The Guest Blogger(s) - Vol. 52 - Jane's YELLOW Umbrella?!

Welcome to another edition of The Guest Blogger(s)!!  I returned home from a trip to New England to find an email from Jane in Australia last week.  She has completed her entry for the April TABLE SCRAPS Challenge.

This is what she wrote...

Hi Joy,
A block is a finished item if that is what is requested yes?

In 1975 the United Nations designated 8th March as International Women’s Day, with the themes of Equality, Development and Peace. The colours chosen were purple, green and white. A Queensland quilter (probably more than one) has decided to have 50 quilts made by the 50th anniversary of the founding date, and has invited quilters to send in 10 1/2” blocks made with only those colours.

Concerning her entry...

I have several  other blocks ready, but the idea of an umbrella- shelter from the storms of life- seemed appropriate. Obviously I could not include yellow  but more necessary for the block to be correct (and the umbrella handle is a verrry dark green).

I hope this is ok for my Table Scraps entry for this month - they really were all scraps except I cut the white background. Love wandering around the blogosphere but don’t think I will ever dip my actual toes in the actual water - thanks for posting for me.
Jane in Australia.

Give Jane some quilty love in the comments below.  I'm pleased to share the creative way she incorporated this month's challenge into a donation block for her entry.  I know that you enjoy seeing her work as much as I do!  Thank you for sending a photo for the blog, Jane.  I'm thrilled to post your projects (and anyone else's without a blog.)  They serve to inspire others to USE their scraps that we quilters continue to accumulate!

Link Party REMINDER...

The April 2024 TABLE SCRAPS Link Party will be opening on  Friday, April 26th @ 12:01 AM.  I hope that YOU will join in the scrappy fun!  You haven't started sewing yet?  No worries.  Small projects are quick to make and entries can be added until Wednesday, May 1st.

Until next time...

USE those (table) SCRAPS!!!

The 100 Day Project - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered - Week 9

Welcome to Week 9 of the #100Days100ThingsDecluttered new mini-series here on The Joyful Quilter!!  I started The 100 Day Project on February 18th.  I'm still shocked that I finally committed to it.  It's particularly popular on Instagram.  I have been hesitant to participate before now.  I'm releasing weekly updates for those of you who might be interested in seeing what goes out the door.  (This one just didn't get scheduled properly so you are seeing it a little later than normal.)

What's your project, again, Joyful???

I signed up with a different idea in mind than most.  You can read about it HERE.  That link will tell you all about my project.

While I have met my goal...

I'm NOT stopping there!!  I am continuing to declutter my home and studio for the entirety of the 100 Day Project.  I still need to free up MORE space for more creativity.

Here's my progress for Week Nine from all around the house, studio and garage:

32 balls of yarn donated

12 balls of yarn gifted

But, WAIT, there's more...

Another trip through the closet turned up the following items:

1 tote bag

2 prs. pants

1 dress

1 flat sheet (without a mate)

Week 9 Total: 49/100

Updated Project Total:  195/100

When I realized how close I was to 200, I decided to take another wander around the studio and found the following items that could go:

1 gift bag

1 sticky ink pen

1 bottle of smelly paint

1 empty bottle of hand sanitizer left sitting on the counter for weeks

1  FQ of fabric that I will never choose to use

Additional Items: 5/100

Revised Project Total:  200/100!!!

Thank you to those of you who encouraged me in my decluttering efforts last week!  I appreciate your kind comments and your willingness to cheer me along!  Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing had the following to say:

KathleenApril 18, 2024 at 7:56 PM

Hooray. Just pulled 2 sets of sheets and a set of towels for the recycling pile! Congrats on your decluttering - its commendable!

This was my response:

1. That's a great start, Kathleen, because every little bit helps!  I know you just had a big clean out at the apartment, but there's always more to part with, isn't there?

Nann @ With Strings Attached reported with the following:

1. 
   NannApril 18, 2024 at 10:33 AM

   I have two boxes of stuff to take to the church rummage sale.

To which I replied:

1. Excellent, Nann!  I'm glad you were able to gather that much stuff for a worthy cause.  The question is... Can you see a difference in the space where the items have been removed?  In my case, the answer is usually a resounding NO!!!  That just means I'll need to head back to that area for another pass, which is what I plan to do with my closet over the weekend.

I'm thrilled to report...

I managed to follow through with another pass through my closet over the weekend, but I didn't get rid of as many items as I had hoped.  Come back next week to see what goes in the box during the next 7 days.  While my main goal in the coming week is to focus my efforts in the studio, I may wander through the clothes again and part with a few more items.

