Scraps... of a different kind

I had spent weeks preparing for the Farmer's Market and  was looking for a bit of a "change in scenery" when it was done.

I pulled out my collection of scrapbooking supplies and rummaged through the brochures, maps and souvenirs - things I had saved over the last four (yes, 4!) years.  I pulled out stacks of pictures - which, thankfully, had been sorted and placed in chronological order (at least for the first few years) and I started creating pages...

In 2013 our life changed dramatically when Dave left the college and we became self-employed.  It was a tumultuous time full of emotions and hard decisions... but going back through the pictures reminded me that, though it was difficult at the time, we are much happier (and healthier) than we could have imagined.  







I didn't spend a great deal of time embellishing the pages... I pretty much wanted to simply get them in the book.  But once I had 2013 "In the book" I took a bit more time and care with 2014.
















It too was filled with emotion, but much more joyous events!


We celebrated our oldest daughter's wedding with family and loved ones by our sides and we welcomed our little "Sweet Tater"
  










She earned that name while her Momma was in labor and asking for a Baconator from Wendy's and sweet potato fries from Carl's Jr. for dinner as soon as Emma was delivered.  You see, it was late in the afternoon and she hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before... and she was HuNgRy!  Thus, the name "Sweet Tater".








With 2014 completed I was prepared to carry on and get completely caught up... I had it all out and was ready, but was unable to locate the pictures for 2015... Ooops!  It seems I didn't take the time at the end of that year (as I have in previous years) to do a giant order of prints. {{I did have photos of all my 2015 quilts, though.}}

So... it was time to pack it all up and set it aside, and place an order for prints (**and double check that I had 2016**).  

I had a pleasant break from the frenzy of sewing that took place in June and I am ready to return to sewing. In fact... I have completed the alterations of the wedding dress for my daughter's best friend (she requested pockets!) and I am ready for some projects that involve turning some vintage quilts into some decorative items - a pig and a cat to be exact.

Come back and see how they turn out.  

What do you do when you need a break from you sewing studio?

Thanks for joining me!

Blessings,

Melva

Quilters... Through The Generations

I am beginning a new series on Melva Loves Scraps that will feature families that quilt.  I'm not sure of the frequency of this series or the length of the series... But I am super excited about it!

I hope that you will find it as interesting as I do.  Heritage is so important and sharing the stories of quilters and the quilts they made are important as well.

The whole idea started because I have a vintage quilt sitting in my cedar chest downstairs that I know was made by a Great-Grandmother but that is all I know. (I think...  I guess I don't really know.)


It is a simple scrappy quilt (one of my favorite!) made up of 4-inch squares and tied at the corners...

I have heard stories of my Grandma and Great-Grandmothers being quilters but didn't know much in the way of details of their lives or the quilts that they made.  So I reached out to a few of my cousins and asked for their help.  This is where the idea for a series came about.



So...

To kick off this series I have answered a few questions that I shared with my Mom and cousins...

Name -   Melva Nolan

Have YOU ever made a quilt?    Yes - lots! My mom taught me to sew while in 4-H but I started quilting as an adult.

If so, who got you started quilting?  My friend Diana invited me to a “Block of the month” club in 2002 and I was hooked.

Tell me a story about your first quilt. 

My very first quilt was completed in 1993 – I has cross-stitched blocks of a wild rose arranged in a checker board pattern.  I really had no idea what I was doing when I quilted it – turns out I did a “quilt as you go” kind of thing by creating sandwiches with the blocks, batting and some interfacing and then assembled the blocks together.  I then made a backing that was stitched into place at the seams along the borders and at the binding. I managed to fumble my way through... 

It was on our bed for years – until I finished my first BOM quilt in 2003.  It now resides in my cedar chest next to the vintage quilt that I referred to above. :)

Does your mother quilt? What is her name?  

Yes, Mom (Carol Schleich) has made several quilts.  After the first year of me doing the Block of the month thing I invited her along the next year. 

This is one of the quilts we made together for the Walk to Remember Alzheimer event in my Dad’s honor…

Over the years she has told me a story of  her childhood and helping her Grandma and friends do some hand quilting.  She felt pretty good and had been encouraged by her Grandma and the other ladies.  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!

How about a grand-mother?    

I believe my maternal Grandma (Tressie) Teegarden did make some quilt tops that Mom later had quilted by a group of quilters in La Junta, CO.  She used the applique technique.  
(Come back to see pictures when I feature my Mom - Carol Schleich)

My paternal Grandma (Katherine - Katy) Schleich passed away a few years before I was born, but years later I ended up with some signature blocks from a collection of “stuff” that was passed onto me when her daughter, (my aunt) Clara Wirth passed away.  I cherished those blocks, patterns, crochet thread and fabric.  All of the names embroidered on the blocks were familiar to me having grown up hearing stories of these families told by Dad and his siblings as well as my Grandpa Schleich.  There was not a block with her signature so I pulled out a copy of her citizenship certificate, traced her signature onto a piece of fabric and embroidered it.  Using some of the vintage 1930’s fabric from her collection I completed a block featuring her name.  I then arranged the blocks (of inconsistent sizes due to varying seam allowances) onto a larger piece of fabric and appliqued them.  I gave the small quilt to my Dad.  Mom still has it and eventually, when I end up with it again, I may pull the blocks off and do something different with them, though I don't really know what...  
(Again, come back to see pics... )

Sadly, there are no descendants of the families whose name appear on the blocks in the community.

