Sew & Tell ~ Under the Weather

Welcome to Sew & Tell... the that we gather each week to share the progress of all things quilty as well as a little bit of life. 

The craziness of the past 6+ weeks has finally caught up with me... When you refuse to listen to your body, your body will eventually demand some attention. For that reason I am keeping this short.  Before succumbing completely, I did get the Tumbling Blocks quilt finished.

All in all, it looks great! I'll get some better "glamor shots" on another day...

Join the party as I rest up until my next fabric order arrives. 🥳 Once it does... I'll have the pedal down at full speed since I have a short deadline to meet.  This is the secret sewing project that I mentioned last week.

Keep piecing, 

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Home Matters

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Sew & Tell ~ Stumbling over Tumbling Blocks

Welcome back to this week's edition of Sew & Tell!

 It feels good to be back to "normal"... whatever that may be ;)

I am still tying up a few loose ends with Mom's move.  Like getting a new computer up and running with documents from her old one... phone/internet issues every time it rains... and her laundry situation.    The details of these are all too long and boring for me to focus on here when I have some quilty news to actually share!

As I returned to my studio on Monday I needed a project to jumpstart my creative quilting juices since they had been rather stagnant.  I jumped into the pool with a stained-glass applique project that you can check out here.

After playing with that I was ready to tackle the Tumbling Blocks quilt... but that was delayed when a conversation regarding a very special 50th anniversary celebration came up.  The conversation turned toward a quilt as a gift... 

I can't share any more details other than the design and plan has been chosen and fabrics were ordered.  Watch for the reveal in August!

I was finally able to turn my attention to this Tumbling Blocks Quilt that had been started a few years ago by an 81-year-old quilter.  All-in-all... she did pretty well.  She struggled when she realized that she had cut a good portion of pieces in a reverse position and the seams would not align properly.

Using some of the "good" units she provided, I added a few rows and reached the desired size.

I have quilted along all of the seam lines to help secure all of the stitching at the Y-seams.  The next step will be to shadow quilt each piece...  I may be a while.

While I am doing that, take a look at Maggie's Garlic Knots quilt.  It is a fun scrappy piece.  She said it has been a puzzle...  I can see why. :)

Garlic Knots by Maggie

And be sure to join the party by sharing a link to your latest projects.  I enjoy seeing everyone's endeavors!

Summer seems to be winding down... the heat of the hot summer days seem less intense and I am enjoying them.  The mornings are my favorite as I watch the day come in and have some quiet time before starting the day.

I am definitely a morning person.  How about you?  

Are you a morning person?  Or are you a night owl?

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

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

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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Pieces of My Life ~ Large Spool

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and the Pieces of My Life Sew Along!  

We are halfway through this sew along event... With each passing day (and each block) we are making new memories...

Are you keeping up with the blocks?  How about your memory book?  

This block is a Large Spool, and measures 12-1/2", unfinished.  There are several bias edges so you may want to spray starch your fabric to avoid the pieces from getting stretched allowing the block to be a little wonky.

As our wedding day approached, I remember going shopping for a wedding dress with my bestie/Maid of Honor.  Jamie was married in June and I was right behind her in August.  I found one that I really liked at a department store in Pueblo.  When I talked to Mom about purchasing one, she told me she wanted to make my dress and was willing to and planning to make my dress.

We made a trip to the local fabric shop and selected the pattern, fabric, lace, ribbon and pearl beads.

I wore a long white gown of Contessa, overlayed with ditto dots.  Pearls accented the fitted bodice and sweetheart neckline, which was edged with flounce lace.  The gown featured short puff sleeves of ditto dots, gathered with elastic to form a ruffle, accented with pearls.  

The gored skirt flowed into a cathedral length train.  

My veil was a fingertip length pouf veil, edged with lace and decorated with pearls.  The headpiece was decorated with rose motifs, pearls and white sequins.  

Two years later, after the birth of our first daughter, my Mom made a Christening dress with some of the remaining fabric of my wedding dress.

I look forward to being able to make some special dresses for our granddaughters when they are ready to be baptized.  There is still fabric from my wedding dress, and I have fabric from Heather's dress.  There is enough from both that could be used for at least a portion (the bodice portion?) of the three dresses that will be needed.

Now is the time to get your pattern... head over to Payhip to find the Large Spool pattern.  But before you go...

I have seen many clever wedding dress upcycling options, a Christmas Tree Skirt, for example...  I have also heard of a group that will accept donations of wedding dresses to make "Angel Gowns" for still born or pre-mature babies that don't survive.  What a beautiful idea...

Have you passed on your wedding dress?  

Have you repurposed your dress?

