Friday, December 1, 2017

Joyful, joyful, joyful!

Hi everyone!  Today's post has massive doses of joy and happiness, along with lots of bright, happy colors.  There are at least three joyful things happening today, so come on in and let's talk!

Since this is a quilt blog, let's start with the quilt top:


I call this quilt Joyful, because really, what else could you call it?  Doesn't it just scream "joy?" This is the patternless medallion quilt that I've been working on for a few weeks.  I started with the orphan block in the center and then just built rounds around it, making it up as I went.  There are eleven rounds plus the center block.


Every bit of this quilt is scraps, including the leftover hunks of black and white fabrics.  If you saw the earlier posts you can tell that I made one significant change-- I changed the first "round" around the center block to white from a pale yellow.  This just makes it stand out a little better and coordinate with the rest of the rounds. 

It's hard to pick a "favorite" part of this quilt, but I really like how the round of flying geese turned out:


I made the geese and then just added a 1 inch finished strip to the bottom of each goose, then turned them in opposite directions.  I think it's a great effect.


This was very fun to work on since there was no pattern and therefore no rules.  It let me sew without thinking about it too much, which was great for the stress I've been under lately.  Maybe I should have called it "thankful" instead.  This happy quilt finished at 66 inches square, which is plenty big.  I had planned a piano key border, but really I just didn't want to cut up more fabric. 


The second joyful thing around here is a bit of family news-- on Wednesday, our son and daughter in law had twin babies, a boy and a girl! These are our second and third grandchildren and we are still dancing on air.  Mom, babies, and big brother are all doing great.  Dad is a little freaked out.  Of course the babies are completely adorable and I can't wait to see them in person. I can't post pictures on here, but if you hop over to Instagram (@academicquilter) you'll find the first picture of them together!

Which brings us to the third joyful thing in this post:


These two quilts are called Happy and Lucky and were made by my friend Preeti, who sent them off to me for my new grandchildren.  What a kind and generous gift! Thank you Preeti!  I know these will be used and loved, and probably be fought over by siblings, if my own siblings and I are any indication.


These two scrap quilts are wonderful, with lots of fun things to look at, like I-Spy quilts. And I have to tell you that the bindings are absolutely perfectly stitched and flat, way better than any binding I've done. Maybe I can get her to teach me how to do that.

So there we are-- joyful times three! I think I could burst from happiness!  I may come down by Monday, but I wouldn't count on it!  Hope you all have some serious joyfulness in your life, too, and that everyone has a great weekend.  I think I might shop for some baby girl clothes, how about you?

Sharing at crazymomquilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or Not Friday, and Oh, Scrap!

19 comments:

Preeti said...

Joyful, Joyous and Joy-giving!!! I love your Joyful top - I am smiling as I type. It is so bright and cheerful - it is bound to lift the weariest of spirits. Congratulations on the new grandbabies. Many blessings to them and wishing the mom a speedy recovery. She must be exhausted, but then this is just the beginning.
I am tickled pink that Happy & Lucky found a good home. Teach you binding? I am thrilled at any reason to hang out with you, and this will do just fine.
This joyful blogpost is the perfect way to begin the holiday season, Mari!!!
Hugs,
Preeti.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Congratulations on the new additions to your family, Mari! What fun you will have! Preeti's quilts are wonderful, as is your Joyful quilt. I love their bright and happy color!

DeeDee said...

Your blog post just gave me a huge pick me up! What lovely quilts. Preeti did a wonderful job. And your medallion quilt is an inspiration. I've been suffering from a sinus infection and feeling a little gray. Your post cheered me up immensely. I don't blame you for not wanting to come down. Have a beautiful weekend and enjoy those new babies!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Good news all around!! A completed quilt top, TWO new grand babies, and a generous gift from a friend. Congratulations!

Jo said...

I am so excited for you. So happy 2 new grand babies are doing so well. How wonderful for you to have one of each. A lovely thought from a quilting friend to send quilts for them. I am happy for you..

piecefulwendy said...

Those little twins are just adorable, congratulations! I love your Joyful quilt and it is very aptly named! What a neat thing for Preeti to do for you; she is such a sweetie! What a fun post. I think I'll be dancing through the weekend with you, celebrating all your joy!

JanineMarie said...

Oh, Mari, this was so much fun to read! The joy is just bursting out of it. Your new grand babies are precious! I hope you get to go there soon to fill up your arms with love. I’m sure your heart is full already. I love the round robin you did with yourself and how you put those geese next to each other instead of in flying formation. And the quilts!! I had seen them on Preeti’s blog, but never made the connection that they were for your grand babies! What a sweet, sweet gift! Blessings to all of you!

MissPat said...

Congratulations all around. Your round robin quilt came out perfect.
I'd seen Preeti's baby quilts on her blog, but never realized that they were for your grandbabies. Hope you get to visit soon and that the semester is winding down, giving you some stress relief.
Pat

Louise said...

Congratulations, Grandma Mari! So much joy, so wonderful to read about :)

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

I really like your Joyful quilt. I saw those twin quilts on Pretti's site and pleased you received them!

Jayne said...

Congrats Mari! I saw your IG post with the babies and my heart melted! Beautiful babies indeed! I love the joyful quilt. It's full of happy and color and that Preeti! What a sweet and wonderful lady!

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm said...

Congratulaions on your new grandbabies and hope all is well with the new family.
I agre with the name you chose, Joyful, love it

Linda Swanekamp said...

Oh, Preeti's quilts are the best of scrap quilts! What an awesome job. And gifting them makes them even better. Just love, love the colors.

Cathy said...

Thanks for sharing all the joy! Congrats on the quilt (it's awesome and joyful) top finish and the twins.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Great news on all fronts Mari. Love your scrappy medallion quilt. No one would guess it all started with an orphan block. The twins are adorable. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

Kate said...

Congrats on the new additions to the family! Joyful looks like stained glass, it turned out beautifully too. I saw those two quilts over on Pretti's blog, how fun that that they belong to your new family. Hope you get lots of time with the newbies over the holiday.

Marlene said...

Congratulations on your three joyful moments. What a wonderful blessing to be a grandmother to twins and glad to hear thry are all well. Pretti's quilts are gorgeous as is she. I love, love, love your medallion quilt especially the flying geese units.

Claire said...

Nice medallion quilt. I love pieced borders, but I haven't made any for quite a while. claire aka knitnkwilt

Bernie Kringel said...

So much to love about this post. The medallion quilt is wonderful - what a great way to use scraps and it certainly has a happy feel to it.
The babies!!! Double joy there. They are just adorable too.
Preeti's quilts! How generous and thoughtful of her. Wow, she is such a sweet person.