Showing posts with label ArtQuilts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ArtQuilts. Show all posts

Friday, March 28, 2025

March 2025 - TABLE SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Welcome to the MARCH 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 March was:

SONG LYRICS/SONG TITLE/POETRY

ProjectQUILTING season ended on Sunday...

That means that I didn't have a moment to think about my project until the final challenge was complete.  No worries, though!  Inspiration struck a week and a half ago during an art session, if you can believe it.  I was inspired by this journal entry:


I was so excited that I got right to work...

On a background using the same paints on fabric when Curiosity Collective was done:


Yes, those are art supplies.  Why do you ask???

I used my smallest gel plate and a brayer to create the following background for my entry:


I worked on the scene during Friday's Get Messy Open Studio time:


A swing set?!  What's THAT about???

I wasn't sure where I was going with this, but then I recalled a recent journal spread that began with a similar landscape.  I added a seesaw to that one so that it met the BALANCE prompt for Day 14 of Junk Journal January.


What song have you chosen, Joyful???

Somehow, I found myself reaching back to grade school days.  The lyrics to the song, Sing, by The Carpenters brought memories flooding back to me of the song being sung at the top of our lungs during recess in 3rd grade.  The year was 1973.

How did we even know the song???

It was just released that year.  Susannah's big sister must have heard it on the radio and bought the record at our local Kmart.  That was the only place to buy music in our small town.

Enough of a walk down memory lane, let's get on with the construction.  I didn't mean to make another addition to my Words and Phrases Series...

But the theme insisted on it so I added some "chalkboard lines" to insure somewhat straight lines of song lyrics, but would I pen and ink write the words to the song?  What do YOU think?!


The next step in my process was stitching out a sample of my phrase...


Which was quickly followed by the real deal:


Once the threads were trimmed and the binding was selected, I found a way to add a few YELLOW scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and set to finishing the quilt....


Here is my completed March 2025 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge quilt...

On my cutting mat, immediately after it was finished:


Then there was the traditional front porch swing photo:


These are a few closeups for you...

The quilted words:


And the artists - The Carpenters, 1973:




What's next, Joyful???

I'm guessing that Angela will announce the Color of the Month for April on her Rainbow Scrap Challenge post tomorrow.  I'll post an update as soon as she has made her choice:

TEAL CORRECTION!!! RED is the new color.

April's theme is:

RAIN

NOTE:  I realize it might be an odd prompt for a quilt, but there are so many directions it can be taken.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you 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 don't have a clue what I'm going to do yet!

And now...

It's time for YOU to link up your SONG LYRICS/SONG TITLE/POETRY and/or YELLOW project in the LINK PARTY below.  All entries MUST be submitted by Wednesday, April 2nd @ 11:59PM (EST).


Until next time...

USE those table scraps!!!
#tablescrapschallenge2025
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Thursday, March 25, 2021

Salt and Sand Blog Hop - Day Four - My STOP!!!

Welcome!!  Ocean colors.  What's not to love?  Since I've had a project in mind, I'm hoping this might be just the push I need to get it from the design phase to the quilt phase.

What ARE you talking about, Joyful???



In her announcement, Carol from Just Let Me Quilt writes:

I will be hosting the "Salt and Sand" blog hop March 22- 26. The challenge is to sew something in ocean/sand colors and/or ocean creatures. This one should be fun, too...well, I think they are all fun!

Here is my fabric pull...

... Which sat on my "design board" for several weeks before I began:


This is my plan:

I was inspired by Karen Echmeier's work in her Accidental Landscapes book and associated videos.

My process...

Last week, with my toes in the sand I began by doing free cut curves, but no folded seam allowances for finished applique.  That's how I roll:


Then, I waded into the surf...


... Before fixing my eyes on the horizon and the sky beyond:


Once the pieces were situated...


...  I pinned everything in place:


Prior to going to the machine, I added (and removed) a couple of "blender" waves, as I wasn't convinced they worked:


Monday was the day that I finally worked up the courage to stitch it all down (which is good since the Hop has started)...


... With the help of the beachiest threads on the rack:


Again, I walked out on the sand...


Inching my way into the waves required a plan...


... And SEW many thread changes...


