Scrap Happy Saturday - RSC22 - Week 52

Welcome to Week 52 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week ended up being another week off work.  I took full advantage of it by writing up all of my year end blog posts.  If you're new here, don't worry!  I don't normally post so many times in a single week.

SUNDAY - Sew Some Love Sunday

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!!  I am enjoying the card from Linda @ Art in Search that came in yesterday's mail:

The day started with a Christmas Zoom with Knittingsuek:

This is the final spread in my Care December journal:

It was supposed to be a mood board for 2023, but I was still in the mood for holiday decorations!  :o))

MONDAY - Best of 2022

I was in blog post writing mode, including the year-end and new year planning posts for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  As such, I thought I'd share some rainbow scrappy goodness.  Note, you MIGHT see the following photo again later this week:

TUESDAY - Tidy Up Tuesday - A Gift for You

This morning, I met with my friend Tracy at our favorite coffee shop:

During "Coffee and Collage" my "mood board" need more glue:

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday - RSC Year in Review

Care to join me in a happy dance?  This morning we (finally) SOLD the bunk beds:

$ $ $   :o))

Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

THURSDAY - Tonight's big adventure was to head out to my Monthly Evening Quilt Bee,

BUT...

It was canceled due to Covid!!!  :o((

Three of our regular attendees tested positive over the weekend and one more is still recovering...

And then three others ended up meeting for a quilter's therapy session after all!

FRIDAY - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge

Knit Group LIVE @ Beth's new house:

Two friends came bearing gifts.  Thank you to Hilary and Linda!  I got a SEWciopath T-shirt and darling little hand knit brown bird:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you will join me in visiting Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.  I've been art-ing more than sewing this week.  Here's a look at a recent journal page:

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

December 2022 - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Welcome to the December 2022 edition of the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge here at the Joyful Quilter!!  I'd like to express my appreciation to everyone who participated in this year's TSC.  Whether one month or every month, you helped to make this challenge a success.  Thanks to YOU, dear reader, for dropping by the Link Party to see what everyone has made each month.  It's been another wonderful and scrappy year here on the blog!

I host this challenge in conjunction with Angela's (RSC) Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ So Scrappy.  It's been SEW much fun to offer the...

Button credit to Susan @ Desert Sky Quilts, updated by me.

Since basically ANY small quilted item qualifies for this challenge, I sort through my scrap baskets to see what I can come up with.  

Each month in 2023, I'm going to be offering a different sort of prompt to help get your creative juices flowing.  While you are NOT required to use it in your project, the challenge parameters will be revealed at the end of each month's LINK PARTY post.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see January's focus.  It, along with the RSC Color of the Month (as soon as Angela releases it - around the 1st of the month), will be added to the 2023 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge page at the top of the blog.

December's theme was...

STAR

Why??  Because challenge participants have all been ROCK STARS in my book!!  I'm looking forward to seeing what has been written in the stars for this prompt.

Where did that lead me???

To my scrap baskets, of course!  :P

The Color of the Month was Quilt Finishing so I decided our color would be RAINBOW or Maker's Choice.  You might have guessed that as I searched, my focus was on ALL the colors and there were a number of fabrics that looked interesting, but what would I make?

I began with scrappy strips in a RAINBOW of colors:

But what would I do with them???

Several ideas swirled through my head, but something on the internet called out to me...

I layered up squares of denim with a scrap of batting and appliqued the scrappy stars on top:

Quilting and binding soon followed:

Here is my completed TABLE SCRAPS Challenge entry for December:

How does that fit this month's theme???

I feel certain there's no need to spell it out this month.  It's got RAINBOW written all over it!  I'm pleased to have used some small scraps.

What's next, Joyful???

January is just a day away.  Angela will be choosing a Color of the Month.  (January is Dark/Bright BLUE!!)  Rainbow Scrap Challenge participants are encouraged to use that in your project.  Speaking of spelling things out...

January 2023's letters are:

C R and/or J

Letters???  What ARE you talking about, Joyful???

The 2023 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge, that's what!!

Take a look at the details:

Use each month's letters in whatever form they lead. Your interpretation of what to do with them is NOT limited to using the actual letter in your project!  Although, you are welcome to do that (by using them in spelling out a word), you may also relate them to a color, quilting technique or project type.  Interpreting an item that begins with one of the letters is appropriate for a challenge entry, as well.  The most important part is to have FUN while using your fabric scraps!!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your ANY Color OR the RAINBOW and/or STAR projects in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Tuesday, January 3rd @ 11:59PM (EST).

Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!

#tablescrapschallenge2022

Sharing with Cynthia

for

Oh, Scrap!

2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Year in Review

Welcome to the 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge - The Year in Review edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!

It's the final week of the year and this is where I break my RSC progress down to a monthly review of scrap use.  If you saw my 2021 Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Year in Review post, you might know what comes next.

