Friday, September 8, 2023

Free-Motion Friday with a Finish

As I continue in a lull of custom quilting orders, I get to continue my "therapy sessions" in the studio.  And, ooooooooh, it has felt so good.


I finished the table topper for Dave's shop... I had a bit of trouble with the math. *ugh* I had done the math for having 6-1/2" squares... turned out they were 6" squares, making the finished piece a little short.  But as it turned out, if I had made it just that much bigger, I wouldn't have had enough of the black fabric to do the border.  It's all fine...

He is pleased with it and since he didn't care for the dog/camo fabric I used as the primary fabric for the flip side (get a glimpse at it by clicking on the highlighted words above), the logo side of the custom fabric is out for viewing.  The coffee/tea dye bath provided the look for the fabric.  It won't mind a few smudges of dirt or oil at all.

I pieced together a few pieces of batting for this one and the hanging diamond grid spaced at just over 2 inches, is tight enough to hold it all in place very nicely.


With that project done, I decided to dig into the box of orphans that I received in January.  The quilter that pieced them really seemed to love green. 💚 I sorted the blocks, all a little wonky and inconsistent in size, but decided to group them by the fabrics.


I have three small pieces sandwiched and ready to go under the needle.  Since I haven't done any feathers or stippling lately, I have decided to refresh my free-motion quilting skills.  
I started with the bottom table runner... It will have feathers in the center section with free-motion waves on either side.   You may notice that there is a bit of a hump in the middle of the runner.  I'll be using a long straight edge to help get is trimmed so that it is square and straight.




The back of the runner shows the start of my feathers much better.


Stippling will be done in the "negative spaces" of the square topper.  I plan to make rounded corners on this one.  It may get to stay and live with us on our kitchen table.  

It's that middle one that I don't quite know what do to with... 

What are your suggestions?  

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear your ideas.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Look for the Good

I've been playing around with some of the ideas I had spilling out-all-over-the-place... You'll find all of them as well as the Sew & Tell party at the link above.


Idea #1) The Paperdoll "verse dress" and coloring page came to life as a card and is ready to be sent off to offer encouragement to someone feeling a little beat up and defeated in this challenging world... or... maybe she'll hang out with me for a while. I could use a good friend 😍

I placed a small piece of fuzzy velcro on her slip bodice for her dress to attach to with the stiff part on the back of it.  The skirt of her dress had a dot of velcro allowing for the change in the verses.  I had fun making this little gal.  I just got a new package of printable fabric and will be doing a few more verses... and maybe another dress or two. 


Idea #2) Using pre-cut squares I pieced a quick patchwork piece for Dave's shop table.  The back... Using a coffee/tea dye I changed the stark white background of the NQC logo fabric and framed it with some leftover backing from one of the recent t-shirt quilts.  





Quilting will take place today... And this will be something that I contemplate as I quilt.

I've been struggling with some of the words in my mind lately... With all of the various things I have encountered as life has been happening, I am trying to quiet those words and find the positive one to repeat.  

This one, along with "look for the good.  There is always good!  And if you can't find it... BE good!

Most days I do pretty well, but... there are always a few days that are more difficult.  It is the natural ebb and flow of life, right?

What are some of the positive thoughts or things that help you?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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Sunday, September 3, 2023

Spilling Over with Ideas ~ Sew & Tell

Have you ever had so many ideas and creative opportunities come at you in what seems like rapid fire?  That is what this week has been... sometimes the ideas are complete and concise and easily handled, achieved or researched.  Sometimes they take a little longer.  Let's get started with my Sew & Tell...


I've not made much progress in researching and reading for future sew along events.  The book about Cathy Williams, the only female buffalo soldier has been returned.  While interesting, the writing style did not hold my attention.  It was more about details of dates and locations, repeated three to four times.  

My current read is the book/diary of Susan Magoffin, as she journeyed with her husband from Independence, MO to Mexico.  I grew up hearing her name as they had a longer than normal stay at Bent's Fort.  They took up residence in one of the rooms just off the fort's plaza as she was in need of medical care as she miscarried a baby.  I am enjoying Susan's journal entries as much as I enjoyed Marion Sloan Russell's.  I can probably safely set the book aside and purchase a personal copy so that I can mark as I desire.

