Saturday, October 31, 2020

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC20 - Week 44

Welcome to Week 44 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  It was another full week here at The Joyful Quilter.  There was a LOT of time spent standing at the longarm this week.

Let's see what else went on...

SUNDAY - Today's Sew Some Love post is a little different, as the minions are still busy working on their LWR Mission Quilts (and I've been busy quilting on client quilts.)

Leaves of Fire is still hanging in front of the Scrap Station.  Love, love, LOVE that thin little YELLOW inner border:


I knit the gusset (and later turned the heel) on my latest pair of socks, but I did something wrong, as it seems overly large for my foot:


MONDAY - This afternoon, I released a new Mini Monday post.  I also did some stitching on a YELLOW project for the RSC:


My next client quilt was ready to be loaded on the longarm, but first I needed to decide on a thread color:



The "puddle" test was next, but none of the colors showed up very well in photographs.  Which thread color would YOU choose???


TUESDAY - It is time for a celebration!!  Check out today's edition of Tidy Up Tuesday.  I'll give you a hint... UFO Club finish.  :o))

This afternoon, I braved my 6 month dental appointment.  Clean teeth?  Hurray!!!  No cavities and my new hygienist didn't hurt me, one bit, so perhaps next time I can check my anxiety at the door.

This evening was my monthly Zoom-y Evening Quilt Bee.  Slim crowd tonight, but still a good visit:


After the meeting, I made progress on this pillow top:


WEDNESDAY - Grocery processing day is NOT my favorite of the week!!  That's why I like to pair it with one of the highlights:



While waiting for the Grocery Fairy to arrive, I processed this bag of scraps from my friend Candy:


That's not trash... It looks like a bag of FUN to me!  Thanks, Candy!!  :o))

But first...

Between groceries and Zoom, I got started on Maggie's quilt:


THURSDAY - While we had planned on meeting in-person today, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball, so ZoomBEE met instead and even that was a bit touch and go:


After lunch, I was back at the longarm, working to finish up this quilt.  Too bad the bobbin ran out 6" before I arrived at the final corner.  Fortunately, I had another partial wound and finished quilting moments before needing to head down to cook dinner:


FRIDAY - How can it be Friday, again?!?!  Wasn't it Monday just yesterday???  Apparently, not, as ZoomKNIT brought these friends together this morning:


This afternoon, I worked to finish up a special gift.  My goal was to have it finished by the end of the month.  I'm getting close:


SATURDAY
- It's LINK PARTY day at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The LAST day of the month has arrived, so this one should have a bunch of wrap-up posts.  I'll meet you over at Angela's So Scrappy blog to peruse the sunny YELLOW scrappy goodness.

Late yesterday afternoon, I finished the project I was working on... a whole day before my (self-imposed) deadline.  It was another UFO that didn't make it on my list for the Fall session of the UFO Club.  I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I made my list!!  :o((

What's that???

Oh, yes, I'll show you what I finished.  Right AFTER it is gifted.  Just kidding!

Here's a preview until the reveal post goes live:



Did you notice??  The last Black-eyed Susan of the season (You know, the one that has been the ONLY ONE STANDING for the past 2 weeks or more!) is beginning to lose its petals.  Summer is well and truly over.  Cold weather can't be far behind.  :o((

Until next time...
Have a SCRAPPY Happy Halloween!!!



Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Tidy Up Tuesday - The Proverbial Quilt Along - Cat Nap

A UFO Club Finish



Welcome to another edition of Tidy Up Tuesday!!  As you read this, you will see quite clearly how it came to be posted in this series.  I have known for quite some time that I had a baby quilt to make.  It was a special quilt and required a special design.  Sit down.  It's a long story.

It goes something like this...

The date is 3/28/2020.  My UFO Club buddy, Sheepless, has enabled me.  She posted information about the QAL in our "2020 BOM / QAL / FAL / Challenges?" discussion threads on Ravelry.

Instead of my usual la, la, la, la, I can't hear you response, I bit!

I have signed up for The Proverbial Quilt Along with Wendy @ The Next Stitch.

The Proverbial Planning Sheets have been downloaded.  :o))

When I tried to purchase the pattern from designer Denyse Schmidt, I encountered technical difficulties.  :o((

What words will you use, Joyful???

I've gone through a number of phrases.  Ultimately, I think I might have hit on one that will work for me.  Quilt your worries away!

Ultimately...

I went with The Proverbial Cat Nap.  Sorry, Denyse!  I didn't end up using the pattern I was eventually able to purchase in your shop.  Hunter Design Studio's Carpe Nap quilt won out for my attention during the Quilt Along.  I must say, I'm making steady progress and it's coming along SEW nicely:




Gratuitous look at those cute kitties:


I shared the making of the top and (a portion of the) back in this Design Floor Friday post.  Then, I promptly set the project aside.

Days (weeks?) (MONTHS!) passed.  A rather large quilt was quilted on the longarm.  In the time it took to say UFO, I had loaded Cat Nap and set about choosing a thread color.

You KNOW what that means... 

