sew and tell

Daisy Chain QAL Week 5 – Backing & Basting from Christa Quilts

We are nearly to my favorite part of any quilt – the machine quilting! But first we need to prep our quilts by making sure the backing is big enough, and then basting. I love making pieced backs from leftovers or other coordinating fabrics because that makes the quilt twice as nice!!

Because I had too many pictures of this process to share, I thought it would be much easier to put them all together into a super short video and talk over the process. You can watch that by clicking play below:

Once the quilt is basted, you are ready ...

added by Christa 2 days, 4 hours ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , quilt alongs , quilt patterns , sew and tell , tutorials (Comments)

Weekly update: nine patch progress from With Strings Attached

Monday morning has rolled around too fast! This needs to be a quick post.

Three luncheons in three days (Clara Cummings Book Club on Thursday, retired library directors on Friday, GFWC District 10 on Saturday) plus the 5th Sunday potluck after church on Sunday -- good company at all.

Palm Sunday origami! Did you (or do you still) make a cross from the palm frond?

Every year at this time I look for skunk cabbage along the trail in the ravine at the end of the block. The “horn” is the flower. It is so named because it has a high ...

added by Nann 5 days, 17 hours ago. under monday musings , nine patch quilts , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

Quilt Retreat Fun ~ Sew & Tell - 3/29/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

I have just returned from the quilt retreat. Several asked where it was held... It was held in the "Competitor's Housing" at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM. The accommodations are nice. There is a large space where the machines are set up and three different wings where you find the bathroom, kitchen and five 2-bed rooms. They keep them clean and well maintained. We use the facility during their "off season." For this reason, I think there is a discount... the cost is $75 for two nights.

I'll get to the quilts that were made and ...

added by Melva 6 days, 11 hours ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: an evening out, walking again, and finishes from With Strings Attached

On Thursday evening the Waukegan Historical Society hosted "Extraordinary Ordinary Women" by local researcher Meg Goljenboom. Kathy rode with me and we met June and Joann there. (I knew many of the other attendees, too.)

Meg talked about aviation industry executive Olive Ann Beech, cabaret singer Ada “Bricktop” Smith, candy maker Ora Snyder (who had more than 30 Mrs. Snyder’s Home Made Candy shops in Chicagoland), hotelier Maria Ramirez Kramer, and Mildred Johnson who founded an air express package delivery service in the 1920s.

The weather was cooperative on Friday and Saturday. I enjoyed walks at Lyons Woods Forest ...

added by Nann 1 week, 2 days ago. under batik quilt , cwrsrp , monday musings , mug rugs , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

Picking Up Pieces ~ Sew & Tell - 3/23/2026 from Melva Loves Scraps

Mother Nature seems to have lost her temper... or mind... or is drunk... off her meds??? Something! At the beginning of this week, we saw a low of 7 degrees, and we saw a high in the low 90s by the weekend. It is dry, dry, dry! The humidity levels in Southern CO are in the single digits. Fires are popping up in the region and evacuation orders have been issued for at least 1 area. Pray for rain! Dave and I have not only prayed for rain, I did the quilter's rain dance by pulling out a pretty ...

added by Melva 1 week, 3 days ago. under sew and tell

Sew & Tell - 3/16/2026 from Melva Loves Scraps

I saw that Alycia was doing the quilter's rain dance the other day... she swapped out the Christmas quilt for a Spring quilt and washed her car as an extra insurance that it would indeed rain.

Here in southern Colorado, we are so very dry. The fire danger is already high, and the spring winds are making it worse. Nebraska has numerous fires they have been dealing with...

So... I decided to join her in the Quilter's Rain Dance. I changed the red and white vintage quilt on the guest bed to a very spring-like vintage pink Irish ...

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

Sneak Peak of Quilt in Color Fabric Line from Riley Blake from Christa Quilts

I’m so excited about my debut fabric line with Riley Blake called Quilt in Color. Now you may be wondering why I switched fabric companies? Simply put, it was time for me to stretch my wings and grow. In all of my previous 10 fabric collections, I had help with the technical aspects of design. But this one is ALL me and I couldn’t be more proud! Take a look at the color cards below:

What do you think? I poured my heart and soul into this collection. It includes 21 colorful prints + 3 machine quilting practice panels ...

added by Christa 2 weeks, 5 days ago. under fabric , machine quilting , riley blake designs , sew and tell (Comments)

Weekly update: quiet weekend, RSC, batik blocks from With Strings Attached

I had a meeting Friday morning (good to get out and be sociable) and the rest of the weekend I was at home with just a couple of errands. We're on the southern edge of the huge storm with only 4" of snow. We're under a blizzard warning because it's quite windy. I cancelled an appointment this morning and plan to stay in today. Sewing and reading and, just maybe, catching up on a few no-time-pressure tasks.

# # # # #

In the studio: I made red "coin" panels for this year's RSC project. The pattern (shown in the photo ...

added by Nann 2 weeks, 5 days ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , rsc 2026 , sew and tell , weekly update

Studio Hostage ~ Sew & Tell - 3/9/2026 from Melva Loves Scraps

Spring has begun to spring! Though it is very early, and we will likely still see another snowstorm or two... the tulips and hyacinths are poking their little noses out of the ground. Our irises are turning green with new growth, as are the day lilies.

It is evident that the ground that has been dormant is waking up and releasing pollen... it happens every year... my allergies have made me miserable. I've muddled through so far with no infection settling in and no horrible coughing spells. Whew! It does help that I don't feel a bit of ...

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

Weekly update: celebrations, a binding resolution, and remembering from With Strings Attached

The Lake County Women's Coalition annual Women's History Month luncheon was on Saturday. Each LCWC member organization nominates an honoree who exemplifies the year's theme.

