ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC26 - Week 21

Welcome to Week 21 of the 2026 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week is going to be another full one.  Errands, classes, and meetings are scheduled.  The question is...  Will there be time remaining for ORANGE scrap sewing???

Let's have a look...

SUNDAY - Britt and I enjoyed a brief chat while waiting for others to join our Weekly Morning Art Zoom:

During the meeting, I worked on completing my UNFURL spread begun during yesterday's Get Messy birthday party:

MONDAY - Library Crawl at Get Messy today began with today's DIFFUSE prompt video and here is the resulting journal page made by layering a variety of tissue papers onto the page:

Later...

I met up with my Scrap Club friends for our Monthly Sit and Sew Zoom session with Lisa.  I shared my latest UFO finish and worked on the TRANSPARENCY prompt using a couple of ORANGE paper scraps:

When that was done, I switched over to my Weekly Zoom Call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

Later, I was supposed to travel to Chapel Hill for this month's Quilt Guild meeting, but opted to stay home.  Tonight was the annual Silent Auction and I have absolutely NO business buying MORE fabric!

TUESDAY - Tidy Up Tuesday

I did a BIG declutter while waiting for time to go to Tuesday Explorers on Get Messy.  Follow the link above to see what I gathered and took out to my car for distribution.  Here's what I accomplished during art time.  I altered a magazine image for today's DOORWAY prompt for Messy May:

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

During Midweek Meetup, I worked on my background for the INTENTION prompt for Messy May:

Soon enough, it was time for my Joyful Art Zoom with Belinda:

Today's inspiration photo was this jar of Bird Cherry flowers painted by Swedish artist Eva-Lena @sommarigen on Instagram...

Which resulted in this drawing, now waiting for a splash of paint:

We disagreed whether the ink or paint was done first, but the artist confirmed it was the ink in response to that very question.  I'm pleased to say that means I interpreted the scene properly.

THURSDAY - Weekly Quilt Group met at Gayle's today.  I brought Tuesday's declutter haul to share with my quilting friends who will use the bulk of it for making donation quilts:

After the meeting, Britt and I went on an adventure.  The first stop was Chicken Salad Chick in Greensboro for lunch...

And then we were off for a different kind of ARTventure.  Our destination was Reconsidered Goods, where we saw the following art vending machine:

Of course, we found a few items to bring home:

With that out of the way, we went off on a shoe shopping adventure.  New sneakers and a new pair of summer sandals were my goal.  I'm happy to report a successful mission.  :o))

FRIDAY - Knit Group was cancelled so Stacy and I met for coffee, but I forgot to get a picture.  :o((

When it was time for errands, we packed away our knitting and said goodbye.  I has a series of stops to make.  Since I added a few extra, I completely missed Get Messy's Friday Friends Open Studio.  :o((

Later, once dinner was done, I headed upstairs to visit with my Weekly Evening Art Zoom friends, but Britt and I were the only ones there for a bit:

As I stitched the torn bit on my MEND page for Messy May, I tipped my water cup and spilled half of it on the table.  Applying the free-cut masking tape letters for the title had to wait until the mess was cleaned up and my wet jeans were changed:

I also added a lace handkerchief tuck spot to my FRAGILE prompt spread:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you have a chance to visit Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.

To answer the question at the beginning of this post...

NO!!

The extent of my ORANGE scrappiness was to add the (previously made) color-appropriate quilts to the gallery wire, in time to enjoy it for a week or two before a new color comes onto the RSC scene.  You saw the first half at the top of the post, but here is the second half:

This morning, I completed the INTENTIONS prompt by adding the quote that Sarah @juicy.s.art used in her video for Day 20 of Messy May:

As I was writing this entry, I was briefly interrupted by a knock at the backdoor:

The visitor kindly flew away so that I could release today's post.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

Wonderful Wednesday - Rainbow Plus Revisited - Another Spring 2026 (Ravelry) UFO Club Finish

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to share my 2nd UFO finish of the Spring 2026 UFO Club. This little quilt has been on and off my list for a year and a half.  It was a hope and a dream for WAY longer than that!

As with all of the projects I've completed in 2026...

This quilt was one of 12 quilt projects in the running for finishing as a result of my Quilt Bee's UFO Challenge.  Each month, a long-neglected project hopes for its number to be called so that it might have a better chance at becoming a completed quilt.