I still have two more books checked out from the library about the Old Spanish trail, one with just a few days left on the loan period.  These books are not long reads and I believe that I will quickly be able to determine whether it is a topic I want to continue to research... if I can keep all of those little squirrel projects from distracting me.


Squirrel #1 - Using the cut-off scraps from the carousel quilt, I prepped some quilted hearts that need only a little bit embellishment with buttons, beads, ribbon or lace.  While at it, I pulled out a single orphan quilt block and did the same thing with it.

Sixteen hearts ready to entertain me as we travel and camp.

(hint: We are making plans for a 10-ish day trip mid-October... YAY!)

Squirrel #2 - While pulling out the orphan block for the hearts I located two improv pieces that will become a part of my mini-quilt challenge.  

Squirrel #3 - I found a free on-line course by Shannon Brinkley about fabric dyeing ~ Fabric to Flowers.  It was interesting and I would certainly enjoy an afternoon or two of doing it... much as I did with my friend a few years ago when she taught me about Eco-printing.  While fun, it is not something I would like to dive into deeply or exclusively.

Squirrel #4 - Tricia Robinson is an artist that has inspired me with several quilty projects... my church series of minis and my Peace & Love dove that I made this year as part of the mini-quilt challenge.  I saw a recent ad for a paper doll that was available as a free download.  It looked fun... and then I saw a free coloring page for my daughter and I do as we study the book of Esther in a couple weeks.

I have plans for using her paper doll and "verse dress" to make a card... stay tuned. :)  The idea has not fully jelled, but it will involve photo fabric and if I can figure out how to do it... she will have an opportunity to have multiple verse dresses.

Squirrel #5 - I recall seeing an Advent calendar with sewing notions as the "prizes".  I was surfing the net and found a few.  One was really cute, but way over priced, IMO.  There were similar items on Amazon that were less than 1/2 the cost of the pricey one. Plus, it is not like I need another seam ripper, pin cushion, or such.  It would, however, be a fun thing to get for the grand-daughters in a few years if they express interest in continuing to sew.

But... what caught my eye was this one with small sew-in tags.  I need this like a hole in my head (as my Dad would have said)... I will add to my list and consider.  It is listed as the 2022 calendar, so... if it happens to get discounted... I'll grab it then.  These tags would be fun to include on special things... like the memory bears I made for my friend.  


So... as I pondered the idea of (and cost of) custom tags, I pulled out some iron-on transfer paper I had in my stash and some twill tape that I also had in my trims and baubles stash.  In just a short time, I had some custom tags designed... I only made 6 for now.  My plan is to use them on my mini-quilts.  Maybe as decoration... or maybe as a "hanger" on the back.  By the way, the background of my tags is one of the pieces prepped for a future mini-quilt. 

The ideas were flowing at such a rate that I was unable to truly focus on just one... I was quickly jotting down my ideas and have printed all of the various things I need to move forward with some future plans... And, with the hearts ready to go and my sewing bag with lace and trims for them replenished, I have that off of my mind.  What do you do when your mind gets bogged down with ideas and you get somewhat "paralyzed"?  What helps you get focused?  Leave a comment... I'd welcome ideas that might help me. :) 


I still need to get a table cover for Dave's worktable in the shop... maybe this week!  Here's the fabric I got printed with his logo.  It is nothing fancy... it will be simple to cut the blocks apart and piece them together with some other pre-cut squares I have on hand.  To satisfy my curiosity and to utilize some of the things I learned in the on-line natural dye class, I will try a few things in a dye process so that the fabric isn't stark white. White in a shop that is filled with wood dust, metal chips, oil and more is not the best choice.  If it doesn't work out... no biggie.  It will simply get dirty anyway. LOL!


It's been a fun week, and I am looking forward to getting some actual sewing time on my machine.  Let's take a look at Alycia's Blue Batik quilt... She also had some adorable puppy pictures!  Who could resist that face?  

The Sew & Tell Party is now open for you to share your projects.  The more the merrier!

Keep Piecing!

Melva

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Friday, September 1, 2023

Creators Create for JOY!

Life is full of seasons... and just the same as in nature, the seasons change.  As summer comes to an end, children return to school, the temperatures become more tolerable and as the overnight temps dip lower, the leaves change.

