TGIFF ~ Past Revisited

Hello, hello!  Welcome To Melva Loves Scraps and Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday!  This is the place to celebrate finishes.  Maybe it's something that was quick and easy, or maybe... it's something that has been lingering for longer than you planned.  Either way, if it's finished... we will celebrate.

I also get that sometimes finished has a loose term... finished blocks, finished flimsy or top or quilted but no binding.  I'll let you define finished. ;)

This week I have a quilted and bound finished Pieces from the Past quilt that has been a work in progress for several months.  I don't tend to have WIPs, but this was one that was set on the back burner to simmer as I developed a plan, and the purpose was slowly revealed.

The custom quilt orders and custom quilting have been slow this year and I've had to redirect my passion and reset my mind to accept this and set aside the speed through to finished, "time is money".  It's been a challenge, but nearly 5 months into the year, I am getting the hang of it.

I started revisiting my Pieces from the Past blocks with the question of, "I wonder if I could make a quilt of just the 12" blocks?"  How many were already that size?  There were 12... Not enough for a larger throw... "that would work."  But some of my favorite blocks were 9" blocks and nearly 16"... 

And then one final question, "what would it take to make all of the blocks 12" blocks?"  Since I was in the middle of "math lessons" that I was offering during the Little House Sampler Quilt sew along, the math to do the adjustments was readily fresh in my mind.

As I pieced the blocks, I revisited the original stories and letters that accompanied the blocks during the sew along event 6 years ago.

Many of the blocks had minor changes such as making the darks light, and the lights dark... or turning the units to have a new position...

or turning a two-color block into a four-color block...

Like my original quilt, I wanted the quilting of this one to have a traditional look and feel to it.  After searching my reference books, I found a fancy scroll to be done in the individual blocks.  I wanted something to accentuate the cornerstones of the sashing that also had a traditional look.

It took some help from Dave, trial and error and finally locating the proper size Tupperware lid to find the perfect arc. LOL!  YES, a Tupperware lid!  Once I marked the centers, all I had to do was connect the dots.

I chose a flanged binding for the quilt, with the purple woven fabric offering the perfect pop of color!  I had enough of the dark blue flower print for the backing to not need to piece it... but I so desperately wanted to include the remaining piece of goose fabric.  Pairing it with the coordinating blue to offer a strip all the way across the quilt helped to make the darker flower fabric to feel welcomed to the party in the back. ;)

The setting for the last glamor shots below with the "yard art" mailbox that my parents had for forever... early 60s... they acquired it from my grandparents, Phillip & Katie Schleich.  I once reminisced that the box was the one that many of the letters from the former German POWs sent to them to let them know that they had arrived back home safely, and so many of them had asked for help.

As Dave and I walked the other day we imagined what sort of letter might be left for us... a little reminiscent of the Nicholas Sparks book, Every Breath... but more like the Hallmark movie, The Love Letter, where the desk offers a magical way to communicate through two different time periods...

What sort of messages might Phillip & Katie, or even my Dad, leave for me?  What would have happened if Phillip & Katie had been able to help and respond to the many letters asking for assistance.  Would the correspondence have continued?  Would any of the men eventually asked for help in moving to America?  It could make for an interesting story! 

A few of the men did get to move to America and several made it back to Trinidad for a reunion in 1964.  I received an email in 2023 from the grandson of one of the men.  I had attempted to reach the family of Klaus Hesselbarth who had been featured in a magazine article published in 2009.  Try as I might, I was unsuccessful.

Ok, I've done enough rambling and wondering and wandering... It's time to join the party!  But before you go...

Who would you like to send or receive a letter from the past?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

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Announcing!! Little House Sew Along & TGIFF Linky Party

It is with great pleasure that I announce the start of a new Melva Loves Scraps Original Sew Along!  This is a sew along that I have been considering and pondering and developing for over a year.  You may have seen some of the development and creation along the way... I hope that it was enough to gain your attention and interest in participating.

I am also hostess of this week's Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.  This Little House Quilt that I have named Laura is my featured finish.  She measures approximately 57-inches square (after quilting and shrinking just a bit after being laundered).  I used Hobbs Heirloom Fusible batting that is 80% cotton which naturally shrinks 3% after washing to create a well-loved, soft, wrinkly look that many vintage quilts have after years of love and use.

There are only 9 blocks - the center of each block is 6-inches, surrounded by a log cabin frame that brings the finished block to a 16-inch square block, published every two weeks.  The series will begin with the first pattern published next week, February 5th and be finished by June... just before any busy summer-school's out-gardening season plans.  The full schedule is listed below.