@dothe100dayproject

#The100DayProject

#DoThe100DayProject

#100Days100Things_TheDeclutterEdition

#100Days100ThingsDecluttered

#filltheboxjoy

You can follow me on Instagram @thejoyfulquilter.

Until next time...

Do the 100 Day Project!!!

Sew Some Love Sunday - Compassion Quilt Block Drive - Three Blocks in Three Weeks???

Welcome to another edition of Sew Some Love Sunday!!  Cynthia @ Quilting is more fun than Housework runs a Compassion Quilt program for her local hospital.  The most recent Block Drive is for Veterans in shades of red, white and blue.  I have a fair amount of patriotic scraps so wanted to help out.

I took the slow route in completing these blocks.  I cut block parts one afternoon a few weeks ago, sewed units another day and finished up the large Churn Dash block last week.  The other night I stitched up the little blocks.

Fortunately...

One of the fabrics I selected includes a bit of gold for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge, too, as it's the only YELLOW sewing I've done thus far!  :o))

Unfortunately...

I read patriotic and focused on the patriotic prints, completely forgetting that she wanted to stick to white-based neutrals for the blocks.

Fortunately...

She is flexible and will find a way to use whatever you send her!

Here are the FOUR blocks I made:

Although...

The two 4-Patch blocks will need to be replaced, or forwarded to Cynthia for some other project, as I misread the cutting instructions.  Whoops!  I'm sure she will find a use for them.  The blocks will be going in the mail on Monday or Tuesday.

Until next time...

SEW Some Love!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC24 - Week 16

Welcome to Week 16 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Well, it was another week that passed in a blur.  I was hoping for a little sewing.  Do YOU think that will happen???

Read on to have a snapshot of my days...

SUNDAY - We were in New England for a family wedding over the weekend.  This morning's festivities included a Farewell Brunch and was followed by...

Doing a portion of the local Cliff Walk: 

While all appears calm in the photo below...

Only moments later the wind was whipping and the waves were crashing on the rocks:

I was glad that my hair was pulled back, but I was wishing for a hat and scarf...

As we enjoyed stretching our legs before the 4-hour car ride back to my BIL's house:

MONDAY - Hanging out with the relatives, I found there is a "Cab" that I can actually tolerate.  This Josh wine is fruit forward with a not so very dry finish:

TUESDAY - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered

We're home and the neighborhood grew while we were away!  A new house is up and another is in process:

 

WEDNESDAY - Work

After a quick stop at the store on my way home, I threw the deli items in the fridge and headed up to Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

After dinner, I enjoyed working on my (adapted) Flower Flow Taster Week class project:

THURSDAY - Work was a bit slow so I decided to turn this photo from Sunday's Cliff Walk...

Into a drawing in my little travel journal:

After work I raced home to attend the Winging It hangout at Get Messy.  We were encouraged to make a list of things that fill us with a sense of wonder or that we find wondrous.  I skipped the list and went right to my favorite collage source, pulling pictures of the sea, the sky, the sunshine, along with flowers and trees.  Nature in all her glory:

FRIDAY - Knit Group was small, but that was ok:

It left more choices for the two who were there for Part One of the "Yarn Party" thanks to my friend Carol.  I will say, neither of these two took enough home with them!  The bulk of these two bags remained in my possession:

Before dinner, I arranged the bouquet of flowers drawn in @lalymille's Flower Flow Taster Week class...

Then glued everything down, added some words and a bit of color:

After dinner, I enjoyed my regular Weekly Evening Art Zoom.  I don't have anything to show for it, as all I did was add a few collage bits and some paint to my Get Messy Art Journal.

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I'm looking forward to visiting with Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.  I missed everyone when I was away last weekend.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!

The 100 Day Project - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered - Week 8

Welcome to Week 8 of the #100Days100ThingsDecluttered, the current mini-series here on The Joyful Quilter!!  I started The 100 Day Project last week.  I'm still shocked that I finally committed to it.  It's particularly popular on Instagram.  I have been hesitant to participate before now.  I'll be releasing weekly updates on Tidy Up Tuesday for those of you who might be interested in seeing what goes out the door.

What did you say your project was, again, Joyful???

I signed up with a different idea in mind than most.  You can read about it HERE.  That link will tell you all about my project.

The gist of my focus...

Decluttering my home and studio in an effort to free up space for MORE creativity.

Here's my progress for Week 8:

2 outdated meds

1 tunic

2 dresses

1 vest

Total:  6/100

Updated Project Total: 146/100

Thank you to those of you who continue to encourage my decluttering efforts!  I appreciate your kind comments and your willingness to cheer me along.  I'm pleased to report that I have finally made a pass through my closet.  It wasn't much, and I do have plans for another pass through it this coming weekend, but it was a good start while packing for a weekend away.  Come back next week to see what goes in the box during the next 7 days.

