Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Wonderful Wednesday - Little GREEN Apples - Prize Patrol

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to with a special announcement.  If you were here last week, you may know what's coming.  Well, the title of the post might have tipped you off, as well.  :o))

Anyway...

Here's a little backstory in case you are new here.  Those who visit often know that when I participate in a Blog Hop, I like to offer a prize to one lucky reader.  As luck would have it, there was a Blog Hop just last week.

a Sew-It, Show-It Challenge

What's the prize, Joyful???

For this Hop, I offered a GREEN mug rug (or the color of the winner's choosing.)

Did you draw a name???

Yes, I did.  As stated in my post, at 9PM on Sunday, March 26th, a winning name was drawn.

Drum roll, please...

The winner of the Little GREEN Apples Blog Hop prize drawing is:

NANCY L.

Congratulations, Nancy!!!  I have sent an email requesting your mailing address and the color preference for your prize mug rug.

And because it feels wrong for a quilt blog post to NOT have a quilty picture...


The photo above is an example of what Nancy won.

Until next time...
GREEN and scrappy for the WIN!!!

Monday, March 27, 2023

Mail Call Monday - Whoops! Someone Went Shopping

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  OK, I'll admit it.  It was me.  I went shopping in-person AND online.  What did I buy this time?  Some new art journaling supplies.

In-store...

This time, a multi-year date stamp and a set of small letter stamps came home with me:


And online...

Andrea @ A Work of Heart Studio mailed this little package:


She creates fun stencils for art journaling and packages them with a piece of art to demonstrate how they can be used and expanded upon:


Here is the set I got, stenciled out in all its unembellished glory:


I'm looking forward to putting these items to use in my journals very soon.  In the meantime, I'm off to finish up my ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge project.  The Link Party starts THIS FRIDAY!!  I'm cutting it close to the wire this month.  Looking forward to seeing what YOU have created with B and/or U, along with some GREEN scraps, perhaps.

Until next time...
Shop responsibly!!!

Saturday, March 25, 2023

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week12

Welcome to Week 12 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week, I did a bit of GREEN scrap sewing (and reported on some from last week, too.)  I'm guessing that's what you're here to see, right?

Read on...

SUNDAY - No Zooming with Sue this morning.  She's got a class to prepare for so I'll begin this post with the group photo I took yesterday at my Quarterly Quilt Bee meeting:


My apologies to Kirsten, who arrived after Show and Tell had begun.  I neglected to get group photo that included her in it.  :o((

MONDAY - Work was followed by Quilt Guild with guest speaker Tina Craig @ Seaside Stitches who presented her lecture/trunk show - EPP vs FPP : The Showdown!  Viewers were supposed to choose their favorite method based on the pairs of examples shared:


I had to get a photo of Tina's foundation paper pieced 2019 Temperature Quilt for my RSC Quilter friends!  Templates for this quilt are available on her website:


What's this?  A special delivery...  I went home with a new bag of fabric scraps:

I spy some GREEN bits in that bag!!!  :o))


Work was followed by scrap sorting:

Thanks, Diane (and Francine!!)

WEDNESDAY - Today was grocery day (no work) and an early Zoom call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:


Knittingsuek called and I offered to Zoom with her afterwards:


THURSDAY - Weekly Quilt Bee met at Ruth S's house and I co-hosted:


It was SEW good to see everyone!!  Look... Ruth B brought me a quart sized bag of scraps:

Thanks, Ruthie!!

Ignore my ridiculously HUGE cheesy grin and try to focus on the GREEN scrappy pincushion that I dropped off at Sue's house this afternoon:


I had a couple of errands to run afterwards and one of them took me to Ella's house.  Any guesses about what might be in the bag???  Fabric scraps, of course:

Thanks, Ella!!

FRIDAY - This morning, I shoehorned Knit Group in before work:


Tracy presented each of the knitters with one of these super soft tie-dyed shirts:

Thanks, T!!  We're ready for the next fiber festival.  :o))

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.  DS1 is visiting this weekend.  I'll have to catch-up with everyone once he heads home.

Until next time...
Get SCRAPPY!!!