"Laura"

The Little House books have been a favorite of mine since I started reading.  I remember getting one of those book order flyers in 3rd grade and seeing that they had the entire set available.  I don't remember the cost of the set, but I do remember that I was very excited when my Mom & Dad said "yes" to my request to buy it.

All these years later, I still have the complete set.  As an adult, I have collected a few more related books.  I'll not be sharing excerpts of the stories as I did in the Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail series because of copyright limitations.  If you have never read the books, I encourage you to do so.  Laura Ingalls Wilder paints magnificent pictures with her words as she describes the settings and events.

I used an RBD fat quarter bundle - A Walk on the Prairie - acquired from Modern Prairie for my "sample" quilt (shown above).  It included dusty pinks and greens.  Modern Prairie currently has a FQ bundle called an Evening on the Prairie.  I am using the Butterfly Sonata bundle from Connecting Threads for a second quilt that will be used to photograph the various steps of each block.  (bundle shown here)  If you are interested in purchasing this bundle or anything else from Connecting Threads, you can use the code ACTMelvaLovesScraps for a 15% discount. (Some restrictions do apply.)

I used assorted light/neutral stash and scrappy strips for the backgrounds of the blocks and the neutral side of the log cabins.  I would imagine that a jelly roll of neutrals would be sufficient for the log cabins and most of the blocks.  However, some of the blocks will need units larger than 2-1/2".

"Caroline"

You may recognize most of the blocks in this LH sampler quilt... Most come from previous sew along events... the difference being is that I have resized them.  With each block I will walk you through the steps of the "quilter's math" used to resize them.  Don't be intimidated!  Though, if you are truly not interested in doing the math, I'll never know you skipped that part. ;)  All of the cutting and assembly instructions will be included in the patterns.

Here's the schedule:

February 5 - Maple Leaf

February 19 - Native Star

March 5 - Harvest Basket

March 19 - Shoo Fly

April 2 - Rail Fence

April 16 - Snowflake

April 30 - Kit in the Korner

May 7 - Pieces of My Heart

May 21 - Prairie Rose

June 4 - Assembly & Finish

To summarize the details:

Starting date - February 5

Frequency of block patterns - every 2 weeks

Length of sew along - 4 months - final instructions given June 4

Skill level - beginner to intermediate, skill level gradually increasing

Time required - That is difficult to say, but probably less than 2 hours for each block

Fabric required - 1 FQ bundle is enough for the main blocks and contrasting color strips of the log cabin frame.  You will need 2 yards of assorted neutrals - a jelly roll of neutrals work perfectly for the log cabin strips, plus 1/2 yard for the final border.  3-1/2 to 4 yards for backing.  Leftover FQ fabrics were used for the scrappy binding.  

Finished size - approximately 60" square

A linky party for sharing your finished 16" blocks will be available... and I will have some prizes.  (I plan to use some of my Connecting Threads credits earned as one of their ambassadors to purchase the prizes. Let me know if you have a suggestion of what you might like other than fabrics.)  The final link up will be for finished tops.  Maybe a bonus entry if you get it quilted. ;)

Thanks for visiting MLS and TGIFF.  If you have a finished quilt top or quilt that you would like to show off to everyone via the linky party, feel free!  I understand that there are various stages of "finished" and will simply state that if you have finished it... Join the fun!

I do hope that you'll consider joining the Little House Sew Along!  

Leave a comment to let me know ;)

And... before you go... 

Who was/is one of your favorite childhood authors?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

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CSU-Pueblo Memory Quilt ~ TGIFF Party

Welcome to Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday!  And welcome to Melva Loves Scraps... where I like to share not just my quilts, but the stories and thoughts as I make them.  I try to make your visits enjoyable and entertaining.  Grab a cup of coffee or tea... or your favorite beverage (and maybe a snack) and settle in.

When you're done reading feel free to link up your finish.  I'd love to have you join the party. 🎉

When I pulled this UFO out of the closet a few months ago, I did a quick assessment and then put it back.  It was started by my oldest daughter, Heather about 13 years ago.  Her plan was to make it large enough to fit her full-sized bed with plenty of drop on the sides, that quite honestly would have probably ended up fitting a king bed. 

She was engaged a short time later, and then married and had started a family.  Two years ago she did a deep clean of her house because they were running out of space... 4 children, two adults and two dogs and all that is necessary for life began to stress her out.  

She ordered a large dumpster to be delivered to their house during spring break.  She spent a week cleaning closets, attics and every nook and cranny they had.  The bin that contained all of these 18-inch blocks were sent home with me to finish "someday."   

Wellllll.... Today is that day!  Rather than include all of the blocks on the front of the quilt, I placed a few in the pieced back.

