Best of 2023!!

Hello, quilting friends!!  If you are new to The Joyful Quilter, welcome.  If you have visited before, welcome back!  Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs is continuing her Best of... link party tradition.  Follow THIS LINK to see all of the wonderful bloggers who have joined in the fun.  Here is her sweet new button:

To take part in the link party, participants were asked to write a blog post highlighting our "best" 5 posts from 2023 and join the linkup.  Cheryl suggested the following examples of posts to be included:

• Posts with the most views
• Posts with the most comments
• Posts that provoked the best discussions
• Posts showing your favorite finishes
• Posts of your best tutorials
• Posts that are simply your favorites

She said that this post is not only a great way to find new readers, it is also wonderful to be able to highlight some of your best posts for those readers who have joined your blog throughout the year."

The link party will open the day after Christmas, Tuesday December 26th and will be open for one week ending on Monday, January 1st.

This will be my 5th (consecutive) year of participation.  Those of you who have been following me for a while know that this year has been one of work, work, and more work.  Not necessarily on my quilting!  I did enjoy two Quilt Retreats during the year.  They made it possible to make some real progress on a number of projects.

Here is an overview of my productivity:

I completed 20 mini quilts/quilted mug rugs, 4 quilted pin cushions, 2  table mat/runners and 2 wall hanging, plus 5 other quilted items.  I also finished 1 large commission quilt, 2 large gift quilts,  2 large UFO quilts for me, 2 donation quilts from tops pieced by others and quilted 1 quilt for my quilting friends on my APQS longarm quilting machine which has, once again, limped its way through the year.  I'm thinking that I need to watch a TON of maintenance videos in 2024 so that I might become more confident when things go awry.

Items made per month...

January - 3

February - 6

March - 8

April - 4

May - 3

June - 1

July - 1

August - 7

September - 3

October - 3

November - 1

December - 1

I made a total of 41 quilted items in 2023.  (17 of those were made as a result of Angela's Rainbow Scrap Challenge and/or in conjunction with my TABLE SCRAPS Challenge)  I'm pleased with the number of finishes I was able to complete.  Especially since my "seasonal" job continued throughout the year (again) and the state of my studio has remained a bit of a disaster area. If not for those factors, I might have finished more!  No worries!!!  Another chance is coming in the new year.

How does one decide on her BEST posts for the year??

I took a long and hard look at the posts written in 2023, but choosing the BEST was quite a challenge...


Mine include the following...

Most modern finish - (2017) Lordy, Lordy! Look Who's 40!:

From Sunday Morning Quilts. Pieced and quilted by me.

Most views (544) - February 2023 - ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge - Link Party

Most comments (40) - Sew It, Show It - Little Green Apples Challenge - My Hop STOP

Favorite finish - Design Floor Friday - The Emergency Quilt

Started to delivered in less than 2 weeks!

AND...

Favorite post - Wonderful Wednesday - Check One Off the Bucket List

Thanks for joining me in this review.  I'm glad that Cheryl organized a Link Party dedicated to reminding us to take another look at the blog posts we've written during the year.  Oh! Don't forget to check out my NEW 2024 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge!  You can find the full details HERE.

Until next time...
Quilt the year away!!!

Tidy Up Tuesday - A Gift for You - TSC2024 Update

Welcome to a new edition of Tidy Up Tuesday!!  It's been a very long time since the last post in this series and this one is a bit different from the norm.  After tying up some loose ends, I have a gift for you.

A gift, Joyful???

Yes.  The TABLE SCRAPS Challenge (TSC) is back for another round of scrap sewing fun!  I'm here to introduce an updated version for 2024.  How challenging is it if a challenge is exactly the same from year to year?  That's why I'm changing it up a bit.  I hope you are as excited to hear about it as I am to tell you about it!

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW...

For 2024, I will be offering a MONTHLY THEME to help inspire/inform your work.  What you do with them is up to you!  As before, we will continue WORKING WITH SCRAPS from our cutting table (hence the name of the challenge.)  

They say size matters, however...

There's no need to worry about your project being too small or TOO BIG!  Your ENTRIES MAY INCLUDE small items such as basket, bags, pillows, and pin cushions, in addition to runners, toppers, and mug rugs.  BUT...  For the purposes of the 2024 Challenge, you are perfectly welcome to make ANY size project you would like.  If you want to make a full size quilt each month... Go for it!!

While Angela offers color suggestions through her Rainbow Scrap Challenge, you are always welcome to sew with whatever scraps you choose.

Important Note for Non-bloggers...

Non-bloggers are welcome to email a photo of their entries to share here on The Joyful Quilter.  Instagram users can link to @thejoyfulquilter using the tag #tablescrapschallenge2024 and #tablescrapschallenge when posting participating projects.

What qualifies???