I would like to start off by thanking Angela for her continued offering of the RSC by hosting the 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year, even though she was in a job transition this year at work.

I'm sharing this post

with

Angela @ So Scrappy

Now, let's take a look at my progress for the year...


JANUARY - RED

My entry for the 2022 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge:

Some Assembly Required

FEBRUARY - AQUA

My February 2022 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge entry was made with some scrappy off-cuts from my friend Diane:

A second project, The Kawandi Experiment, was made for Ann @ Fiber Designs by Ann. She can also be found on Instagram @fiberann.  I enjoyed this project, even though it left me with a bit of problem solving to be done near the center of the mug rug:

MARCH - YELLOW

I came up with a mug rug for March's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge:

Mug rug/mini quilt

APRIL - PINK

This is what I made for my TABLE SCRAPS entry:

Famished Flamingos

MAY - Sage/Forest GREEN

An idea for my May TSC project struck me and wouldn't let go:

Mini Masala Box is my shrunken version of Preeti's design.

JUNE - Bright/Dark BLUE

Not one, but TWO projects for the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge...

A quick win:

And a UFO finish:

JULY - PURPLE

I did a PURPLE spotty art journal page using paper scraps:

And this month's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge entry was a mini mug rug - which got transformed after its release, but I haven't found the other post about what happened to it...

Here's what became of it:

The mini mug rug was actually meant to be a needle book...

This year's birthday gift for Knittingsuek:

AUGUST - ORANGE

I completed a little UFO:

Another of July's projects worked for August's TABLE SCRAPS entry:

SEPTEMBER - Light BLUE

Some more of Diane's scrappy strips were transformed into my entry for this month's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge:

OCTOBER - Lime/Light GREEN or Light Neutrals

Yet another batch of Diane's scrappy strips were quilted up for October's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge project:

NOVEMBER - Assembly of Blocks

With no blocks ready to assemble, I opted for Dark Neutrals for the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge:

DECEMBER - Finishing and Quilting

Earlier this month, in my Covid haze, I made a Dark NEUTRAL/Star mini with the thought that it worked for my RSC project for the month - the joke's on me... LAST month was Dark Neutrals.  I guess I'll have TWO projects for the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge:

This starry mini was made with a handful of my friend Maggie's scraps.

For the final entry for the 2022 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge, I called for RAINBOW or maker's choice - The link goes LIVE on Friday:

A rainbow finish ended off last year!  :o))

Here's a photo of the RAINBOW project to end this year:

As you saw above, I sewed with the Color of the Month.  EVERY month!  My RSC productivity was respectable, thanks in part to the 2022 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge projects which were done in the RSC Color of the Month throughout the year.  I am enjoying pairing my participation in the two challenges while continuing to focus on sewing through Mt. Scrapmore!!

Speaking of the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge...

I'm SEW glad that Judy @ Busy Hands are Happy Hands, Deb @  Happy to be Scrappy and LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color encouraged me to offer it again in conjunction with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2022!  Next year, I am offering another updated version.  I hope YOU will play along, too!

Are YOU up for a TABLE SCRAPS Challenge???

Check out THIS POST to find out the particulars for 2023.  Stop back by on Friday to discover what's in store for the January prompt.

Until next time...

Quilt SO scrappy!!! 

Tidy Up Tuesday - A Gift for You - TSC2023 Update

Welcome to a new edition of Tidy Up Tuesday!!  It's been a very long time since the last post in this series and this one is a bit different from the norm.  After tying up some loose ends, I have a gift for you.

A gift, Joyful???

Yes.  The TABLE SCRAPS Challenge is back by popular demand!  I'm here to introduce an updated version for 2023.  How challenging is it, if a challenge is exactly the same from year to year?  That's why I'm changing it up a bit.  I hope you are as excited to hear about it as I am to tell you about it!

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW...

For 2023, I will be offering a MONTHLY SERIES of LETTERS to help inspire/inform your work.  What you do with them is up to you!

As before, we will continue WORKING WITH SCRAPS from our cutting table (hence the name of the challenge.)  

They say size matters...

There's no need to worry about your project being too small or TOO BIG!  Your ENTRIES MAY INCLUDE small items such as basket, bags, pillows, and pin cushions, in addition to runners, toppers, and mug rugs.  BUT...  For the purposes of the 2023 Challenge, you are perfectly welcome to make ANY size project you would like.  If you want to make a lap quilt each month... Go for it!!

While Angela offers color suggestions through her Rainbow Scrap Challenge, you are always welcome to sew with whatever scraps you choose.

Important Note for Non-bloggers...

Non-bloggers are welcome to email a photo of their entries to share here on The Joyful Quilter and Instagram users can link to @thejoyfulquilter using the tag #tablescrapschallenge2023 and #abcscrapschallenge2023 when posting participating projects.

What qualifies???

