Response to Melva--Top Notch

Playing with a shape & filling it with stitches

Melva, at Melva Loves Scraps, posted last week about being a top notch blogger. Her blog was voted #81 in the top 100 blogs! She said she was sent a few questions and asked to answer them as if in an interview. 

Then she asked if anyone wanted to play along. I thought, why not? So I jumped in to participate. Melva sent me five questions to answer and to share in a biog post. Her questions are in bold.

*Have you had any major quilting/sewing successes that you’d like to share with us? (Please toot your own horn!)

Not really. 

More shapes and filler stitches

I once won first place in small quilts when the Machine Quilters Exposition show was held in Portland, Oregon. For the last couple of years, I've stitched and awarded a Quilt of Valor to a veteran. Each presentation has warmed my heart. 

What brings me the most joy is being part of small quilting groups where there is laughter, sharing 

Detail of the filler stitches in the border

and even some quilting! I've made dear friends, picked up  great tips on subjects other than quilting and have been helped when a project has stymied me!

 *Are/were you influenced by family members to get into quilting and have you passed on the love to the next generation?  

Detail of center filler stitches

No to the first question. I've tried regarding the second question.

My great grandmother (my granddad's mom on my mom's side) made at least one quilt. I know because I have a quilt that her sewing circle gifted her Dresden plate blocks when she moved from Kansas to Oregon in the 1930s. I do have a hexagon project she started and hand pieced a number of blocks which I haven't looked at in years.

Detail of one of the motifs

Another great grandmother (my grandma's mom on my mom's side) didn't sew; but she did have someone make quilts for her great grandkids. I wore out a Sunbonnet Sue that she had gifted me. I also have a quilt her family made her when she left Nebraska to live in Idaho in the 1930's.

View of another motif against the ray background

A third great grandmother (my granddad's mom on my dad's side) did quilt; but I don't remember seeing quilts when I visited. In a crazy set of circumstances, I have a grandmother's flower garden top that she pieced which came to me through my mother in law! One of these days, I look forward to finishing it!

I didn't see quilts being made when I was growing up. When I was about 12 my mom quilted a comforter for my bed. 

I enjoyed quilts; but I wasn't drawn to making one until 1980 when I made one for our bed because I was freezing! In 1982, I made a quilt for my brother as a wedding gift. Then, I was hooked! 

Back of Quilt

While I have certainly tried to infect my daughters and granddaughters with the quilt pox, I haven't been successful.  . .yet. Perhaps, the virus is latent and will show up later in their lives. Our youngest daughter made one quilt when she was 10 years old.

After our oldest daughter married, she made at least two quilts which she gifted as baby quilts. The two older granddaughters, aged 11 and 13, have each made two quilts. I still have a chance with our youngest granddaughter who is three!

Front view

I've also taught free motion quilting numerous times to members of my quilt guild and English paper piecing to members in another guild. I even lectured about how to be inspired when faced with a challenge of creating a quilt after reading a book! Through those experiences, I hope that I was able to spur the love of machine quilting, handwork and/or design to at least one person!

 

*How do you learn best? Reading/Lessons, watching, a mentor…..

Being able to take a class, try the technique, receive feedback, try the technique again and teach it to someone.

 

*Early Bird or Night Owl?

Definitely, Early Bird!

Growing up on a farm/ranch meant we were up before dawn to do chores. During the day, there was always plenty of work which we did until it was dark. Life was never boring even though we had some similar routines. We were too tired to have sleepless nights! It's been almost 50 years since I lived full time on the farm. The early to rise and early to retire routine, however, continues.

 

2022 and 2023 Temperature quilt

*What quilt are you most proud of? Why?

I'm most proud of my "Bursting with Joy" quilt. I planned to gift it to my first grandchild. I stitched it to capture the joy I felt when I learned I was going to be a grandmother. I made up free motion filler stitches which stretched my comfort zone and got me into a whole new box! To achieve the electric neon color, I used neon threads and stitched over the design as many as four times. It is about 41 inches square and all but the last photo are of that quilt that I made in 2012.