I have been wandering around in between large quilty projects, life circumstances and technological challenges.  I never doubt God's timing of projects.  As I finished the three custom t-shirt quilts for my customer, I suddenly had a detour (the health challenges of my Mom with shingles and helping my daughter process some disappointing news).  I am thankful that I don't have any deadlines looming over me!  


The other day, I had an open afternoon and wanted to create... 'cause that's what creators do... they create!  It is something that sooths their soul, energizes them and brings them JOY!

This little mini quilt was something that I "dreamt up" in an early morning "snooze" session when Dave was getting up before 6 a.m.  It is a 2" wide double flying geese strip flanked with confetti fabric that was leftover binding from a customer's quilt.  Following the lines of the flying geese, I quilted the angles to create an on-point square grid.


Purringcottage left this comment... "Amen! Break out the beautiful tea cup, make the gorgeous mini-quilt, put on the extra colorful blouse and it's party time. 😊"

With the disabling of my FB account, I have been reflecting on where I am in my quilting/business journey and where I would like to be.  {Remember, I now have extra time on my hands. :)} One of the best things to do to begin is to take a look back to where I started.  I started right here on blogger as a relatively new empty-nester with just a few followers.  It slowly grew as I got a few patterns included in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks publication.  

Then I joined a "New Quilt Blogger" group that was led by a few of the leading modern quilters.  Hives were formed to offer peer reviews of blog content, layout and more.  As I cleared out some old messages in my email, I located the folder that contained all of the messages about this... from 2016. 

I became curious as I looked over the list of bloggers that participated (18 in all).  I wondered "How many are still actively blogging?" To my surprise... only 6 still have active blogs. One turned their page into an on-line shop.  

As I look back at the transformation of this blog and what I have done with it over the years and various facets that have been formed I am a bit surprised. From my first series, Quilters Through The Generations, to the various quilts that I have made myself, or quilted for others, to dabbling in fabric dyeing, to hosting sew along events... I realize that I have a great passion for history and the preservation of memories that become quilts and the stories that they tell.


Having the chance to fulfill a request from a client to transform a simple, embroidered tablecloth into a quilt has got to be one of my all-time favorites.  Turning a collection of old-fashioned hankies into a quilt for a grand-daughter was another.  And taking a collection of assorted high school 
activity (or concert or Harley Davidson) shirts into a quilt for the student to enjoy in their new dorm room is among the most popular requests I get.

Preserving a childhood quilt that has some spots that have been worn thin, but still has plenty of good life in it is the current project.  

When the idea for the Pieces From the Past sew along came to me, it was a wonderful, historical and natural project/fit for Melva Loves Scraps.  

I have started to explore some options for evaluating and setting some goals for a more targeted direction for my future.  To better help me with this, I will be creating my first formal mailing list and asking you to offer feedback and opinions.  The mailing list will be compiled with info collected in my payhip store.  If you have acquired any of my block of the month patterns, you will be included.  If you choose to not participate in the survey, that is okay as well.  

Enough of my ramblings... I have plenty of more ideas floating about in there, but I'll spare you of that mess. Just know that I am looking forward with some new goals. lol!


This sweet carousel quilt has been modified to remove the most worn blocks. Leaving a 1/2" seam allowance, I cut off the damaged section all the way across the quilt. Pinned the bottom section (again with 1/2" seam allowance) into place from the outside edges, matching the brown borders and points.  The center section had a little extra.  


Using a running stitch, I gently gathered the extra in and pinned into place.  


After sewing, the seams were pressed open.  Using a 2-1/2" section of the portion I cut out, I removed the quilting stitches so that I had just the backing piece to cover the opened seams.



Using a blind stitch I sewed the backing piece into place, as well as small portions of the binding.  It had a label on it - Especially fashioned by Helen - that is still intact.  It is ready to go!


This would be an adorable wall hanging in a child's room or nursery, or even on a toddler's bed.  The fix is not perfect... but I will accept it.  I'm a recovering perfectionist.  I could have easily spent many more hours on this, but I would have driven myself crazy!  As Dave and I have learned in home repairs/remodels, you have to pick a stopping point and call it good.  Otherwise, it snowballs, and it is never "done."  This same method is recommended at an auction as well. lol!

