Retreat Recap, Quilty Wishes & To-Do

My first quilting retreat is in the books!  I had a fun time, met many new quilting friends, laughed plenty and made a quilt top.

The pattern, Sticks & Stones, from Missouri Star Quilts was an easy pattern and layout to follow without having to pay too close attention... though there were a few seams that needed to be ripped out.  The time with Jack was only because I missed a couple sticks of the fabric being too close together.

Once I had my top complete, I volunteered time with Jack on the behalf of a few other quilters.  It was a great opportunity to visit with them one-on-one and get to know them better.

And though I haven't included any photos of the entertainment, it was spectacular!  Several quilters performed the song "My God" from Sister Act.  What a hoot!

We also had a "quilt parade" where we visited each room and oohed and aah'd over each of the quilts we brought to sleep under.  Most had a poignant story accompanying it... but none more touching than the Double Irish Chain quilt by Felicia that she had started for her husband.  He had picked the colors and pattern and before she was able to complete it, he passed away.  She has a love/hate relationship with it and shared through her tears about finishing it after his passing.

The variety of fabrics and colors chosen by each quilter for the retreat quilt varied greatly and spoke to each one's personality.

I have been happily busy back in the studio finishing the quilting of the Pieces in the Garden Quilt.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it did not take nearly as long to complete as I had anticipated. 😀😚 Last Wednesday I had a laser treatment at the Chiropractor's office to speed along the healing of shingles and reducing the inflammation causing the discomfort in my right arm/shoulder. When Dave left in at O'dark-thirty for deer hunting on Friday morning I was unable to return to sleep... (you can follow the link to see the details of what happened.)  I enjoyed a cup of Chai tea and then went to the studio to do a few rows of the "large-ish" (5" half-circles) clamshells I'd chosen for the quilting design.

With a few short breaks sprinkled in as I managed laundry, I had fully completed 1/2 of the quilting!  And my arm didn't hurt at all.  I decided that I had done enough and should "save" my arm for the retreat.  It was time to do some final packing and get lunch prepared anyway...

Dave surprised me and returned home to have a lunch date with me before I took off.  What a guy... I so deeply appreciated his act of tender love toward me!  I think I'll keep him.  😉

Last week I didn't get to the slippers that I had wanted to make...  But I now have 3 new pairs of jammie pants... and good thing I had some new ones to wear to the retreat...  There was pajama parade and the quilter with the "cutest" jammies won a prize!  I didn't win a prize, but I DID proudly show off my green floral flannel pants.  

here are This week's to-do list...

❧  Quilted slippers... I saved the soles of my previously worn-out and dirty pair of slippers with a plan to re-use them.  Wish me luck in adapting the pattern to make it work!  🤞

❧  Write the next story for the Pieces in the Garden sew along.  (Only two more rows in the quilt!)  I will also photograph the finished quilt... if the wind ever stops... or even slows.  (The gusty wind is, once again, obnoxious.)

While scrolling on instagram, I came across a hashtag "campaign" for quilty wishes... This is the first time I have seen or heard of such a thing.  

I will be granting a request for some black & white scraps and found a nice set of Maureen Cracknell fat quarters that someone was offering.  

I have several panels that I will be putting up soon...

I saw one long-arm quilter wanting to gain some practice time request any quilt tops that were no longer wanted so that she could practice and then donate to a charitable organization.  Several have requested specific colors for hexies or scrappy quilts...

If you could make a quilty wish, what would it be?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear your wishes!  Maybe I'll even be able to grant one or two.

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Sew & Tell ~ November 7, 2022

Welcome to Sew & Tell!  I have been at a quilt retreat all weekend...  I'll share more details later this week, but for now here is what I made!

The lighting was terrible for this photo... the colors are more like what is shown at the top right of the quilt than the lower section.  I really like the off-set piano key border.  It adds such a different look to it. 

I had a great time and made many new friends.  I would definitely do another one in the future...

Did you see all of the eye candy from last week's sew & tell???

Kathleen shared her Pop Star finish and shared details of her quilting... 

Alycia shared a great tip for how she is storing her quilts... check it out!

Time to share what you have been working on lately...

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

m

Thankful Thursday ~ November 3, 2022

With just two months remaining in the year of 2022 and looking back over the challenges we have had to face in the last two months, I am ready to send 2022 packing...

I've decided that I'll NOT focus on the challenges... they are in the past and to the best of our knowledge, been resolved... at least in some manner or another.  

Rather... I'll focus on the good.  I'll reclaim an attitude of gratitude...

I'll keep in mind the promise offered to those that persevere though life...

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:12

I'll take a message from the trees in our front yard...

The leaves of our maple trees have fallen yet there is already a promise of a new beginning in the tiny buds at the tips of the branches. That is except for this small cluster of leaves that are tough, stubborn and tenacious and seem to say, "Never give up!"

In late September the leaves had started turning and I decided that it would be interesting to take a photo each day (well, I got it done most days) and make a short compilation of the changing...

I have much to be thankful for...

