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

Welcome to the December 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 this is the final challenge of the year.  I host this event 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 letters are 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.

December's letters were:

S, H, and/or E

I wanted to come up with a design that includes all three letters, as well as the (self-professed) Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month.  I designated December's color as RAINBOW.  There are always a multitude of those in my scrap baskets.  I considered using the Dark Multi that was in the running for last month:

I began without a plan, but as I thought about what I might do and looked around at some of my other rainbow projects...

Like this mini table runner:

And this mug rug:

I had a glimmer of an idea.  There has been a project on my list for quite a while, but I haven't managed to work it into my schedule.  This gift from my friend Carol sealed the deal:

I went stash diving for the fabrics I would need:

I drew up the design:

Stitched it together and pinned it for quilting:

Soon enough the quilting was done...

And...

It was time to select a fabric to represent the sun:

Which one would YOU use???

For me, that was a "phone a friend" selection process.  Thanks, Britt!

We'll get back to that, but let's fast forward to the binding stage...

This fun fabric presented itself.  I used this print recently and thought it might be perfect for the binding.  If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this was a gift from Mari @ The Academic Quilter:

Then came the question of backing...

I usually like to use something that "feels right" for the project, but this time, I went with something that was in the bin of multicolored scraps.  It was colorful and the right size.  I layered it up and moved on to the quilting... Even if it didn't include ALL the colors!  Diane's scraps (At least, I think that's where it came from.) for the WIN:

I can't believe I finished this before Christmas...

I'm pleased to present my completed ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge entry for December, shown below on the cutting table in my studio:

It turned out ~9.25" x 6.25"

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

Like this:

SHE = I stenciled the word with my fine tp POSCA pen.

Rainbow = I used a rainbow of scraps for my new RAINBOW themed gallery wire mini.

What's next, Joyful???

As the year draws to a close, I am thinking about how to play out the 2024 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge.  Follow the link to find out what I decided.  I certainly am hoping that Angela will be continuing her Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I have enjoyed combining her Color of the Month with our Challenge.

I'll add the color here, once Angela has announced it:

Dark and/or Bright GREEN 

January's theme is:

SNOWFLAKE(S)

NOTE:  I'm excited to see what YOU are inspired to create, but remember, you are NOT required to use the suggested theme!!  I'm not sure what I will make, but I'm sure I'll figure something out before the end of the January!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your S,H, and/or E projects in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, January 3rd @ 11:59PM (EST).  I've given you extra time since the Link Party fell right between two major holidays!  I hope that will help you finish an entry... or at least start one.  :o))

Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!

#ABCtableSCRAPSchallenge2023

#tablescrapschallenge2023

SURPRISE!!!

This was given to my good friend Knittingsuek at Evening Quilt Bee on Thursday night and she was beyond thrilled with her new "Joyful original" quilt:

Sharing with Cynthia

for

Oh, Scrap!

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

Welcome to the November 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 December will be here next week.

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 letters are 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.

November's letters were:

K and/or W

What will I do for a design that includes both letters, as well as the (self-professed) Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month?  I designated November's color as Dark NEUTRAL.  As you might have seen earlier this month, I had a multitude of those in my scrap baskets.

In BLACK...

BROWN...

And Dark Multi:

But HOW was I going to decide which scraps to used???

I took a poll and the Dark Multi scraps were hugely popular.

But...

Inspiration struck when I went exploring.  I found this baggie full of small HSTs and a sweet BROWN-toned background print:

I'm pretty sure these came from my Bee-mate, Maggie.  Am I right?

I began without a real plan.  Even with a headstart on a project, it still left me with a mound of squaring up to be done:

After searching my dictionary of quilt blocks, I settled on something like this, but the sweet BROWN- toned background print didn't make much of an impact in the center of my block:

It MIGHT have worked on the corners, but I only had a single strip of it...

So I went looking for another option and was pleased with the result:

It took a week of sewing...

And pressing...

Before the blocks were assembled and ready for the design table:

Shadows or scorch marks?  I'm not quite sure!  :o((

This is a photo of the selections for backing straight from a fairly recent scrap infusion...

Here it is, all pinned and ready for quilting:

Fast forward to the binding stage...

Another try for that sweet BROWN background print:

This one wasn't quite the right shade to work with the HSTs:

The reddish-brown option seemed to go well with the lighter/brighter scrap squares:

Which one did you choose, Joyful???

You will see soon enough.  Sending out a big THANK YOU to Britt for the "quilt by committee" texting session for a second opinion about the selections!!

I was running out of time...