Any quilted item you would like to make.  Surprise us!  You are encouraged to use each month's theme in whatever form they lead. Your interpretation of what to do with it is NOT limited to using the actual prompt in your project!  Although, you are welcome to do that, you may also relate the theme to a color, quilting technique or project type.  Interpreting an item that resembles the prompt is appropriate for a challenge entry, as well.  (Example BOWs = Bow Tie blocks, fabric with bows on it, or depicting an archer, etc.)

The most important part is to have FUN while using the fabric scraps from your cutting table!!

Find the January 2024 ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge here...

December 2023 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge Link Party (LIVE on/after Friday, 12/29/23.)

Prompts were selected by random drawing and distributed throughout the months of the year.  Our monthly theme will be release as in previous years.  Find each month's word prompt at the end of the previous month's Link Party post.  January 2024's prompt is listed near the bottom of December 2023's TABLE SCRAPS post HERE and I will also update the list on the 2024 TABLE SCRAPS Challenge tab at the top of the blog so that you can easily check back, if you miss a link-up.

When is my monthly project due???

The Link Party will go LIVE on the LAST Friday of every month at 12:00 AM (EST).  You will have until 11:59 PM (EST) on the following Wednesday to join the fun.

I'm SEW looking forward to seeing what YOU will make and your take on using the prompts that I will provide.

Until next time...

Go forth and USE those SCRAPS!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 51

Welcome to Week 51 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week, I was presented with another schedule change.  I'm not sure how I will cope.

Let's worry about that later...

Last Saturday was a busy day, which started out with a festive Holiday Party:

Special thanks to Carol, who hosted our Quarterly Quilt Bee.  Group photo shown above and the "Three Muskateers" shown below.

I delivered a few gifts on my way home.  Hilary and I had a nice visit.  Look at the gorgeous shawl she gave me!  It's her Nature's Majesty pattern from the 2023 New Year's Eve Mystery KAL:

Read on to see how the week went...

SUNDAY - Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

The week began with spending some time with my Get Messy friends and a bit of art.  After lunch, Knittingsuek and I met for our weekly Zoom call:

MONDAY - Work

If you were wondering what I did in yesterday's Art Zoom, that is pictured below.  I finished the final two pages in my Patchwork Journal from The Roben's Nest:

TUESDAY - Work

Using this pattern...

The Sashiko page in my Care December journal is complete:

WEDNESDAY - Work

No Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color this week.  Working until 6PM cuts into my "free" time.  We're hoping to meet sometime over the weekend.  The (glare-y) photo below hints at the utility work that is going on at the construction site next door this week:

THURSDAY - Work

Our holiday luncheon was today.  Fresh cooked chicken wings and nachos were on the menu.  YUM!

FRIDAY - Before work, I captured a photo of this morning's glorious sunrise, right before it retreated behind that incoming bank of clouds:

At the end of my work day, hopefully the last of the 6PM ones, this was all that was left of the sun setting on this work week.  Apparently, I moved too soon and caused a bit of blur:

NOTE:  Thanks to Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts, I discovered that Gail @ Quilting Gail has announced the 2024 Stay at Home Round Robin.  I have a couple of ideas about what I might like to do with the project.  We'll see what happens in a couple of weeks.

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.

The only fabric I touched this week was this big baggie of scraps from my friend Maggie:

Thanks, Mags!!  I spy SEW much fun in this gift!

** Apologies to all of my RSC Quilter friends from last week's link party.  I didn't manage to visit very many (if any) of your posts.  I'll try to do better this week.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 50

Welcome to Week 50 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  WEEK FIFTY?!?!  You read that right, folks.  Our hostess, Angela, and many of the RSC Quilters are busily working on finishing up their rainbow quilts for this year.  I, on the other hand...

Am not.

I am in the midst of retail H.LL.  However, I would LIKE to be working on a rainbow quilt.

Unfortunately...

I got lost in the middle of Light GREEN/BLUE month back in June.  Prior to that time I was cutting more scraps each month for my Scrap Jar Star.  I had really hoped that THIS would be the year that I finished my blocks.  Alas, that was not the case and now there isn't enough energy at the end of the work day for much of anything

The good news is...

There's another year with a fresh new start just around the corner!

Here's how this week panned out...

Let's start with SATURDAY afternoon and evening - I started a new-to-me art event.  Mandala Magic Taster Sessions with Julie Gibbons:

I folded a zine from Messy & Bright:

And I did some upcycling...

By transforming an unloved pair of blue jeans into hand warmers for everyone at work:

SUNDAY - Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

The morning began with a Zoom session with my Get Messy art friends.  Britt and I stayed after for a few minutes to chat:

After lunch I met with Knittingsuek for our weekly Zoom:

MONDAY - A busy day at work quickly washed away when I walked out to this peaceful view:

TUESDAY - Work's departure sunset...

Was followed by darkening skies and this view...

On the way to visit the quilt that I made for my friend Tracy.  Here it is at home in the "Yarn Palace":

Oh, wait!  I actually went to spend some quality knitting time with Tracy and see her lovely holiday decorations:

WEDNESDAY - Work was followed by...