What's the story on this one, Joyful???

This particular project came about back in December of 2024 during my self-proclaimed RAINBOW prompt for the participants of my TABLE SCRAPS Challenge.  The original was a gift for a fellow blogger, but I wanted to have one of these little cuties for my very own.

6. TSC Rainbow Plus Quilt (2024)

This project was started to recreate the following rainbow project:

As some projects do...

This one sat and sat (and sat) waiting for some attention.  When its number was called for the NT UFO Challenge that my Bee is doing this year, progress was made and once I made this small PINK block last month...

I couldn't resist the stitching up the other three blocks:

The next day I assembled the borders and layering the quilt top on a scrap of batting and backing:

Again, the project sat...

My focus was on completing Blue and Green for Parrish.  I needed a break when that was done.  Then the month of May arrived with another bugger of a project assigned for the UFO Challenge.

What's a quilter to do???

I reverted my attention back to the easy win, that's what!  Once quilted, I chose a range of gray scrap strips to consider for the binding:

Survey says...

None of the above!

Then...

The choices were expanded to include these two solid scraps leftover from my last UFO finish:

But I still couldn't decide, so after a Quilt-by-Committee consult...

Here is the final selection on the completed quilt which will be added to my personal quilt collection:

Thanks for providing input on the binding option, Britt, and for pulling this project's number last month... Even if I didn't end out completing it during the month of April.  Our Bee's UFO Challenge has worked wonders for clearing projects from my list!

Did YOU spot the changes???

The eagle-eyed among readers may have notice a complete change in the squares shown at the beginning of the post to those at the end.

Here's what happened...

I checked with Chantal @ At the Corner of Scraps and Quilts regarding the size of the original quilt from the swap we did years ago.  The scraps shown at the top of this post were an inch bigger than the ones I used for her little quilt.

That left me with two choices...

1. Create a larger remake than the original.

2. Cut smaller squares.

I chose option two.  The squares from 2024 will be used to create a third iteration of the design.  I'm hoping to finish it in time to donate to our Guild's Silent Auction to raise funds for the local Food Bank at our upcoming Quilt Show to be held in Mebane, NC on September 25 - 27, 2026.

Until next time...

Mark another UFO off the List!!!

Tidy Up Tuesday - The 100 Day Project - Week 12

Welcome to Week 12 of the 2026 edition of #100Days100ThingsDecluttered mini-series here at The Joyful Quilter!!  As you may know, I've been participating in The 100 Day Project again this year.  It's particularly popular on Instagram.  I was originally hesitant to participate, but I've made good progress these last two years.  I have released weekly updates on Tidy Up Tuesday for those who might be interested in seeing what gets decluttered.   

What did you say your project was, again, Joyful???

I signed up with a different idea in mind than most.  You can read about it HERE.  That link will tell you all about my project.

The gist of my focus...

Lightening the load in my home and studio in an effort to free up space for MORE creativity.

The quest continues...

As I approach the end of the project, my updated goal of 200 items out the door is in sight.  I'm pushing to declutter more items from my home and studio, but time is running out.  Only ONE WEEK remains.  There is still SEW much more that can go!  Did I hit the 200 mark this week?

Take a look at my progress for Week Twelve:

I hoped that it would be significant, but there are a number of activities pulling my attention in other directions and organizing my closet doesn't count toward my totals when nothing left the house.  Today, I gave myself a good talking to and decided to go through my stash.

FINALLY!!!  Some progress in the studio...

34 Yds. fabric

58 FQs

61 Qtr. Yd. cuts of fabric

5 pc. non-quilting fabric

1 small bags of misc. scraps

Week 12 Total: 159/100

Updated 100 Day Project Total for Week 12:  320/100

Thank you to those of you who take the time to encourage me in my decluttering efforts as I continue this challenge!  I appreciate those of you who have joined me in my quest.  

Deb @ Happy to be Scrappy commented the following after Week 11's post:

You are doing great! Clothes are a tough one for me too... but 2 went into the trash this week as I noticed a big stain on each when I put them on! Does that count? I really need to declutter but get overwhelmed easily. Maybe I'll do one drawer a day for a week and see what happens. Thanks for the inspiration.

