  I'll share photos of the boards when they are done.  Each one ends up as unique as the individual.

* All the while, my mind keeps drifting back to the box of t-shirts that arrived last week for another custom quilt.

As I think of prioritizing all of the items on my to-do list, I recall our visit to the Rio Grand del Norte National Monument and how the two rivers converged... Life is much like this convergence.  

Using one of the patterns from the National Parks Blocks by Fiona Sandwich, I made a block to reflect this photo for our Camping Journal Quilt.  (I used the Blue Ridge Mountain block and turned it 90 degrees.)

Life has a flow... consider the larger river your life and the priorities you choose.  And then as things come up, all those other things that can be good, even necessary, will meet up with the larger river.  It can cause a wild flow right at that point, but if you ride it out, it will all become smooth again.  In the meantime, hold on!

Two of the fabrics in this block (the far left & right pieces) were from a wax resist class/project that I made at a local art event that I attended several years ago. Trying to get the melted wax in the places I wanted them and blending colors to get the look I wanted was a challenge.  But I couldn't let the piece go to waste... Bonnie Hunter says that if you have an ugly fabric, just cut it smaller until the ugly is hidden (or something like that).  I have cut it up and included it in several pieces... the ugly was split up and made into something beautiful!

Enough of my philosophical thoughts, whining and procrastination... I have phone calls to make!

I find that if I tackle the most dreaded task FIRST, everything that follows is just that much easier.  

Do you find this as well?  

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

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

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Baby Buffalo Check ~ Sew & Tell ~ 9/25/23

This week's mini-quilt is a baby buffalo check #39/52... Inspired by one of Alycia's recent finishes, I thought a mini would be pretty cute.  Turns out, I was right... at least in my humble opinion. 😉  Dave and I recently discovered that the 90s sitcom "Home Improvement" is now on Roku and it has been come our latest "just before bed, light-hearted" show to watch... I think Al's flannel plaids may have had an influence on me as well.  

We have our own "home improvement" going on in our shower...

A few weeks ago, as I cleaned our shower, I discovered a small crack in the fiberglass basin... again.  Dave has attempted to repair it several times over the past few years.  This time the repair meant removing the basin and lower tiles.  When this was done, we discovered that there was mold, as I had suspected, below the basin.  With the big mess cleaned up and the mold removed, we were ready to move forward.  Tile has been selected for the new floor, and the extra tiles we had from the original install have been pulled out. 

Between our "regular" jobs and this minor remodel, we were exhausted... so we unplugged from the world and relaxed.  We took off for a few days to escape.  Since we are self-employed and working right at home (my studio is in the house, and Dave's shop in the yard) we find ourselves in the constant state of "work"... even on the weekends.  

Our time away was pleasant... It was the last days of summer and we enjoyed a hike.  Wildlife was present all around the campground.  Deer could be seen each evening, a skunk scurried across the road not far from our site and we nearly bumped into another on a trail.  We waited for a short time, but it was in no hurry to move away allowing us to continue on the trail.  We turned around and took the trail the other direction.  

This was the view from the top of the mesa that we ascended...

And this was the sunrise on the first day of Autumn... What a spectacular kick-off!

I had plenty of slow stitching time... I'm caught up with my Camping Journal blocks.  I am ready to start roundin' the corner of the bottom border.  

While Dave practiced his fly-fishing, I dressed up a few of the quilted hearts... 

And read my personal copy of the Susan Magoffin diary of her trip on the Santa Fe Trail.

That's all I have for my Sew & Tell... Vicki from Vicki's Crafts & Quilting shared two fabulous quilts.  I am not a huge fan of Halloween, but I know many are... If you happen to be one of the many, you need to follow the link above because she shared the cutest little patchwork jack-o-lantern.  She also shared a pumpkin runner that is quite attractive.  I personally prefer pumpkin themed items because they are suitable for all of fall, Halloween and into Thanksgiving.  

Now it is your turn to Sew & Tell... Join the linky party and then be sure to visit a few other links and leave a kind word or two.  Ready? GO!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

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Sew & Tell ~ July 3, 2023

With summer in full swing, I have been thinking about the various sounds of the season... The Fourth of July is nearly upon us and the celebration with family and friends, for many, encompasses an extra-long weekend since the 4th falls on Tuesday.

The sound of crickets chirping outside the windows, the laughter and squeals of joy (and sometimes the cries and wailing of little ones) as children play in a pool or in the water... the sounds of fireworks in the neighborhood... dogs barking in response.  And the drone of fans and air conditioners working to keep the air just a little cooler.

These were just a few of the thoughts I pondered as I worked on a few mini-quilts requested by a customer.  A matching set of four that resemble the Colorado flag.  You see, my customer is headed to a family reunion cruise to Alaska and each attendee was requested to bring a few items that represent the location of their residence.

This is not the first time I filled an order for them.  Earlier this year, I made two wall hangings for them... the Colorado flag with prairie point mountains and Fishers Peak and Simpsons Rest.

Their family does something unique by having an auction... What a great idea to cover the cost of room or facility rental.  

As I finished up the mini-quilt/mug rugs, I turned my attention to our Camping Journal Quilt.

I completed several blocks while traveling to and from Illinois for the Nolan Family Reunion.  We enjoyed five different campgrounds along the way, with the longest stay in Illinois at a Forest Preserve.  It was a lovely place to camp... quiet with well-spaced sites so that it didn't seem as though your neighbor might hear you whisper.

