February 2025 - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Welcome to the FEBRUARY 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.

The theme for January was:

NEON or ANYTHING BRIGHT

Well, it's ProjectQUILTING season...

That means that I didn't have a moment to think about my project until this week, which was an "off week".  No PQ project was due, but I had a couple other projects that I hoped to finish before the end of the month.

That meant that I would needed to do two things...

I needed to figure something out FAST and do something fairly SMALL.

First, I searched through my BLUE Quilted Scrap Basket...

But I really only needed a Dark BLUE and selected a few scraps leftover from the Scrappy Strips QAL with Kristen @scrapfabriclove:

Ultimately, I decided on another addition to my Words and Phrases Series...

This meant the next step would be drawing out the letters...

That was done on double-sided fusible, taken to the window to draw in reverse on the other side:

Cutting was followed by...

Applying the letters to my background, but you'll need to ignore those extra squares since they didn't make it into the final design:

A scrap of backing and batting was soon followed by layering the quilt sandwich...

And stitching the letters down with NEON orange thread:

My next step in the process is writing out a sample of my phrase and doing a test run of quilting...

Which is quickly followed by the real deal:

Once the threads were trimmed and the binding was prepared, I set to finishing the quilt...

My normal front porch swing photo didn't turn out great, so here is a better shot for you on the living room floor...

This is my completed February 2025 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge quilt in its new home, displayed on the gallery wire in my studio:

The phrase says "Never let anyone dim your sparkle."  Thanks for searching it out for me, Britt!  I think it felt just right for the 8" x 10" quilt:

What's next, Joyful???

Tomorrow the new month begins.  Angela announced the Color of the Month for March on her Rainbow Scrap Challenge post that went live on Monday.  She had chosen:

YELLOW

March's theme is:

SONG LYRICS/SONG TITLE/POETRY

NOTE:  Thank you, for the suggestion for our March theme, LeeAnna!  I expanded the theme to poetry, in case music isn't your thing.  I'm excited to see what participants are inspired to create!  While I look forward to seeing what you might make using the prompt, you are NOT required to use the suggested theme!!  The main goal is using up some of your scraps.  I have to say, I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do yet!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your NEON / ANYTHING BRIGHT and/or BLUE project in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, March 5th @ 11:59PM (EST).

USE those table scraps!!!

#tablescrapschallenge2025

Joining Cynthia

for

Oh Scrap!

Wonderful Wednesday - Noah's Grad Quilt - A Winter 2025 (Ravelry) UFO Club Finish

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to share my second UFO finish of 2025.  I completed the following quilt top quite a while ago, but added the borders a few weeks ago for the February 2025 Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This is the story of its finishing.

If you're in the Quilters Knitting group on Ravelry you may have already seen it...

This gift quilt has been waiting a number of years for quilting.  When faced with what to do for BLUE month at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I checked my UFO List and had a chat with Britt to see what her quilting schedule looked like.  Here we are on Zoom discussing the chances of her being able to quilt my UFO in BLUE:

She checked her schedule and found that she could fit me in, so I got busy deciding if I wanted to add borders or not:

Using a batch of indigo prints given to me by a friend felt like a really good finish to this special gift:

Then there came the question of backing...

This piece of wide back Grunge Dots purchased for a long ago project wasn't perfect, but DS2 and I decided that it works well enough:

Pressed and waiting to be dropped off at Britt's:

A couple of weeks later...

Britt and I met at McKay's Bookstore in Mebane for the return the (now quilted) quilt.  A couple of days later, I draped the quilt across the rails of the longarm and measured out some stashed BLUE binding...

Then proceeded to square up the quilt:

I wasn't sure about the binding, so sent the following photo to my Design Consultant...

That would be Britt and she needed a broader view:

The verdict was that a darker binding would be better, but...

That's not what happened for two reasons.  One, there was more than enough of the previously made binding, and two, there wasn't enough of the indigo left to make binding for a quilt this big.  The binding is being stitched to the back of the quilt in the photo below:

The last of the binding which I had prepared after completing the body of the quilt top at Pedal Pushers Retreat 2023 is shown below.  I won a game of Binding Chicken that I didn't realize I was playing with only 10 inches to spare:

This morning, the final stitches were sewn to attach that binding to the front of the quilt:

And...