I'm on the LCWC steering committee as the rep for the Zion Woman's Club but I am also a member of AAUW. AAUW's honoree was Nan Buckart (bio on left) who was director of education for the Lake County Forest Preserves. ZWC's honoree was Wendy Driver (bio on right) whose many interests in community activism include gardening (seed-saving, monarchs, zinnias, and more).

Top: the ZWC contingent.

Kim Sigafuss ...

added by Nann 3 weeks, 5 days ago. under design wall monday , lake county women's coalition , monday musings , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

That's A Wrap ~ Sew & Tell - March 2, 2026 from Melva Loves Scraps

Another month gone. Poof!

added by Melva 4 weeks, 1 day ago. under bookish journal , sew and tell

March 3, 2026

Weekly update: SAHRR and another finish, stash report, goals + reading from With Strings Attached

It was a puttering-around kind of weekend. Too chilly to go for a walk, no major errands to run, nothing much that needed attention. So I sewed!

The Stay at Home Round Robin is quilted and bound. Hooray!

The back uses two book-related fabrics.

I made the courthouse steps flimsy in 2023. Barb quilted it in an overall Baptist fan. I bound it last evening. It's 72 x 84.

I've scheduled a quilt a month with Barb. Whether I take something from the box of flimsies or create something new will depend on the month.

STASH REPORT, February ...

added by Nann 1 month ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , sahrr 2026 , sew and tell , stash report , weekly update

March 1, 2026

This, That & the Other ~ Sew & Tell - 2/23/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back! I say that to my readers and participants of the Sew & Tell party, but also to Dave, the mighty ~~hunter~~ camper, has returned and I am so happy.

added by Melva 1 month ago. under bookish journal , sew and tell

February 24, 2026

Weekly update: placemat delivery + MQG swap reveal + a flimsy and a finish from With Strings Attached

My trip to New Zealand was wonderful! You can read all about it in the post right before this one.

It didn't take long to recover from jet lag but I caught a cold on the way home (15 hours on three airplane flights means a lot of exposure). I can finally be more than a foot away from a box of Kleenex.

When I left the amaryllis had one bud. I took it next door to Mike and Jen who watched the house for me. It liked its vacation home! Four blossoms.

Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning were ...

added by Nann 1 month, 1 week ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , mqg swap , sew and tell , weekly update

February 18, 2026

Books, Vintage Linens & Sew & Tell - 2/16/2026 from Melva Loves Scraps

The house is quiet... after the frenzy of Dave preparing to leave on a ~~hunting~~ camping trip with three other guys. Preparation for a trip can be busy, and he gets a little overwhelmed with trying to focus on what needs to be done and what he would rather be doing. We both suffer from that syndrome. LOL! Technically it is a hunting trip. He paid for a license and is taking all that he needs to take along.

I, admittedly, was a little disappointed that he left with the camper without me. He did politely invite me, saying I ...

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

February 12, 2026

Bookish Journal - Chapter 2 ~ Sew & Tell - 2/9/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back! I've been busily and happily content in the studio lately. I've been playing in my scrap bins making RSC blocks - blues and greens so far...

I've also been re-writing and re-testing a few block patterns for the Little House Sampler Quilter Sew Along... All as I listen to audio books.

BTW, if you missed it, the first LH Sampler block pattern has been released! You can find it here. NOTE:: There has been a correction made to the log cabin frame pattern. I think I notified everyone that had downloaded the original (incorrect) pattern. The ...

added by Melva 1 month, 3 weeks ago. under bookish journal , sew and tell

February 5, 2026

January Review ~ Sew & Tell - 2/2/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

The first chapter of 2026 is complete, and we are beginning the new chapter we call February. It is the shortest chapter of the year... though, sometimes, it can feel like the longest.

I'll be reviewing all that I did during the writing of that first chapter. But first, let's take a look at the featured quilter from last week's party. You all kept me really hopping all week! There were 32 links shared! I think this was the largest party I've hosted. Thanks! I am thrilled (and honored) that so many of you are willing ...

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

January 28, 2026

Cold Weather Sewing ~ Sew & Tell - 1/26/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to the deep freeze version of Sew & Tell. I've heard that something like 75% (it may have been 90%) of the United States is below normal temps. I also heard that in the wee hours of Friday morning our region (Southeastern Colorado) entered into a predicted 90 hours of below freezing temperatures.

added by Melva 2 months ago. under bookish journal , rainbow scrap challenge , sew and tell

January 26, 2026

Weekly update: SAHRR, the answer is 42, scrappy souvenirs + reading from With Strings Attached

Brrrrrrr! I hope you are keeping warm during this storm. I've been mostly indoors since Friday. I went to two memorial visitations on Saturday (the son of a Rotary friend in the morning and a quilting friend in the afternoon) though I didn't stay for the funeral services. I overrode the thermostat so the heat stays at daytime temperature overnight. Otherwise it would take all morning to warm up. Snowfall was about 2", no wind.

wrapped up in the Magpies' quilt with another quilt at my back

I appreciate all the people who braved the cold, wherever they ...

added by Nann 2 months, 1 week ago. under monday musings , oh scrap! , reading , sahrr 2026 , sew and tell , weekly update

January 23, 2026

Vintage Roses ~ Sew & Tell - 1/19/26 from Melva Loves Scraps

Let's jump right into Sew & Tell Time! This week's feature is from Gwyned's Life of an Artist and her first entry to the 2026 Project Quilting challenge. here's her description of the challenge... in a nutshell.

"It takes place over 12 weeks and not the more typical 12 months. Second the turnaround time from the announcement of the challenge to the finish line is exactly one week. It starts with a challenge posted on Sunday. Then it is up to the individual to interpret the challenge, make something stitched and layered, finish it and post either ...

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

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