... As the waves crashed into the shore:


With the horizon sewn down, it was time to stitch my way across the sky:


The two shades of blue that I chose required reinforcements and more thread was added after seeing the puckers in the photo below:


That was followed by squaring up the piece:


Thanks to Needleb, you don't need to feel seasick, as she reminded me that the horizon should be level:


When it came time for finishing the piece, I decided to attempt color matching the binding...


... Which was just as challenging as I remembered it to be:



As I always say...

DONE is better than perfect:




What's THIS, Joyful???




That is the beginning of my PRIZE giveaway!!!

Because, as you may or may not know, EVERY Blog Hop is reason for a giveaway, in my book. As the winner, YOU will get to choose if you would like me to transform these scraps into a pin cushion, a mug rug, or a small framed quilt art piece.

DISCLAIMER:  The fabrics shown above will be used (possibly in combination with other color-appropriate scraps) in the making of said prize.  That prize may or may not end up looking anything like the layout shown above.

How do I qualify to win the prize, Joyful???

In order to get your name in the prize drawing, you MUST tell me the name or location of your favorite beach.  The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, March 31st @ 9 PM (EDT) from your qualifying comments.

Sorry!!  The drawing is CLOSED!!!

Be sure to visit the other Hop participants listed below:


I'm joining in some of my favorite Link Parties:

Sharing with Alycia
for

and

Whooping it Up with Sarah
at

Until next time...
SEW relaxing!!!
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Friday, March 19, 2021

Design Floor Friday - Making Faces

Welcome to another edition of Design Floor Friday!!  I'm here to share the (Virtual) Faces Workshop that I enjoyed last weekend with my Quilt Bee friends.  What fun we all had!  My beemates posed for the following photo without any prompting from me:


Dee Dee had made this quilt and everyone decided that they would like for her to lead us through the process.  She agreed to do so, with the assistance of a friend from one of her other quilt groups.  (Some of you might recognize Karen W. from my photos of my Evening Quilt Bee.  (Thanks for joining us for the day, Karen!)

Thank you for sharing your process, inspired by Freddy Moran, with us, Dee Dee!  This is the fabulous Faces quilt that she made to represent herself:



As she made that quilt, Karen made one in paper:


Followed by this one made in fabric during the workshop:



Prior to the class, students were supposed to prepare their background and gather fabrics that represent themselves.  Some did.  Some didn't.

Which camp were you in, Joyful???

Well, I was just coming off of Challenge 5 for Project QUILTING and didn't have enough mental bandwidth to search for novelty prints depicting things that I love.  As stated above, our workshop leader had assigned homework (and I blew mine off.)

Instead...

I decided that I might like to use this HUGE bag of floral scraps to form the features of my Face:


As the workshop began, I pulled fabric for a pieced background:


Once that was assembled, I located a pale peach fabric that worked for my skin tone:


At this point, it was time to begin "decorating" the Face.  That's when I spotted (Thank you, Ruth S!) a small stack of scrap fabrics from one of the other students.  My excitement level rose upon it's reveal and I knew that I had found my muse:


Let the building begin...


First, I looked at my own ears to get a sense of the shape to cut:


Next, I isolated a leaf on the fabric that might make good ears:


Those were followed by earrings:


Looking at the fabric, I noticed a spot that reminded me of sparkling eyes...


... And added a pair in line with the top of the ears:


Another selfie...


Helped me decide which of the eyebrow samples most resembled mine:



When I set them in place I began laughing uncontrollably and everyone wanted to see what was so funny...


As you can see, the scale of the sample brows was a BIT too big for my face:


While I "plucked" the eyebrows...


... I found that additional shaping, along with some "whites of the eyes", might be necessary:


The first nose that I tried was deemed too small:


The three I auditioned can be seen in the photo below.  Further exploration may be necessary, but I moved on and added some hair.  She also wanted to go shopping and try on some new clothes:


The following selfie...


... Helped me figure out what I wanted to do for the mouth:


"Teeth" are a planned addition, but she was more interested in trying on some new glasses (to mixed reviews from the group.)  The more I look back at this photo, the more I like the pair she chose:


Needleb and I chatted for a bit after everyone else had left for the day:


Even though I wanted to work on my Faces quilt after dinner, my body was tired and refused to climb the stairs to the studio.  While I had hoped to make additional progress during the week, other projects kept me busy.  Stay tuned for further updates.

Sharing with Kelly
for
Needle and Thread Thursday

and

With Alycia
for
Finished (Or Not) Friday

Until next time...
SEW much fun!!!
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