presentation

An Interview with Katie Pedersen

We're so excited to have Katie Pedersen give our October presentation! Here are some questions she answered for us.




How did you get started quilting?

I tease that I’m a hybrid of self-taught and learning through osmosis.  I didn’t start quilting until 2007, but my mom was always quilting.  Naturally, I would watch her here and there, so I’m sure that’s where some of my natural inclination to quilt in certain ways comes from.  The rest I just muddled through. 

I’ve spent a lifetime in fabric stores with my mom, but traditional fabrics never inspired me.  It wasn’t until fabrics started being designed in colors and an aesthetic that appealed to me that I had any interest.  Now I could practically open a fabric store with my stash alone. 



What makes quilting important to you? To the world? In other words, why do you do it? 

I’m terribly grumpy if I don’t get a chance to create during the day.  I just have a drive to create. I’m sure my family appreciates that about me, the grumpy part that is.

I enjoy teaching and sharing how I think about quilting because I believe art is culturally important in our mad-science driven society.  I was lucky enough to be raised in a family with an appreciation for art, but as a society we need to place value on the arts and support individuals that are drawn to it for careers. We all have something creative to contribute.


How many quilts have you made?

Tons.  Some I love and some were learning opportunities.





What’s the hardest part of quilting for you?

Great, it’s done, now how the hell do I quilt it?


How long does it take you to make a quilt?  How old is your oldest UFO?

It just really depends.  Often I don’t know what direction it’s going in, so I pull it off the design wall until something sparks some creativity.  Sometimes I get determined and push through.





What's the tool or technique you swear you would die if you couldn't use it anymore? 

Design Wall.  If I could have a padded room I would.


What's the one thing you absolutely must do/see when you come to Portland?

Only one? I’m for sure going to be at Modern Domestic teaching a Modern Crazy Piecing workshop on Friday, October 18th, but besides that I always love to eat good food, drink a cocktail that doesn’t make me feel like I was kicked by a mule the next day, search for a bar that serves Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and walk.  

 *******************************************************************************************

Thanks, Katie! 

You can still sign up for Katie's class at Modern Domestic (and get 10% off!) Modern Crazy Piecing runs from 10 am to 5 pm on Friday, October 18th. 

 All pictures are by Katie Pedersen, from her blog, Sew Katie Did.

Thanks to Teresa Coates for some of the interview questions.

MQG Membership

PMQG members: We are voting at our June 20th meeting!
PMQG members will vote on when our guild will join the MQG: membership is available in July for the 2nd half of 2013 and in December for 2014. You must be a paid PMQG member and be present at our June 20th meeting to vote. Individual Memberships will also be available in July and December.

Last month, MQG founder Alissa Haight Carlton presented the details of MQG membership to our guild. Here is a recap of her presentation, from a document provided by the MQG.

MQG Membership FAQs
The Big Picture
by Alissa Haight Carlton

Q: What is the mission statement of the Modern Quilt Guild?
A: Our mission is to support and encourage the growth and development of modern
quilting through art, education, and community.

Q: Why is membership to the MQG being formalized?
A: The MQG has grown exponentially since the first MQG was founded by Alissa Haight
Carlton and Latifah Saafir in Los Angeles in October 2009. Through blogs and the
internet, word spread quickly and soon guilds started popping up everywhere. The
original founders of the MQG provided support and guidance to these new groups.

In 2010, the founding members brought together a group of dedicated guild members
from across the country to form the initial MQG board. The goal was simple: determine
what local guilds wanted and needed from a national organizational structure. Did
they even want one at all?

The feedback came via member surveys, social media, the MQG leadership forum and
a pilot membership program made up of five MQGs. The priorities emerged: members
wanted community connections and communication, education, a better way to
manage membership, support in forming and running local guilds, and an easy way for
their guild to acquire 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

QuiltCon 2013 emerged as the vehicle by which the board could fund the work and
infrastructure needed to meet these objectives.
The board was expanded to bring on expertise in the areas of accounting, software,
and industry relations. An attorney was engaged to continue the 501(c)(3) application
process, a new website was born, and a membership program is being rolled out to
formalize the structure of the organization.

Work is ongoing to support the work of local MQGs and build a strong, thriving
international organization that supports the MQG’s mission to encourage the growth
and development of modern quilting through art, education, and community.

Q: What are the basic requirements for a local group to join the MQG?
A: A local guild will need to develop and adopt a set of bylaws, elect officers, acquire
an EIN, and open a bank account. In addition, the fiscal year must match the MQG’s
fiscal year of January 1 to December 31 and the bylaws must contain some specific
language (outlined in a separate document). These are also the prerequisites to qualify
for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status through the MQG’s group exemption.

