Mail Call Monday - This Month's Scrap Infusion(s)

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  Last week was bookended by scrap infusions.  Thank you to the following quilty friends...

Diane arranged for a "porch pick-up".  Here is the selection of treasures in the "Bag of Joy" that I picked up on Monday when I swung by on the way to dinner with Needleb:

Thank you, Diane!! 

Francine brought THREE bags of scraps to our Quilt Guild meeting!!  Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo because we wanted to transfer the bags before it got dark and it was nearly time for the meeting to begin.  Here's what the back of my car looked like:

Thank you, Francine!! 

Mari @ The Academic Quilter may have dragged her feet getting to the post office (and I don't blame her!), but she came through in a BIG way!!!  Apparently, fat quarters and fat eights are scraps in her world.  Either that or she felt supremely sad for the sorry state of my AQUA/teal/turquoise Quilted Scrap Basket because THIS is what arrived on Friday and it felt more like a stash enhancement than a scrap infusion:

Thank you, Mari!!!  Your package arrived just in time to present backing and binding options for my ABC Challenge entry.  :o))

You might recall that I also received a little fabric bundle from Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing earlier in the month.  Was that just the week before last?!  I wanted to mention her in this post, as well.

Kathleen took pity on me with my nearly empty AQUA Quilted Scrap Basket and offered to send some of her scraps to me.  It had been SEW long since I've gotten any packages that I neglected to write up a post last week.  Here's what she sent:

Thank you, Kathleen!!!  I had fun incorporating them into my ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge project.  Dear readers, there is still time for YOU to stitch up a project of your own!  The link party will be open until Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 11:59 PM.

Until next time...

Can you say SCRAP overload?!?!

Pardon me while I wallow in the generous abundance go sort these bulging bags of fabulous fabric scraps.  Call for help, if you don't hear from me in a few days:

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 17

Welcome to Week 17 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week started with an ending.  The end of a Bucket List experience.  You'll find the link in Wednesday's entry, if you haven't already read the post.

SUNDAY - I realize this is freshly finished UFO quilt top is not PURPLE...

Look, Alycia... PLAID!!! Link takes you to Finished (Or Not) Friday.  :o))

Currently 39 x 47, so it still needs some additional work to stretch it out a bit.

But...

My purchase at Quiltville Inn was the Gypsy Sip n Snip.  I couldn't resist bringing one of the nifty cup holder/trash can (and clip holder) combos which adorned each workstation back for my own studio:

While I was away, the heavy machinery multiplied on the lot next door:

FIVE pieces of equipment can't dampen the excitement of getting to mark off a Bucket List item.

MONDAY - Work was followed by a trip to the grocery store

TUESDAY - Work was followed by my monthly Evening Quilt Bee meeting:

I nearly forgot to take a photo!!

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

I've been building a PURPLE quilt this month.  It's been a really fun RSC project:

Wonder of wonders, you could actually see the dent this has made in my PURPLE scrap basket.

It went from being bulging and overflowing to only half full!!!  I'd call that a success.

Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color

This afternoon's big adventure regarding the construction site next door???

Delivery of the largest wood chipper I've ever seen...

Along with...

The longest piece of machinery (presumably a log sizer/cutter) blocking our driveway:

THURSDAY - Work was followed by a quick stop at the grocery store and the pharmacy (because I couldn't POSSIBLY go just ONE time in a week!)  Sigh...

I did some sewing, but I'll share more about that next week

FRIDAY - ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge Link Party (It's open until Tuesday night, so there's still plenty of time for you to create an entry using the Y and/or N letter prompts or the color PURPLE!)

Today was my day off and I was excited to be able to attend Knit Group, but it was canceled this morning.  :o((

That gave me the opportunity to focus on one of my SHOULD DO items:

I worked on the layout for the next T-Quilt.

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.  She hasn't posted the link yet, but I'll add it when she does.

My contribution to the party...

One scrappy PURPLE project was completed while on retreat last weekend.  I'm not sure whose Orphan Block this was, but it came out of a "Bag of Joy" from my friend Diane:

Update:  The blocks were the extras that my friend Diane shared from a top made in a class

 on Mile a Minute Quilts. She was happy to see it finished table topper.  It was a fun project to work on!

I quilted it (thanks to Stacy for serving as my Design Consultant!), trimmed it into a tumbler shape to preserve the quilting, and bound it with a fabric from my (gifted) stash of Autumnal prints.  This cute turtle fabric was on the back and the turtles are red-violet in color...

