sew and tell

Returning from Red River ~ Sew & Tell - 10/27/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Let's get the party started!

~~We are just getting settled back in at home after a week away in Red River, NM...~~

You can read all of the details here...

I will update everyone on another day since time is running out before the scheduled party kick off.

Keep Piecing!

Melva

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Tuesday Turn About at My Wee Abode

Tuesdays with a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventure

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth & Artsy Fartsy

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at ...

added by Melva 1 day, 8 hours ago. under sew and tell

Underfoot in Italy from With Strings Attached

I'll add this post to the Monday link ups because it's quilt design related. I hope you'll scroll down to read the travelog post and leave a comment. Design Wall Monday Sew and Tell Oh Scrap! Monday Musings

I could not resist taking pictures of the tile floors in Rome, Florence, and Venice. My quilter's brain went to work right away figuring out how they were put together.

Don't turn me in! Photography is strictly forbidden in the Sistine Chapel, but I covertly snapped photos of the floors.

Capitoline Museum, Rome

St. Mary Major (Santa ...

added by Nann 5 days, 12 hours ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , quilt design , road scholar , sew and tell , weekly update

Applique & Quilting ~ Sew & Tell - 10/20/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to the weekly Sew & Tell party... where you can share your progress, projects and thoughts and be inspired by others... find encouragement and encourage others. This week we have Gretchen from Gretchen's Little Corner as she shared her progress on the Rhapsody in Blue.

Gretchen is a pro at her applique and hand quilting and addresses the blank spaces of a quilt.

"I always cringe when I view a quilt that has a pretty quilting design, but the background is left unquilted. To me (this is my opinion, you don't have to share it) the quilt ...

added by Melva 1 week, 5 days ago. under sew and tell

Art Haus Paper Lanterns ~ Sew & Tell - 10/13/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Another week... gone! I could go on and on about how time seems to be flying by... but that is an old record that needs to be put to rest. ;)

This week's Sew & Tell feature is not one that needs to be set aside. Rather, it is one that needs to be kept in the forefront as the weather transitions to a new season.

Preeti at Sew Preeti Quilts showed off one of her Island Batik projects - Milo. Preeti has a knack for selecting patterns and fabrics and colors that work well together. The simple quilting of this quilt ...

added by Melva 2 weeks, 4 days ago. under sew and tell

Sew & Tell - 10/6/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Where did the week go??? I woke up this morning thinking this thought. As I reviewed all that took place... Hot tub delivery, Bible Study, 3rd Quarter Review and time in my studio... I realized that even in a relaxed state/pace of life, time marches on. It feels good that there have not been any emergencies or crisis that has popped up in life! (I hope I didn't just jinx that... ;) ) Maybe it is the fact that we have enjoyed the hydrotherapy sessions multiple times a day and we are simply calmer and sleeping better! It has been ...

added by Melva 3 weeks, 2 days ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: AIC, quilt show, the end of an era, a finish! and a flimsy from With Strings Attached

I've had ample opportunities to go downtown to see the Caillebotte exhibit at the Art Institute, but it took a "closing soon!" email to get me to do it on Friday.

Wealthy Chicagoans in the Gilded Age (1890's) bought Impressionists as modern and avant-garde, and relatively inexpensive. They were patrons of the Art Institute and thus the museum developed its Impressionist collection.

"Paris Street, Rainy Day" was acquired in 1964 and has become one of AIC's most famous paintings. Caillebotte painted it in 1877.

I had hoped to go to this famous intersection (Carrefour du Moscou) when ...

added by Nann 3 weeks, 4 days ago. under art institute of chicago , christmas quilt , design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , ohio stars , quilt show , round robin , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , weekly update

Hexagon Color Wash ~ Sew & Tell - 9/29/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Many thanks to all that joined last week's party. There were many lovely projects shared, and this week's feature is Sharon at Dragon's Heart Quilting. Sharon was inspired by a pile of triangles left over from a previous finish. She then selected a great pattern to use some batik "scraps"... Bonnie Hunter's "Twirl Around."