September 6th, the time had come to complete this quilt:


It's all loaded up and (almost) ready to go:


Nearly another month passed before the quilt was bound.  It was one of my Have-To-Do's at Quilt Retreat.  Needleb helped me choose a binding fabric:


I cut miles of 2-inch strips...


... And made miles of quilt binding:


I sewed the binding to the back of the quilt, but was too tired to finish up by stitching it down on the front:


It was finally bound, but I didn't allow myself to call it done before attaching the special label that I had planned:


I showed Cat Nap off to my quilting friends the following week...



But, I didn't allow myself to take credit for a completed UFO until...

I had pieced the Zzz's:


Bordered the Zzz's:


Bordered the label:


Layered the label:


Added the three little dots...


Written out the details:


Pressed and prepared the label for applications:


Pinned it in place:



And...

Sewn it down:



Yes.  I'm slow.  Yes.  The quilt was later than I wanted it to be.  In my defense, infants can't use quilts in their cribs, anyway.  SEW, there!!

Suffice it to say, the quilt arrived well before Baby's 1st birthday, so it's all good.  :P
 


Hoping for a photo with Baby sometime soon!!!

Sharing with Kelly
for

and

Whooping it Up with Sarah
at

Until next time...
Sweet dreams!!!



Monday, October 26, 2020

Mini Monday - {I've got} Rhythm - A Mojo Mini Finish

Welcome to another edition of Mini Monday!!  A couple of weeks ago, I took a super fun Craftsy class.  I shared my interim finish HERE.  This post is to share the result of that adventure.  Oh, and was it an adventure!

It began innocently enough...

I watched the class as I worked on one of my YELLOW projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:


This single arc...


... Grew into a project that refused to let me stop...


Until it was layered...


... And DONE:



Well...

Done to a point, as the edges were still raw and I hadn't decided if I would bind it or frame it:



But...

It was complete enough to give my mind a break, so that I could concentrate on some other projects.

I was finally able to focus on a time-sensitive client quilt:


A pretty little UFO donation quilt:


A quilted basket project for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:



And...

A gift quilt that was months overdue:


Once all of those items had been checked off my list, I was able to return to the frame or bind question.  You can see a couple of the binding selections I tried in the photo below:


Thanks to a conversation with LeeAnn, I considered alternative binding options and decided to go with a fused binding, since I only had a small chunk of the scrap I ultimately chose to use:


Special thanks to Suzy Williams @ Suzy Quilts for offering such an such an energizing approach to modern mini quilt making.  While the class I took was offered through Craftsy, YOU can purchase the pattern bundle as a download HERE on Suzy's website.  You'll be able to make your own version of the design using her hints and tips.  Bonus:  She also provides video tutorials with the pattern purchase.

Here it is, doing duty as this month's Kitchen Quilt:



Whoops!!  It looks like it might need some additional quilting.

One last picture because the LAST Black-eyed Susan is STILL blooming:


Sharing with Cynthia
for

and

With Sandra @ MmmQuilts
Because...
This was TOTALLY a DrEAMI project!!!

Until next time...
DONE is SEW good!!



Sunday, October 25, 2020

Sew Some Love Sunday - It Helps When You Read the Guidelines

 Welcome to a new edition of Sew Some Love Sunday!!!  This week, we're taking a little break from the Lutheran World Relief project going on here at The Joyful Quilter to hear about another charity project that I have had in the works.  The post could easily have been released in an installment of Tidy Up Tuesday, as it is long overdue.

Let me explain...

When participating in this year's Hands2Help program, I had a project that I thought would work well for this recipient organization:

Emily @ Em's Scrap Bag / Aunt Em's Quilts
Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo

The problem was that I was working on THREE other H2H quilts at the time and the deadline was looming.

SEW...

I may be late to the party, but I didn't forget my desire to contribute.  This quilt was finished a day or two ago:



OH, NOOOOOOO!!!

Someone forgot to check the size requirements for contribution to the charity.  That would be me.  :o((

I was hoping to proudly display the cute button that Em designed for those who donated will have to wait for next year's Hands2Help quilt drive.  I've got a collection of LWR quilts waiting to be quilted.

Give a Quilty Hug:




Never fear!  There are other needs to be met.  This little quilt will go along with last month's UFO Club Finish to comfort victims of the fires still burning out West.


Excerpt from that post:

"Just after finishing this post, I found the following donation opportunity (one of several in a post filled with Oregon Wildfire 2020 Quilts information) posted by Lori @ Humble Quilts:

100 quilts went to Talent And Phoenix Elementary school children today. Still need another 350 twin or lap size so every child who has lost their home will have something to snuggle with. Then we will try to serve the middle and high school kids. Please help by sending new or barely used quilts to Sew Creative Ashland at 115 East Main St. Ashland, Oregon 97520

My quilt would be about the right size for a child's snuggle quilt.  It didn't take long to realize that this was where my little quilt was destined to be.  Off it goes!"  :o))


I didn't intend to wait this long to mail that quilt, but I am pleased that two children from the devastated areas might now find comfort in my handiwork.  Do YOU have new or lightly used quilts that you might be able to send?  The fires rage on.

Until next time...
Sew Some Love!!!