Q: How much are dues?
A: Individuals not affiliated with a local guild can join the MQG for $25 per year. Local
MQG’s will pay a flat annual fee based on the number of members in their group:
10 - 15 members: $ 150
16 - 25 members: 250
26 - 35 members: 400
36 - 45 members: 550
46 - 55 members: 700
56 - 65 members: 850
66 - 75 members: 1,000
76 - 90 members: 1,150
91+ members: 1,275
International fees are 35% less.

Q: Why are international dues discounted?
A: The board considers the initial launch of guild activities to be heavily centered in the
United States and therefore determined it appropriate to discount dues for international
guilds.

Q: What if my guild signs up with 23 members for 2013 and adds 5 members before the
end of the year? How will our dues increase?
A: Your dues will increase the next enrollment period in January 2014. You can add and
remove members over the course of the year without any changes in cost.

Q: How was the amount of dues determined? Why are they so reasonable? Why are
they so expensive? (yes, we’ve gotten both of these questions!)
A: Dues represent about 10-15% of the projected income of the MQG in 2013.
Remaining expenses will be funded from revenue generated by activities like QuiltCon
and the SewDowns. The goal was to make dues both reasonable and affordable while
still providing needed funding for the operational budget of the organization.
We’d like to think that the MQG’s mission alone is reason enough to support the
organization but we’re realists too. To encourage guilds to join, the board has spent
considerable effort in devising a value-packed list of member and guild benefits which
we think far exceeds the cost of dues paid. We believe the combination of an
awesome mission and a compelling line-up of member activities, opportunities for
connecting within the MQG community, and guild benefits like 501(c)(3) status will
make our organization strong and ready to spread the word of modern quilting
worldwide.

Q: What are the deadlines for joining?
A: For guilds joining in 2013, dues will be pro-rated for a half-year period from July 1 to
December 31. Existing guilds will have until December 2014 to join. Benefits are listed
below.

Q: Our guild is lacking bylaws which is required for membership? Where can we go to
get help in creating these?
A: Several samples of MQG bylaws have been posted on the website. We recommend
beginning with one as a template and modifying it as needed.

Q: Our guild doesn’t have an EIN, how do we get one?
A: Your guild can get can an EIN from the IRS. State requirements vary from state-tostate.
The IRS has information about getting an EIN here:
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Employer-ID-Numbers-
(EINs)-

Q: Can a current guild join the MQG and still have local dues?
A: Absolutely. Local guilds retain complete ownership of setting local member dues.

Q: By aligning our fiscal year to the MQG do we have to have elections coordinate to
that year?
A: No. Your officers can run any start/end dates that you determine to be the best for
your local guild.

Q: If a guild chooses not to join can they still be a Modern Quilt Guild?
A: They will not be able to use the Modern Quilt Guild name. Being an official part of
the Modern Quilt Guild infers alliance with the mission of the MQG which includes a
commitment to the growth and development of modern quilting through art,
education, and community. Guilds are more formal than a sewing circle or club. If your
current group does not wish to join the formal structure of the MQG they can continue
with their current activities and should drop MQG from their name.

Q: Will individual members have access to the website to access guild challenges?
A: Yes. Individual members will have all the same benefits as members of local guilds.
An Individual Group is planned for the website for members that are not affiliated with a
local guild.

Q: What are additional benefits of joining the MQG?
A: Guild and Individual Members will receive the following benefits:
- discounted entry fees for MQG quilt shows
- discounted rates on conferences and events
- priority and early-bird registration for conferences and events
- discounts and special offers with MQG sponsors, legal fees and affiliated companies
- permission to the The Modern Quilt Guild logo
- access to MQG Leaders only newsletter and forum
- membership cards
- official member blog button
- membership pins
- 10% discount on online MQG merchandise purchases

Q: If a member switches guilds mid-year (such as moving) or signs on as an individual
and later wants to join a guild, will you offer refunds?
A: No, members will need to pay the dues for the type of membership they would like.

501(c)(3)
Note: A separate document entitled Quilt Guilds as Nonprofit, Tax-Exempt Organizations
is available. It covers the nitty-gritty details of what being non-profit is, how the MQG’s
tax-exempt status is structured, and how your guild can take advantage of the group
exemption being offered by the MQG parent organization.

Q: Can we join without taking advantage of the 501(c)(3) status?
A: Guilds that already have non-profit status in place will not be required to file under
the parent organization’s group exemption option. Remaining guilds located in the
United States are required to take part in the 501(c)(3) group exemption. Guilds located
outside of the United States are exempt from this requirement. Since membership fees
cover the vast majority of operational costs beyond 501(c) there is no discount for
guilds who already have non-profit status in place.

Q: How quickly will our guild have 501(c) status after sending in our dues and
application?
A: We plan to process membership as quickly as possible, preferably within 5 business
days, but it should be no longer than 21 business days depending on volume.