The quilt, however, wasn't what my daughter wanted. It was a whole cloth quilt with bright colored quilting stitches on a black background. I've kept it and have enjoyed hanging it a month or two during the year. That oldest granddaughter is now 13! Someday, she will get that quilt. 

What's next?

Now, I'm nominating Alycia at Quilty Girl and Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué to play along. I'll e-mail them some questions and we will get to review their answers in one of their posts. They will also each nominate two to three bloggers to play too. 

Just like the chain letter from the past, maybe it will work and maybe it won't. Whatever we get will be great! I have no doubt that we will uncover an emerging top notch blogger in the process! Thank you, Melva for getting me out of my comfort zone!

To stay on track with my monthly goals, I did layer and pin baste my two year Temperature quilt 2022 and 2023. it was goal number nine on my September list. Linking to Finished or Not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts; Oh Scrap; Sew and Tell!

London Through the Eyes on an 11 Year Old--post 5

View of one wall of the coffee shop

One place J wanted to visit was a particular coffee shop. At 11, she doesn't like the taste of coffee; but, this shop makes great dairy free smoothies. That was not the reason that she wanted to go there. She wanted to go because she wanted to see for herself what the hype was all about.

More eclectic trinkets

The shop is Fuckoffe. It is pronounced Fu coffee. The link will tell you about the origins of the shop. My family has laughed because there was a time that my drink of choice there was a smoothie with banana, non dairy milk and coffee. It had a name that I could not say. I rarely swear and if I do, I don't use the F word. I've noticed Londonners seem to use that word or some derivative of it it  often in a conversation. 

Example of the souvenir shirt

My daughter, who has no issues with that word, would order for me. If I went to the shop on my own, I would point to the item and say that I'd like that option with oat milk. The barista would say. . ."Oh, one MotherF* with oat milk coming up!" Even that would make me blush. This blushing action delighted the members of my party.

J with her berry smoothie

Now, my drink of choice is an iced Americano with oat milk. There is no need to utter a profanity! J ordered a berry smoothie which she enjoyed. She did purchase a shirt. 

The other activity that J enjoyed was seeing a performance of Wicked put on through the London Theater. She and her auntie attended the event. She convinced her auntie to purchase a souvenir sweatshirt for her from the event. All in all, London was a great place to vacation!

Next week, I'll share a couple of highlights of our trip to Paris. That will be my last travel post!

Recap August and September 2025 Goals

Where did August go? I can't believe it is time to recap what I did and what I plan to do in September!

Sweet Tooth Label

My Annual Goals are:

✒1. Have a net loss of 100 yards of fabric from my stash.

✒2. Finish six UFOs

✔ a. Temperature 2021--pin basted and ditched quilted started in January;  progress made in February. Almost finished the quilting in March. Completed the project in April. Hooray!!!! 

b. Temperature 2022-2023

✒c. Martha's House blocks--purchased backing in May; determined a quilting design in August;

Binding Sweet Tooth

✒d. Positively Grows--pin basted in February; started ditch quilting in July, finished in August. Yay! It will get the check mark after I document the finish next month!

✔e. Maze top--purchased backing in May; longarmer quilted and I added the binding, sleeve and label in June!

f. Butterfly number four 

Fabric Summary:

Fabric in this month:  6 yards   

Fabric in year to date: 64 3/4 yards

Fabric used from stash this month:  0 yards 

Fabric used from stash year to date: 83 yards

Net loss/gain this month:  6 yards

Net loss/gain year to date: -18.25 yards  

I did finish two projects this month. Next month, I'll document those finishes and update this information.

More string blocks made for Grassy Creek

Books:

My favorite listen of the month was: In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar. Who knew that foreign diplomats at the beginning of WWII were housed in an inn?  My favorite read of the month was: The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods. Likely being in Paris when I read this book had an impact on my decision! 

