Tidy Up Tuesday - A Fall 2023 (Ravelry) UFO Club Finish

Welcome to another edition of Tidy Up Tuesday!!  I'm here to share my first UFO finish of the quarter.  It's been on and off the list since it was more of a WIP.

If you're on Ravelry you may have already seen it...

But when you are on Quilt Retreat, the task of binding a quilt is a great way to build momentum.  I chose a light colored floral that went well with the bright print backing as a nod to October's Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

I applied the binding to the back of the quilt and then stitched it down on the front of the quilt:

Here's a full shot...

Along with a beauty shot later in the day:

This quilt was offered as a Sew-Along with Rachel @ Stitched in Color.

In 2017!!!  I'm SEW pleased that it is FINALLY complete.

The question remains...

Is it ready to be gifted?  Only time will tell.

Until next time...

That's another UFO off the list!!! 

Whooping it up with Sarah

@

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

and

Linking with Cynthia

for

Oh, Scrap!

Mail Call Monday - Get Messy - Prize WIN for a Zine Queen

Welcome to a new edition of Mail Call Monday!!  When I returned from Quilt Retreat on Friday, I returned to a happy mailbox.  I was thrilled to discover the small parcel waiting for me.  But what could it be???  I hadn't ordered anything.

It had my name all over it...

Literally!!  :o))

Thankfully, Caylee's beautifully hand-lettered addition to the envelope made it across the ocean in one piece:

This package came to me all the way from Germany:

 

What's inside, Joyful???

The contents of the package was a fun collection of cards and stickers...

As well as the book you see at the bottom of the photo above and Caylee also included a copy of this inspirational Zine created by artist Erin Ware:

Here is the collection of zines that I made during the Get Messy Ama-zine workshop event and subsequent lessons during the Season of Ease and Joy, my introduction to Get Messy Art membership:

Since I had watched ALL of the ama-ZINE classes and made 8 zines during the Season of Ease and Joy, I signed up for the chance to win, but...

I never expected to win a prize and earn a Zine Queen crown!

Thank you to @cayleegrey, Get Messy, and the @getmessyartjournal team for a fantastic introduction to #getmessyart and for my sweet prize, too!!  I'm looking forward to adding the items I received into my art journals.

UPDATE...

I used one of the stickers (cut to fit) on a small journal cover yesterday afternoon:

Project inspiration from @aworkofheartstudio Watch. Learn. Play. Lab from Saturday night.

Until next time...

Embrace the Messy Middle!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 43

Welcome to Week 43 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Expect the unexpected this week, my friends.  You may have to wait on the details, but suffice it to say that I will be doing a LOT of sewing this week!

Quilt Retreat, here I come!!!  :o))

SUNDAY - My day began with some art time with my Get Messy friends in the Easy Like a Sunday Morning hangout.  I swatched my new watercolor set:

After lunch, I was back on Zoom for my weekly call with Knittingsuek:

As the hours in the day waned, I got down to the business of packing for my retreat:

MONDAY - Mini Monday

This morning I headed off to the North Carolina mountains for a Quilt Retreat...

And visit with one of my oldest quilting friends in the state.  Well, Tiffany's not old, but I've quilted with her for 20+ years:

Thinking of my RSC Quilter friends, applying Light NEUTRAL binding to this colorful quilt:

TUESDAY - Sewing, sewing, just keep sewing!  These four Orphan blocks got some new friends.  This is what happened next:

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

No Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color today.  Internet is spotty at the retreat center here in the mountains.  There were some Light NEUTRALS in with the purple scraps I was sewing today:

THURSDAY - It's hard to believe how FAST the week has gone by!  I'm heading home tomorrow.

Things got a little silly after dinner:

FRIDAY - ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge

On the road again?  I am SEW not ready to leave this beautiful place:

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.

NOTE:  If YOU are participating in the ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge, the Color of the Month for November (since Angela didn't call for one this year) will be:

Dark NEUTRALS

Remember...

You can look forward to additional retreat updates coming next week.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

October 2023 - ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Welcome to the October 2023 edition of the ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge here at the Joyful Quilter!!  Thanks for stopping by the Link Party to see what participants have made this month. I am having a hard time believing that November is only a few days away.  The weather turned cool here last week.  So cool, in fact, that we are now in negotiations about when to turn on the heat.  UGH!!  Heat season is NOT my favorite.

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 scrounge through my scrap basket to see what I can come up with.  

Each month I offer a prompt to help get your creative juices flowing.  While you are NOT required to use it in your project, the guiding word is revealed at the end of each month's LINK PARTY post.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the next month's focus.  It, along with the RSC Color of the Month (as soon as Angela releases it - around the 1st of the month) will also be added to the 2023 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge page at the top of the blog.

October's letters were:

Q and/or T

I very nearly abandoned the idea of coming up with a design to include both letters, as well as the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month.  October's color was Light NEUTRAL.  As you might have seen earlier this month, I had a multitude of those in my scrap baskets...

