ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC25 - Week 45

Welcome to Week 45 of the 2025 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week is sure to include some scrappy sewing, as it is flanked by the final retreat day on the front end and Kristen's MAKE IT MINI event on the tail end.  What a way to start and finish Week Two of my retirement!  :o))

Also...

Since Angela didn't assign a new Color of the Month for November, I've declared it Maker's Choice.  That should make things easier for participants in this month's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge.  They won't have to worry about fitting a particular color into their FAVORITE BOOK or MOVIE project.  Will YOU be inspired to make an entry?

Let's see how my week progressed...

SUNDAY - Retreat - Day Four

No Weekly Morning Art Bee and no Zoom with Sue (because she was here, too.)

I had brought only one more project to the retreat. A scrappy donation quilt that I started during over the summer.  I laid out all out on the design floor...

(Along with a few extra scraps from Britt, Kirsten and Stacy) I got a start on the piecing:

MONDAY - Doctor Day

Before my appointment, I finally pulled the painted print that I worked on last week.  I meant to pull it on Thursday morning before leaving for retreat, but I forgot:

After lunch I headed to Chapel Hill for my dermatology follow-up appointment.  They didn't use this machine, but used the "cryo kettle" on one spot and took a biopsy of another which thankfully came back normal:

TUESDAY - Open Studio w/ Barb found me working on my opening page for the Season of Do It Scared.  I incorporated yesterday's gel print pull into matching background and added a quote from Caylee Grey to finish off the page:

Postponed due to yesterday's appointment, I enjoyed my Weekly Zoom Call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color early this afternoon:

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

You've probably already seen the completed quilt last weekend, but it needed its own post.  Here the accompanying porch swing photo that I neglected to add...

Along with a well lit photo of Britt's beautiful quilting:

A grocery run and one of two breathing treatments filled my day.  The treatments take 30 minutes to an hour each, but seem to be helping clear my lungs:

THURSDAY - Weekly Quilt Group

The highlight of the meeting was this beauty made by Deborah, quilted by Singing Stitches:

Was followed by art time with Britt.  We were late to Curiosity Collective because of the time change over the weekend, but spent the afternoon doing some gelli printing with a focus on image transfers:

FRIDAY - Knit Group

Just two of us this morning:

After lunch, I went up to the studio for Get Messy's Open Studio with Deandra.  My time was spent on this page in my Collage Scraps Altered Book journal:

Britt and I were early for our Weekly Evening Art Zoom:

I finally started on my journal for Meg's No Sew November art journaling challenge:

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'm pleased to have made progress with my Light NEUTRAL scraps last month, but haven't decided what colors I'll be working with during November.

This afternoon, I'm attending a virtual class with Kristen @ Scrap Fabric Love.  I'm excited for her Make It Mini event because you all know how much I like to quilt small.  I'll drop in a photo of what I made later today:

Photo Currently Unavailable!!

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

Wonderful Wednesday - Scrappy Bargello - Another Fall 2025 (Ravelry) UFO Club Finish

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday here at The Joyful Quilter!!  I'm here to share some exciting news.  It's time for a happy dance!  I've finished another UFO from my Fall 2025 UFO Club list.

This project, began in a February 2025 Sew Along hosted by Kristen @ Scrap Fabric Love.  While there were ups and downs in making this quilt, I absolutely LOVE the result (and all the Light NEUTRAL scraps that it used up in the process!)

Sewing down the binding was my first project at this past weekend's Quilt Retreat.  Here is the completed quilt right after it was done on October 30th:

Scrappy Bargello SAL

~ 50 x 60

Britt did the quilting a few weeks ago:

We hung out as she worked and took a break for some art time after lunch.  By the late afternoon, the quilting was complete and oh-SEW-beautiful:

Thank you for planning the time to make my hope of an October finish a reality:

I'll close with this shadowy outtake:

It feels AMAZING to have such a good-sized quilt completed in the same year it was begun.  Started during BLUE month at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and finished during Light and/or Dark NEUTRAL month.

Until next time...

