Time With Jesus...

This week I was able to spend some significant time working on the Jesus wall-hanging... I was doing really good!

And then I realized that I had three more rows at the top yet to lay out and I was short the required amount of background squares... and I had NO MORE! The fabric was from a fat quarter that I had picked up at a quilt show in April and I had no info from the selvage (and I couldn't remember the name of the "store" I bought it from - and even if I had how do you describe a fabric over the phone??)

So, I did what any quilter would do... I dove into my stash and pulled out what I thought was a similar fabric... not a perfect match, but I really thought it would work.  

NOT SO MUCH...

I dove back into my stash and located more of a yellow (rather than a green) and did a quick audition by placing some squares over the green-ish squares (mostly on the left side) ...

It looked much better!  

So I sat and ripped stitches to pull out all of the green blocks and a few extra of the original ones so that my "salvation plan" didn't seem so "back up".

I know that I still need to go back in and fix some of Jesus' hair and beard shading, but I am really liking the result. It is not a highly detailed "photo" like a sketch or drawing, or even a cross-stitch could be... It is much more like an oil painting or acrylic... you know where you stand back and stare at it.

Thanks MaryNell for the special request for this wall hanging! I have loved the challenges.

Have you ever run short of fabric while making a quilt?  How did you "save" it? I get that the obvious solution is to buy more of the same fabric, but what if you can't... What then?  I'd love to hear what other solutions might be.

Happy Quilting!

Melva

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Check Another One Off the List...

It is official... I can mark another item off of my Bucket List!

My submission for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 15 has gone off in the mail! Hopefully it will be accepted... Watch for details!

Blessings,

Melva

Bloglovin' claim...

Technology challenges me... I believe I finally have a bloglovin' follow option in my side bar!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12780635/?claim=da9f6zbev6e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Things to do...

Over the last few weeks I was accepted/invited to participate in the 2016 New Quilt Blogger's Hop. 

2016 New Quilt Bloggers

This is a group that is designed to help new bloggers improve their blogging skills... There are nearly 60 of us in the entire group and we were broken down into smaller "hives" and then into even smaller groups for the critique portion of the group.  I am part of the Sewcial Network "Hive"... 

The whole purpose it to offer tips, advice and feedback to each other on how to improve our blogs, reach a larger audience and increase interaction on posts.
There has been discussion regarding lots of different subjects... One such subject addressed the subject of how to improve the overall appeal and appearance of your blog. 

I have received my critiques and have already made a few changes to page.

One such change you may notice is the addition of tabs/pages to create a photo gallery of finished quilts, as well as watermarking my photos (something I have thought about for a long time, but tend to forget when creating my posts).

I knew there would be extra work/time required to participate in this group... and I was right, but it has been worth it.  I have learned so much.  And I have had the opportunity to work with some fellow quilters and bloggers.

Feel free to stop by and see what they are up to!

Sharon is at Yellow Cat Designs

Jennifer can be found at RV Quilting

Feel free to wander over to Tish N Wonderland

Susan is over at Seven Oaks Street Quilts

I will be a part of the upcoming blog hop in a couple weeks.  A way to basically kick off the new & improved blogs for all participating.  In the meantime, I am open to more suggestions for improvement... they may already be on my list of things to do, but don't worry about that... If I receive similar suggestions, that must mean that I really need to pay attention to them.  :)

While I have a few more items on my to-do list, I am really, really missing my sewing room!  I will likely be in there for the next few days...

Happy Quilting!

Melva

Time For Truth...

***I started this post a few weeks ago... I have since overcome my mental block, but I will share anyway. ***

Ok, some honesty here... it is time to come clean and admit publicly why I have been avoiding heading into my studio.

It's not that I haven't been doing some quilting - I have... well, some quilting "stuff".  I have finished a couple of quilts.  I finished a wedding quilt by hand sewing the binding on.  And I quilted and finished a vintage quilt for a friend...

But you see a few weeks ago I worked on a Baby's First Year quilt.  I had been sent a picture (I'm sure many of you quilters have seen it out on social media...) and asked if I could do something like it... "Sure, I can do something similar" was my response.  The baby clothes were dropped off and I proceeded to "do what I do."  I cut, fused backing onto the pieces and then laid out the blocks.

The picture I had received had the child's name on it... I took the time and appliqued the baby's name and incorporated them into the quilt.  I was pleased with the outcome.

However, when I sent the picture of the quilt to the mom she was not pleased at all... "You can't even tell what was a dress or a shirt.  It looks like you chopped everything up and sewed them together to make a big piece of fabric."

**disappointed sigh**  Well, that is what I do... I make lots of t-shirt quilts and they don't look like t-shirts when I am done... 

I don't do lots of applique. (I really don't like it and it is very time consuming...)

