friday finishes

Red Letter Day from Melva Loves Scraps

It's a red-letter day! You may ask, "Why?"

Because I finished the custom order for a Colorado flag table runner and bowl cozies! And that red letter is a C.

The table runner (20" x 40") 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 prominent landmark and the newest addition to the Colorado State Parks system.

The bowl cozies are a bit fancier than the normal... Piecing in that C took a little bit of quilt math and ...

added by Melva 2 years, 9 months ago. under friday finishes

Double Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

The weather outside was terrible... it was cold... It was snowing and it was windy. It was wintering outside like it hasn't wintered for a while. I was quite content staying inside, whether in my studio quilting the TOPS quilt or in the living room as I hand-quilted my sweet, silky elephants.

The interstate was closed in both directions. Yet, Dave was out in this storm clearing our driveway...and it was still snowing and drifting. Then he went to a nearby neighbor who is 70+ years. Then... then... then... He was really enjoying his time on his tractor ...

added by Melva 2 years, 9 months ago. under friday finishes

Wonky Star Toss ~ Final Finish of 2023 from Melva Loves Scraps

I did it! I was able to squeeze in on final finish for the year!

This wonky star toss quilt was an Advent mystery sew along from Melanie Meyer...

I love the variety of sizes, the layout and the fact that I made it completely scrappy was a bonus!

Even the back got a wonky star and used larger scraps

I love how the wispy clouds reflect the quilting.

Happy New Year! May your coming year be filled with beautiful quilts, lots of love, laughter, joy and good health!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at The ...

added by Melva 2 years, 10 months ago. under friday finishes

From High School Teen to Doctor ~ A Friday Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

When your customer admits to you that she is not a huge fan of quilts but LOVES the custom t-shirt quilt and states that "not all quilts are equal" and "this one is exceptional, and I love every detail of it! From the red, to the music note fabric and muted colors of the leaves in between the shirts"... well, I was deeply touched and it made my heart sing... and may have needed a tissue to wipe a tear away as she pulled out of the driveway.

A "skipped line" quilting design

A close up shot of one of ...

added by Melva 2 years, 11 months ago. under friday finishes

Friday Flimsie Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

It is Friday, and it was a busy, busy week... but I have a finish! I'll give all the details of the week's activities in my weekly Sew & Tell update/party on Monday morning.

For now... Here is Danielle's Flag Girl flimsie.

If all goes as planned, it will be sandwiched and under the needle of my Babylock Jazz before Monday.

I had a hard time selecting the fabric for the sashing strips... In the end, I used the back of the black fabric that will be the binding.

Have you ever purposely used the back of ...

added by Melva 2 years, 11 months ago. under friday finishes

Baby Steps from Melva Loves Scraps

This week had challenge after challenge... A visit to the ER for myself (I'm fine now), news that a work situation for a son-in-law had not been resolved and the opportunity of something new missed, news that our daughter's dog had a seizure and that the pastor of our last church home had suddenly offered his resignation (effective immediately). Our minds were swirling, causing both of Dave and I to sleep poorly. I tossed and turned... Dave got up and read. And then commenced the tossing and turning when he returned. Teamwork makes the dream work! LOL.

I ...

added by Melva 3 years ago. under friday finishes

Wild Fans from Melva Loves Scraps

I snuck in a finish! In between the craft classes, phone calls and household chores. I snuck in a few minutes here and a few minutes there... and this is what I came up with.

With orphan blocks from the collection of Mary Margaret Smith, this quilt is like a step back to the 90s with the wild prints ~ all silky fabrics but pieced on to stabilizer so they didn't move too much. Her choices of fancy embroider stitches in bright, contrasting colors added to the wild.

Over-sized Baptist fans make up the quilting. The lines are spaced 2 ...

added by Melva 3 years, 1 month ago. under friday finishes

Still on the Greens from Melva Loves Scraps

Kermit the Frog had a song...

It's not that easy bein' green
Having to spend each day
The color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer
Bein' red or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that...

But green's the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly like
And green can be big like an ocean
Or important like a mountain or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder, why wonder?
I am green and it ...

added by Melva 3 years, 1 month ago. under friday finishes

Free-Motion Friday with a Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

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 ...

added by Melva 3 years, 1 month ago. under friday finishes

Creators Create for JOY! from Melva Loves Scraps

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 ...

added by Melva 3 years, 2 months ago. under friday finishes , mini quilt challenge

Those Magical Little Words from Melva Loves Scraps

We all have a few words that are magical and meaningful to us... For some it might be "I love you". For others it might be "You don't need to do it alone... Let me help you."

Maybe you have seen this one...

I am blessed to have Dave... he will often gather the dishes up and rinse them as I am putting the remainder of dinner away. Unless the dishwasher is empty, or nearly so, he leaves the loading of dishes to me. Remember... Teamwork makes the dream work."