But I only have these scraps left, as I gave the remainder of the one-yard cut to Tiffany over the weekend once I cut off the amount needed for the backing.  (Not sure how I missed getting a photo!)

When Carol commented on the unusual shape of the little quilt on Tuesday and said how much she liked it, I promptly gifted it to her because I know how much she enjoys decorating for Halloween:

Here is the photo that Carol took of the backing fabric when I couldn't recall what I had used:

 

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

Wonderful Wednesday - The Valentine UFO Quilt

 Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!  I'm here to report a rather timely UFO Club finish.  After all, yesterday WAS the day we celebrated hearts and flowers!  Both were in this quilt, which I am thrilled to have completed yesterday.  It began last January as part of the 2022 Stay at Home Round Robin.

You can read all about the process of making the quilt HERE.

Suffice it to say, since Winter is Project QUILTING season, I elected to keep things small.

How did you DO that, Joyful???

Instead of full rounds, I chose to begin with partial "rounds" and the merged several "rounds" in the outer border.  But we're here to talk about the FINISHING, aren't we?

This is how that played out...

On Sunday, I decided that I should load my Valentine quilt on the empty rails of the longarm.  Scrounging for a batting scrap, selecting a pale PINK backing, and spotting what might be the perfect binding to convert this piece into my ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge entry for the month was the first order of business:

The layers were then loaded on the frame:

Let the quilting begin...

With some hearts thrown in, of course:

Before long, the quilting was complete:

After completing some work on another project on Monday morning, I squared up the quilt so that it would be ready for binding selection after work:

However, that afternoon, I was still feeling indecisive, so called for reinforcements:

This is the collection which was curated by my trusty Studio Assistant:

Thanks, DS2!!  I'm SEW glad that you got home from work early!

I chose these options that I had hoped might work, but (for a variety of reasons) didn't:

Selection session - Take One...

Then narrowing the field and testing a couple more choices in Take Two...

After all that, I actually STILL couldn't decide, so I called in DH to see what he thought.  Oddly enough, he dismissed my favorite right off the bat and named this ribbon print as the winner:

I am pleased to present my completed SAHRR22 Valentine Quilt:

This is my first UFO Club finish of the Winter session.  Thank you to my friend Lisa for contributing the center block.  It was a great jumping off point for my 2022 Stay at Home Round Robin quilt.

Until next time...

Sew LOVE-ly!!!

Sharing with Cynthia

for

Oh, Scrap!

Mini Monday - Unconstructed - A DrEAMI Project

Welcome to another edition of Mini Monday!!  Yes.  It's been a while!  I've made some mini quilts, but this time I was ALL IN for a post to this series.  On Friday night, I saw a fun project on Ravelry.  By Saturday evening, my mini was complete.

My friend Cindy made cat beds using the technique she is calling raw stripping.  I wanted to give it a try.  Of course, when I try a new-to-me technique, I go mini.

Scraps, anyone???

I skimmed the top of my 1" - 1.75" scrap drawer:

I'm calling it unconstructed.  Seeing to completing in less than 24 hours, with embellishments added, just to make it my own.  Raw edged applique for the win!  The extra squares were a fun way to add some spark:

Maybe I should call it quilt-by-magic, as it was SEW quick to make this 7" x 12" mini runner:

Cindy likes to serge her edges, but I tend to prefer a bound edge.  I decided to do something a little different (rather than drag out my serger.)  Since the rest of the project has raw edges, I opted for folding a fabric strip over the edge and doing a double line of zigzag stitches.

It was a DrEAMI project, for sure...

Guess what?  This time it was just in time for the monthly link party with Sandra @ MMM Quilts.  I had fun trying out the technique.  The project was made for a specific reason.  More about that when the time comes.  I won't forget,  but you will have to wait some weeks to hear about that.

What do you think, Joyful???

Truth be told, there are some things I would change if I were to make this mini again.  Double-fold binding is at the top of that list!  What can I say?  I like a nice clean finish.  The next item on the list would probably be to forego the zigzag stitch in favor of a straight stitch.  Again, personal preference.  For the final change, skinnier strips or a larger project seems to be in order for a happier me.

Until next time...

The SCRAPS are calling!!!

Stay At Home Round Robin - SAHRR 2022 - The Reveal

Welcome to a happy day here at The Joyful Quilter!!  This may or may not be the finale of the Stay at Home Round Robin.  There are still a few more days for participants to link-up their finished quilts or quilt tops, but I missed a couple this time around.  I might be slow, but... I really, really, REALLY didn't want to miss this party!  Most of the participants joined in on Monday when the parade started.