We met several people and had some nice chats.  On our first day there we were just settling in for a quiet afternoon.  I was going to sit and stitch and Dave was going to do what he loves to do... people watching.  

A young lady, Samantha, selected a site and proceeded to attempt to set up her tent.  Another guy that was also in a tent was soon helping her and Dave was chuckling.  Next thing I know, Dave was going over to assist.  Things were not going well, and I was soon called in as well.  

The tent that had just been purchased was obviously assembled incorrectly. The IKEA like instructions indicated that it was a quick 60 second set up that required just two people...  It took 4! of us nearly two hours to get it set up correctly.  There was a twist in the body of the tent as it was attached to the poles.  A screwdriver was required to correct the issue.

Then... we figured out that the poles had not been put together properly and hinged in the wrong direction.  The support for the rain fly seemed to have been MIA, but the tent was up.

We walked away as Samantha was happily filling her new air mattress... less than 10 minutes later the photo shown is what we saw.  She had not unzipped the bottom of the door zipper and attempted to get her giant mattress through the small opening, causing a collapse.  She was deeply embarrassed when I showed her the lower zipper.

We were grateful that it was not sweltering hot, and sticky with humidity.  The skies were a clear blue and free of the haze from smoke.  We enjoyed the trails throughout the property... on bike and on foot.  Shelby enjoyed the many walks and attention that she received from us as well as all those we met along the way.

(They say that the area was in a drought... though it is still green in comparison to what we know drought conditions to look like.)

The Family time was so special.  We visited with one of the last remaining Aunts on Dave's Mother's side.  She was thrilled to have us visit with her and her youngest son who cares for her.  There was an evening of dinner with two sisters and brothers-in-law, breakfast with a brother and a campfire evening with the sisters and spouses again.

The formal reunion brought numerous cousins as well all of the Aunts & Uncle from Dave's Dad's side. Laughter and stories were abundant.  While the travel time across the country was long, we are glad that we did it with a joyous event, rather than a somber funeral.  With the oldest living aunt at age 85 and the youngest living uncle 75, we are well aware that such a sad occasion could be right around the corner.

We passed the time of driving listening to Harry Potter 3&4.  These will be the last of the HP books we borrow from the library... #4 was almost 20 hours long!  We cannot imagine how long book 7 would take to listen to.  We'll find something else for future travels. 

Here's a look at how our Camping Journal Quilt is coming along...

I have the patterns selected and laid out to continue the border... 16 in all for now.

On our return home we stopped off in Ogalla, Nebraska at Lake McConaughey for two nights.  As we wandered some of the sites in town we found a small craft store that was going out of business.  They had reached the point where everything that remained was discounted 80% off the sale prices marked.

I snatched up a few of the last remnants of fabric and a spool of thread for just $4.12.  

What a deal!  Nearly all of the fabric was gone, as were pattern books.  She had lots of lace and trims and zippers.  I passed on all of that...

Remember... zippers and I are not really friends. ;)

Thanks for the spectacular showings in the past two weeks of Sew & Tell.  I have taken the time to visit each link and admired each and every project shared.  

The featured projects are from Andree and Laurie...  Well done!

Time to link up this week's projects!  

Keep Piecing,

Melva

PS... before you go, what sort of sounds of summer do you hear?  Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you 😍

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese 

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Andree's Rainbow Neighborhood

Laurie's Unfinished Turtles

So Much to Sew & Tell!

The "work" week was a short one for me... but I managed to get a bunch done.  I'll get right to that.

I got the fence rail blocks joined to complete the top... It is huge!  Too big, I think.  I will need to take it to my Mom's house to see how it fits on her bed. I need the backing, which is in the mail, before I can move forward.  According to tracking info, it should arrive on Tuesday.

I finished the memory bears!  What a big project to be done with.  The teddy bears had their picnic as I watched a few episodes of Heartland, and went away from the binging session stuffed!  They are now complete with cute little button eyes and noses... ready to remind the various recipients of the love that Lucy offered to others throughout her life.

I played around some with our Camping Journal quilt and have a final plan of layout for the remainder of the quilt.  Planning the blocks, prepping the kits and actually stitching them up is nearly as fun as making the various memories that each block represents.  That little picnic table with the playful dots floating around will forever remind us of the time in Crystal Beach when we lost a few dominos down a hole in a small table on the deck.

I spent time petting the fabric that I received in a recent fabric swap hosted through the Fiona Sandwich Postcard group.  It is always a fun thing to participate in.  I spent a fair amount of time as imagined the different ways that I could use the variety of fabrics.  

It was fun all the way from the selection of the fabrics to share with others to receiving the swap package with a wide variety of fabrics in all sorts of colors.  This time Rachel encouraged participants to include how the giver of the fabrics would use them.  

And finally, I created a 3-dimensional block for this week's mini-quilt challenge ~ #22/52.  I found a tutorial for making the 3-D pinwheel.  And since it is Memorial Day weekend in the United States, I chose red/blue fabrics and quilted in a few stars in the background. ☆ It could make a fun, stimulating baby quilt... Hmmmm, something to keep in mind!

This week's Sew & Tell feature is Gail at Quilting Gail. She shared her recent finishes - including her Studio 180 Island Batik challenge, Baby Stars and a really cute Retreat Bag.  Well done, Gail! 

What is your favorite part of quilting?  

Is it the planning and fabric selection?  

The cutting?  The piecing? The quilting? 

Maybe it is the binding?  Or, perhaps, it is the admiring and loving of the quilt when it is all done?

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

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do 

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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