I'm not trying to make excuses.  I admit... I failed to ask more questions about what the mom's expectations were of the finished quilt.  I just plain and simply failed... 

When I conversed with her via private fb messages I expressed my deepest apologies to her the best that I could. She had paid a deposit for the quilt and I told her there was no reason to pay the balance due. Satisfaction in my goal and I only want to try to make it right... This all took place in Mid-April... And I haven't heard from her or seen her since then.  I still have the quilt...

I have considered finding a few pictures of the baby on Mom's fb page and printing them on fabric to applique them on the quilt... I even have a few pieces of clothing that I could applique onto the top...

Or do I leave it as is?  I am looking for some suggestions and tips on how to handle this situation.  HELP!

Melva

***UPDATE***  Shortly after posting the Mom contacted me (Coincidence?? She is not signed up as one that follows me, and I did not share on social media...) She picked up the quilt and leftover clothing pieces last night. When I held the quilt up for her she stated "oh! It is much nicer than I thought. The picture really did not do it justice."  When I offered her my other options she felt that they were not needed. So.... all's well that ends well!

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True North

The movie Message in a Bottle, starring Kevin Costner, is one of my all-time favorite love stories.  Of course, it has a sad ending because it is based on a Nicholas Sparks book, and they always have tragic and heart breaking events. 

Of course, if we're honest, life - in general - is not a fairy-tale, happily-ever-after event.  Life is full of ups and downs and we choose our response... wallow in pity or celebrate the opportunity that we had.  But enough of that... My point being that in the book/movie there is reference to a loved one being "their one True North."

We were recently honored to attend the wedding of our nephew, Matt, and his lovely lady, Erica.

 Matt has a love for the outdoors...

And has even convinced Erica to join him!

      They both have a love for travel...

     

... Good Wine & Beer...

And FOOD! 

     

... both preparing and eating!

 Sooo... This very special couple deserved a quilt (of course!)!

This LeMoyne Star seemed perfect for them... It reminded me of a compass and Matt's love for hiking.  

The fabric itself was specifically selected for Erica and her love for black/white & lace, the background fabric is a vintage newsprint (in french) and the back reminded me of their picture with the Eiffel Tower in the background as well as their "Date Night - Paint Night" that they attended...

Congratulations to Matt & Erica!  We love you!

May you always stay true to your One True North

A Step Back In Time...

Today I take a step back in time...

Recently I quilted a vintage, hand-pieced quilt top for a friend.  This quilt top is the second of three that my friend acquired from her Mother-in-law.  It is unclear whether her MIL pieced them or if they were pieced by another family member...  None the less, it reminded me of two of the first quilts that I made... 

They were from a Block of the Month "club" that I was invited to by a friend. You are probably familiar with the drill - $5 the first month for the block pattern and the fabric needed for the block and only $1 each month thereafter when you return with a completed block. (The price has probably gone up since this was in 2003.)  

The fabric selection for the BOTM featured 1930's reproduction fabric.  I had in my collection of fabric some original 1930/40's fabrics that had be set aside and saved from my Paternal Grandma, Katherine Schleich.  (There was also a collection of signature blocks that included the circle of friends and neighbors of my Grandma S.)  When I located that fabric it was then that I decided that I wanted to make two quilts...

In that same year my Maternal Grandpa passed away and we moved my Grandma from Tucson, AZ to Trinidad, CO so that my parents and our family could help care for her.  Each month I would take the pattern and the finished blocks to her house to show her. 

These blocks were reproduction fabric  

                          

The blocks below are mostly original 1930's fabric... 

(some of the solid fabrics were reproduction)

I called the quilts "Getting to know Grandma" I & II

It was a very special time with Grandma T... She would share stories of how her Mother & Mother-in-law would attend quilting groups at their churches.  I heard many stories about her childhood and her experiences as a young mother and stories about my Mom and Uncle.  It was always a good time when she would reminisce.  

It was also a special time with my Grandma S (who passed away a few years before I was even born).  I had the opportunity to go through the fabric and quilt blocks and patterns that she had saved, as well as the collection of crochet thread and doilies patterns... I had the opportunity to hear stories from my Dad as he would share stories about the neighbors and friends whose names were on the signature blocks that came from Grandma S. 

So, **sigh** I wish I could know more about where the quilt top that I recently quilted for my friend is from.  I hope that Tracy can learn more about who made them and have the opportunity to pass on the story to her children.

I would love to know the story of why there are six blocks like the one to the right and three like the one above, which matches the border.  Was this intentional?  Was it because they ran out of fabric, but wanted the quilt to be bigger?  This curious quilter wants to know!

Ok, enough of being all nostalgic and such... I have quilting to do!

Happy Stitching!

Melva

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