Great choice for the "scraps" Sharon!

Sharon stated that she doesn't tend to make many quilts with so many HST because trimming to size was time consuming since she made her units oversized.

This is something I do as well! I ...

added by Melva 1 month ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: a destash, almost a flimsy, RSC October + reading from With Strings Attached

Old School Forest Preserve

Chicagoland is officially in a drought but the cloudless skies ("100% of available sunshine") and warm temperatures are the kind of weather I'd like to bottle.

At Van Patten Woods on Friday: sulfur butterfly on New England aster, viceroy butterfly, yellow wooly bear caterpillar.

The viceroy is a monarch mimic. The visible difference is the black band across the lower wing. (Read about other differences in this article)

# # # # #

A friend moved to assisted living earlier this year. There was an estate sale at her house this weekend. I bought a trundle bed and because I ...

added by Nann 1 month ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , reading , sew and tell , weekly update

News from MLS and Sew & Tell ~ 9/22/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party...

I'm going to mix thing up this week and do the weekly feature first. Each project shared in the party is made with love and you each take time to not only make the items, but also write about them... I want this party to celebrate each of you up front... not as an afterthought.

So (drumroll)... this week's feature is Donna at DonnaLeeQ. She shared that she had started some fun projects for her. She's been busy with the making of charity quilts, which ...

added by Melva 1 month ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: quilt show, a new trail, some quilting + reading from With Strings Attached

The Southport Quilt Guild holds its annual show at the Anderson Arts Center on the lakefront in Kenosha. The quilts are hung by the arts center staff and the show is up for a month. There's no admission fee.

View of the lake from a second-floor window. Podgaji "flags" guided visitors to the front door.

There were 75? or so quilts on display.

This was fun! Each visitor got a clipboard with a scavenger hunt sheet. ("How many points are in the star in quilt #70?" "Which quilt is named Daniel?" "What color is the center pinwheel on quilt ...

added by Nann 1 month, 1 week ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , mug rugs , oh scrap! , quilt show , reading , sew and tell , weekly update

Goose Chase ~ Sew & Tell - 9/15/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

What a week! Right? We don't pay much attention to the news media, but this week was a rough one! The feelings of frustration and hatred reared its ugly head on social media. :(

Not that I keep my head buried in the sand, but for the most part... I scrolled on by. It seems that many forget that fact. But while everyone was busy with rants and arguments, I was happily sharing the video tour of my studio, followed by a reveal of my stash storage that is a little messy.

I wasn't ready to dive into my ...

added by Melva 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: an exhibit, golf, and quilting progress from With Strings Attached

Way back in May Sue and I talked about meeting at the College of DuPage to see the Hokusai exhibit. We made it on Thursday -- just in time since it closes September 21.

I took a one-semester Japanese history course in high school and it's remarkable what I remember (Ukiyo-e, the Floating World) despite all that I have forgotten.

Like the Mona Lisa, Hokusai's The Wave is a lot smaller in person than its reputation.

There were prints by Hokusai's contemporaries. The exhibit comes from an Italian museum based on the collection of Edoardo Chiossone, an ...

added by Nann 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , rotary club , scrap quilts , sew and tell , weekly update

Magic Multiples ~ Sew & Tell - 9/8/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to Sew & Tell. I have lots of little things to share with you...

I have been doing something new as I spend time in the studio. Rather turn on the music and while away the time there, I have started listening to books. I am using the Libby app and have found a whole new world to explore!

Sure, Dave and I have used audio books while we travel, but it never occurred to me to listen at home. I had requested a book that I had heard about, thinking it would be a good book for our ...

added by Melva 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: friends and inspiration at the Wisconsin Quilt Show from With Strings Attached

Last week Wisconsin Quilt Show returned to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison for the 21st year. It was begun by Nancy Zieman and Wisconsin PBS as the Wisconsin Quilt Expo, hence my blog label. This was the seventh time I've attended and the first time I've stayed overnight.