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Sew It, Show It - Little Green Apples Challenge - My Hop STOP

Welcome to My STOP for the "Sew - It, Show - It" Challenge: Little GREEN Apples (Blog Hop)!!  This is the latest event hosted by Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt.  You KNOW how much I love GREEN, don't you?  Well, perhaps not, but take my word for it, so I just HAD to get in on this challenge.  Plus, GREEN is the Color of the Month for March at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  Did I go a LITTLE overboard?  You decide...


Here's the week's line up:





SEW, what did you make, Joyful???

Well, I had a fun idea to incorporate the apple theme by making painted prints with an actual apple using my favorite green gold fluid acrylic paint on muslin or white.  I planned to use my gelli plate and then quilt the fabric.

But...

I was in a sewing mood instead of a painting mood.

GREEN fabric scraps to the rescue!!!

Green 1, being tested as a mug rug at work:


Here it is, bound in the stripy binding that got the ball rolling on this project:


The other side gives you a better idea of the quilting I did:


Then...

Green 2, layered with its backing:


Completed:


And...

The back of the mug rug:


Finally...

Shrunken Shamrock (Thanks to Robobeagle on Ravelry!) in process:


And done:


Here's the reverse side:


About the lack of process pictures...

I was sewing so quickly that the camera couldn't keep up!  :o))

So as not to disappoint any regular Hop readers...

You know the drill!  New readers, guess what???  YOU all have a chance to WIN a special GREEN (or your favorite color) mug rug!!  That's right!  I'll be giving away a prize to one lucky winner.  All comments are greatly appreciated, BUT...  In order to get your name "IN THE HAT", comment PICK ME!!! to indicate your interest in having a Joyful original mailed to you.

The winner will be chosen on SUNDAY, March 26, 2023 @ 9PM (EDT).
**Please make sure that your email address is included in your comment, if you are a "No Reply Blogger", as I will need to be able to reach you if your name is pulled.

THIS DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED!!

Until next time...
How 'bout those (LITTLE GREEN) apples?!

My apologies to the early birds who were confused by my cut and paste error.
Even though I proofread the post (many times) I still managed to leave the title of the post for the first of these challenges.

Monday, March 20, 2023

Mini Monday - Little GREEN Apples - Blog Hop Week

Welcome to another edition of Mini Monday!!  Today, I'm stopping by with a quick post to remind everyone of the Sew-It, Show-It Challenge: Little GREEN Apples Blog Hop.


Thank you to Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt for hosting this fun Quilt Challenge/Blog Hop.  I had SEW much fun that I couldn't stop with just ONE project!!  Perfect timing for GREEN month at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, too.  Hope YOU will stop by tomorrow to have a look.

Until next time...
Let's go SEW!!!

Sunday, March 19, 2023

PQ 14.6 - Conquer a Fear

Conquer A Fear


Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!!  And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  This is my 3rd year of participation in the Challenge.  Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will faced during the past 12 weeks.

Sassy @ Farm Quilter got me started at the beginning of Season 11 by inviting her readers to join in the fun.  I accepted her invitation and the rest is history.  As I have for the past two years, I dragged along my friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color again this season, as she enjoys having a reason to stretch her creative wings.  Thanks for keeping me company, LeeAnna!  It's been fun to bounce ideas off each other when the prompts require another opinion.


FAIR WARNING:  It's a wild ride, but oh SEW rewarding!


Challenges are given and start to finish you have ONE WEEK to complete your project.  PQ 14.6 can be found at THIS LINK:




Step One...

Read the instructions to see what is required of the sixth challenge.  Here's what Trish had to say:

You see, to grow you must face fears. It’s the way to achieve and succeed. If you only do what’s safe and comfy, you’ll stagnate and grow soft.

 The way forward is always by finding and following a new path. Growth.

 

So this week, you will confront something you fear. Your project must be about growing through exploring the unknown.

 

What?

 

Well, first sit down and ponder your way forward: personally, professionally, creatively, emotionally, or quite literally physically moving forward in time and space. Where are you going? What do you need to overcome on the way?

 

Now, decide: how do I make that a quilt?

Trish goes on to say...