Quilting progress on Stitch By Stitch

My August goals were:

✒1. Share my progress with the Triple Treat Leader Ender project. (Post is written.)

✔2. Make the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.

✔3. Sew more 2025 Temperature quilt blocks. (I added another row to the project.)

✔4. Make progress on Grassy Creek.

✒5. Document gifting a quilt to my niece for her wedding.(Post is written.)

✔6. Begin documenting my trip to London, England. post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4

✔7. Document Rita's Rhododendron Trail becoming a top.

✔8. Bind and label Sweet Tooth.

✔9. Make progress on Stitch By Stitch.

✔10. Document one QoV presentation.

✔11. Make progress quilting Grow.

Another section of Stitch by Stitch quilted

All in all and considering I was out of the country for a week, it was a good month for progress! Making the QoV presentation was my highlight of the month! Alycia at Finished Friday or Not linked my QoV post in her Friday blog post! What a surprise and what an honor! Thank you Alycia!

My September goals are:

Progress on 2025 Temperature quilt

1. Document the finish of Sweet Tooth.

2. Document the finish of Grow.

3. Document the quilt that I gave my niece for her wedding in July.

4. Share my progress with the Triple Treat Leader Ender Project.

5. Continue documenting my recent trip to London, England and Paris, France.

6. Make progress on Grassy Creek.

7. Makc the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.

8. Make more 2025 Temperature Quilt blocks.

9. Layer and baste Temperature Quilt 2022-2023

10. Document the blocks I made during the July virtual retreat and the prize I won.

11. Make more progress on Stitch By Stitch.

12, Schedule a QoV presentation.

More stitching is in my future that is for sure! Linking to: Finished or Not Friday, Pathwork and Quilts, Oh Scrap and Show and Tell!

London Through the Eyes of An 11 Year Old--post 4

Arrival at restaurant 

J's Auntie, N, made lunch reservations at Héléne Darroze at the Connaught. It is a three star Michelin restaurant. J was extra excited about the opportunity to eat a fancy lunch. J is open to trying new foods; but, she has an intolerance to dairy which the staff accommodated.

Special purse for a special lunch

To ensure that J had great accessories, N lent J a special bag for the lunch. N made the reservation in J's name so J would have the opportunity to interact more with the staff. We shared the occasion was for her birthday and that J is an aspiring cook, she would like to see the kitchen if that could be possible.

Special appetizers

N supports women owned businesses and women in the workplace. She has experienced more than her share of male dominance in the workplace. She positions herself to encourage women to excel in their areas of expertise and to keep reaching for their goals. She shares this passion with her nieces too!

J's Wagyu beef

When we arrived, J walked up to the reservation desk and let them know that she and her party were here for lunch! 

Dessert

She enjoyed the lunch. She did get a special birthday dessert in addition to the lunch dessert. I didn't snap a photo of it though!

Chocolate thank you bites 

We all received a round of chocolate at the end of the meal. We also received a small sesame like cookie.

Us at the end of lunch

Our waiter took a photo of us at the table.

J with her mounted photo

Then, J was given the photo mounted on card stock and in an envelope. It was a perfect memento.

J with her chef hat in the chef's kitchen

She also was treated to a trip to the kitchen. We were allowed a few minutes to watch the staff prepare the dishes as well as watch how the chef interacted with everyone while ensuring each dish left the kitchen perfectly. Our guide took a photo of us. The hostess gifted J with her own chef's hat.

The last bite of lunch

As we were leaving, we were gifted with a sweet "bite" to enjoy at home. It was a great way to spend the afternoon,

Aqua--Rainbow Scrap Challenge Blocks 2025

 

Starting the process

Whew! I BARELY completed goal number two on my August list which was to make the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for the month. This month, we worked with Aqua. We have two more months to make blocks. Because we are nearing the end of the year, I cut the remaining background pieces so piecing the next blocks will go a bit quicker. 

