sew and tell

Fractured Emeralds Finish ~ Sew & Tell - May 19, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and this week's installation of Sew & Tell! I don't have much to share in progress or completion of quilts...

You see, I was knocked flat on my rumpuss with allergies. Not just a day or two... Nooooo. Four days! I had been doing SO well! In fact, I had spent time outside on Saturday AND Sunday planting flower seeds and actually enjoying easy weeding since the ground had been well saturated after several days of rain.

I don't do much gardening, but I planted flower mats I purchased to support my ...

added by Melva 1 day, 4 hours ago. under rainbow scrap challenge , sew and tell

Mother's Day & Rambles - Sew & Tell ~ May 12, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

Last week I dove off into a pity pool created by my tears and emotions... Sorry! I'll share why... hopefully just a short synopsis.

The heart of the idea of Mother's Day is sweet, but it has never been a favorite of Hallmark holidays for me. When the girls were young and Dave worked weekends, the Mother's Day weekend drug on... and on... and on. Sundays tended to be rough days for me at home anyway... and then throw into the mix a day when (it seemed) ALL the other Moms were being showered with love and ...

added by Melva 3 days, 7 hours ago. under rainbow scrap challenge , sew and tell

Weekly update: two finishes + reading from With Strings Attached

Two walks at Illinois Beach State Park this weekend were good for my body and my spirit.

Woodland violet, field horsetail, wild strawberry, hoary puccoon, prickly pear, serviceberry, false Solomon's seal.

If you look at the horizon you can see the Chicago skyline, 40 miles away.

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In the studio: two finishes!

The flimsy was in my post last week. Now it's quilted and bound. One of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects this year is to make a wheelchair-sized quilt (approx. 40 x 50) out of Ohio Stars in the monthly color.

I signed up for the guild mystery ...

added by Nann 1 week ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , mystery quilt , oh scrap! , reading , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , weekly update

May First Finish ~ Sew & Tell - 5/5/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

My plan was to wait for another road trip to finish the hand-quilting on the scrappy teal quilt... It really was.

I tried to switch gears by putting away the red scrap bin. I gathered my assorted green scraps and started in with string-pieced blocks. I got 11 sewn and started to formulate some sort of plan to use them. I tried pairing them with the ~~tropical~~ Hawaiian print blocks that are 21 years old. The stack of them is getting smaller each month. Green is a great color to go with them... however, not string-pieced blocks.

I turned to ...

added by Melva 1 week, 6 days ago. under sew and tell

Weekly update: the sew goes on from With Strings Attached

I continue to thank you all for your kind words and condolences. Quilting is very therapeutic during stressful times. And the endorphin rush from bargain fabric acquisition is not to be discounted. I have recent experience with both.

Chris called to offer me several bags of fabric. I bought a huge quantity from her a couple of years ago. She found more and for payment asked if I would make a quilt for her new great-grandson. Of course!

Her gift included bags of flannel that I have given away. I kept this yardage. The blue, yellow, and pink pieces in ...

added by Nann 2 weeks, 1 day ago. under design wall monday , i spy , monday musings , oh scrap! , omg 2025 , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , stash report , weekly update

Sew & Tell ~ April 28, 2025 - We are family from Melva Loves Scraps

I'm coming to on the road again...

Thursday was a long day of driving... the sunrise was pretty, a gas stop close to lunchtime was near a small museum that had a couple barn quilts, a sod house and two sculptures made of barbed wire. The day was wrapped up with the opportunity to drive through Omaha in a severe thunderstorm with a tornado warning, lightning, thunder and torrential rain! We arrived safely at our hotel in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Friday was a shorter day of driving and much less eventful... dare I say, boring! I had ample time ...

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

Weekly update: Easter and a finish! from With Strings Attached

I hope your Easter weekend was pleasant. In fourth grade we had a unit about weather lore. The one saying I remember is "if it rains on Easter Sunday it will rain every Sunday for the next seven weeks." It rained yesterday. Maybe this year I will remember to keep track. (Now I know that "seven weeks" means until Pentecost.)

I went to church Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. I had lunch with Stevens each day. They put the wheelchair in the hall across from the nurses' station so he can interact with everyone who goes by. He's been cleaning ...

added by Nann 4 weeks, 1 day ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , scrap quilts , sew and tell , weekly update

Sew & Tell ~ Easter - 4/21/25 from Melva Loves Scraps

While we are home, it is Resurrection Sunday... I'll open the party link without much fanfare.

The cross is empty... so is the tomb!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

I'll get back to writing and sharing things of my quilty world soon!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

added by Melva 1 month ago. under sew and tell

Sew & Tell ~ April 14, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

I'm still off galivanting around... we've had a few challenges along the way, but we are still enjoying our time exploring together ❤️

We finally made it to our destination and thought our time was going to be cut short due to a death in the family. Turns out the service will not take place until after Easter. While saddened to hear the news of our brother-in-law's passing, he had fought a long battle with cancer (3 years), and he is now pain free. It is a little unfair that we are left here grieving the absence of ...

added by Melva 1 month ago. under a time for all seasons , sew and tell

Weekly update: bunco, a surprise finish, and reading from With Strings Attached

S is getting more alert. His appetite is good. I will learn more when I meet with the care team this week.

The Zion Woman's Club spring bunco party was Friday evening. Everyone had a good time!

My friend Donna won the quilt I donated to the raffle.

I'm sure the club treasurer will have a glowing report at tomorrow's board meeting.

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Here's the ninth block for the guild BOM.