I responded with the following:

Thanks, Deb, and kudos on parting with those stained shirts! Depending on the decluttering method you use, overwhelm can be a BIG issue. Narrowing in on one drawer per day may be just the ticket you need for a pain-free experience. If that doesn't work, try simply noticing a few items that you can add to the declutter box as you move through your home. That method often works to get me going.

@dothe100dayproject

#The100DayProject

#DoThe100DayProject

#100Days100Things_TheDeclutterEdition

#100Days100ThingsDecluttered

#filltheboxjoy

Come back next week to see what goes in the box during the next 7 days.  You can also follow me on Instagram @thejoyfulquilter, if you are there more often than in BlogLand.

Until next time...

Do the 100 Day Project!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC26 - Week 20

Welcome to Week 20 of the 2026 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week is going to be a full one.  Appointments, classes, and meetings are scheduled.  The question is...  Will there be time remaining for ORANGE scrap sewing???

Let's have a look...

SUNDAY - During my Weekly Morning Art Zoom, I made a start on the ENERGISE prompt for Messy May.  What's more energizing than bright yellow with ORANGE dots?

This afternoon I enjoyed a Zoom call with Knittingsuek...

And caught up on the EMERGENCE prompt from artist Sarah Rondon.  I opted to try the technique she demonstrated in her video:

MONDAY - Library Crawl at Get Messy today began with Meghann Earley's CLARITY prompt video and here is the journal spread I put together using Contact Paper image transfers using magazine images:

Boring stuff that everyone does, but nobody wants to hear about, but this afternoon, my Weekly Zoom Call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

TUESDAY - Tidy Up Tuesday

Errands and an appointment this afternoon threw off my entire day, but I did some knitting:

WEDNESDAY - During Midweek Meetup, I worked on the RE-ENVISION prompt from Amanda Trought.  Since I don't have many pieces of stand alone art and I don't really want to dismantle any of my art journals, I used my "expanding-a-scene" technique by selecting an image of a painting found in a magazine advertisement for Cindy Shaw Fine Art...

In between the layers of this fun "alien landscape" for the TERRAIN prompt from Amanda Hawkins for Messy May taking inspiration from a few of her works of art:

THURSDAY - Weekly Quilt Group met at Dee Dee's today.  I'll share my completed scrap project next week.  After the meeting, Britt and I had lunch before transitioning to art mode:

What did you make with all the colors you mixed, Joyful???

I was feeling a seascape vibe with all the blues and greens we mixed this afternoon:

FRIDAY - Knit Group was a quiet affair today with just three of us in attendance:

After a stop at the grocery store and quick lunch, I headed up to Get Messy's Friday Friends Open Studio where I collaged on a focal image to tone down a page in my Ledger Journal:

Later, I enjoyed visiting with my Weekly Evening Art Zoom friends while complaining the whole time about how much I really DO NOT like fussy cutting.  The collaged floral arrangement calmed the busy "wallpaper" created a couple weeks ago at Britt's house:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you have a chance to visit Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.  I'll try to catch up with everyone a little later.  I'm off to a (virtual) party.

Here's the page I made during the event:

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

The 100 Day Project - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered - Week 11

Welcome to Week 11 of the 2026 edition of #100Days100ThingsDecluttered mini-series here at The Joyful Quilter!!  I'm participating in The 100 Day Project again this year.  It's particularly popular on Instagram.  I was originally hesitant to participate, but I've made good progress these last two years.  I'm releasing weekly updates on Tidy Up Tuesday for those who might be interested in seeing what goes out the door.

What did you say your project was, again, Joyful???

I signed up with a different idea in mind than most.  You can read about it HERE.  That link will tell you all about my project.

The gist of my focus...

Decluttering my home and studio in an effort to free up space for MORE creativity.

The quest continues...

As I approach my updated goal of 200 items out the door, I pushed to declutter more items from my home and studio.  I will continue to do so through the entirety of the 100 Day Project.  There is still SEW much more that can go!  Did I hit the 200 mark this week?

Take a look at my progress for Week Eleven:

On TidyUp Tuesday this week I had errands, an appointment, a meeting and completely forgot that I needed to release this post.  Sorry about that!  There's not much to miss.

Here are the (few)  items that left the house...

