ProjectQUILTING - Season 17.6 - A Happy Handful

A HAPPY HANDFUL

Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!!  And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  This is my 7th year of participation in the Challenge.  Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will face during the next week.

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.  I wasn't sure if I would be dragging along my friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color for this season, as she has had some other things on her mind recently.  However, she decided she's up for the challenge after all.  Would YOU like to join me in this creative journey, too?  Jump in at any time!  The more the merrier.  :o))

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 17.6 can be found at THIS LINK:

Step One...

Respond with intrigue, as the A Happy Handful theme made me wonder wonder what Trish had in store for us.

Step Two...

I had a thought before reading the instructions to see what is required of the sixth and final challenge of the season.  Here's what Trish had to say:

PQ 17.6  A HAPPY HANDFUL

This week, we're focusing on size - specifically, smaller projects. What can you make that's able to be held in just one hand? Think outside the "quilt" and sew up a project for something small in stature but full of joy: a happy handful. Pincushions, lanyards, pouches, nametags, organizational buckets, mug rugs and jewelry all fit the brief. Where can your imagination take you?

Step Three...

Get excited!

Why, Joyful???

Well, you KNOW that I like quilting small.  This will be fun for me.

Step Four...

Check out the Scrap Station for supplies and pulled the RED scraps for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

Tutorial for these baskets can be found HERE.

Step Five...

Review the rules:

Rule One: Your project should be held in just one hand.

Projects need to be created during the week of the challenge (started on or after March 15, finished by March 22).

Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these three 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 kim's PAGE by Sunday, March 22 at noon CST (here’s a link to time zone converter to calculate for Central Standard Time: www.thetimezoneconverter.com)

• Add to the linky the URL of your project’s blog post, instagram picture, or public facebook posting

• Alternately, by 11am on Sunday, March 22 you may email a picture and description to {projectquilting at gmail dot com} with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line. Yes – that deadline is one hour earlier because Kim needs some time to get it done.

Step Six... Get to work!!!

I began by heading to my computer for a look at the QuiltCon Name Tag Holder, but decided that I didn't want to make that right now.

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.)

Step Seven... 

I headed to my quilting library for a book that includes some really cute small projects...

And one of my favorite books for scrap usage:

Step Eight... Play!!!

Realized that since it's still RED month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and I've already got a combo of red with green scraps out on the table, there's one person who needs one of my Quilted Thread Catchers/Yarn Bowls.

The top was done on Monday:

On Wednesday, I found scraps of backing and batting then layered up the quilt:

Here's the back, all quilted up...

This is how the front looks once it was trimmed up:

Then...

The transformation began:

My entry is nearly done, but what shall I use for the binding...

That's when I pulled the Holiday Scrap Basket:

Ultimately, I found a fun striped print in the binding scrap box.  I added that binding at yesterday's Sew Day with my quilting friends:

With less than 24 hours until the deadline...

I'm SEW pleased to present my completed entry for PQ 17.6 shown with its recipient:

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

... This time it was the perfect catalyst for a quilty gift.  Thank you, ProjectQUILTING!!  I really enjoyed this challenge.

There you have it...

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

But WAIT!!!

I wanted to try a bonus project, too:

I used the same binding on this mini mug rug:

This one was made to use the off-cuts from "boxing the corners" of Carol's Quilted Yarn Bowl, while practicing the QAYG technique that Maggie shared at Quilt Bee.  A "two-fer."

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 17 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 1 day after the prompt was released and was finished with approximately 20 hours to spare!  My post, however, wasn't ready for release until 1.5 hours before the Link Party was set to close.  I'm SEW pleased that I managed to complete my entry and accompanying post in time to join Kim's final challenge of Season 17.

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.)