Here is the porch swing photo:

I'm SEW glad that I was able to get this done during BLUE month and that I'm SEW happy that it won't be going back on the UFO List for the Spring 2025 UFO Club session!  This indoor shot show a full view:

Thank you, Britt, for making my UFO finishing dreams come true two months in a row!  I feel SEW lucky to have such a good friend!!  Hmm...  How's your March schedule looking???  Angela called for YELLOW and I know there's a YELLOW project waiting to be completed.  :o))

Until next time...

Mark another UFO off the list!!

Sharing with Alycia

for

Finished (Or Not) Friday

The 100 Day Project 2025 - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered - An Introduction

Welcome to the 100 Day Project mini-series here on The Joyful Quilter!!  It's that time of year, again.  I started The 100 Day Project yesterday.  You might have heard of it, if you visited my blog last Spring.  It's a particularly popular event over on Instagram.  I got brave and joined in last year.  

What's the plan, Joyful???

The challenge is intended to encourage artistic growth, but doing 100 days of art doesn't really work for me right now.  There's still really nothing that I want to create 100 of in the next 100 days.  I changed the project to fit my needs last year and I will do the same again.

Lighten the load!!!

Once again, I'm changing the scope of my project to 100 Items Decluttered in 100 Days. My home and studio still NEED this project!  The house isn't awful, but could benefit from having fewer things in it.  The studio, on the other hand, is still a complete HOT MESS!!

Here's the plan...

The decluttering hasn't been going well since last year's 100 Day Project.  I have reason to believe The 100 Day Project will provide the extra motivation needed to move some stuff along.  Joining the international accountability project was just the incentive I needed to focus on decluttering last year.  Let's hope it works, again!

NOTE:  I am NOT committing to decluttering an item EVERY day!  I find that I often tend to do better in batches.  Some days I just can't cope with decluttering at all.  If I happen to declutter 100 items in 50 days, so much the better!  I plan to continue removing layers of stuff for the entire length of The 100 Day Project.

@dothe100dayproject

#The100DayProject

#The100Day Project2025

#DoThe100DayProject

#100Days100Things_TheDeclutterEdition

#100Days100ThingsDecluttered

#filltheboxjoy

Follow me on Instagram @thejoyfulquilter.

Until next time...

Wish me luck!!

ProjectQUILTING - Season 16.4 - Birthstone

BIRTHSTONE

Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!!  And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  This is my 6th year of participation in the Challenge.  Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will face during the next 5 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 will be dragging along my friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color again this season, as she enjoys having a reason to stretch her creative wings.  Would YOU like to join me in this creative journey, too?  

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 16.4 can be found at THIS LINK:

Step One...

Start wondering how I might pair last month's PINK, which happens to be the color of my birthstone, with this month's BLUE for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I like to pair the two when at all possible.

Step Two...

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

PQ 16.4 birthstone

You’ve probably heard us discuss how much I love Pantone,  and I look forward annually to their January announcement of the color of the year. This year, however, they have underwhelmed me with Mocha Mousse. And I usually build one of our challenges around the color of the year – but I’m not asking you to make brown projects. I can’t get behind it.

So I started wondering about ideas for other color challenges. I wanted to mix it up – to make it fun and personal. So this week I’m asking you to look up the gemstone for your birth month, and then use that color in this week’s project. What’s more personal than your birthday?

Here’s some gem info to find your birthstone: https://www.gemsociety.org/article/birthstone-chart/

She went on to say the following:

 

... Your project this week doesn’t have to be about the gemstone or even about your birthday. But you do need to use your birthstone’s color prominently in your completed quilt.

Step Three...

Consider the possibilities by thinking about possible block choices.

What did you come up with, Joyful???

Well, I think I've decided on a plan!  I'm going to zero in on two-color blocks in order to narrow the field.

Step Four...

Head to the studio to gather supplies.  As I mentioned, February's Color of the month is BLUE so that basket got pulled:

As I mentioned, that doesn't allow for my birthstone, so I grabbed the PINK basket, as well for my October birthday.  Depending on  which chart you check, it's either Opal or Rose Zircon to see what shades appealed to me:

Tutorial for these baskets can be found HERE.

Step Five...

Review the rules:

Rule one: use the color of your birthstone as a guide for your project.

You have one week to meet the challenge. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline – that is, started on or after February 16th, 2025, and linked up by noon Central Time February 23rd, 2025.

Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count.