This glorious sunset:

And my weekly Zoom session with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

THURSDAY - Work is nearly done for the week.  If you look closely at the sunset photo below, you may notice the flashing lights along the access road.  Rescue workers had been called to an office building around the corner:

FRIDAY - Work and a different sunset view than normal.  I just wanted OUT and didn't stop for a photo until I was a third of the way home:

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.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 49

Welcome to Week 49 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Our hostess, Angela, reserved December for quilting and finishing our projects.  That left a hole in the ABC (Table) SCRAPS Challenge, as far as a Color of the Month goes.  I chose RAINBOW!  Those of you who know me probably aren't surprised.  This month's letters are S, H and/or E.  I've got an idea or three, but haven't settled on my fabrics yet.  All in good time.

Here's how this week rolled along...

SUNDAY - It was a day of ALL THE THINGS.

Zoom with my Get Messy friends and do a little bit of art...

Nail art, that is:

Zoom with Knittingsuek:

Capture a construction update photo.  They have been working on the utilities:

Finish the final coats on the other hand:

And...

Finish out the day with a little bit of sewing:

MONDAY - I am pleased to report that I slept 7 hours straight last night and then I slept another hour after that.  Bliss!!!

It was a lucky thing that I was so well rested, as it was a crazy-busy day at work today!  I didn't eat lunch until after 1 PM.  That is QUITE the rarity in my world.  For my efforts, I was rewarded with this incredible sunset on the way home:

TUESDAY - The holiday hubbub is in full swing.  Crazy busy and then the universe throws an unkind customer into the mix.  It was a hard day at the office.  :o((

 All was well with the world when I walked out to see this sunset at the end of the day complete with the remnants of a clear blue sky:

WEDNESDAY - Not quite so crazed at work today.  I capture a photo of the setting sun's progression toward the horizon line...

And...

I headed home to Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

THURSDAY - Today was a rather slow day a work.  I went for a walk and did some art after dinner, but this sunset photo on the way home was the only photo fit for sharing:

FRIDAY - How can a day be full and slow at the same time?  Well, today was that day!  There were fits of phone calls with extended bouts of boredom between.  By the end of the day, it felt like the LONGEST DAY EVER!!!

It was colder in the office that normal, but my coworker and I combatted the cold with my hand knits:

I knit the purple mitts years ago and rarely wore them.  They now belong to my coworker and she is thrilled!!

I all but missed the sunset tonight...

As I went shopping for some holiday gifts after work:

After dinner, I visited with my Get Messy art friends, and watched Day 1 of Care December from Kasia Avery @ Everything Art.

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'm going to try to visit everyone this afternoon, but if I get stuck in the studio, I'll stop by tomorrow.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC23 - Week 48

Welcome to Week 48 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week was a big blur. I'll see what I can do to recreate the good parts.

Keep reading to see what transpired...

SUNDAY - Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Easy Like Sunday Morning art Zoom started my day, but I didn't get a photo of what I worked on.  After arting, I enjoyed my weekly Zoom call with Knittingsuek:

In the late afternoon, I took a (virtual) Secret Tag Journal class with @Willa.Wanders

I made a prototype instead of a full journal.  Front cover shown above and the interior shown below:

MONDAY - Work was followed by a beautiful sunset:

TUESDAY - Work

After dinner, I searched for poems and quotes relating to Autumn...

And decided to rip out and redo the stitching on my Care December journal, as the white thread I used during Sundays art Zoom was really bothering me.  The brown thread looks SEW much better:

WEDNESDAY - Work

Another lovely sunset at going home time today:

I raced home for an abbreviated Zoom call with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color.  We were both suffering from lack of sleep, so all you get is a "talk to the hand" photo:

I was excited to share the Tape Box journal that I stitched up with the thread ripped out of my Care December journal - the photo won't move to the center no matter which buttons I press...

Look at the SIX small signatures in that 1-inch spine:

THURSDAY - Work

I brought my Dark Neutral mini to use as a mug rug today:

Today's sunset photo:

Afterwards, I was off to my Monthly Evening Quilt Bee.  We were greeted by quilts.  This one was made by my friend Knittingsuek and quilted by me many years ago:

There were only six of us this evening and I nearly forgot to get a photo:

FRIDAY - Work

It was a soupy, drizzly, rainy day so there was no sunset photo to round out the week.  :o((

Enjoy this gallery wire photo, taken just for reader Dorothy, before the display is changed to RAINBOW-themed quilts for December.  Sorry, Dot!  My other Dark Neutral mini quilts are still missing from our move 2+ years ago:

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.  It's another day filled with arting.

This morning is a Mini Retreat with my friends @ Get Messy and this afternoon I'll be heading to Britt's house for an ART-venture.  You know what that means, don't you?  I will probably have some catching up to do tomorrow.  I'll be looking forward to visiting my RSC Quilter friends then.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!!