These are 8" (finished) blocks so the pieces were a bit fiddly to cut.

From "just a few more blocks" (Friday's post) to a finished ...

added by Nann 1 month ago. under black white quilt , design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , reading , sew and tell , zwc

Weekly update: adjusting, and progress on goals + reading from With Strings Attached

Stevens had laprascopic surgery on Friday afternoon. The results were good. "I went from one end of the bowel to the other," said the surgeon when he called me, "and there's nothing there." It's taken S all weekend to recover. He was half-awake when I visited Saturday morning and asleep this afternoon. Thanks again to all of you for your concern and support.

The thirteen Lake County Round Table P.E.O. chapters held the annual Founder's Day luncheon on Saturday. I'm round table president so I was the emcee. This was the second year the ...

added by Nann 1 month, 1 week ago. under design wall monday , oh scrap! , p.e.o. , placemats , reading , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , weekly update

Memories Being Made... Sew & Tell ~ April 7, 2024 from Melva Loves Scraps

We are on the road...

You'll need to party unsupervised. But I know that everyone will mingle nicely while I am otherwise occupied.

Here's a small glimpse into what we have done...

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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

Patchwork of Love Progress~ Sew & Tell - March 31, 2024 from Melva Loves Scraps

We are on the verge of turning the calendar pages to a new month and send March off with its marching orders. Most of us have watched the seasons begin to turn from winter to spring (in the northern hemisphere)... flowers are beginning to stretch their arms up out of the ground, trees are budding (and my allergies are well aware of that!), grass is greening, birds are singing, and the bees are buzzing. Our large maple in our front yard is filled with small buds that the bees LOVE! You can hear them from the front steps!

Yes, spring ...

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

Weekly update: an exhibit, OMG, RSC, reading from With Strings Attached

Thank you all for your supportive comments regarding my husband. The care home assessment was Friday. His condition is beyond what assisted living/memory care can accommodate. For now we are increasing in-home care (two caregivers have been recruited to help with the 6 p.m.-bedtime shift (V comes in the morning)). We have a video visit with his doctor on Tuesday.

I was able to take time Saturday morning to see this exhibit at the Dunn Museum (part of the forest preserve district).

The oldest quilt was made in Pennsylvania in 1850 (large picture on left). It came ...

added by Nann 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under design wall monday , oh scrap! , omg 2025 , sew and tell , weekly update

Patchwork of Love ~ Sew & Tell - March 24, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party. We've have had some new faces/names to the party... Have you noticed? Please be sure you take a little time to visit a few of the links. :) Afterall, this is what makes the party fun! Let's mingle.

Spring is in the air... and so is love! Our niece, Bonnie, was wed last Sunday. Welcome to the family Andrew.

We've only seen a few pictures, but from what we have seen, it was a lovely day and such a special and intimate celebration. I have their ...

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

Weekly update: catching up on this and that from With Strings Attached

Catching up with a longtime friend: Leslye and I have known one another since junior high. We reconnected a few years ago and have had the best intentions to get together -- we live about 25 miles apart. Last week she emailed and wrote, "Let's do it!" and we did. We had lunch at a restaurant here in Zion. Such a delightful time and yes, we will do it again. Soon.

Catching up with walking. Since the caregiver was with Stevens I took advantage of the time and the lovely day to take a quick walk at Spring Bluff Forest ...

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

National Quilting Day & Instagram Quilt Fest ~ Sew & Tell ~ March 17, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

If you happen to follow along on social media, you know that I have been participating in the Instagram quilt fest. Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative Side offers prompts for each day. You can head over there now to see what I shared so far... My celebration of National Quilting Day at the local library was fun. I shared some of the stories of our camping adventures as well as the story of the Bride's Quilt which was the foundation for the Pieces of My Life sew-along. The crowd was very small, but those who attended were interested ...

added by Melva 2 months ago. under sew and tell

Sunflowers & Snow ~ Sew & Tell - March 10, 2025 from Melva Loves Scraps

March is marching on... Mom's surgery went well, and she has been a good patient. She has managed the various drops without problems. Woohoo! She has asked for some help, but even better... several of her neighbors have volunteered and stepped in even without her asking. I love that! There is a 1-week follow up appointment Monday morning, and we anticipate that all bending and lifting restrictions will be lifted.

The sun was bright and beautiful most of the week, but there was wind to contend with. The grasses and weeds started poking their little noses out of the ...

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

Weekly update: signs of spring, quilting accomplishments + reading from With Strings Attached

I set all the clocks ahead just after dinner Saturday. I've finally figured out how to do the clocks in both cars correctly the first try.

Two beautiful days this weekend got us out for a walk at the state park and a nearby forest preserve.

The dogwood is really red.

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This is my version of Transport, the Running Doe top-along pattern for March.

A closeup of the gray-with-dots background.

I made eight 9-patch blocks in yellow for the March Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I have a pattern that will use eight 9ps in each color.

I made four yellow ...

added by Nann 2 months, 1 week ago. under design wall monday , neckties , oh scrap! , reading , rsc 2025 , sew and tell , top-along

Sew & Tell ~ March 3, 2025 - Jumping into March from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome to March! And welcome to Melva Loves Scraps - home of the weekly Sew & Tell party where you can share the progress of your projects.

As I turned the calendar page from February to March, I have to admit that I am not sorry to see the shortest month move on. It was a challenging month for me personally and I have a new hope for March. I have a horrible case of spring fever! I was able to hold it at bay for a short time as we finished the camper reno, knowing that it was not in any ...

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

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