Quilts for Quake Survivors

PMQG charity quilting - January, February, + March

This year we're sharing a different charity quilting opportunity every month for any PMQG members who might be interested. January's featured organization was Bradley-Angle House, a shelter here in Portland that serves women and children escaping domestic violence. As Violet pointed out, it's the only shelter in Portland that's able to keep families living together as they work towards their new lives. Several PMQG members have teamed up to donate both small quilts for the Bradley-Angle families, and fabric for the women's sewing and quilting circles they host! Here's one quilt from our first round of donations in January - blocks donated by Cool Cottons, top and back finished at a Quilts for Quake Survivors bee, and beautifully quilted by Nancy.


February's charity is Craft Hope's littlest warriors project - they're collecting handmade soft hats and tote bags to give to children fighting cancer. The deadline is March 12 and you can make hats and bags for any age kid, from babies to teenagers, boys or girls, just make them colorful and fun! I just wrote up a simple tutorial for making a patchwork tote from two 12" (or similar-sized) quilt blocks, if you're interested in stitching one up too. Mine are log cabin, but any quilt blocks you like would be great! We're hoping to send out a nice PMQG package by the second week of March, so just let us know if you'd like to sew along! You can use any pattern you like - maybe my tote bag or Monica's Pick-a-Pocket Purse?



In March we'll be featuring Quilts of Valor, an organization that collects comforting, healing handmade quilts to give to returning combat veterans in honor of their service. More on them at the March meeting, but if you'd like to donate or sew for any of these charities, we'd love to have you - please email us at portlandmodernquiltguild at gmail.com!

Thank you to everyone who's contributed so far, and to all the members who've emailed with great suggestions for other charities to include this year. We look forward to twelve beautiful months of quilting craftivism with everyone who's interested!




January Meeting

  Our first meeting of the year! We had quite a turn out with a lot of new faces. Thank you all for joining us I hope you had fun. 

  Our new president Susan led the meeting thanking our previous board and introducing the new one, we'll tell you a little more about us later. One more time thank you Christina President, Michelle Vice President, Rachel Treasure, Katie Secretary, and Megan Programs. It was a fun year and we appreciate all the time and energy you put into the Guild!
 Susan also acknowledged all of the guild members that contributed to Quilts for Quakes. Quilts for Quakes sent 30 quilts to Japan, raised $2825 directly for Mercy Corps, plus $660 via the Craft Party at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in June. Thank you for all the fabric donations, sewing, and quilting!  The final few quilts will be going to Bradley-Angle House, in two waves as the last volunteers finish them. We will be posting a little more about Bradley-Angle House soon.

Our ten minute tute this month was all about making your own name tag. After seeing all of the beautiful ones at the Sewing Summit this year we thought it would be fun for our guild to make their own. This is my name tag I made for the Summit.

  Mine was made by sewing scraps together for the boarder and stamping my name and website in the center with archival ink. My tip is stamp before you sew so if you have any smudges (like I do) you don't have to start over. Instead of adding binding, I chose to layer my front and back with batting, right sides together, sew, and then turn right side out. If you'd like to do binding on your name tag this is a great tutorial by Kerry of verykerryberry for making single binding for small projects. 

 Here's a few name tags from the Sewing Summit. You can see the variety in style and size aren't they fun! 

  At next months meeting we will have a mixer to share everyone's name tags. If you missed this months meeting we do have pin backs for you to use but in the meantime you can use a good ole safety pin or make a lanyard like Angela did above. 

  Now onto Show and Tell we had a lot of beautiful quilts this month! But really, I think we always do, so I might be biased. 
 Paula Wessells Garden Auction quilt, garden designed by Kindergarten students and Paula's first time doing applique. 

Also by Paula her Do Good Stitches Word Quilt top.


Kelly Cole brought her Retro Bento quilt. Kelly used vintage fabrics for this.

Jolene Knight had a few to share. First made with Christy Cuzza this lattice quilt with scalloped edge. 

Jolene's Big Scrap Quilt

and Modern Log Cabin Baby boy quilt. 
Sorry Jolene I'm missing one of your photos.

Rachel Kerley shared her example from a quilting demo she and Cherri did at Modern Domestic for the shop's new quilting frame.

Rachel also shared this Triangle Quilt she made using fellow member Jill's TabSlot templates

She also showed this top she made using the scraps. One or both of these will be going to the Children's Relief Nursery.

Kate Sharaf's Drunkards Path quilt top. Kate has been doing a quilt along for this on her blog.

Anne Matlak's River Quilt a beautiful log cabin.

 Amorette's Art Gallery Improv Quilt which is a charity quilt and she had a lot of fun with the improv blocks.

 Christina Cameli's Double Disappearing Nine Patch quilt top. 

Also, her first Spoonflower fabric design of Selvages on Steroids!

Cherri Langley also brought in some Spoonflower fabric First Color Chart which is a copy of the first commercially designed color chart from 1680 fabric by Peagreengirl.

 Linda Nussbaum shared two quilts this month I-Spy for Henry who was just born in December and
 this Love Summertime Stars quilt top pattern by Fig Tree Quilts.


 Aly Good's La Tortuga Quilt. Look closely, you'll be able to see that the turtle shell is three dimensional and there's lovely quilting detail.

Jen Carlton-Bailly shared her Quilted Weekender Bag. Congratulations to Jen the new Social Media Coordinator for the Modern Quilt Guild!

 Alexandra Kloch shared her quick and easy snugly blanket that's backed with Minky.

Also, Ale brought this mini snowflake quilt.

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A few of our members are teaching classes in the upcoming weeks:

At Modern Domestic 
Elizabeth Hartman: Skill Building Quilt Blocks (individual classes)
January 21     Half-square triangles
January 28     Spiderweb
February 1      Dresden plate
Daniela Caine: Sewing with Japanese Patterns - February 6

At Pendleton Woolen Mills
Daniela           
January 28      Figgy’s Jacket class - 
Susan Beal     
January 28      Scrap class (sunglasses case + draft snake) 
Michelle Freedman 
January 29      Adjustable Dog Coat 
February 5      Wine Bottle Cozy + Coasters
February 12    Michelle tote bag 

One more item to announce and then I'm done I promise. Our next All Day Sew will be on February 4th at Fabric Depot so mark your calendars! We'll have more details for you soon.

Pétra



Charity Quilt Sewing Bees


This week PMQG members, Cherri, Susan and Rachel, are hosting two quilting bees for Quilts for Quake Survivors at Cherri's studio Sew On. There will be long-arm quilting, binding and piecing action going on Thursday, April 14th from 1 pm - 6 pm and Friday, April 15th from 1 pm - 9 pm.
Join them for either or both days as there will be work to do. While Cherri and Rachel command the long-arm there is space for cutting fabric, piecing blocks on sewing machines and a cosy spot for hand stitching. Snack and drinks will be available and it'd be great if you could bring something to share too. Drop Cherri a note at getyoursewon@gmail.com to let her know if you can make it so she has an idea of the number of people to expect. If you have fabric, blocks or quilt tops to donate as well as your time please bring those too.


Sew On is located at 6635 N Baltimore Ave, Suite #263, Portland Oregon. It is a big orange building just under the St. Johns Bridge.