Healing from shingles and a faster than average recovery thanks to natural remedies

Successful recovery of our website

Financial independence and God's provision to pay the exorbitant cost for homeowner's, auto and health insurance

Ability to follow through with plans to attend a quilt retreat this weekend and the peace that sewing and quilting brings to my soul

What are you thankful for?  

Leave a comment... I love having conversations with my readers. 💓

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

I Like Thursday at Not Afraid of Color

m 

Technical To-Do Tasks

I was hopeful that November would be a calmer, quieter month than October was as I dealt with shingles... And that I would happily and blissfully enjoy ample time in my studio.  

My to-do list looked something like this...

Pack and prepare for my first ever quilt retreat!

Begin quilting the Pieces in the Garden Row Quilt!

Make Pajama pants and new slippers (to be worn at the quilt retreat).

However, that must have been a pipe dream because November greeted us with a technological nightmare that is overwhelming and beyond our knowledge and "pay-grade".

You see... our web page's content has been stolen and is being held ransom.  GRRRRRRR!  Seriously...  The hacker has requested $3K bitcoin.  (We don't even know what bitcoin is and we are not going to.)  We'll be contacting the local Sherriff's office about this cyber-crime and see what we can do.

This whole thing has us questioning our need for technology at all... Do we need the website anymore?  When we started our business we paid for and utilized google ads so that if someone searched for "gunsmith" (and many other related terms) our site would show up among the first results.  Since Google Ads changed their policy 18+ months ago about advertising anything related to guns our ad campaigns had been denied... we then decided that that particular account was not needed anymore and was deleted.  Most of Dave's customers are referrals now and we have no shortage of them. Fortunately, there has NEVER been any client info related to the page... no newsletter lists, no payment info... nothing.  All they stole were the pictures and price lists...  All of which can be restored by us by reloading the content. 

I could ramble rant on and on, but I really don't have time since I need to go through every vital on-line account we have and reset passwords.  😠

I'll still be packing and prepping for the retreat this weekend, but I won't have new slippers... and the row quilt will have to wait.  I have made one new pair of pajama pants, and another is cut out ready to sew together.

This is the Sticks & Stones quilt that we will be making.  

I purchased a jelly roll of Civil War and French inspired fabrics to make my quilt... be sure to return on Monday for Sew & Tell to see how far I get.

Have you ever been to a quilt retreat?

Any additional supplies/items I should plan on taking?

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

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

m

Sew & Tell ~ 10/31/2022

What???  Here we are ready to turn the page of the calendar to a new month... Time marches on and waits for nobody!

Last week everyone entertained me quite well as I limited the use of my right arm...

Kim at the Purring Cottage shared that she was making two quilts that she was using as a leader/ender project.  

Frederique at The Quilting Patch showed us her collection of International Sisters blocks.

And last, but not least... Brenda at Songbird Designs announced her Monday Musings Linky Party.  Feel free to jump over there and link up... and spread the news!

I grew bored of binging shows and decided that I could take advantage of some of the "down time" and write some stories and posts for the future... I quickly found out that the small motion of typing was nearly as aggravating to my arm as the embroidery or hand-sewing. **sigh**

I figured that if my arm was going to get tired I should make it tired in my studio. I started with small sessions... an hour in the morning, followed by a rest and then an hour in the afternoon... again followed by some down time as I read a book.

With each session, I was slowly able to get all 12 of my Flittering Leaf blocks made for the Pieces in the Garden Row Quilt.

By Friday I had the row sewn together and added to the quilt top... AND a narrow sashing border around the entire quilt.

After staring at the top on the design wall for hours trying to decide on borders, I had decided that a very narrow strip (flange) of bright pick offered a much-needed pop to frame it along with a solid teal.  Even Dave commented on it as he retrieved something from the guest room closet (it currently resides on the guest bed as it awaits quilting...

I even managed to get it sandwiched!  

I will be doing a large-ish clamshell quilting design on it.  

My choice of batting is Hobbs Heirloom Fusible batting.  It has been my go-to batting for years.  It is repositionable so if I end up with a small wrinkle in the backing as I fuse it, I can simply lift the fabric and smooth out and re-fuse it into place.  As an added measure to make sure nothing shifts, I do pin it every 9-12 inches or so.

I am anticipating that the quilting on this will be slow going.  I'll need to set a timer to force remind myself that I need to take a break.  Or maybe I just need to quilt one row of clamshells and then take a break... go sit and read or do something that doesn't require use of my upper arm muscles. 

I think I will make it November's One Month Goal.  Watch for the finish!  

What have you been sewing?  

Time to show your Sew & Tell..  Link up or leave a comment.  

Keep Piecing!

Melva

PS... did you happen to see Patricia's Wrench blocks?

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

This & That at Days Filled with Joy

Teatime with TT ~ Halloween ~ Bonus Block Flittering Leaf

Welcome to teatime with TT... Tressie Teegarden.  Today, we chat with Tressie (and Forrest) about their childhood memories of Halloween... grab a cup of tea and settle in.

Grandma, when you were a young girl, did you go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween?  What did you dress up as?  