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

Keep Piecing,

Melva

PS: If you would like to receive the link for the memory book pages that accompany this quilt via the newsletter, send me an email and I will add you to the list.  If you are interested in the previous pages, they are available in my payhip store for a small fee. My email address is [email protected]

tips are always welcome :)

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Free-Motion Mavericks 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

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Mid-week Update

I think... I may actually be caught up on my rest and housework.  The past 3-4 weeks have had me so out of routine.  So much so, that I was a day early for an appointment that I had last week.  Thankfully, the chiropractor happily worked me into his schedule.  He is such a thoughtful guy... he kept apologizing for the wait that I had.  I reminded him that I was the one that had the wrong day.  The funny thing was that I actually had it on my calendar correctly... I just didn't know what day of the week it was!  LOL

As I shared in the Sew & Tell party on Sunday/Monday... we had just returned from a long weekend of our "Family Camp".  As promised, here are some pictures that summarize the variety of activities we had... a baseball game, archery, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores, puzzling, an "at home" escape room" where we solved several cold case mysteries that took place in Chicago... painting, crocheting, embroidery and quilting, hiking, hand pies and doughboys... water play, whittling lessons, naps, reverse dying, tie dying, ice dying and driving lessons...

Sunset baseball

Who wants a S'more???

ME!

Whittling Instruction

Waking up with a puzzle

Driving Lesson!

Mystery Solved!
And Chicago style food enjoyed all day.

Korean Checkers

Water Play!

Hiking Buddies

What a view!

Shelby sought a little shade and rest

Reverse Dying

More water play... 

Another fun Family Camp enjoyed by 4 generations. <3

This is just a small sampling of our time together... I tried 3 times to create a short video... all which were too large to upload. :\  I finally gave up when there was a lightning strike nearby and opted to turn off all of the electronics. I know you will trust me to believe that the long list of items I listed really did take place ;)

I returned to my studio on Monday and was longing to get back to creating... however, neither of the two projects I have in progress were not something my mind was ready to tackle.  So, I did what everyone that procrastinates does... I started a new project!

A few years ago, I gifted my Mom a Flower Letters Story - Audrey Rose.  It is a story told through a series of letters.  It took place at the time of WWII.  Audrey met and fell in love with a soldier and eventually married.  They talked of building a house when he returned home and how they wanted a stained-glass transom window at their front door.  

Included with the letter was a coloring page to recreate the stained-glass window.  I chose to recreate the window in a quilt.  It is a bit "rustic" and I still need to stitch the fused applique pieces down.  But not now...  

My creativity began flowing as my mind cleared and I am ready to tackle the tumbling block quilt for a customer.  

It is a little wonky because of bias edges, inconsistent seam allowances not to mention the inconsistent sizes of the pieces... It will be a challenge for sure, but I am ready to make it all it can be. :)

If you would like to join this week's Sew & Tell party, you can find it here.

Do you have family weekends or vacations?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear what you do when you get together.

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

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Sew & Tell ~ July 15, 2024

 

We have just returned from our annual Family Camp weekend.

I'm getting the party started for now and will return with pictures from our time together and all of the various activities we did in a few days.  😘

Keep piecing,

Melva 

A Memorial

In 2017 I began a series of stories and interviews with quilters that came from a long line of quilters in their family... I called it "Quilters Through The Generations" and I began at an obvious starting point for me... my family.

I included stories from two cousins, my Mom, a great-grandmother and an uncle.

One of those cousins, Diane Ashton, recently passed away.  If you read her story, you will find that she wasn't really a quilter... rather, she was a quilt collector.  She had 50+ quilts... all documented and registered with the Colorado Quilt Consortium.

Diane's brother is working to get all of the documentation of these quilts, including digital photographs, into files and formats that can be easily accessed.

Diane's sons chose to have her buried with one of her most precious quilts... a pink "Hearts & Flowers" quilt that was made by her mother and grandmother.  

Diane was kind and thoughtful person.  Our daughter, Rebecca, was privileged to live with her for a short time as she completed a clinical rotation for the Physical Therapy Assistant program she completed in college.  The rotation was with the Colorado School of Deaf & Blind, just a short distance from where Diane lived... which reduced the amount to travel time required for the completion of this rotation.  It was during the winter, and we all felt better about the whole situation.  Diane even made the 2-hour drive to attend Rebecca's graduation party.  

When my Mom had her double knee replacement surgery her rehab facility was just a few minutes away from Diane's home.  Diane made it a point to visit her several times during the 10-day stay Mom had at the facility. 

Diane will be missed by many!  May you rest in peace.

As we wrapped up the downsizing sale for Mom after her move, I am reminded of the importance of letting your family know your wishes and desires for the end of your life... BEFORE the end of your life.

I wrote of this topic almost a year ago as I reflected on the anniversary of 9/11 and the lives lost on that tragic day.

You can find a sample Quilter's Letter of Instruction at Quiltblox.com.

If you haven't written such a letter, please consider it!

If you are part of a family of quilters and would like to be featured in a "Quilters Through the Generations" story, let me know.  I would love to revive the series...

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Sew & Tell ~ July 8, 2024

I have been kidnapped by the downsizing sale... share and talk among yourselves.

I'll see you in a few days when the ransom has been paid.

Keep Piecing,

Melva