Despite making the quilt top smaller, it was still a challenge to quilt.  The fusible stabilizer she used was a heavier weight of interfacing than I use.  It added extra weight as well as thickness.  Some of the screen-printing products making up the t-shirt graphics caused the thread to break easily, as did the extra thickness of the seams.  

At long last, I reached the end of the quilting grid, and I rejoiced!  Woohoo!  As I looked over the blocks as I quilted, I realized that she graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree, with an emphasis in Medical Technology and a double minor in Chemistry and Leadership Studies 15 years ago... There was a short text conversation with both daughters about how time has passed by.

Since Rebecca had also graduated the same year with an Associate's degree, we celebrated with a trip to Las Vegas.  It was shortly after the trip to Vegas that Dave and I became empty nesters. :)  2010 was a monumental year!  In addition to the graduations, Dave and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, and my Mom & Dad celebrated their 50th.

Getting there was a journey.  When Heather was a senior in high school, she was undecided and unsure about what to study.  We assured her that it was ok... But we also stated that if she had no idea of the direction of her studies, she was going to begin here in Trinidad at the junior college.  (She has always been a strong-willed person and has never liked being told what she must or must not do.)

Attending college in Trinidad was completely unacceptable to her and amazingly, just a few weeks later she discovered/announced that she wanted to become a Medical Lab Technologist.  This is not a common field of study, but there were two colleges in Colorado that offered the program, in addition to Oklahoma... which is where one of her best friends (at the time) was attending.

We and she did some additional research and started applying to these schools.  We explained that the final decision was going to come down to the bottom line and what the schools were able to offer in financial aid and scholarships.  Pueblo came through with the best offer.  She was active in the President's Leadership Program all four years and enjoyed the opportunity to help plan and lead various activities that were planned for students on campus.

Fifteen years later, she continues to use/hone the leadership skills as she is now the head of the blood bank at the hospital where she completed her MLT internship.

I'm sure she'll have a flood of memories as she covers up with this quilt as she has the opportunity.  And when that happens, she will be wrapped in the love and prayers from her Momma.

Memories are some of the best things... and having a quilt that helps to preserve the memories is bonus!

Do you have a special memory quilt?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Favorite Finishes Monthly Linkup at Quilting Jetgirl ~ 

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Patchwork of Love ~ TGIFF Party

I am happy to be here as hostess for this week's TGIFF party.

The quilt I am sharing today is a bit bitter-sweet... I always love the joyous opportunity to choose a pattern for a quilt to celebrate a marriage.  Our niece announced her engagement on March 6th... she and her boyfriend of almost 6 years were wed just 10 days later.  

The reason for the rushed wedding was that the Bride's father was near the end of his life and 4-year battle with cancer.  One of the things he had stated that he was particularly sad about missing out on was the opportunity to walk their youngest daughter down the aisle.  

It was a frigid and snowy wedding day, but it was a beautiful day at the family home as the immediate families celebrated Bonnie & Andrew.

 

 

And now... without further delay!  Here is the Patchwork of Love...

You can see (mostly) the variety of quilting that I included in this quilt... FMQ feathers, twisted ribbons, crosshatch stitching and stippling.

We will be delivering this quilt next week when we join the family to celebrate the life of Bonnie's Dad.

On a bit of a happier note... Friday is my 60th birthday!  🥳🎉 I am celebrating with all of you by giving away a collection of vintage wooden spools.  For a chance to win, simply leave a comment... making sure that I have a way to reach you (anonymous comments need to include an email address).  US mailing address required. 

It is time to party!  I hope that you enjoy the celebration.

Keep piecing,

Melva

TGIFF - Another Bride's Quilt

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and this week's edition of Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.  I hope that you enjoy the story of the quilt I share and that you'll join the party with a recent finish of your own. :)

For the past two years my Sew along events - Pieces of the Garden and Pieces of My Life - have been centered around the story of the "Bride's Quilt... (Patterns for both of these sew alongs are still available.  Simply follow the links provided to find out where.)

The story came from a crafting magazine (in about 1985) that featured a needle-point pattern and the story.  This is the needlepoint I made for my Grandparents' 50th Anniversary. (I'm certain that Kelvin & Loressa - brother & SIL - had been gifted one, which inspired her idea of an actual quilt.)

In olden days, it was traditional for young girls to make a “Baker’s Dozen” (13) quilts by their wedding day.  The patterns, often handed down from generation to generation, were usually planned when the girl was very young; and, as soon as she could hold a needle, she would start sewing her first quilt.  The last (or 13th) quilt was the fanciest of all.  After a girl became engaged, she would invite her friends to a party to quilt the top of this “Bride’s Quilt”… and in this way she would announce her engagement.