Constituent Relationship Management System (CRM)
Note: The CRM system will allow guild leaders the ability to track membership, take
payments, communicate with your guild through groups and newsletters, and plan
events with RSVPs. In addition, the social media hub will facilitate guild-to-guild
communication for planning meet ups and swaps, share photos of work, ask for advice,
and get information about MQG challenges.

Q: Will we need to maintain our own websites?
A: No. The MQG website will provide your guild with a web page where you can
announce events and post information for your members.

Q: Will we be able to link back to our blog that we already have established?
A: Yes. One of the features of the CRM is the ability to link your blog to the website.

Q: Will it have e-newsletter capabilities?
A: This feature is a requirement in our development project plan.

Member Information
Q: How will the MQG use and protect the personal information of members?
The MQG will never share or sell member's information with another organization or
company. Our membership database will never be shared or sold.
For some events we will offer the option to share email addresses of event registrants
only, but only if it is very clearly an option to approve or decline your participation and
people can opt out. You must opt-in for this, we will not share your email address
without your permission.

 The guild makes sure all of its communications are in compliance with the CAN-SPAM
Act as well as protecting members personal information as a top priority in our emails.

Future Plans of the Modern Quilt Guild
Q: What does the MQG have planned for the future?
A: The following events are currently scheduled:
- SewDowns - five all-inclusive weekend getaways that include 4 teacher led workshops.
Cities include Philadelphia, Portland, Nashville, Minneapolis, and Scottsdale.
- QuiltCon 2015
- Traveling Best of QuiltCon Show
- Quilt Market & Festival Showcase

Q: How many people do you anticipate the SewDowns to accommodate and how is it
decided who can attend? How much will it cost?
A: 80 attendees. It will be on a first come, first serve registration process with members
having the benefit of early bird registration. A flat amount of $750 per member/double
occupancy will include hotel, workshops with 4 instructors and food for the weekend.
Non-members will be $900 per person/double occupancy.

Organizational Structure
Q: How many people work for the guild?
A: Since September, 2012 the MQG has had two full-time employees. Alissa Haight
Carlton as the Executive Director and Heather Grant as the Director of Marketing and
Programming. Their hours will vary in 2013 as event planning ebbs and flows. Since April
2013, Jen Carlton Bailly works as the guild’s Communications Manager. We anticipate
hiring a bookkeeper in 2013.

Q: Will the annual budget be made available? What about minutes from board
meetings?
A: Yes. This is also a requirement of being a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Q: Will board members be elected by the membership in the future?
A: The board is currently developing a plan for member participation in the board
selection process. This is slated for rollout in 2014.

May Meeting--Special Guest Jacquie Gering!



We are so excited to have Jacquie Gering present at this month's meeting!


Jacquie is a passionate quilt maker, designer and modern quilting advocate.  She is known for her "out of the box" designs and unique style. Her work has been featured in both national and international publications, and she is the co-author of Quilting Modern:  Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts.  Jacquie is a member of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild and on the Board of Directors of the Modern Quilt Guild. She blogs and shares her quilting knowledge on her popular blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio and lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and black lab, Bruno. 




March Meeting Recap - Presentations


This month we were pleased to have a few of our very own PMQG members present us with their blocks, books and fabric!

First though, Elizabeth Hartman gave us a wonderful recap of QuiltCon and it was truly amazing to see many of the beautiful quilts in the show and how much hard work went into putting it all together! We learned that there were 6400 in attendance from 5 continents, 10 countries, 6 canadian provinces, 47 states and 80 Modern Quilt Guilds. Can't wait for the next one in 2015!

Monica from Happy Zombie was the creator of our March BOM that she named Around the Rosie! You can see the tutorial she put together for us on her blog here. You can also find more information on our BOM tab here on the blog.
Here is Monica showing the magazine her block was published in.
A couple sample blocks
Monica's beautiful quilt showcasing the Around the Rosie block!
Mo Bedell shared her new fabric line Full Moon Lagoon along with some lovely projects she made using it.

 



The colors are so bright, summery and cheerful. It was a real treat hearing her story of what inspired this line! You can see more pictures on her blog, Lime Gardenias.


We also welcomed Heather Bostic of House of A La Mode to share her recently published book, Pillow Pop! Her book had amazing pillow after pillow that would make a lovely addition to any home. 



Thank You ladies for sharing your 'creative babies' with us!! 


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January Meeting Recap - Presentation

One question we as a Board want to ask ourselves when we're thinking of what to present is, "How does this relate to modern quilting?"

Within the modern quilt movement we've seen growing emphasis and attention directed at making the backs of our quilts more of a design element. This can be challenging especially if you're running behind schedule and need to finish quickly, or don't have a lot of time to dedicate to sewing, or even if by the time you've finished a beautifully pieced top are just done with that particular project.