... Here are some ideas:
• Are you thinking about changing careers? Going back to school? Does that feel more like a Delectable Mountain (#ad) to climb or you’re worried it’s just Robbing Peter to Pay Paul?
• Perhaps the holidays (pick one!) have been hard for you, but you’re ready to reclaim them with a fresh tree skirt for next year’s Christmas tree, or a seasonal topper for the table.
• Or perhaps you’ve been avoiding curved piecing or hand sewing or bias edges since you began quilting and it’s finally time to kick that anxiety to the curb?

 

Hopefully this will be a fun, freeing, liberating project in the end – although you may have moments of frustration or emotion along the way. Just remember, you can do it!!

Step Two...

Shake my head in an effort to recover from the fact that I didn't remember that it was time for the final challenge of Season 14.  Stranger still, even though LeeAnna spilled the beans this afternoon, I still didn't check the full details of the prompt until Monday night!

Step Three...

Scratch my head and wonder what on Earth I'm going to do.

Step Four...

Review the rules:

Rule 1 – your project must involve conquering something that scares you.

Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline – that is, started on or after March 12th, 2023, and posted by noon Central Time March 19th, 2023.

Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count toward prizes.

Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements: include patchwork, include appliqué, have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine. Incomplete or unfinished does not qualify. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline. Link up at the bottom of THIS POST by Sunday, March 19th at noon CDT

Step Five... Formulate a plan!

I'm not afraid of very much.  Perhaps, there are quilting techniques that I shy away from, but once I really thought about it, the only thing that is scaring me right now is this:



Step Six... I'll explain that later.  Right now, I've got to gather my supplies:

photo!!!

GREEN for grass and trees, red for X's, and random scraps for the focus of my project.

Step Seven... PLAY!!!

Yes.  Even conquering your fears can be fun.  Attitude is EVERYTHING!!

Here is a bit of my construction process...

(Scroll down to the bottom of the post NOW, if you don't care to see a blow by blow of the making of my quilt.)

I began by...

Choosing a background fabric.  I chose the muslin beneath the strip set shown below:


What happened next, Joyful???

I built some houses:


Can YOU guess where this is going???

I have a story to tell, so why NOT make a quilt!

SEW...

I quilted and appliqued the houses down at the same time:



Binding options from the bag of binding that Diane gave me in her last BOJ:


I present my completed entry for PQ 14.6:


10" x 20.5"

There is usually a reason that I participate in these challenges...

... And this time, it was because the prompt gave me a reason to explore the ramifications of a new neighborhood going up right next door.  I am SEW not happy!  Instead of an empty lot with woods beyond, there will be a house just outside my studio window.  The working title of this quilt was Fear of the Unknown.

This quilt helped me realize this might not be as bad as I thought.  Who knows?  I might end up with some really good friends out of the arrangement!  I hope you like my quilt, now titled Welcome to the Neighborhood.  For now, we'll just ignore the fact that there will be FIFTEEN (15) more homes than we were led to believe.  The construction noise and mess is temporary - even if it might seem like FOREVER in the interim!

There you have it...

Process, product, and the REAL reason for accepting this Challenge.

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 14 overview.  Check back on the Challenge release days (or sign-up to be notified automatically) and there may be one that YOU just can't resist.

It's a SHORT turnaround time!

Depending on the size and complexity of your project, that doesn't HAVE to be insurmountable.  With a little creativity and a few afternoons, you really CAN do this!  My project timeline???  I began this project in earnest on Thursday evening because I had to meter out my time, as I had other deadline sewing to do during the week.  It was completed on Friday afternoon with more than 36 hours to spare and I linked up 4 hours before the noon (CST) deadline.  That felt like a huge win (even if the full photo of my project would come up to be linked to ProjectQUILTING.)

Until next time...
Challenge accepted!!!




Remember:  If I can do this, YOU can do it, too!

(Plus, there's a spot to post your completed Project QUILTING inspired projects AFTER the deadline for any of the challenges.)

Linking up with Cynthia
for

and

Just under the wire, I'm joining Alycia
for

Oh, and the pre-construction FUN continues...


This is now the view from our front door.  That Port-a-Potty was deposited directly across the street from our house in the wee hours of the morning on Friday.  Whew!!  It's going to be a L-O-N-G year!!!

When I shared the photo with DS1, he replied with the following response:

"Nice new decoration.  Pretty big bird house!"  :P

Sigh...