I looked all over the web for the meme ...

added by Melva 3 years, 2 months ago. under friday finishes

Florida House Memory Quilt Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

Quilt #2/3 for my customer is finished! My customer wanted it in creams and off-whites for her Florida house. I was happy to oblige with assorted "low volume" scraps for the sashing strips. But I needed to purchase fabric for the borders and backing.

This quilt had a softer look than her Black & White quilt and was asking to have the quilting just a bit closer together to give it a more "feminine" look...

A few years ago, I read an article about how quilting for men and women can differ. Aside from the obvious use of floral prints ...

added by Melva 3 years, 3 months ago. under friday finishes

Wild & Crazy Quilt Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

Last week, you may remember, I was in a holding pattern as I waited for fusible interfacing to arrive so that I could move forward with my customer's t-shirt quilt... The "Ask Me Anything" episode was fun. To those that asked questions, thank you!

I am still in that same holding pattern but grew bored with all of the other small things I filled my time with (household chores)... and it has finally reached the point of summer that we HAD to install the window AC unit in the living room... which means it was too hot for any ...

added by Melva 3 years, 3 months ago. under friday finishes

Mini-Quilt Challenge Update from Melva Loves Scraps

I've been really bad about monthly updates on my Mini-Quilts but I am still at it and getting them done on a weekly basis... though my social media weekly updates have been a bit messed up and I lost track of where I was.

But... not that I am making excuses or anything... we have been busy for most of June. We just returned home from a trip for a family reunion in Illinois. It was a pleasant trip with beautiful weather (i.e., lower humidity, few storms and no issue with the air quality from smoke.)

I am ...

added by Melva 3 years, 4 months ago. under friday finishes , mini quilt challenge

Friday Finish - Fence Rail Photo Session from Melva Loves Scraps

The quilt had a label and had a quick wash and gentle dry so that the 80% cotton batting could do the magic that it does... making the quilt a little wrinkly and looking well loved... and it was time for a photo session to capture its beauty.

I went just a short distance from home to the state park that is nearly in our backyard where I was well aware that they had cedar rail fencing. It just seemed appropriate for the name of the blocks used.

An afternoon of thunderstorms was forecasted and they on their way. I ...

added by Melva 3 years, 4 months ago. under friday finishes

Ribbons, Lace & Fancy Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

It has been a real journey as I finished eight quilt tops that were pieced by Mary Margaret Smith ~ the last of them was by far the fanciest of them all. Thirty blocks, each with a different design made from ribbons, lace and fancy stitching.

Trying to capture a good photo of this white, very large quilt is difficult. I can't really take it outside to photograph for fear of it ending up with a big dirt smudge or stain.

This photo will have to suffice (for now)... The shadows help to show the quilting and some of the ...

added by Melva 3 years, 5 months ago. under friday finishes

An Angel and Her Wings from Melva Loves Scraps

I received some shocking news the other day...

A HS classmate that has always been friendly, positive and encouraging had taken her own life. When I relayed my news with Dave he said, "oh yeah, Danita... she was the one we met at the Rockies game a few years ago, right? She lived life large... What a shame."

It is a terrible shame. Never had there ever been any indication that she was struggling with depression, anxiety or mental health issues. The news of a cancer diagnosis was apparently just too much for her to handle... On Tuesday, she had ...

added by Melva 3 years, 6 months ago. under friday finishes , hand-sewn hello

Friday Finish Less Than Perfect from Melva Loves Scraps

As a "recovering perfectionist" this statement is a difficult one for me to state... But sometimes I just have to.

The latest finish of #7/8 of the quilt tops for my customer is one that I am less than pleased with. The slippery, shifty fabric was a challenge. And the fact that it was larger than the other one that was made with the same type of fabrics made it even more difficult.

The borders were wonky and it made the pieced corners downright impossible to get the same. **Insert frustrated and disappointed emojis** Amongst other emotions and thoughts ...

added by Melva 3 years, 6 months ago. under friday finishes

Toy Boats Finish from Melva Loves Scraps

I had an unplanned, extended session in the studio found a finish... thanks to a big storm. Last week a high school classmate (dare I say, from 40 years ago!) contacted me requesting a baby quilt for a grandson that is due to arrive this spring. The nursery is being done with a sea themed room in navy. I took advantage of this extra time and found it very productive!

When I sent her a photo of a "Captain Frog" quilt I made several years ago she liked it... Here's the fabric pull for her grandson's quilt.

As ...

added by Melva 3 years, 8 months ago. under friday finishes

A Blessing of Fabric from Melva Loves Scraps

Last weekend I met up with many long-time friends... the first time in a really, really long time. We had a common purpose for our gathering which was to begin preparing for a Women's retreat. As we caught up with each other there was laughter and joy, tender care and prayer.

One especially tender reunion was with a close friend with whom I have stayed in contact with over the phone. Our daughters happen to work together and have children close in age that attend the same school. This friend learned in December that she had breast cancer and ...

added by Melva 3 years, 9 months ago. under friday finishes

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