Mail Call Monday - In Appreciation for Hands2Help

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  I just got a package.  I just got a package.  I just got a package.  I wonder who it's from?  (Sorry!  The old Blue's Clues tune just popped into my head and I couldn't resist.)

Hmm... It appears to be from Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict:

Sarah did say near the bottom of THIS POST that Thank You gifts would be going out.  (I always forget that's a thing!)

OK, so technically, I got a package the week before last.  Sorry that I'm slow to report, but our packages still wait in the Decontamination Zone for several days after they arrive in the mail.

What was inside the package, Joyful???

The contents included a lovely note from Sarah and a Moda Notions Pouch:

I noticed the notions pouch seemed a bit "poochy" and took a look inside.  Hey!  Look at that...

... My little Moda Notions Pouch was STUFFED FULL with 2 packs of Mini Charms:

SEW exciting!!!  :o))

Thank you to YOU, Sarah!!  I appreciate your dedication to giving comfort to others through Hands2Help and it's my pleasure to help you help them.  I appreciate your thoughtful acknowledgement of my efforts, as well.

Whooping it up with Sarah

@

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Until next time...
It's SEW nice to be appreciated!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC20 - Week 25

Welcome to Week 25 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Let me tell you, I have been having a marvelous time of sewing up (some of) my PINK scraps.  Like many of the other RSC Quilters, I've got a thing or two to share with YOU.

SUNDAY - Today was a very busy day.  I wrote a blog post and started a load of laundry.  I wrote another blog post and transferred the first load to the dryer and began a second.

Decided it was time to do some PINK sewing, so I prepared this roll of quilt binding:

Removed the first load of laundry from the dryer, switched the second load into the dryer and put on a third load to wash.

Layered up my PINK Quilted Scrap Basket for quilting:

Started a third blog post, then changed out the second and third load of laundry.  Once that was done, I was able to spend the rest of the day up in the sewing room.  Yay!!

MONDAY - This morning, I released a new Mini Monday post.  Here is a preview:

The afternoon found me spending some time pondering the "perfect" PINK scraps for my next finish:

TUESDAY - Today was a slow day for PINK sewing.  I have other fish to fry.  More on that later this week.  These were the only PINK scraps that I worked with, but got a bit sidetracked:

Bumbling around BlogLand this morning, I found an interesting post by Nancy @ Joy for Grace.  I thought YOU might like to see what she had to say about the NEW Blogger platform.  (Especially, since I had trouble locating another helpful post that I found over the weekend when I wanted to check something yesterday!)

This evening, when I should have been pairing up more blue scraps, I opted to read a book on my Kindle.  First time in ages!  The story sucked me in and wouldn't let me put it down until I was done.  Tapas, Carrot Cake, and a Corpse was an entertaining little cozy mystery.  Because of it, I may even read another book this weekend!

WEDNESDAY - This morning, I released a new edition of Wonderful Wednesday.  Go visit to see more of this:

Once that was done (yesterday), I ultimately decided on giving PINK a rest, in favor of injecting a little blue into my sewing routine:

THURSDAY - ZoomBEE met this morning.  I might have arrived late (because of an errand's unfortunate scheduling), but it was SEW good to see these friends on my computer screen:

Pressing pairs of blue "squares" entertained me for a little while.  Can you find PINK in the picture below?  It's in there:

FRIDAY - This morning, I enjoyed visiting with these friends who were able to join our ZoomKNIT meeting:

This evening, I released a new edition of Design Floor Friday.  If you want a preview, I'll warn you now, you are going to have to look closely to see any PINK:

FAIR WARNING!!!  Carla @ Creatin' in the Sticks is hosting the Stitching Sunshine Blog Hop next week.  Come back Tuesday to see my sunny projects!

SATURDAY - Guess what?!?!  The weekend is here and it's time to go visit Angela's LINK PARTY for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge over @ So Scrappy.  If you like PINK, you won't want to miss it!  I know for a fact that there are some really wonderful projects in the works.  I'll be linking up as soon as she starts the party.

Also joining in

Frederique's

Patchwork & Quilts

Linky Party

Until next time...

Scrap SEW safely!!

Design Floor Friday - {Quilted Basket} Challenge - Take Three

Welcome to another edition of Design Floor Friday!!  You may recall that I am in the midst of a Challenge with my friend Judy @ Busy Hands are Happy Hands.  If not, let me refresh your memory.

The story goes like this...

I challenged Judy last month and ended up making this:

{Quilted Basket} Challenge - Take Two

This month SHE challenged me!

SEW...

I made this PINK Quilted Scrap Basket for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

That brings us to...

{Quilted Basket} Challenge - Take Three

Because Judy upped the ante this month and challenged me to finishing not just ONE Quilted Scrap Basket, but TWO!!!

Here is a look at how the now THIRD challenge basket developed...