Happy Friday! Keep Piecing,

Melva



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Sunday, August 27, 2023

R&R ~ Sew & Tell ~ August 28, 2023


I have to say that the love, support and kind messages and comments that I received last week certainly made the bruised and battered feelings that I had last week were nearly washed away... like balm for a wound.  Thank you!


Our time away was sweet, one day too short (in my opinion), but sweet.  It was a secluded site with a creek, which I just loved... but the seclusion was a bit disappointing for Dave since he likes to watch and talk to people as they walk or drive by.  He is such an extrovert! lol.


I enjoyed the lack of distractions as I continued reading and researching for possible future sew along events and did some slow stitching on a few quilted hearts..


I even found a heart of my own... a message from God reminding me that even when it feels as though it may feel like the world is against me, He is not.

As we returned back to the "real world" I began my quest to recover my personal fb account... with no luck.  In fact, the message I get when I try to log in or reset my password is that my account was disabled because it did not comply with community standards and the decision to disable it could NOT be reversed.  Gee, thanks!

Dave made an attempt with a phone call to some fb tech support number he found, but after a 15-minute call, which we thought we were actually making progress, we were disconnected.  I did manage to reactivate Dave's account and took down his business page (the source of the whole issue!).  I am over it... 


So... I returned to my studio to make a dozen file holder/tool rolls that I sell to local gunsmithing students at the beginning of each semester.  It is some mindless sewing that passed the time away.  I have made so many of them over the years, that I think I could make them in my sleep. 😉

I'll be continuing my therapy in the studio this week by pulling out a box of blocks that came from my customer earlier the year.  As well as bringing a new mini-quilt idea to reality.



That's all I have to share this week.  Let's take a look at this week's featured quilt by Bonnie at In Stitches with Bonnie

Bonnie had three wonderful finishes that she shared with us.  

But this is the cheerful quilt that captured my attention... "it will be going with a therapist who is working with Ukrainian children in Romania."  

You can get all of the details in her post by following the link above if you want to make and donate a quilt or two.

It is time for the new party to begin!  Bring all of your projects... I want to see all of them because... well, I'll have extra time since I'm not on Facebook now. 😂

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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m


Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Life Happens

Love Beads Mini Quilt #34/52

Sometimes life seems to "come at us" at warp speed.  This is the situation this week... and it is only Tuesday.

Saturday morning I was happily typing away here on my blog, and planning for upcoming social media posts.  Next thing I know I was writing the Sew & Tell party story for the week. Not all that unusual, except that I typically do that on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon was spent in the ER with my Mom having "muscle cramps" in her chest... insisting that she was NOT having a heart attack... yet, she had been turned away at the walk-in clinic because of said muscle cramps. She is nearly 83 years young and has struggled with severe seasonal allergies and asthma most of her life.  She has had stress tests done with inconclusive results in the past and she will have tests done again.  She has never had an issue with high blood pressure, yet her pressure was sky-high... alarm setting off high in the ER.  They gave her something for pain and it began to drop, but still considered too high. Lab results did not indicate heart attack or stroke, or clots...  I'm not sure why they let her leave without BP meds...

Sunday was hijacked by an impromptu, but much needed visit to our youngest daughter and her husband.  We needed to spend some time, see them face-to-face, and have a sort of "welfare check" since there was some unexpected news from her doctors' appointment on Friday.  Nothing life threatening, but we certainly wanted to see her rather than talk with her on the phone.  It was fortuitous that the Sew & Tell party was ready to go! She was in a much better frame of mind on Sunday than she was on Friday... and we felt better for her.  (Parenting is sooooooo hard!  And it never stops... even after they are adults and on their own.)

To top off Mom's ER follow-up visit this morning, (yes BP was high, but not alarm bell like) she shows a rash to the doctor and finds out she has Shingles. **UGH**

Blood pressure medication was prescribed as was the antiviral for the shingles virus.  She has an appointment for a laser treatment on Thursday morning.  The laser treatments, in addition to the Rx, were so effective for me last year when I had the virus. She is awaiting a call to schedule a lung function test and follow that up with an appointment with a cardiologist. **sigh** (no wonder I am tired...)