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 PAGE by Sunday, February 23rd at noon CST (here’s a link to time zone converter to calculate for Central Standard Time: www.thetimezoneconverter.com)

Step Six... PLAY!!!

I began by sorting through the scraps in my baskets hoping to come up with a pleasing selection of prints for the design I have in mind.

Step Seven... Get to work!!!

With just less than 7 full days until the deadline, one of the floral fabrics called to me and I selected a coordinating piece from my scrap stash...

Once those were cut, I chose my birthstone pinks...

And cut the required number of those, as well:

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.)

Then is was Tuesday, with 5 days before the deadline, when I began sewing units:

Repeat that unit 100 times over...

Before doing a test layout:

Wednesday brought me one day closer to the due date...

Stitching commenced and soon enough, this quilt top appeared:

On Friday, the task of the day was choosing the backing, batting, and binding scraps, I selected two scrap chunks and constructed a backing and dug for just the right piece of leftover batting, but no photo was taken for sharing.

With 2 days until the deadline...

The same thing happened with the layered and ready for quilting entry.  :o((

I didn't manage to get a photo until...

Saturday, AFTER the piece was already quilted:

With little more than 24 hours before the deadline, my entry is...

Quilted and ready for binding:

Finally, my project was done late on Saturday afternoon...

I'm SEW pleased to present my completed entry for PQ 16.4, even though there wasn't enough light for a good photo, here it is:

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

... And this time, it was because I wanted to test out a design for a challenge coming later in the year.  ProjectQUILTING gave me a prompt that worked well for the purpose!  

There you have it...

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

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 16 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 evenings, you really CAN do this!  My project was begun the same day the prompt was announced and was finished with little more that 18 hours to spare!  My post was ready for release shortly thereafter, but wasn't released until Sunday, as is my habit.  It's scheduled release time is Sunday morning and then I join Kim's Link Party.

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.)

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC25 - Week 8

Welcome to Week 8 of the 2025 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week is another good one work-wise and there are various meetings on the agenda, as I'm sure you've come to expect if you've visited before.  Was there any BLUE scrap sewing???

Let's see what kept me busy...

SUNDAY - Weekly Morning Art Zoom came with these pages from our Dare to Roll game including Prompt Set One - book page, botanical, paint drips, cling wrap, and numbers...

Along with Prompt Set Two - red, old photo, water-soluble, unique attachment, and poetry:

After lunch, I did some BLUE scrap cutting:

MONDAY - Work

Afterwards I did "speed shopping" so that I didn't have to go later tonight.  After the refrigerated items were put away, I met my friend Britt for dinner...

Before our Quilt Guild meeting.  Tonight's speaker was Emma Jane Powell of Dream It Quilt It who did an interesting presentation on Arpilleras:

TUESDAY - Work

When I got home I headed straight up to the studio for some BLUE scrap sewing:

WEDNESDAY - Day Off / SNOW Day

I stitched BLUE scraps ALL.  Day.  LONG!!!  Slowly, I transformed these pieces into the components needed for the blocks of this month's RSC Donation quilt:

That being said, I did take time out for my Weekly Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color in the middle of the afternoon:

THURSDAY - Day Off / SNOW Day

Would you believe it?  The pieces from yesterday were transformed into these blocks:

I took a break during the midday for Curiosity Collective.  Today's lesson was Doodle Cards with Jennifer Wilken Pickett @jenniferwilkinpenick and here is my journal page:

It had just begun to snow again when the class started, but this was the view out the studio window once art time was over and flakes were still flying:

An hour or two later the skies clear and most of the snow had melted away:

FRIDAY - Day Off

The roads were perfectly clear so I braved the cold and made my way to Knit Group.  Here were the other knitters in attendance:

Open Art Studio followed a quick lunch.  I traced a British Vogue magazine image as a way to get more comfortable with drawing faces:

Later, when dinner was done, I attended my Weekly Evening Art Zoom.  I completed the REPEAT prompt from Junk Journal January, going minimal for this journal spread...

And then prepared this small journal from some interesting cardboard packaging:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope that by post time you will have already visited Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.

I was busy completing this week's ProjectQUILTING challenge entry and hope to catch up with my RSC friends.  You'll be able to read about the details in THIS POST tomorrow - Sunday, February 23rd:

There was also a quick break for a visit with Knittingsuek during our Weekly Zoom call:

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!