Which will it be, Joyful???

You'll have to wait and see if mine is a quilt or a top.  :P

Gail @ Quilting Gail introduced the Stay-at-Home Round Robin.  She recruited some of her blogger friends to multiply the fun.  I took another chance that I might be able to find time to work on the project this year.

Here is how my quilt progressed...

I found my Center Block in a scrap bag found from a friend:

Apologies that I no longer recall which friend.

Here is how my SAHRR progressed from there...

Round One - Curves with Anja @ Anja Quilts

Round Two - Diamonds with Emily @ The Darling Dogwood

Round Three - Wonky Stars with Roseanne/Sue @ Home Sewn by Us

Round Four - Signature Blocks with Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts

Round Five - Applique with Gail @ Quilting Gail

Round Six- Shoo Fly with Chris @ Chrisknits

That brings us to the big reveal!!!  Oh, how I was hoping for a completed quilt top...

Only days before this post, and with little hope of getting my act together, I once again turned my attention to finishing up the (somewhat altered) Shoo Fly blocks for "Round" Six:

While I was at it, I snapped a photo of the working layout...

Drum roll, please...

Round Six has been added and suddenly I was only two seams away from completion:

I'm pleased to be able to present (the TOP of) my 2022 Stay at Home Round Robin:

Whether a wall hanging or a table topper...

~22" x 22"
Don't worry about that fullness... It will "quilt out"!!  :P

I am SEW with my (abbreviated) SAHRR!!

Special thanks to Gail @ Quilting Gail and friends, Anja, Emily, Roseanne/Sue, Wendy and Chris, for creating this fun internet event!!  I started with someone else's cast off and really enjoyed building a quilt around that lovely little (rejected) Star in a totally different way than I might normally work (and in a totally different way than I did during last year's event!)  Look for one final update once the quilt has been completed.

In case YOU would like to give this method of construction a try, I've sprinkled all the links for the 2022 Stay At Home Round Robin throughout this post.

I'm off to join the Link Party!!  I hope you will visit, too.  You won't believe how different they all are!  Here's the LINK.

Sharing with Alycia

for

Finished (Or Not) Friday

...Lucky for me, she accepts projects that are NOT finished into her link up.

Until next time...

Sew aROUND!!

Wonderful Wednesday - Baggie Mini Challenge

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I recently mentioned that Janet @ Rogue Quilter was hosting a Mini Maker Baggie Challenge in conjunction with Wendy's Monthly Mini Challenge @ The Constant Quilter.  As soon as I saw it I knew that I wanted to participate, but with my track record for the past several months, I wasn't very hopeful that I would actually manage to complete a project.

Well...

When I received a comment from Jenny @ Romany Quilting over the weekend, I was inspired to go give it the old college try!  I'm not sure why, but her words sparked momentum in me:

JennyNovember 6, 2021 at 3:52 PM

Not a stitch of quilting, you say? Do hope you have put that right by now, or else you will get withdrawal symptoms!

I had pulled a variety of scrap bags earlier in the week and then decided on the patriotic one shown below:

What's in the bag, Joyful???

A variety of bits and pieces to tickle the designer in me:

Here's the down-and-dirty layout that I started with...

... Along with the makings of a backing panel:

Look, you guys!!  I'm sewing:

A mini quilt top was pieced from the contents of the baggie:

A backing was pieced, as well:

Here is the quilted and trimmed view of the front...

... Along with the back:

I even found the perfect strip of binding in the baggie.  This little leftover is less that 12" long:

The back was made from a lone block from the border of my (abandoned and refashioned) Sapphire Stars Mystery by Kevin @ Kevin the Quilter.  (Sadly, he's not currently blogging.)  All I had to do was add some chunks of background found within my challenge baggie:

Funny how it looks like I didn't use ANY of the scraps in the bag:

I assure you that EVERY BIT of this mini was pulled from the baggie shown in the opening photo.  Alas, it appears that I could make several more from the remains.  Thank you, Janet, for issuing this fun challenge!  Mini is my middle name.  OK, not really, but I certainly enjoy sewing small.  BIG thanks to Jenny, too!  Without your encouragement, I feel sure that the baggie of scraps would still be sitting on the cutting table untouched.

Sharing with Kelly

for

Needle and Thread Thursday

and

With Aycia

for

Finished (or Not) Friday

Later in the month I'll link up with Wendy

for

Monthly Mini Challenge

Until next time...

Many scraps. MINI challenge!!