The BOM club that I got started in featured 1930's reproduction fabrics.  I pulled out my Grandma Schleich’s vintage collection of fabric and made a block using her fabric as well.  So by the end of the year I had two sets of blocks.  

These monthly gatherings were during the same year that my Grandma Teegarden had been moved back to Trinidad.  Each month I would make the blocks and then visit with her and show her the blocks.  We discussed colors, patterns and prints and some of her memories of growing up in Trinidad and being a young lady in that era.

These quilts hold some very special memories of our time together…  I called the quilts “Getting to know Grandma” (I and II) because as I spent time with Grandma T I also felt a special connection with my Grandma S through her fabric.

Have YOU taught someone to quilt?   

I have helped both of my girls make quilts...  

Heather has made several baby quilts for friends and has one work-in-progress of her collection of CSU-Pueblo t-shirts. (It has been moved to the "on hold" pile since becoming a Mommy...) 

Rebecca made one quilt – in 2009.  She had a difficult time getting the blocks to be uniform in size and got frustrated with it and was ready to call it quits.  I jumped in and encouraged her to finish, helped her to find the smallest blocks and then either trimmed the other blocks down or picked out a few stitches and made some adjustments.  I’m pretty sure she has done very little quilting since then.

I also taught a good friend how to do a “Quilt In A Day”.  We made a throw size or crib sized quilt using the quilt-as-you-go technique in 2006.  She continues to make these sorts of quilts as quick gifts for church members welcoming a new baby to their family.



Watch for future stories featuring Quilters... Through The Generations.  In fact, I have added a tab at the top of my blog where I will link directly to each Through the Generations post.

Are there generations of quilters in your family? Let me know!  I would be happy to work with you and your family to help document the stories of your family's quilts and quilters.

Happy Quilting!

Melva

See what other quilters are talking about at QuilterBlogs

Mid-Year Project Progress

Just in case you haven't noticed... The year is half gone!

Time flies when you are having fun!  And we have definitely had some fun so far.  

We have traveled to Arizona for a long weekend with a friend.  While there I met up with Karen from Tu-na Quilts and we visited the Tucson Quilt Show.  So fun!

And, we had a Bridal Shower...

It was a very small group which was perfect for having a painting party!

And we had a Wedding!

As I review my "Bucket List" for 2017 I see that it was a bit less ambitious than last year and that I have checked off all but two or three (depending on how you look at...)

1)  The Wedding quilt was happily received...  This was a king-sized quilt and had a portion of the "Love is" scripture from 1 Corinthians 13 quilted into the black strip near the center of the quilt.

2)  Another Psalm 23 wall hanging was completed and given to a close friend who had suddenly lost her husband in November.  It was bound in blue... her husband's favorite color.  She let me know that she placed it in her bedroom where it would be the first thing she saw as she got up in the morning and the last  as she ended the day and went to bed.

I am down to having only three left... I think I will plan to have one for sale at the Farmer's Market in a few weeks. :)












3)  The English Paper Piece kit is coming along... 



It is an open-ended project since I don't have a definite plan for them or a pre-determined number needed.  It is a great road-trip project, small and compact... I have pre-cut a number of "kits" and have them ready to go.

I have two completed (in the same fabric colorway) 

... and a third one I have turned into a Mug Rug that I hand-quilted... another great road-trip project. :)

4)  I pulled out the tie collection from the closet...

I quickly discovered that the collection was not large enough to do a quilt as I had planned...












So I moved to plan B...  Making Dresden Plates with the ties.

This is where I question... 

Does this count as one project?  Or two???

5)  You see, I used the ties, AND made some Dresden plates...  You can read all about it at my Father's Day Post.  

6)  I am scheduled to have a booth at the upcoming Farmer's Market today.  Trinidad will have special events July 1-4 so I thought it would be a good weekend to put my face out there for all of the locals that attend with their out-of-town guests.  I will soon be deciding on a second date to participate... stay tuned!

I will have a variety of items that will feature my recently designed fabric that has many of the local landmarks, including the Trinidad bricks - just like the brick lined streets of the community.

7)  A Raw Edged Teddy Bear Quilt...






I have not done anything with this project, but our youngest Grand-daughter will be turning 1 year-old in July... there is still time.

I did complete our oldest Grand-daughter's First Year Quilt where I included all of the little onesies that her Momma made for each month of her first year as well as the "first" holiday outfits.

I have done many other projects as well... they just weren't on this list.  Take some time to peruse my blog and see what I have been up to lately!

Happy Summer!

Melva

Jump over to QuilterBlogs to see what other Quilters are up to...

A Local Thing...

For a number of years I have made wine bags... 

Bags of all seasons...  They are available exclusively from me or from Hops & Vines Liquor Store located on Santa Fe Trail in Trinidad,CO...  