Kim, our Programs Director, put together this great presentation of quilt backs and we hope it inspires you to try something new on your next quilt!


Traditionally, quilt backs were whole cloths or longer pieces of standard width fabric pieced together, making the quilting the main focus, such as this quilt here:



If you're intimidated by moving away from using one fabric as your backing, start small. Use one fabric as your main backing and add one other fabric to it. Slice the main fabric to make it longer or wider as needed. Two great examples are these backs here:



Try piecing your leftovers together. Make rows of similar sized cuts and then sew the rows together or layout your larger cuts and fill in the holes, such as these quilts:



 Picture Courtesy of Elizabeth at Don't Call Me Betsy

Picture Courtesy of Jeni Baker at In Color Order


Often times when piecing the top of our quilts we end up with leftover blocks and what other great use for them than the back! Our next topic is to continue an element from the front. Even if you don't have any extra blocks consider making a couple more specifically for the back! 

Picture Courtesy of Kerstin at Sunset Sewing       Picture Courtesy of Megan Dye at Monkey Beans


Picture Courtesy of Katriniella on Flickr                  Picture Courtesy of AraJane on Flickr

Picture Courtesy of Lisa Piinette from Flickr


And then there are the times when you get a wild hair and decide to make two quilt tops. The following pictures are of quilt backs that look like tops, but we swear they're backs!

Picture Courtesy of Kati at From the Blue Chair

Picture Courtesy of Gail at I Think Sew

Picture Courtesy of Elaine at Elaine's Crafty Corner

Picture Courtesy of Dee at Dee's Doodles

Picture Courtesy of BGMom1 on Flickr

Picture Courtesy of Dan Rouse at Piece and Press

Picture Courtesy of Rebecca Powers - Thread For Your Life on Flickr


Lastly HAVE FUN! These photos courtesy of Katie Sciarrino feature quilts that were made for her nieces. Each of the quilt backs have elements of the others' top.  



Hopefully you saw something that inspired you to try something new! 
To help you along here are some resources:

-Elizabeth Hartman: Craftsy Class - Creative Quilt Backs
-Julie Herman: Pieced Quilt Back Tutorial
-Hooked on Needles: Pieced Quilt Back Tutorial
-Red Pepper Quilts: Aligning a Pieced Backing 



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August Meeting Recap

We had quite a packed meeting this month! It started with our pouch swap with the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild. There were so many beautiful pouches it was hard to see them all. Thank you Vancouver!!

  Are you going to Quiltcon? Our guild is a Gold Needle Supporter! This means when it's time to register for Quiltcon all of our paid members will receive a 10% off code to use. This will be specific to our guild and is not to be shared on blogs or any other media. Registration is August 30th  and we will be receiving our discount code August 23rd. 

 Heather and I shared a recap from the Pacific Northwest Modern Quilt Guild Meet-up. You can read our previous post here. 

 Susan shared about the Denyse Schmidt class she and other members recently took, her post is here. 

 We have two charities this month first member Teresa Cotes shared about Pho for Three. 

This post gives you all of the details that can be found on her Crinkle Dreams blog. Please head over and if you can sew a straight line you can help! Teresa is looking for little dresses, shorts, pencil pouches, little messenger bags, and a simple diaper wrap with the first batch of items heading out September 30th.


Second is Action Kivu.

This ends tonight at midnight so head on over to Alissa's blog so you don't miss out on her fundraiser. Portland members Susan Beal and Elizabeth Hartman have contributed prizes along with many other people. You will be entered to win if you make a donation to Action Kivu through the fundraiser. Action Kivu is run by Cate Alissa's twin sister and is a nonprofit that helps women who are victims of the conflict in Eastern Congo by teaching them to sew at a sewing workshop. Action Kivu also pays for children to go to school. If you are reading this post after August 20th you can find out more about Action Kivu and still help on their website.




We had a visit from Lisa Anne a Portland guild member who has transplanted to Colorado to work for Craftsy. If you haven't checked out Craftsy yet it's a fun online community where you can take classes of all kinds of craftiness. Member Elizabeth Hartman will be starting her first series of classes soon you wont want to miss it! Lisa also shared about Craftsy's affiliate program and ideas about working with Guilds.

Wholecloth Quilts



Our Treasures Nancy did a wonderful talk on the history and evolution of Wholecloth quilting. I think this needs to be a future post on the blog so you can see all of the beautiful photos she had to share so stay tuned. Above are pieces by members Ale Kloch and Jen Carlton-Bailly.

Show and Tell
Joy Ruplinger with her lovely Scrap Table Runner

Lara Giles brought 2 quilts to share her Linen and Cotton Baby Quilt.
Also her Surfer Quilt for her daughter. She and her daughter have been collecting fabrics for the quilt for some time. Lara's daughter chose the pattern and theme to match her room then she moved out...
Back where you can see some of the palm tree quilting details.