Any quilted item you would like to make.  Surprise us!  You are encouraged to use each month's letters in whatever form they lead. Your interpretation of what to do with them is NOT limited to using the actual letter in your project!  Although, you are welcome to do that (by using them in spelling out a word or some such), you may also relate the letters to a color, quilting technique or project type.  Interpreting an item that begins with one of the letters is appropriate for a challenge entry, as well.  (Example A = Apple)

The most important part is to have FUN while using the fabric scraps from your cutting table!!

Find the January 2023 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge here...

December 2022 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge Link Party (LIVE on/after Friday, 12/30/22.)

Letters were selected by random drawing and distributed throughout the months of the year.  Our monthly series of letters will be release as in previous years.  Find each month's letter prompts at the end of the previous month's Link Party post.  January 2023's prompt is listed near the bottom of December 2022's TABLE SCRAPS post HERE and I will also update the list on the 2023 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge tab at the top of the blog so that you can easily check back, if you miss a link-up.

When is my monthly project due???

The Link Party will go LIVE on the LAST Friday of every month at 12:00 AM (EST).  You will have until 11:59 PM (EST) on the following Tuesday to join the fun.

I'm SEW looking forward to seeing what YOU will make and your take on using the letter prompts.

Until next time...

Go forth and USE those SCRAPS!!!

Best of 2022!!

Hello, quilting friends!!  If you are new to The Joyful Quilter, welcome.  If you have visited before, welcome back!  Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs is continuing her Best of... link party tradition.  Follow THIS LINK to see all of the wonderful bloggers who have joined in the fun.  Here is her lovely button:

To take part in the link party, participants were asked to write a blog post highlighting our "best" 5 posts from 2022 and join the linkup.  Cheryl suggested the following examples of posts to be included:

• Posts with the most views
• Posts with the most comments
• Posts that provoked the best discussions
• Posts showing your favorite finishes
• Posts of your best tutorials
• Posts that are simply your favorites

She said that this post is not only a great way to find new readers, it is also wonderful to be able to highlight some of your best posts for those readers who have joined your blog throughout the year."

The link party will open the day after Christmas, Monday December 26th and will be open for one week ending on Sunday, January 1st.

This will be my 4th (consecutive) year of participation.  Those of you who have been following me for a while know that this year has been one of attempting to get the studio up and running (and only partially succeeding.)  I still managed to make a few things and write quite a number of posts.  (Not as many as usual, but I'm trying!)

Here is an overview of my productivity:

I completed 5 table toppers, 7 mini quilts, 2 quilted pin cushions, 1 table runners, 3 lap quilts of varying sizes, 1 quilted placemat, 9 quilted mug rugs, and 2 wall hangings, plus 2 other quilted items.  I also finished 2 large commission quilts, 4 donation quilts from tops pieced by others and quilted 4 quilts for my quilting friends on my APQS longarm quilting machine, which has limped along this year.  Unfortunately, it had a series of mysterious ailments throughout the year and it had made me skittish about "getting back on the horse."  (That being said, I am hoping for 1 more "friendly" quilting finish before the end of the year.)

Items made per month...

January - 3

February - 4

March - 4

April - 2

May - 5

June - 2

July - 1

August - 2

September - 2

October - 7

November - 4

December - 3

I made a total of 39 quilted items in 2022.  (15 of those were made as a result of Angela's Rainbow Scrap Challenge and/or in conjunction with my TABLE SCRAPS Challenge)  Not my most productive year (that was 2020), but still a respectable number of finishes.  If not for continuing my "seasonal" job throughout the year and the disaster area that my "new" studio has remained, I might have been finished more!  No worries!!!  I get another chance in 2023.  :o))

But my BEST posts??

I took a long and hard at the posts written in 2022, but choosing the BEST was quite a challenge...


Mine include...

Most modern finish - (2021) Positivity QAL Block Drive - The 1st Finish

Blocks by quilting friends. Pieced by MASQuilts, Quilted by Britt_Quilts. Bound by me.

Most comments (23) - January TABLE SCRAPS Challenge Link Party

Some Assembly Required

Favorite finish - Wonderful Wednesday - The Beast Comes Alive

Rainbow, Baby!

Most views (417) - June TABLE SCRAPS Challenge Link Party

Bright/Dark BLUE Topper

AND...

Then we come to the 3-way tie for Favorite post - 

1. April 2022 - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Famished Flamingo Quilted Placemat

2. Wonderful Wednesday - In the Studio

3. H2H 2022 - Final Link Party

Sunshine Cabin

(In no particular order.)

Thanks for joining me in this review.  I'm glad that Cheryl organized a Link Party dedicated to reminding us to take another look at the blog posts we've written during the year.  Oh! Don't forget to check out my NEW 2023 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge!  You can find the full details HERE.  (Link coming soon. Spoiler Alert! Check back tomorrow.)

Until next time...
Quilt the year away!!!