First, a stack of pairs of dark blue scraps were sewn:

And then they were pressed for the next step in the process:

Trimmed pairs of pairs, the last of them being guided through the machine:

Of course, those were also pressed then trimmed up for another turn at being paired with another now-larger scrap chunk:

The process was repeated time and again, until...

... I ended up with the scrappy panel that measured 16" x 20" shown here:

That's when I went searching for a scrap of batting and a piece of fabric to use for the lining.  Then promptly layered the panel for quilting:

And quilted it, I did, with free form flowing lines:

Before I knew it, the quilting was complete:

The final trim was quick and had the basket panel ready to be transformed into a 3-D object.  Folding the panel in half, right sides together, "hamburger style" and stitching up the sides:  

Then it was time to flatten the corners and lop them off.  Immediately before sewing those edges up, too:

It looked like it might rain and I wasn't sure if I would finish the basket or not.  This is a shot of the nearly done basket with today's blooming daisy:

Ultimately, there was enough time to make and apply a binding:

Challenge Met.  Dark blue Quilted Scrap Basket DONE!!  I went out to take a photo of my new basket with the gorgeous red-orange daylilies that I spotted out by the mailbox yesterday, much like this one available at Gilbert H. Wild and Son:

Alas, Bambi or Thumper were hungry last night and all that was left were stems with the blooms eaten off.  You'll just have to use your imagination to picture how pretty they would have looked together:

Here's a porch shot of the other side:

I noticed some yellow chrysanthemums just starting to bloom.  This shot gives you a better look at how the texture shows up on the basket's interior:

Since I was able to finish the basket, it seemed like a good idea to get another picture with that daisy:

For my RSC Quilter friends, here is the PINK, included in honor of June's Color of the Month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

Sharing with Alycia

for

Finished (or NOT) Friday

and

With Cynthia

for

Oh Scrap!

Until next time...

Challenge(s) accepted!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - Walked Into That One, Didn't I?!?!

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  Well, I did it, again.  I commented with a simple question on Judy's Finished Another Whoop Whoop post @ Busy Hands Are Happy Hands and she took it as a challenge.

{Quilted Basket} Challenge - Take Two

Perhaps, I did more than ask a simple question.  YOU can be the judge of that.  Here is my complete comment:

OK, Judy, here we go again! YOU just made a blue basket and need to make a light blue one. I have a light blue one that I made last year, but need to make a dark blue one. What are we going to do?!

This was her response:

I think my current one IS light blue.....but I’ll take the challenge to make a DARK blue one and raise you a pink basket before the end of June! 

What say you?

To which I replied:

Ugh! Are you kidding me?!?! You drive a hard bargain, lady. Fine!!! You're on.

I started in on my PINK Quilted Scrap Basket since that's the Color of the Month for June for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

Pairs of pairs, along with pieces and parts at every state of construction:

Here are some lining and binding options:

Pressing pairs:

Dressed and ready for pink trimming:

The first row is complete:

In this completed panel, you might notice that the "first row" shown above ended up needing a bit of an expansion project:

PINK overload!  All batting was pulled from the scrap pile:

I really liked this sweet floral for the lining.. 

... The "scrap" turned out to be...

... A two yard cut of Liberty lawn:

I chose this fun print (shown after quilting) from Joann Fabric instead:

Once the basket panel was layer up...

... The quilting began:

I decided to start with a series of arcs in each corner...

... And filled in from there:

Then I stitched it right up into its basket shape...

... And lopping of the (flattened) corners to shape the basket and here's the quilted (and trimmed) basket-in-training.  I popped in my binding choices to "sleep on it" for the night since it was too late at night to make a decision:

SEW...

The next morning, with a clear head (and a cup of caffeine flowing through my veins) I decided that I would try out first one...

... Then another...

... And another binding option:

That exercise narrowed it down to the pretty PINK floral WOF strip...

... And this crazy print that I've been trying to use up all week:

Ultimately, I determined that the floral strip from Sandy @ Sew High blog was the winner.  I then prepared the binding, attached it to the interior, and sewed it down on the exterior:

I present my latest Quilted Scrap Basket, PINK Overload:

I even remembered to add one of my labels:

So many fun PINK fabric bits were used in the making of this basket:

The photo below gives you a view of the bottom of the basket to give you a better idea of how I filled in the center of the panel with quilting:

This basket was made from PINK bits from my scrap bags, an off-cut piece of Dream GREEN batting, and a chunk cut from a piece of yardage found in my stash.  The scrappy panel for this project has been in the works since PINK was the Color of the Month during the 2018 Rainbow Scrap Challenge. (Yes, I found evidence of prior PINK piecing during LAST year's PINK month!)  I'm SEW pleased to FINALLY add this to my collection of Quilted Scrap Baskets:

Sharing with Kelly

for

Needle and Thread Thursday

and

Whooping it up with
Sarah @
Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Until next time...

ONE down and ONE to go!!!