Wacked Log Cabin by Cris Pera.

Amanda shared her version of the Ron Swanson quilt. This is from a quilt along by member Monica Solorio-Snow. 
Also from Amanda her Twin Quilt.
Back

Gretchen Bertman shared her Architecture Boom. This is a memory album quilt made for her son when he graduated college. 
Detail showing each block with drawings or writing from Professors and friends.

Linda Nussbaum brought 2 quilts. First for Baby Girl Hamlin a pastel block baby quilt.
Second from a Jane Sassaman workshop her unfinished applique poppies. Linda's on flickr as Linda Beth.

Kory Keller shared her Windows improv wedding inspired table runner.

From Megan Dye blocks for Cocorico bee. These are paper-pieced quilt blocks for a flickr bee.


Sara Quigley brought her Cowboy quilt top.
 Detail of red work.
It's own travel bag!

Christin Ritz shared her small to Big Zig Zag Quilt.
Back. You can find her on flickr as see.ritz.

Ann Marie Cowley shared Swoon Leftovers from her Swoon quilt scraps.
Back but you can't really see the beautiful quilting details go to her blog and check it out.

Nancy Kennedy made this quilt from a pattern in Sweetwater Simple Home. 16 different red prints! 
Back with quilting by Nancy Stovall.

Maria Cardenas shared her Floral Lap Quilt.
Back

Jolene Knight brought her Selvage Edge quilt.
Back quilted with her new machine!

Marcia Mersky Solids!
Back

Mims shared a vintage quilt.
And 194 Lessons a half square triangle quilt for her daughters bed.
Back

Cherri shared Wonky Stars her Sparkle Punch quilt. Quilted by Nancy Stovall featuring a concatenation technique which blends many different patterns.
Back

Renee Neustrum brought her Modern Crosses baby quilt made from a pattern in Susan's Book Modern Log Cabin Quilting.

Teresa shared a miniquilt made with linen samples, old pants and new Alexander Henry fabric. 

Heather Lott shared a Senior Quilt.
And Ocean Boardwalk her first all solids quilt.
Back an enlarged version of the pattern.

Heather Davidson shared her Flower Garden Baby Quilt top made for her best friend.

Mary Ann Morrette brought her Red, White, Black, and Gray All Over Baby Quilt. She is on flickr as maremare312.

 Thanks for sticking around until the end it was a great meeting and we'll see you next month on September 20th.

 Pétra

Photography Presentation Recap

Amber and Paula did such a great job on their presentation this month we thought we'd share some excerpts of it here for you. I have added some of their insights along the way.




 Open shade is a photographers best friend and we have a lot of it! The shade line is right at the edge of shade whether it's under a tree or overhang you get the most indirect light there.


 Before you take that picture look around the border of your frame. You can avoid having a parked car in your photo, cup of coffee, or pet walking through the background. 









 They shared a lot about white balance and the above photos are examples of the change it can make in your photos. Find out about your cameras white balance and use it to your advantage!


Think about your background when taking your photographs. Which of the above it best for you?
Yes you can use your iphones and sometimes as in the case above, when your toddler gets to the design wall, its handy to have the photo as a reference!



Paula took the above photos using the timer on your camera so you don't always need a friend or husband to help out.

 Thank you again Amber and Paula. I know I vowed to read my camera manual after your presentation I just have to find it first!

 Pétra

Dynamic Blogging

This is all the information From Heather's Presentation


Links to the Blog Design Resources:


----------------------------------------------------


Do you want to make your own Blog Buttons? Here is a quick step by step tutorial:

Go to pixlr.com / click open photo editor / click create new image / set the pixel width to the width of your sidebar / draw shapes & add text / save file as a jpeg




1. Open blogger - go to layout - click on "add a gadget"
2. Scroll to picture gadget, click there to open
3. A new window pops open, add feed address feed link from your feedburner account into the link box *(see below photo if you don't know about feedburner)
4. Upload your saved jpeg
5. Save!

*Feedburner is a devision of Google. It allows people to receive your blog updates via many reader platforms. Basically it allows your readers to subscribe. Go to feedburner.google.com, and follow the directions to burn your own feed. Once you have the feed address, link this into the link box as described above.

PMQG February Meeting Act 1

This was one jam packed meeting this month so we're dividing the post into 3 acts.
Act 1
We had the pleasure of having Kathy Miller speak at our meeting this month. Kathy is half of Michael Miller along with Michael Steiner together they created Michael Miller Fabrics in 1999.
Photo by Rachel K.