Also this morning (Tuesday), to top off aaaaaaallllllllll of that, my personal Facebook account was stolen and ultimately, disabled... which means that I am locked out, not only of my account, but also my business page, Melva Loves Scraps and my husband's.  I don't really have the time, nor energy, right now to deal with it so we are running away from "adulting" to go camping and soak in time with God and His beautiful creation.  

In all honesty, I'm not sure I will even try to recover it (them).  Instagram is still secure so, for now, that will be more of a home for MLS in the social world, for now.
I am considering alternatives... such as more frequent, but shorter stories here on the blog.  What would you suggest?

With a more cheerful update... I had a "goodie box" arrive yesterday from a friend.  She has recently been assisting her Mom get through a hip replacement surgery and move into an assisted living facility.  In doing so, she had a moving sale.  She sent a few items my direction.  One is this sweet carousel horse quilt.  It is machine appliquéd and pieced, but hand quilted.  


I love the border and the rounded corners.  The bottom two horses are worn with most of the embroidery non-existent and one saddle has a tear in it.

I have a plan to fix this sweet quilt... 


I will remove the two damaged horses and move the border up.  I think it will look fabulous.  

Dave is encouraging me to remove the center horse and replace it with the quilted setting square below it. 

If this were a restoration of sorts for a paying customer, I would go that extra step and use that center horse to replace the lower right horse that with the blue mane that has some saddle embroidery worn away.

But since it is just a sweet quilt that my friend couldn't part with, it would be just for fun and experience.

Since we are running away... I may do that.  But for now... I'll be packing up clothes and food for our run away from the world. 

If you have tips or suggestions on regaining access to my fb account, let me know... 

Do you follow just blogs?  How do you follow me?  Or do you do more on other platforms?  

If you want to chime in on how far you would take the repairs... let me know that as well.

What do you know of Patreon?  General content shared on the blog for free and sew alongs & such with a "subscription"? Fill me in!

If you made it this far... Thanks for the listening ear!  BTW, Love Beads, mini-quilt challenge #33/52 was subliminally created from my surrounding circumstances.  LOL!  I didn't even realize... 

Piece Out,

Melva

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Sunday, August 20, 2023

Sew & Tell ~ 8/21/2023 ~ Love Beads Mini

Another week... gone in a flash!  The short spell of cooler, more tolerable temperatures is done and we are back to having the AC units running for most of the day, well into the evening. **sigh**  It was good while it lasted... but this too shall pass. :)


Last week I finished quilt #3/3 for my customer and have them all labeled, packed and ready to ship.  


I mentioned in my previous story that Dave has been waking up early, and early... he leaves the room so that his tossing and turning won't wake me up as well. So very sweet of him.  But the truth is, while I usually do doze off again, I lay there and come up with quilt ideas.  When this happens, I have to remember to sketch them out in my ideas/inspiration notebook. 

Several ideas for my weekly mini-quilt challenge series filled my early morning dreams. Since the design wall is vacant and the cutting table cleared, I have plenty of time for the minis.


Back in March of 2021, I participated in #IGQuiltFest2021... The topic of the day was Quilt Admiration.  Somewhere in my scrolling social media, I found this photo from Diane Harris of Stash Bandit Quilts and thought it would be a good idea (at that time) for a notecard.  Using that same inspiration, I turned my idea into a mini quilt. 💛💙💕💚💜  Who remembers the beaded curtains of the 1970s?  🙋 LOL...

Dave asked for another table topper for his worktable in his shop.  I made one a few years ago... and he decided that it was too nice to leave on the table for "every day".  He proudly pulls it out when he wants to do a photo shoot of a completed project.

I have ordered some custom fabric from Spoonflower with our logo printed on it for a more utilitarian table topper.  If he turns that one into a "too nice for every day" quilt, I'll dig out an old quilt from the closet.  Haha.  Silly guy... 


This week's Sew & Tell feature is Maggie at Making a Lather.  She shared progress of numerous quilts, but the finish that captured my attention in her story was Saturday Soire, an UFO from 2013.  

Well done, Maggie! It is simply stunning!  And as she said, "it is finished!"

Now it is your turn... link up your Sew & Tell items!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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