Mark another UFO off the list!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC25 - Week 44

Welcome to Week 44 of the 2025 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  It's Week One of my retirement and I'm not bored yet (and I don't expect to be anytime soon.) The concept hasn't really sunk in yet, as there were plenty of times when I was off work for 8 days between shifts.  Was there any Light and or Dark NEUTRAL scrap sewing this week?

Let's take a stroll through my week to find out...

SUNDAY - Weekly Morning Art Zoom found me assembling this collage made from a few recent gel prints:

Chatted with Britt for a few minutes afterward...

And then moved on to a quilting project:

Later, I joined Kristen @ Scrap Fabric Love for the October Scrap Club meeting on Zoom:

MONDAY - 

Zoom with Knittingsuek

In neighborhood construction news...

New neighbors moved in today at the end of the street...

And another lawn is being prepped for landscaping:

TUESDAY - 

Down the block, another house is ready to go on the market:

During Get Messy's Open Studio with Barb today, I created this journal page:

After lunch, I enjoyed my Weekly Zoom Call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

WEDNESDAY - Doctor Day

Early.  I was able to spend some time working on a couple rounds of my Lucky Thirteen sock by On Woolen Pond:

THURSDAY - G's Quilt and Craft Retreat - Day One

Our arrival was set for some Halloween fun:

The first project after getting all set up for a weekend for sewing:

FRIDAY - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge

Retreat - Day Two

That meant no Knit Group, no Open Studio with Deandra, and no Weekly Evening Art Zoom for me.  Today, mistakes were made...

But I made progress on this expansion project.  Notice the Light NEUTRAL scraps:

SATURDAY - Retreat - Day Three

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'll be along later, but you might have noticed bits of NEUTRAL scraps throughout my week.

I was too busy sewing to post today.  First up?  The completed group purse project:

Maggie, Britt, Stacy, Joy and Sue

With the bag done, I moved on to finish this mini using the County Clare pattern from Bonnie Hunter's 2024 Leader Ender Challenge, the prototype for another project on the go:

Approximately 7.5" square 

Oh!  One final project.  Truly NEUTRAL scraps made into a Quilted Thread Catcher:

This one went home with Maggie.

Thanks for coming along to see was I was up to this week.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

October 2025 - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Welcome to the OCTOBER 2025 edition of the TABLE SCRAPS Challenge here at the Joyful Quilter!!  I'll start with a little backstory, in case you are new here.  (Apologies to my regular readers since you already know all about it.) I'm a scrap quilter who had been setting up individual challenges for several years in conjunction with Angela's (RSC) Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ So Scrappy.  Participants from around the corner, across the country and around the world have been having SEW much fun and we all have MORE scraps to use, so I am pleased to offer the...

In 2025, we have a broad range of quilted items that are appropriate for linking to the Challenge.  Baskets and bins, along with pillows and pin cushions, are all qualifying projects.  Not just the toppers, runners, and mug rugs.  Basically, ANY quilted item qualifies.  The main premise is that you USE the (new or old) SCRAPS from your cutting table (or your friend's cutting table - since that's where the majority of my scraps come from!)

There will be a prompt each month to help get your creative juices flowing.  While you are NOT required to use it in your project, the guiding word will be revealed at the end of each month's LINK PARTY post.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the following 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 2025 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge page at the top of the blog.

This month's color was:

Light and/or Dark NEUTRAL

The theme for October was:

DENIM

What project did you choose this month, Joyful???

I went through a couple of options including a water bottle sling and another mug rug...

Before settling on making an art quilt using a scrap from this quilt backing:

I was inspired by Kristen's recent Mini Quilt series @ Scrap Fabric Love.

I grabbed a scrap of denim, a piece of offcut batting, and layered it up for quilting:

What goes better with denim than orange batik scraps???

I originally thought that I would wrap a canvas, as I've done that before.  Instead, I decided to try another method shown on Kristen's "So Many Ways to Hang Mini Quilts" video...

But then...

 

Edge stitching and craft glue to the rescue:

Here is my completed October 2025 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge project...

This is me attempting to show you the depth of the canvas:

It's 1" deep and will stand on its own.

Here it is in it's new home beside my stash of pre-cuts:

~6" x 6"

Mounted on artist's canvas.