The twelve patterns were chosen to tell the following story…

Once upon a time, there was a little girl, who wore a bow in her hair.  When she grew up, she began a friendship with a young bachelor.  As the hours and days passed, they began to look at each other with stars in their eyes, and as their love grew, they thought about taking steps to the altar.  So, the young girl got out her spools of thread and made clothes to get ready for their wedding ring day.

After they are married, some of their times together will be bright as noon and others will be dark as night.  But they will try to share their happiness, their miseries and their chores – she grabbing a wrench to help with household repairs and he grabbing a towel to help with the dishes.  Sometimes they will have broken dishes but they will try to remember that “things” can be replaced, whereas harsh words, possibly spoken about the broken dishes, could chip away love.  They will try to follow the Golden Rule as they are learning to communicate openly with each other.

They will also try to keep in mind the symbolism of Jacob’s ladder – “steps of communication” between themselves on earth and God in heaven.

My brother's wife passed away in July following a very short battle with cancer.  She was a crafter for much of their married life and she enjoyed a variety of activities... cross-stitch, scrapbooking, home decor and much more.

As my brother has been slowly sorting through her items, he found this quilt.  Loressa had made the blocks and used a quilt-as-you-go method and had them all joined together.  Kelvin thought this might be a nice sized throw quilt for the back of his couch.

As I examined it, I saw that it was imperfect, with points missing, but it doesn't matter... I am not the quilt police!  She made it with love, and that is all that matters and it deserved to be finished.

Since there was no fabric in the bin that it resided, I skipped any kind of border.  I used some large sashing strips to cover the raw seams on the back of the quilt.  I went with pink... I had it, and it matched pretty well.

I enjoyed a few days of slow-stitching and watching a new (to me) show "Wind At My Back." The arrangement of the sashing strips on the back reflect the quilting she used on the blocks.

I thought the timing of this quilt finding its way to me was interesting... 

When a particular word, topic or subject appears to me repeatedly, I stop to consider just what it means to me... more specifically, "what does the Lord want me to see in this?"

For this quilt and in this particular situation, I believe it is the message and idea that Loressa did love Kelvin, despite the fact that they had been separated for a bunch of years... Who am I to judge their marriage/relationship?  I need be only concerned with my own... a stay in your own lane message. LOL

It's time to get the TGIFF party started.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

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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

Spring Table Topper & TGIFF

 

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF)!

A new page has been turned as we start the month of May.  The weather has turned from cooler temps and chances of snow to warmer days, spring-like winds and chances of rain.  Spring is my favorite season, followed closely with Autumn.  The days of warm sunshine, comfortable temperatures so that you can have windows open and enjoy the varied sights, sounds and scents of the season.

To celebrate May Day, I created a "souvenir" Table Topper with the fabric I purchased while on vacation in Arizona in March.  It is a "sister" to the thank you gift I sent to the couple that welcomed us to their home for a few days in Green Valley (shown below).

I had only a 8" strip WOF of the light-colored hummingbird fabric remaining.  I wanted a simple patchwork as the center of the piece.  Since I could get six 7" squares from it, I matched some lavender squares for the middle 4-patch...  

Taking inspiration from the various colors from the orange-ish floral/hummer print, I selected fabrics for the borders from my stash.  A flange binding offers a pop of yellow against that purple border and makes me smile.  The iris bed was begging to be the background for the photo shoot. 💜

I couldn't resist adding a tag to the back of the topper that features the third fabric that I purchased... 

As you can see, it was a little short so I added a strip of teal that coordinated well.

The finished size is 39" square... The rounded corners reflect the edges of our table, allowing it to come nearly all the way to the edge.... and way better than bought ;)

We celebrated the turning of the calendar page with a "surf & turf" meal... bacon wrapped filets, shrimp orzo salad and fruit salad.  The orzo salad is one of our favorite summer side dishes... And because of that, I'll share it with you!  

This is a recipe that Dave and I enjoyed with his sister and her husband when we went for a visit to South Carolina several years ago (which is why there is a photo of them with the recipe).  

I use a GF orzo pasta.  I either go without the feta or use shaved parmesan cheese.

Marcie doesn't like olives so she subs capers for them.  We prefer the kalamata olives over the capers.  It is all about personal tastes.

The shrimp I used this time was precooked and I diced it.  I have also used salmon rather than shrimp.  Enjoy!

Time for the party to start... Remember, the party is for celebrating your finishes. ;)

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Tips are always appreciated. ;)