1 shirt

1 art book

1 handkerchief

1 pen

1 swag bag

Week 11 Total: 5/100

Updated 100 Day Project Total for Week 11:  161/100

Thank you to those of you who take the time to encourage me in my decluttering efforts as I continue this challenge!  I appreciate those of you who have joined me in my quest.  

Astrid @ Red Needle Quilts commented the following after Week 10's post:

Fabulous! More needs to be done here too.

I replied with the following:

Thanks, Astrid! Remember that every little bit helps. What are you finding to be the most challenging items to be decluttered?

She came back with this:

Most challenging to declutter? I find it hard to get rid of clothes. I have 'old' clothes that still fit and even if I haven't worn them in years, I find it hard to give them to charity. Now, I just have to! Days are getting cooler here and the other day I was looking for a thin sweater in the wardrobe. I didn't find it, even if I know it is there! Way too many clothes I don't wear! Sigh! lol 

What do you find the most challenging?

The conversation continued with my response:

Clothes are tough for me too! I was looking for my 2nd swimsuit when packing for our trip to Florida. I couldn't find it anywhere! While searching for a few things for our trip to the mountains, I found it wedged into the closet between some dresses. It's definitely time to thin out the items I never choose to wear! Ugh!!!

@dothe100dayproject

#The100DayProject

#DoThe100DayProject

#100Days100Things_TheDeclutterEdition

#100Days100ThingsDecluttered

#filltheboxjoy

Come back next week to see what goes in the box during the next 7 days.  You can also follow me on Instagram @thejoyfulquilter, if you are there more often than in BlogLand.

Until next time...

Do the 100 Day Project!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC26 - Week 19

Welcome to Week 19 of the 2026 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week I'm hoping to settle back into my regular routine.  Our mountain getaway is beginning to feel like a distant memory and there are places to go, people to see, and projects to work on.  That may include a bit of quilting! I'm currently feeling rather unsuccessful at that.  

Perhaps...

This basket of ORANGE scraps, pulled out at Angela's suggestion for the Color of the Month for May, will hopefully lure me back to the sewing machine:

Read on to see if that's what transpired...

SUNDAY - During my Weekly Morning Art Zoom, I tasked myself with ripping out pages for my next Collage Scraps Journal.  The book must be altered before added other papers onto its pages:

 

It's MESSY MAY so most of my art time will likely be spent within the pages of another journal.  I'm happy to have this one ready and available for me to begin dipping in when needed.

MONDAY - Errand Day

Boring stuff that everyone does, but nobody wants to hear about, but this afternoon, my Weekly Zoom Call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color resumed:

TUESDAY - Tidy Up Tuesday

I spent the morning gathering additional items for my #100Days100ThingsDecluttered and this afternoon I bit the bullet and quilted last month's UFO Challenge project:

WEDNESDAY - Midweek Meetup

I made a decision about what journal I would use during Messy May and began by adding an envelope to house the small journal that I created in response to Day 1's prompt:

After lunch, I headed back up to the studio for the Joyful Art Zoom with Belinda...

Since we had decided against a unified source today, I finally painted my interpretation of Crystal Tan's FREE lesson that I signed up for back in February.  I'm so grateful the replay remained available for viewing, but opted to work from the inspiration photo instead of her tutorial during today's Zoom call:

THURSDAY - Weekly Quilt Group met at Ella's without me.  I had a random fever last night, wasn't feeling great this morning and didn't want to get anyone sick.  Instead, I did some things around the house.

Surprise!  I found another scrappy ORANGE pin cushion to enjoy during the month:

FRIDAY - Knit Group

Ugh!  The sock I've been working on was too short when I tried it on at the end of last week's session.  This morning, I frogged the heel turn section since I had neglected to notice the gusset increases were only partially completed.

I enjoyed chatting with these friends while working:

After a stop at the grocery store and quick lunch, I headed up to Get Messy's Friday Friends Open Studio to attempt the technique shown on today's Messy May prompt video:

Later, I enjoyed visiting with my Weekly Evening Art Zoom friends while continuing on yesterday's map-inspired QUEST prompt:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you will visit Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.  I was working on a few random projects this week and boring paperwork.  Here's a closer look at what I did with some old ORANGE scraps earlier this week:

The binding decision still remains unresolved.  Sigh...

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!