I picked up Carolyn at the Milwaukee airport Wednesday afternoon. We drove from there to our hotel in Verona, a now-suburb adjacent to Madison.

We set up the sewing machines in the hotel breakfast room / lounge. That attracted other hotel guests and we had good conversations.

Both the FW ...

added by Nann 1 month, 3 weeks ago. under design wall monday , magpies , monday musings , oh scrap! , quilt show , sew and tell , weekly update , wisconsin quilt expo

August Summary and Sew & Tell ~ 9/1/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

What a month August was! So much happened and yet, in a sense, time stood still. We had guests and played tour guide. We "unplugged" for several days for a respite from work. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.

And I made quilts! Four quilts were completed and 5th "topped" it off as I am ready to get it sandwiched and quilted.

A quick review...

I kicked off the start of August with Madam Butterfly and her photo shoot... Purple was the color of the month in July.

The color of the month for August was aqua... Using larger chunks ...

added by Melva 1 month, 4 weeks ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: quilt shops, the stash report, Christmas braid flimsy, and OMG from With Strings Attached

I brought souvenirs back from New England--two t-shirts, a tea towel, refrigerator magnets -- and fabric! I went to four quilt shops and a thrift shop.

A Quilter's Garden is in Montpelier, VT.

Sew Far North is in Littleton, NH.

The Golden Gese [taken from the owner's surname] is in Concord, NH.

The late Victoria Carroll-Parkhill, whose blog was Park Hill Farm, patronized this shop. When we were in New Hampshire in 2018 I met her there.

I had a wonderful six-degrees-of-separation experience at Haphazard Quilting in Canaan, NH.

I mentioned to Deb, the shop owner, that I was ...

added by Nann 2 months ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , stash report , weekly update

Mountainside Sewing - Sew & Tell - 8/25/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

There wasn't a whole lot of sewing going on last week... the mountains were calling and we responded. Bright and early on Sunday morning, we jumped in the truck with camper in-tow and headed about two hours north-west of our home to one of our most favorite locations to camp - The Alvarado campground located in the San Isabel National Forest near Westcliffe, CO.

As we did in June, we attended worship in town and then settled into our campsite. We were blessed to be able to claim a spot next to a creek.

Dave had hopes of hiking one ...

added by Melva 2 months ago. under sew and tell

Back to School Season ~ Sew & Tell - 8/18/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and Back-to-School season... Families across the US are getting children ready to go back to school... teachers are ready to welcome them back (mostly with open arms and excitement) with their plans in place and hopes to make a difference in the lives of those they teach... not just in school topics, but in life lessons and examples shown to them. Remember! Actions speak louder than words.

My stock photo of the file holders

With classes resuming at the local college, I have been in my studio making the tool holders/rolls that I ...

added by Melva 2 months, 1 week ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: festival and pillows from With Strings Attached

Two more forest preserves checked off the list: Rollins Savanna on Friday and Old School on Sunday.

Top: compass plant, woodbine (also called virgin's bower and devil's darning needles!).

Bottom: wild petunia, great blue lobelia.

No walk on Saturday. Zion Woman's Club helped at the welcome table on Saturday at the Zinnia and Monarch Festival. It's a celebration of community diversity and unity. Zinnia seeds are given out every spring and at this time of year the colorful flowers are in home gardens and at businesses.

There's a monarch release, too.

After that shift ended ...

added by Nann 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

Viridian's Chain in Aqua ~ Sew & Tell - 8/11/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party where friends gather to share progress on projects, finishes and perhaps even some thoughtful words of wisdom.

This week was a warm one as we prepared for our second guest - Dave's sister, Sharon. This is her first trip as a widow. She had several stops before reaching us and has stated that she is feeling pampered and well cared for at each stop. She has visited here before, so we didn't need to pack in as many tourist-y things for her.

I continue with the RSC ...

added by Melva 2 months, 3 weeks ago. under sew and tell

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