I have Valentine's, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter and Religious.  I have summer themed and Patriotic.  I have Fall and Autumn, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I even have a Bride and Groom.  I have Happy Birthday, Thank you & Congratulations...I have denim and lace, I have mountain scenes and wildlife.  I have some Colorado sports teams - Broncos and Rockies.

And now I have local Trinidad, CO  bags... using some of my specially designed fabric.

I didn't realize I had so many wine bags until I started packaging them for the Farmer's Market on Saturday... I have over 30!  


I really focused my attention this week in preparing items for the sale.

And in rummaging through my existing inventory, I have discovered that I have several items that have not sold for the past three years... 

Last year I marked a few items down... this time I will be offering a selection of free items with each purchase...

It is time to clear some things out!  Curious?  You will have to come by and see me  and Dave on Saturday.  We will be at Cimino Park...

Among a few other items I have made this week...








This play on the Colorado flag... My friend Kara had suggested this as she had noticed that there has been an increase of CO items available in gift shops.  While it looks big, it is really only a table runner (20" x 40").  It would be perfect for a table, cedar chest or buffet.  I used prairie points to make the mountains and I appliqued Fishers Peak in the yellow sun - Fishers Peak is a local landmark that I feature on my Trinidad fabric as well.

This Trinidad Table runner will also be available... The Trinidad Brick fabric is perfect for the border of this runner.  It too will be available Saturday.

These are just a few of the items I will have available...  

Come on down and see me!  Come down for the market, stay for the Army Band performance (free!) and come see us.

Remember, with each purchase I have a freebie!

Blessings,

Melva

I have linked up with Wednesday Wait Loss.  Go see what is going on over there! ;)

A Nod to My Dad and Grandpa

One of the things I placed on my quilty bucket-list was a quilt using my Grandpa's ties (and the two, yes, the only two, ties that my Dad owned).

The plan was to do a quilt like the one below...

But when I pulled the ties out of the closet and started to lay them out I quickly realized that I did not have enough ties to make a circle... or even half of a circle... or even a quarter!

I gathered them up and had to develop a "Plan B"...

I pulled out a pattern for "lollipops"... 




I then watched a few youtube videos on making Dresden plates...

and then I asked my sweet hubby to make a template for me using the pattern... while batting my eye lashes and looking all cute, I might add.  I added that if he could make it a little longer than the pattern showed, it would be great... He obliged and even scored the template for the original length.  What a guy!  He is definitely a keeper!

I began to remove all of the stitching in the ties to press them open... what a tedious job, by the way!  I did however enjoy several episodes of Chopped and Chopped Junior as I performed the task.  


Once all opened, since the ties were silk or wool, and on the bias I used fusible interfacing to stabilize them...  

Using the template I cut the pieces out.  

This particular pattern has 15 blades to make up the circle...

Folding the wide portion of the blade in half you stitch 1/4"- 








and then turn to form the point...

I just love how it looks like an itty-bitty tie!

I did a bit of fussy cutting with a few of the ties to capture the insignia or a focal point of the tie.  (The two ties with the arrows are my Dad's ties...) The rest of them were just however the template fit since they were all stabilized with the interfacing.

As I prepared each of the plates I recalled the memories of vacations with my parents and grand-parents... 

Our "extreme weather" trip that included:  

     The high temperatures and desert like terrain in Arches National Park (the hike that we failed to take water with us and we came upon a hiker going back down the trail with an aluminum water container with ice jiggling it) 

     The "follow the leader" in our trucks/campers in Salt Lake City because we got lost (Grandpa and Grandma made U-turns, and we were right behind them, lol!)

     The very wet and soggy stops in Idaho (and the excitement of my Grandpa when the toilets at the campground were once again flushing [the campground was on a septic system and the ground was saturated], lol!) 

     And getting snowed in while camping in Yellowstone (and the breakfast prepared on the tailgate of a parking lot, and the enticing smells of bacon and eggs that all the others in the lot wanted as well) {{I think they felt as we did in Arches and the guy with the water}} 

     I will never forget these memories! Yep, all in one trip! And sooooo many more memories!

I recalled spending a few weeks in the summer with them in Tucson... how I was so homesick the first few days of my first visit... getting up early so that we could work in the yard or do whatever chores needed to be done while it was still cool... taking naps or going swimming in the heat of the day... and enjoying ice cream every evening... 




(<<==this picture is a recent picture that I took while in Tucson in February)

I easily recalled the routine of getting ready for church each Sunday... Dad would be the first ready with his tie and cowboy hat in place would go get the car so that it was strategically placed at the end of the sidewalk so that we wouldn't have to cross the muddy or rutted driveway...  

And the smell of roasted chicken or ham and baked potatoes as we returned home.... Mmmmm!

Okay, that is enough time down memory lane... But what a special project this has become... I'm not yet sure how many plates I will get from all the ties or what I will do with them when I have them done, but I sure am having fun making them!  Thanks for joining me as I get all nostalgic.

What memories would you recall if you had your Dad's or Grandpa's ties?  

Please share in the comments below... I love to hear what my readers think.

Happy Father's Day!

Melva