What's next, Joyful???

I'm guessing that Angela will probably announce the Color of the Month for November on her Rainbow Scrap Challenge post tomorrow.  I'll post an update as soon as I find out what she decided on.  Whoops!  No color from Angela this month.  For our purposes, the Color of the Month will be...

Maker's Choice

November's theme is:

INSPIRED BY YOUR FAVORITE BOOK or MOVIE

NOTE:  I'm looking forward to seeing what book or movie will inspire your work! Remember, though, you are NOT required to use the prompt provided!!  The main goal is using up some of your scraps.  I have to say, I'm unsure of how I might interpret our November challenge!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your DENIM and/or NEUTRAL project in the LINK PARTY below. All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, November 5th @ 11:59PM (EDT).

Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!

#tablescrapschallenge2025

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC25 - Week 43

Welcome to Week 43 of the 2025 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This will be a week of tying up loose ends and the end of an era.  Will there be time for Light and/or Dark NEUTRAL scrap sewing?

Read on to discover the details of the week...

SUNDAY - The day began with my Weekly Morning Art Zoom on Get Messy.  It was time for Roll the Dice.  The "game" always proves to be challenging and fun.

The following prompts were chosen for Set One - organic shapes, red, collage, vellum or transparent paper, and magazine image:

This is the list for Prompt Set Two - stars, spray, tape, numbers and found words:

No Zoom with Knittingsuek this weekend.  We opted for a phone call instead (for the second week in a row.)  Not my preference, but at least we were able to have a quick chat.

MONDAY - Work/Training Day

Well... It was supposed to be!  However, the seasonal temp didn't show up.  During my break, I found a video from Sew Charming Quilt Shop on YouTube for this fun scrap quilt:

After work, I went home to gather my things for this evening's Quilt Guild meeting.  The reveal for our 2025 Making Faces Challenge was tonight.  I usually show a shot of the entire table set-up, but didn't capture that view.  This is my completed entry on the table:

TUESDAY - Work/Training Day

A new temp arrived for training.  I believe he will work out well.

Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

In neighborhood news...

Neighbors moved into the "moat house" today:

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

Work/Training Day - The final frontier!!

Yesterday's temp returned and the in-house seasonal worker who has now been assigned to the Call Center both reported for another day of training.  Both jumped right into all the duties of the job and seem to complement each other well.  It's quite a relief since today is my LAST DAY of work!!!  :o))

THURSDAY - FREEDOM!!!

While it doesn't seem quite real yet, my two week notice has been fulfilled and today is my first day of "retirement".  We'll see if it sticks.  If I get bored (unlikely), my boss said that I can come in to work even if I'm not on the schedule.  She also said that if I want to come back, I can specify the days that I want to work (which is very different from her norm.)

Weekly Quilt Group met at Maggie's today.  She shared this table topper/wall hanging made using some of her smallest scraps.  Maggie told the group that it was inspired by me and my love of sewing little bits:

Here are the three members who completed the guild's Making Faces Challenge:

Britt and I used the challenge as encouragement to finish our 2021 Faces workshop quilts.

After the meeting we headed to Britt's house for lunch and this week's Curiosity Collective Zoom lesson on Get Messy.  We created these pages under the tutelage of @jameslukeburkecreative by recycling two pieces of some of Britt's old art:

Thanks for sharing your art and supplies, Britt!

FRIDAY - Knit Group

Stacy and I were pleased that Hilary was able to meeting with us today:

After a quick grocery run and lunch, I headed up to the studio for Get Messy's Open Studio with Deandra.  I worked on this page in my Collage Scraps Altered Book journal using a gel print and more of that gorgeous tissue paper from Britt:

Later at my Weekly Evening Art Zoom, I was feeling flowery:

Once my collage was done, I decided to prepare a layered gel print to pull tomorrow:

SATURDAY - Work

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.

This NEUTRAL scrap quilting took place yesterday afternoon:

Any guesses as to what it might grow up to be???  Here's a hint!  The October TABLE SCRAPS Challenge is coming up soon.  The Link Party post goes LIVE on Friday.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!