Finished blocks

Then I stitched the blocks. Finished is great! Linking with Finished or Not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts, Scrap Happy, Oh Scrap and Show and Tell.

London Through the Eyes of an 11 Year Old--post 3

 

Our tour guide

On J's list of must see was touring the Tower of London. We started with a tour from a Beefeater. These men and woman share interesting stories about the buildings and people who lived and died there. Our guide had served 26 years in the Navy and was the number 420th Beefeater. There isn't a lot of turnover in that position!

J listening to the guide

The tale the tour guide wove kept J's attention. We walked to various spots on the grounds to listen to the guide. It was 45 minutes well spent and included in the ticket price.

Reading about the White Tower

She saw the White Tower. She was impressed with the armaments for people and for the horses. 

J in front of the Bell Tower

I took a photo of her in front of the Bell Tower. 

Taking photos

She took photos of places that interested her. Often, she scouted way ahead of me!

In the queue for the Crown Jewels

She most wanted to see the Crown Jewels so of course we checked those out. She was surprised that there were so many crowns.

J with Amanda Clark

As we walked the grounds, we happened to see a woman Beefeater. There have been three in the history. This is Amanda J Clark. When I asked if I could snap a photo of her with J, she said yes!

Quilt of Valor Presentation #2

Dick's grandsons, son-in-law and friend enjoying the treats

Last Saturday, I was honored to award my friend, Dick with his Quilt of Valor. At 90, Dick will tell you that his short term memory is suspect. His long term memory is great. When I talked about his service, he started telling us about his family and their service tours. 

The jest of the conversation was that every one of his family members were flown somewhere; but, not him and he was in the Air Force! He said when he received his orders to go to Japan, he thought it would be via plane. Nope! He was transported by sea in a ship! He chuckled! We laughed!

The youngest grandson finishing the "wrap"

A friend from his previous neighborhood, his daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons, a couple from the complex where he now lives with his wife were physically present. His daughter who lives in Virginia along with his granddaughter were present via FaceTime. His wife, Gail, had put together a spread of pastries, fruit with coffee and tea.

Dick, me and Gail sharing a moment

His grandsons showed the quilt back as I talked and at the appropriate time, they shared the front. Then they wrapped their granddad in it. Lots of photos and videos were taken. He stayed wrapped up in his quilt for about half an hour. When we asked him if he was getting too warm, he said he was just right!

Dick decided he wanted to look at his 
quilt on the wall for awhile

This is a Stars Like Spaghetti pattern that Alycia at Quilty Girl offered in a sew along. The link to the post about its finish is here. It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning! 

Quilt of Valor label

Special thanks goes to Lori Coffin, Vancouver area contact and Cindy Hoover, Washington State Coordinator who helped me receive the quilt label to attach to his quilt. Documenting this presentation was goal number 10 on my August list.

Surprise bouquet

Monday afternoon, my husband answered the door to a delivery person with a bouquet of flowers for me! Gail had sent the flowers to thank me for the presentation. Honestly, I had received a notification for the flower delivery and because I hadn't ordered any, I thought it was a spam text! What a surprise! I let Gail know that her gesture was appreciated; but totally unnecessary!

Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts and Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell!

London through the eyes of an 11 year old--post 2

J requested a boat tour on the Thames. She reasoned that listening to stories would be more entertaining that racing down the river in speed boat or taking a dignified city cruise or riding in the water public transport. She was right!

J in front of the fountain near our pick up point

J enjoyed the Terrible Thames boat tour. Over the years that I've visited, I've heard the music on this tour as the boat travels within site of my daughter's flat. We didn't have far to go to arrive at the meeting point. We only had to walk across Tower bridge and then down to the dock.

J enjoying the tour

The tour was 45 minutes and perfect for kids/families. J enjoyed learning a little about the history of some of the bridges and buildings along the route.