Kathy was in town to judge AM Northwests Design Challenge. The Design Challenge was created by AM Northwest and Fabric Depot along with The Art Institute of Portland, and Montavilla Sewing Centers. You can see previous episodes here and check out Fabric Depots blog to see photos and summaries. It's the Project Runway of Portland! The challenge last week was to make a cocktail dress out of Michael Miller's new Cotton Couture line of solids. Have you seen/touched them yet? They are buttery soft and have such a nice drape. Kathy said when they created the Cotton Couture line they were going for a fabric that could be used in clothing but also for quilters, something that had a softer hand but was durable as well. With our prodding Kathy went into more detail about weft and warp. The quality of this fabric is achieved by using a finer thread and higher thread count per square inch. There are so many colors to choose from 87 on this card and more coming! Julie the Buyer from Fabric Depot joined us as well and was happy to announce that they will be carrying the full line of colors at Fabric Depot!
Photo by Pétra

The big surprise of the night, Kathy brought a Cotton Couture Color card for everyone at the meeting!! We estimated 90 people in attendance so there was lots of cheering and as I heard one person say from behind me "it's like Oprah!". 
Besides Vanilla and Cream there's Soft White and Bright White. Photo by Rachel K.



I've never had a color card before and I'm so excited to have it as a reference when I'm planning my next quilt. 
Thank you Kathy for sharing your story and love of fabric. At next month's meeting we'll be revealing a Cotton Couture challenge for our guild members!

MEETING 111711

ANNOUNCEMENTS
• December 10th all-day sew at Fabric Depot 9a–9p, free for members $10 for non-members
• There is a nine-part series on OPB "Why Quilts Matter" airing Monday mornings
DVD available at whyquiltsmatter.com
• December's Meeting is Thursday the 15th featuring our 2nd annual holiday gift swap and pot-luck!
• PMQG was presented with a certificate from MercyCorps for the Quilts for Quake Survivors project:

• One of our members has started a quilt shop in Vancouver, WA—check her out!

PRESENTATION
Bill Volkining "Master Piece Quilts"
willywonky.com


popular style in the 1850s, over 1,000,000 hand quilted stitches, all cotton, similar to the style Baltimore Album
by Mary Couchman


ca. 1860/70s, "Cross Roads," "modern" repeating patters, densely quilted

ca. 1860s, all silk no batting, feather stitched, not intended for bedding—rather to drape over furniture

1979, Gees Bend quilt, quilters used to put other names on their quilts to avoid being taxed
by Lucy Mongo

ca. 1970s, using 1960s fabrics—all synthetic, experimental, fat bindings, flannel back

1983, "Night Flight," abstracted geese pond

1990, transitions, "Jerry's Garden"

100 doll quilts, post 911, designed them after people she admired

Notes
Quilt Storage: if storing for a long time use archival boxes—keep out of cedar chests (can cause discoloring)
NOW is a great time to buy quilts

SHOW & TELL

Meeting 051911

ANNOUNCEMENTS
• PMQG business cards available to hand out and spread the word (obtain at meetings).
• "Quilts For Quakes" quilts are being sold and raffled along with grab bags at Modern Domestic.
• There will be not be a PMQG Sister's Quilt Show bus. Transportation available through Fabric Depot and other avenues.
PROGRAM Long Arm Quilting by Rachel and Nancy

quilters can pay to have a long armer baste


examples of long arm quilting



Various Long arm and quilting links:
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/
Long arm rentals: Robins Quilts Nest, Boersma's (look up Robin), A Common Thread, Pioneer Quilts, Sharons Attic

Batting options: 100% cotton (hangs flat) 80/20 (med loft, inexpensive), 100% wool (nancy's fav batting, doesn't crease, flat, more expensive), bamboo (good loft, drapes, Joanns and Fabric Depot), 50/50 bamboo/cotton (more drapery), 100% linen, silk; Can pre-wash batting, spritz with water, roll in towel to disperse, hang dry.
Membership Only Raffle
Our first member's only raffle was a gift certificate to have a quilt long-arm quilted by Nancy!

Swap-it Solids Challenge

Show and Tell












PMQG Banner Blocks
(left) Maurice shared an image of a community quilt shown at the 2011 Tokyo Quilt Show. The block theme was flowers. (right) Blocks submitted by PMQG members for the banner. If you have a 6" block you'd like to ad please mail (by June 4th) to:

Portland Modern Quilt Guild
P.O. Box 6431
Portland, OR 97228



Meeting 042111

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Congratulations again to Jill for winning Project Modern Challenge II!
• New Facebook page.
• Saturday, May 21: Fabric Depot all-day sew, PMQG member's free
• PNCA Quilt Show has closed.
• Sisters Quilt Show: Anyone interested in pitching in for a bus ($40 ea.)
please let us know asap so we can plan accordingly
email: portlandmodernquiltguild@gmail.com if you did not put your name on the list already
• If you have paid your membership and have not received your card or button please let us know.
email: portlandmodernquiltguild@gmail.com
• Susan Beal organizer of Quilts for Quakes announced that 27 quilts are on their way to Japan!
• PMQG Banner: we would like to make a guild logo banner to mark our presence at
various events—our first being the Sister's Quilt Show
We want to collaborate with you, so we're asking everyone who wants to partake to
submit a 6"x6" block (includes a 1/4" seam allowance)—
any fabric or block pattern you can dream up (seriously).
If you need a visual (and the math), below is a sketch of what we're thinking:


10 MINUTE TUTE by Megan Pillow with "Envelope" Closure
Measure pillow and add 1/2," so a 20" x 20" pillow would be 20.5" x 20.5"
1. cut one piece "20.5 x 20.5," two pieces "20.5 x 14.5" to allow for a 6" overlap
2. layer the three pieces together pretty to pretty
3. sew a 1/4" seam around all four edges
4. turn inside out
5. stuff the pillow



PRESENTAION by Susan Beal "Log Cabin Quilting"

Susan brought along a few of her favorite books.

Let the presentation begin!























We have been experiencing difficulties with Blogger and regret that half of April's meeting post was deleted. Fortunately we're able to post some of the lost photos on Facebook—so head over there and check them out!

Meeting 021711



Thanks again PNCA for a year of accommodation and support!

Announcements
We now have Facebook! Looks like the discussion feature works! ;)

Budget Update
At time of meeting: $858 in the bank; $335 in PayPal

Color & Design
Presentation by Kristen (member); she teaches design at Chemeketa Community College.

Choose your color palette, but Kristen recommends the lower two charts





Notes:




GIVE-AWAYS!
1-$5 and 2-$10 gift certificates from Cool Cottons
Solid Fabric Pack from Pink Chalk
The latest issue of Stitch Magazine
Needlebook from Monica, pattern at Inspire Magazine
2-Bottles of Fabric Glue from Rachel

Ten Minute Tute: Glue Basting
Presentation by Rachel

Curved quilt with glued piecing

Notes:
Glue—Elmer's (cheaper) or Roxan's—purchase applicator separately
The glue allows you to tack down the fabric in lieu of pins (pins can distort fabric) and fusible

Portland Location Mixer
Members arranged themselves on a make shift Portland map—get to know your neighbors!

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Show and Tell
Kathie Serlet | Nested Boxes
"Given to me by Anne Matlock for our 2011 'Pay It Forward'"

Anne Matak | French Chickens

Jasmine Stiner | Auction quilts made from my son's kindergarden class sewing lesson.

Pétra | Birds and Bugs


Jen | Hex Robot & The Baron

Elizabeth | Echino Improv Quilt

Alyssa Hursh | Luca's Quilt

Alexandra | Spring Nine Patch (doll) & Patchy Paris Valley (crib)
Both improv quilts—of my design


Monica | Dream On, "You Are Here" giant block, pot holders, cathedral window
(The Sometimes Crafter has a cathedral window tutorial.)

Michelle Freedman | First Block Experiments: Cement Block #1, Secret Garden
I'm a new quilter and this is a sample of my process of discovery. I am still experimenting. :)

Kimberly | Rockets and Robots

Heather | Hexagon Quilt & Rectangle Squared Quilt


Rachel | Drunkards Path


Susan | Bright Furrows | Made for my son Everett.
Check out Susan's blog for details about her PNCA class she's teaching in July.

Mug Rug Swap!






A friendly reminder.

Quilt on my friends and "Do Not Be Scared!"

Dyeing to create

Despite back-to-school activities for many, 34 Portland Modern Quilters brought their interest and enthusiasm to Pacific Northwest College of Art (thank you, PNCA!!!) to learn and share.  Jen started us off with a few announcements and a Ten Minute Tute on pincushions, which were then given away after the tutorial.

Kimberly won this orange pincushion,

and Cathy was the recipient of this red and blue pincushion.

A gift bag donated by Christina was also given away --
-- and won by Traci.

Elizabeth gave a presentation on fabric dyeing --
which covered overdyeing print fabrics (using iDye or fiber reactive dye), beer cup dying (including improv dying and value scales), and discharging with bleach.


Elizabeth gave away a bag of fabric dyeing supplies and displayed equipment, samples, and resources.

Show and Tell
Elsa shared her version of Elizabeth's New Wave quilt

and this child's car quilt.

Nancy shared this very large quilt made from sketches she made on a trip to Georgia.
Unfortunately, the pictures of the whole quilt did not turn out.  Nancy, we hope you will post a picture to the Portland Modern Quilters Flickr group so we can enjoy your quilt in its entirety.

Annie shared this embellished quilt,

and Gail made this quilt, in her first attempt at creating poster art with fabric.

Remember these free fabric samples from last month?


Jenn already used her fabric to make this quilt top using a Schnibbles "X-rated" pattern.