But there was still the question of the backing.  I took one last look in the scrap basket and found this Kaffe Fassett gem among a hand full of scraps that more than likely came from Diane or her friend Michelle.  It feels right for the project, and it was just the right size, so I layered this thing and got busy with the actual quilting:

I'm pleased to present my completed ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge entry for November, shown here, hanging out on the cutting table in my studio:

I used 90 HSTs in this 8.25" x 5.25" quilt!!

Here's another photo of the mug rug doing its job:

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

Like this:

K = I used the Box KITE quilt block pattern for my little quilt.

W = The color WHITE made up the background.

What's next, Joyful???

The month of December is still nearly a week away.  Again, Angela won't be announcing a new Color of the Month, she planned for November to be for quilting and finishing.  Therefore...

I have, again, made an executive decision for the purposes of the ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge.  Our color will be:

RAINBOW

Use as many colors of the rainbow as you dare!!  :o))

December's letters are:

S, H and/or E

NOTE:  Use one letter, two letters, or all three letters.  I'm excited to see what YOU are inspired to create!!  I'm not inspired yet, but I'll keep thinking.  I'm sure I'll figure something out before the end of the year!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your K and/or W projects in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, December 6th @ 11:59PM (EDT).  I've given you extra time since the Link Party was early this month AND launched on the day after (American) Thanksgiving!  I hope that will help you finish an entry... or at least start one.

Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!

#ABCtableSCRAPSchallenge2023

#tablescrapschallenge2023

Linking up with Alycia

for

Finished (Or Not) Friday

Joining Cynthia

for

Oh, Scrap!

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:

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 42

Welcome to Week 42 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  As you know, I'm a fairly busy person.  I like to joke that the less I'm home, the less I have to do housework.  Well, this week, even I'm tired from all that was on my schedule!

SUNDAY - It was a whirlwind of a day!  It started off with...

Taking a photo of my Nest Journal that Britt and I collaborated on.  The Nest Journal is a term coined by a fellow founding member of The Roben's Nest art membership:

Then my Easy Like a Sunday Morning Get Messy Hangout. Next, I was off to brunch with several of my knitting friends.  Sadly, I neglected to take a photo of the brunch bunch.  :o((

When I got home it was the to Zoom with Knittingsuek:

Then I enjoyed a vitrual quilting workshop with Brenda Gael Smith of Australia.  I couldn't resist a class called FUNdamentally Circles:

(Channeling my RSC Quilter friends) Here are the fabrics I chose to work with:

This is the view that bid her students farewell.  It's the incredible view out her studio window:

After dinner, I finished the quilting on the final QOV for local veterans:

MONDAY - This morning I took some time to make use of the collage clusters that I make over the weekend:

The 2023 Neighborhood Challenge was due tonight at Quilt Guild.  More on that in next Wednesday's post.  One of the entrants was my friend Diane.  Lucky me!  She also brought along another Bag of Joy filled with fabric scraps:

TUESDAY - I was thrilled to get a photo of these beautiful Light NEUTRAL flowers in my neighbor's garden this afternoon.  Great for art and my RSC Quilter friends:

WEDNESDAY - I had just enough time before work to join the International Art In for Peace + Unity...

Inspired by my friend Britt's MOSAIC prompt for Day 60 of the 2023 ICAD Challenge, I finally worked on this collage:

Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

THURSDAY - I raced home after work to join in this month's Winging It meet-up with my Get Messy friends.  This month the hostess read a children's book titled "Virginia Wolf".  It's about a girl who paints a world to bring her sister out of the doldrums.  I came in just as she was asking participants to share a color, symbol, or word that helps brighten their day when they find themselves "down in the dumps".  Once everyone everyone shared, we were encouraged to make art using some of the mentioned items.  Here is what I made using a stenciled page in my Flowers Magic ArtFest journal that seemed like a good jumping off point, as the black paint could easily represent the doldrums:

Can you believe I use every one of those supplies on that 3" x 5" page?!?!

FRIDAY - I'm so glad that my schedule is allowing me to attend Knit Group before heading off to work!  We had a guest this morning and I forgot to get a photo.  :o((

After FIVE MONTHS, the construction crew FINALLY added erosion control to the hill they created across the street and just in time, by the looks of those clouds:

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 plan on spending the day trying to figure out what projects will get packed up and carted off to the mountains with me next week. This is what I have gathered this is what I've gather so far.  Here's hoping that I can make some good progress at the Quilt Retreat:

Internet connectivity is spotty, at best, out in no man's land near the North Carolina - Virginia border.  Please leave any comments, but know that I may not get back to you before NEXT weekend.  I feel SEW sure that you understand.  Thanks for that.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!