I finished one quilt from my Rainbow Scrap Challenge Quilt Blocks for 2023.  I made a scrappy Bear Paw Quilt.

 

 

 

I got so excited that I have already made a hanging sleeve and it is now in the living room on the wall.   Forgive my terrible picture, I have an old phone with a not so great camera.

I decided to limited the amount of blocks I make for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2024, so I won't get overwhelmed.  So I only work on three different blocks this year.

I have been doing some Christmas sewing.

Diann from Little Penguin Quilts posted a Christmas project that she completed.  A JOY banner.

https://littlepenguinquilts.blogspot.com/2023/11/midweek-update_21.html

 

I really liked it and decided to make it myself.  I decided to turn the letters horizontally instead of vertically.   I made two different sizes for gifts.  I also decided to just use the method to not have to bind the little quilts.

I think I may need to make one for myself!! I think I like the smallest one the best.

 

 

 Just wanted to post the quilts that I and my daughter entered in the Sumter County Fair.    My daughter Brenna won Best in Show for Youth!

She was so proud and excited!

I entered my Scaredy Cat Quilt (Halloween Quilt) and a Christmas Quilt

I got a third place ribbon on the Scaredy Cat Quilt!

I have completed two Christmas Quilts to go on their beds for Daughter # 2 and Daughter # 3.  I am still working on the firstborn's quilt.  I had a mixed up with ordering the wrong border fabric and now I am still waiting to get the correct fabric and December is two days away!  ARGH

I also wanted to mentioned that Cynthia from Quilting is more fun than Housework mentioned two of my charity quilts on her blog.

https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-compassion-quilt-parade.html

A Look Back...

I wanted to post a few pictures from the 2022 Sumter County Fair.  I entered a quilt in the Fair and so did my youngest daughter, Brenna.   Brenna won Best in Show for Youth Quilts. 

 

 

I entered the Halloween Hoopla Quilt that I made.  I didn't win a ribbon.  The 2023 Sumter County Fair is coming up in October and we plan on entering more quilts.

The Summer is winding down and though I have been sewing, there aren't many pictures to share.    I have been sewing charity quilt tops and forgot to take pictures before I sent them out.   I decided that this year I would sew Christmas quilts for all the girls.   I have finished two so far and am waiting on getting them back from my long arm quilter, Joanne, and I will start piecing Kieran's Christmas quilt this month.

Kieran, my oldest daughter and I collaborated on making a quilt for her good friend Liz.   Liz loves all things green, so Kieran and I picked out the pattern and the fabric.   Then Kieran started her Occupational Therapy Program at South University and I had to take over the sewing and finished it up.   It is Bonnie Hunter's Pineapple Blossom pattern.   Here is a terrible picture - Somehow it was the only picture I got of it before it left to go to it's new owner:

The Sumter County Fair is coming up in October and youngest daughter, Brenna is working on getting her quilt finished.   I have finished piecing my Halloween quilt and now I am just waiting to get it back from my good friend who is quilting it.

Rachelle sent me a picture of it all loaded up.  :)

Jo from Jo's Country Junction blogged on a two quilt tops that I sent to Cathy (Crazy by Design) for the charity, Quilts for Kids.   Cathy always does an amazing job of quilting and binding the quilts.

 The Scrappy Nine Patch Plus Fun quilt is a quilt pattern from Jo Kramer.  It was featured in a McCall's Quick Quilts magazine and much bigger.  I made a lot of blocks and ended up making two smaller quilts for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last year.   My favorite quilt of all the tops I sewed last year! 

I love nine patch blocks.   I am always looking for scrappy quilt patterns where I can sew 2" squares.  I love sewing up my overflowing bucket of 2" squares.

http://www.joscountryjunction.com/community-quilts-from-cathy-5/

This year I wanted to focus on sewing quilt tops and donating them to different charities.   Though I have sewed a few in the past to help with a quilt guild, I really wanted to use up some beautiful fabric and make something and pass it on to help others.   I have read many many blogs where lots of wonderful people participate and it's time to give back.  I have come to the realization that it's pointless to just save fabric for "someday", when it is better to sew with it and enjoy it and pass it on.   I certainly have enough quilts around here!

I got a blurb and a photo from Cynthia at Quilting is more fun that housework, Make sure to see the beautiful vintage tablecloth that she used as backing.  It would have never occurred to me to use a tablecloth as a backing!!

 

https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2023/04/turning-tops-into-quilts.html

2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge tops completed!

This year I decided to sew 9 patch blocks with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I had other blocks I was also sewing, but after March I gave up.  I decided to sew at least 17 blocks of each color so I could make a big quilt.  I decided to only have rainbow colors, no gray, black or browns.   I had also sewed neutral 9 patch blocks to go with the rainbow blocks.  But once I laid out the quilt to sew it, I felt like it was just way too busy.   So I cut up some 5" neutral squares and it calmed things down.  I ended up sewing a bigger throw size and had plenty left over to make a baby quilt.

I will probably keep the bigger quilt and donate the little baby quilt.   My oldest likes the bigger one and you know how it goes when a family member likes a quilt top!

 Charity Quilts Finished

 

I have some happy news, the Circle of Stars quilt I donated to Cathy for Quilts for Kids was quilted and featured on her blog, Crazy by Design. https://cathyscrazybydesign.blogspot.com/2022/10/chasing-squirrels.html

It looked so great!  I like it so much more now that it is quilted.  Here is a picture of it:

Cathy had also quilted the little sister to this quilt, Rectangles (because I used up the scraps from it).  Here is that one:

I somehow like both of them so much better now that they are quilted.  I also got to finally donate some quilt tops.   I think we all have so much fabric and a wonderful hobby, it's always good to do good for others.  Share our blessings!

In the Circle of Stars quilt, I originally made it for husband, but it didn't exactly turn out like I thought it would.   It is really bright and colorful (which I love), but somehow I thought it was missing something.  I think since it was all made from a fat quarter bundle of tone on tone,  it is missing some visual texture.  Such a nit picky thing to say!  Or, it could be that since I really love scrappy quilts, I was missing the dorky homemade look that I am used to!  haha.