Yes. (We would do trick-or-treating) but we didn't really dress up.  We would bundle up because it was always cold.  One year the Stone's had a party.

Did you carve a pumpkin?  Did you make scary faces or happy face pumpkins?

Yes, we always carved a pumpkin.  I usually made happy faces.

What kind of treats did you get?  

We would get candy.  I don't remember having to do any tricks though.

How about you, Grandpa?  When you were young, did you go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween?  

I never went trick-or-treating or dressed up.  We would go to parties occasionally though.  We would peel grapes and then turn the lights out and tell scary stories.  The peeled grapes were supposed to be eyeballs.  We would bob for apples too.

Did you carve a pumpkin?  

I couldn't tell you...

One story I remember Grandma telling about when she was pregnant with my Mom, who was born on November 1... 

I was handing out treats to all of the kids that came by and one of them had on a scary costume and said "Boo!" and next thing I know I was in labor.  

Haha!

Since we lived near the end of a long country road with no nearby neighbors or much of a neighborhood, we never had trick-or-treaters come to our house.  I remember going Trick-or-Treating as a child a few times.  I think my parents would take us to visit a few houses in town of family members or others we knew, and I recall that I went one year with a friend.  We were never permitted to just "roam the neighborhoods" as my husband talks about.  He and his friends would plan out their routes for hours to be able "hit" as many houses as possible.

I also remember making popcorn balls to pass out at a school party or to share with cousins.  Here's the recipe... It's always fun to choose a gelatin color/flavor for the season.  Like, orange for Halloween, red and green for Christmas (because we always needed twice as many), red/white/blue in the summertime... you get the idea, right? 😉

I mentioned earlier this month that I prefer "Fall" or "Autumn" over Halloween... so to celebrate "all of fall with y'all", here is Bonus Block #3 ~ Flittering Leaf.  The leaf alone is 3" finished and you will need 16 to make up a row.  OR you can do as I am and add coping strips to make it a 4-1/2" unfinished block (only 12 needed) allowing for you to turn the blocks this way and that to make it look like the leaves of the trees flittering down to the ground.  

Coping strips... isn't that a cool term?  I just heard it a few weeks ago and love it... because sometimes you do the best you can and cope with making up any deficiencies or short falls in the end.  And since I am in recovery mode from a bout with shingles and limiting the use of my dominant, right arm, I am going for fewer blocks!

Follow the highlighted link above to get the pattern, but before you go... 

Tell me about some of your favorite Halloween memories.

I'd love to hear from you!

Grab the free pattern and then share your finished blocks with me!  I'd love to see them 🍁🍂  

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at True Blue Quilts

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks at Quilting & Learning

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

m

Words of Wednesday

As I have been in recovery mode from an outbreak of shingles for the past week, I have had plenty of time for reflection, assessment, review and plans.  I have come to the conclusion that...

I am meant to live a creative life! ~ Photo by Amy Ellis ~ 

I have made little progress since the weekend on the Bridal Veil... I am trying to limit the use of my right arm/shoulder some additional time to heal as that is the area of my body affected by the virus.  

I have managed to update the Pieces in the Garden page with all of the links available to each story and pattern.  It isn't something that many will notice, but I often link back to the page when I mention it in other stories/posts.  I can feel good about that and it brings me to some of my reflection and assessment...

In 2016 I participated in a quilt blogger group where we offered peer reviews and critiques of each other's blogs.  This is what was suggested...

Please focus on the look, feel, and ease of navigation more than content.  Make your suggestions positive and actionable.  Instead of “I can’t find your recent quilt finishes easily enough,” you can instead write “I really like your quilting style. Have you considered adding a tab at the top of blog that contains all of your recent finishes so that people can find them easily?”  

I am a "secretary" at heart and know and understand the importance of reviews and proof-reading by others of something you just wrote... getting some new eyes on it is always a great way to catch errors before a letter or other business documents goes out.  Since six years have passed since that initial review, I thought it would be a good idea to ask for your review or assessment of Melva Loves Scraps.    

How am I doing?

Are you willing to share some of the things you really like here on MLS?  I'll even take a few suggestions to improve.  What would you like to see more of?  Detail photos?  Overall details like quilt sizes, thread, fabric and batting used?  More tutorials? 

I asked you last week about sew alongs... 

How do you decide if you want to participate in a block of the month or sew-along event?  

Is it the skill level?  Is it a specific colorway?  Is it a technique?  Is it the story that accompanies the patterns?  The size of the finished quilt?  Something else?  

Do you like to see all of the blocks or a finished quilt before you start?  Do you mind more of a "mystery" approach with a monthly reveal?  Does a cost for the pattern deter you?  Would you buy a kit?  Would you rather use your own fabric?  Does the chance to win a prize entice you?

I'm heading to my studio for a short sewing therapy session.  Feel free to leave your thoughts about any of these questions.

One last one... Have you been enjoying the Sew & Tell Sessions?  No need to be a blogger to participate!  Did you know that you can link up an Instagram or fb post?  

Piece and Love...

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Texas Quilt Gal

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Little Things Thursday at Good Random Fun

I Like Thursday at Not Afraid of Color