But HOW was I going to come up with a plan for the scraps I found???

Inspiration struck during my Zoom class with Brenda Gael Smith from Australia.

This is a photo of the (potential) back of the table runner:

But...

As much as I wanted to, that didn't really work for me.  Sorry, Diane!  The piece of fabric that I took to Guild last month (and subsequently brought home with me) ended up winning that battle. 

Soon enough...

The time arrived for quilting the quilt:

I'm pleased to present my completed ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge entry for October, shown here, hanging on the gallery wire in my studio:

How does the quilt fit this month's theme, Joyful???

Like this:

Q = The Letter Q, rather easy to spot, but it needed to be filled out by the quilting.

Q = The Letter T, somewhat stylized.

Here's a closer look:

What's next, Joyful???

The month of November is still a few day off.  To the best of my knowledge, Angela hasn't announced the new Color of the Month yet, but I'll update this post and the 2023 Challenge page at the top of the blog as soon as I find out.

UPDATE:  Whoops!  Angela planned for November to be for block set completion and assembly.  I have, therefore, made an executive decision for the purposes of the ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge, our color will be:

Dark NEUTRALS

November's letters are:

K and/or W

NOTE:  Is this one a big challenge for you?  I have NO IDEA what I will create!  Are YOU inspired???  If not, keep thinking.  I'm sure you will figure something out!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your Q and/or T projects in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, November 1st @ 11:59PM (EDT).

Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!

#ABCtableSCRAPSchallenge2023

#tablescrapschallenge2023

I couldn't resist one more porch swing picture:

Wonderful Wednesday - The Neighborhood Challenge

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  It's been a while since I've remembered to write up a post for this series.  I thought you might like to see photos of this year's Neighborhood Quilt Challenge entries.

Am I right?

First, you might like an idea of the rules.

1. No color restrictions!

2. No size restrictions!

3. Include a house (or home) of any type or style.  Modern, traditional, pieced or applique, anything goes!  Make entries as plain or as ornate as desired.

In the hopes of encouraging participation, suggestions were offered and examples were shown at each meeting, but the resulting quilts BLEW ME AWAY!!

Last Monday was the entry deadline...

As you will see, there was a TON of creativity on display.  I apologize in advance for the hastily taken photos.  I was busy waiting for the final entries when it was time to set out all the quilts and by the time that task was complete, the meeting was starting. You will still get a fairly good idea of how each quilter interpreted the theme.  I'm pretty sure that you just want me to stop talking and let you see the quilts.

If so, keep scrolling...

Entry # 17, Molly K:

Sixteen, Margaret S:

Number 15, Cheryl B:

Fourteen, Stacy W:

13, Suzan deS:

Twelve, me and Eleven, Christine C:

#10, Nan L:

Nine, Diane H:

Entry 8, Diane H:

#7, Debby S:

Six, Karen W:

Number 5, Janet B:

Four, Marie W and Three, Judy C-L:

#2, Vicki C:

And entry Number One, Sara P:

Thank you for looking!  Please note, I may not be able to respond to any comments until next week.  I am away on a quilt retreat in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.  More on that when I return home.  I appreciate your understanding.

Did YOU make a quilt, Joyful???

Here is the beginnings of the entry that I intended to submit:

Unfortunately...

I had several donation quilts to finish by the challenge deadline and I simply didn't have enough bandwidth to figure it out a way to get it put together.

Instead...

I owe a BIG thank you to Past Joy for creating my PQ14.6 Face a Fear Challenge with this Neighborhood Challenge in mind!  You see, right from the start, hat project was meant to serve as a dual entry for this challenge, as well.  I remembered just when I thought I might have NO ENTRY for the Guild Challenge (which would have been terribly embarrassing, since I was the coordinator of the event.)  This is the little quilt that I named Welcome to the Neighborhood:

Wait a minute just a minute, Joyful!!!  Which quilt won the challenge???

Relax.  I haven't forgotten that part.

The winners were as follows...

3rd Place:

AND

Yes.  There was a tie for 3rd Place (which has never happened in recent years.)

2nd Place:

1st Place:

Disclaimer...

Several of the quilts were BIG!  Traditionally, the Guild Challenge entrants produce smaller quilts which are no larger than lap size and more easily displayed on the tables we use for this purpose.  With no size requirements, members were free to make whatever size quilt suited their project.  That made the photography extra challenging.

Editor's Note...

Congratulations to each member who completed a challenge entry.  Well done!  They were ALL fantastic!  I am particularly happy for the members who chose to dig in their UFO bins for a jump start on their challenge entries and the one member who was so inspired that she created TWO entries.  To the best of my knowledge, that is another thing that hasn't happened in previous in one of our Guild Challenges.

Until next time...

Be SEW creative!!!