@dothe100dayproject

#The100DayProject

#DoThe100DayProject

#100Days100Things_TheDeclutterEdition

#100Days100ThingsDecluttered

#filltheboxjoy

You can follow me on Instagram @thejoyfulquilter.

Until next time...

Do the 100 Day Project!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC 24 - Week 15

Welcome to Week 15 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week was a blur with very little sewing to share.  OK, so that may even be no sewing, at all.

Stick around to see what else transpired...

SUNDAY - This week began in the usual manner with my Weekly Morning Art Zoom.  I worked on another page in my NEW Get Messy Hangout Journal.  I really enjoy expanding on the pages from my 2024 Artist Almanac...

Instead of decluttering the wire basket shown below, I opted to give it a new purpose.  I found that I needed to do a bit of organizing after lunch since these journals have fallen off the shelf no less than a half dozen times over the past few months.  Now they are tidy, tucked away, as well as easily accessible... WITHOUT causing an avalanche:

This afternoon, I enjoyed an ARTventure with Britt via Zoom.  While she worked on some special art pieces for an upcoming retreat, I made a(nother) new journal:

WAIT!!!  What happened to my weekly Zoom call with Knittingsuek???

That happened yesterday before my body decided to make things interesting with a fever and chills:

What's this about fever and chills, Joyful???

They also returned just after Britt and I said our goodbyes.  I knew I was fading fast, but I didn't expect the fever and chills to return at the same time this evening as they arrived yesterday!  :o((

MONDAY - Work...

Or not!!!  I made a call to my doctor's office bright and early this morning.  Remarkably enough, I ended up at a Sick Visit only an hour later.  It came complete with an examination, a chest x-ray, and a pharmacy run.  The good news?  I don't have pneumonia.  Yay!!  It's only a sinus infection.  Thank you, Great Pollen Drop.  Sigh...

I got home in time for the Eclipse, but this is the only one I saw from my couch:

After dinner, I went up to watch the day's presentation for Mixed Media Binge Week with Jennifer Chamberlin.  Alas, it was ONLY available on Facebook...

So I added some bits and pieces to my Get Messy Art Journal instead:

TUESDAY - #100Days100ThingsDecluttered

Work...

And the new view from my studio window:

 

WEDNESDAY - Wonderful Wednesday

After work, I quickly sat my water cup down on my scrappy YELLOW mug rug made a year or so ago while I went to change clothes and...

Head up to Zoom with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color:

THURSDAY - It's the start of my weekend.  I'm off today and tomorrow!  :o))

Spring is blooming in my yard...

I spotted these azaleas on my way back from taking out the trash:

This bush is nearly is almost completely covered in little flowers:

FRIDAY - We're on the road today, but...

The biggest surprise yesterday morning was finding this purple iris taking center stage in the planter out front.  I was thrilled since I thought my neighbor had only shared YELLOW ones:

Wonderful Wednesday - The Happy Mail Journal

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to share my latest journal. It came about as a result of The 100 Day Project.  Another post with scheduling difficulties.  (It was THAT kind of week this week.)

Did YOU predict this might happen???

I've been wanting to make a Happy Mail Journal for quite some time and the mailers in yesterday's #100Days100ThingsDecluttered felt like just the right thing to use:

I put it together on Thursday afternoon and decorated the cover during my Weekly Evening Art Hangout on Friday night.  The thought dropping them in the recycling bin seemed like a cruel thing to do with the mailers shown below - the very same ones I shared with you in yesterday's 100 Day Challenge post:

Whether out with the recycling or upcycled into a new journal, this was a HUGE win for me!

Why is that, Joyful???

The reason is quite simple.  You see, I tend to be a bit sentimental about certain items.  I felt overly attached to these mailers because I had been saving them since the very beginning of the (Ravelry) UFO Club in 2010.  My fat quarter rewards for completed project arrived in them.  For a while, they held the FQs and accompanying notes of congratulations and thanks for organizing The Club.  Once I added the FQs into my stash, I saved the envelopes for reuse.  Obviously, I never did that (until now!)  It was definitely time to do something with them because they have been taking up valuable drawer space for far too long.

And that...

Is the rest of the story.  Of course, if you read to the bottom of Saturday's post, this wasn't much of a surprise.  I blame it on the pollen haze that we are currently living under.  I completely forgot that I shared it already.  End of story.  Really.

Until next time...

I'm practicing CREATIVE decluttering!!