Tobey made this version of Kate Conklin's Wonky Donkey quilt for her son --

Sally shared her first quilt

and this quilt made in a machine quilting class.

Violet was begged into showing this quilt, which she was still stitching on during the meeting.
Front,

flannel back,

and quilt label.

This is how the quilt top looked at the very first PMQG meeting.
Portland Modern Quilt Guild - 1st Meeting 017

This happy turtle quilt came in after the end of the meeting, missing show and tell, but I was able to grab a photo of it -- Thanks, Laura.

Discussion and Announcements
The meeting ended with some discussion regarding the possibility of dues, adding a business section to meetings, problems with the blog forum, hosting a website, and utilizing Flickr.

Due to technical difficulties, the blog forum will be removed, and in the meantime, we will use the Portland Modern Quilters Flickr group for discussions and sharing photos.

Next month we will be having a pincushion swap, so make one up any way you please and bring it in a plain brown paper bag.  It should be fun to see what everyone creates!  Maybe we'll even see a little hand dyed fabric....

Free Motion Commotion

Fifty-three Portland Modern Quilters attended the August 19 meeting at PNCA.  Christina started the meeting off with a presentation on free motion quilting on your home sewing machine.  After a powerpoint presentation 



and some discussion,



Christina sat down at her sewing machine for a demonstration.  Thanks to PNCA, a camera recorded her stitching and the picture was projected onto the wall for all to see. 

Christina demonstrated a variety of stitches, including writing words in cursive.

And then members got to try out their own skills at one of several stations.
Here Traci has fun practicing her technique.

The FMQ giveaway was won by Anne.


Show and Tell brought out a lot of beautiful quilts, laughter, and even a few tears.

Elsa shared this quilt top from the 20s.

Jill made this version of Elizabeth's New Wave quilt with vintage sheets that her parents owned before they were married.

Jill also brought the doll quilt she made for her daughter to match painting on her bedroom walls.

This is Megan's version of the New Wave quilt and is her first quilt with free motion quilting.

This is Tania's woven quilt, based on a Kaffe Fassett design.

Kristen made this quilt with the Kona Cotton solid charm squares that she won at a previous meeting.

Lisa made a Halloween version of the New Wave quilt and a pillow to go with it

and this baby quilt top.  Unfortunately the niece for whom this was intended was never born, so Lisa is donating it to a member who will finish it for charity.  

Gail made this quilted hexagon pillow cover, including the screen printing.

Liz showed this quilt top, originally started by her grandmother and finished by Liz and her mother.

Elizabeth put together this quilt top with blocks from a quilting bee.
It is sashed with light pink on the front

and red on the back.

This is Katie's quilt-as-you-go quilt.

Heather showed what can be accomplished with an AccuQuilt system, 

as well as her Swiss Army quilt.

Jeri made this quilt using Elizabeth's Paint Box pattern.

Becky's baby quilt.

Christina made this quilt with friends.

Lee stepped out of her comfort zone to make this I-Spy quilt in primary colors for her niece's bedroom.

Jen shared this quilt made from vintage sheets

and this wedding quilt made with blocks designed around the couple's initials (S & P).

Tamara made this quilt for her son from a Honeycomb pattern designed by Lee.

After show and tell, we swapped 1" hexagons:




and helped ourselves to fabric samples donated by Free Spirit.
Thank you so much, Free Spirit!


ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Elizabeth gave an announcement about Project Modern.

September Sewing Night:
September 11 (one week later due to Labor Day)
There will be a giveaway.

September meeting:
September 16 -- Elizabeth will demonstrate how to dye fabric in cups.

Keep on stitching, Portland Modern Quilters!

Note:  I have tried to link to blogs whenever possible.  If there is a photo of you and your quilt above and it is not linked to your blog, please let me know and I will add it.
joanhcallaway@comcast.net


All About Hexagons

We had another beautiful summer evening for our July meeting at PNCA, with 47 stitchers eager to learn and/or share All About Hexagons.  President Jen started the meeting off with a brief history of hexagon quilts, which was followed by a show and tell of hexagon quilts old and new and other recently finished projects.  Show and tell is always a favorite part of meetings, and it's easy to see why....

Marcia already has a beautiful queen-sized quilt top made from charms from our May charm square swap.

Heather shared this quilt of beautiful Amy Butler fabrics,

this Cherry Pie quilt, and

and this Thimble Blossoms quilt.

Lee shared her Egg Drop Soup quilt

and this quilt with black and white and color gradations.

Shayla shared a vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top and blocks in pastels.

Janet's mini Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

Marie shared a large stack of Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks that have been stored away for some time.   We'll have to wait and see if a little inspiration from last night's meeting is just what Marie needed to turn her UFO into a finished quilt.

This hexagon WIP was shared by Kate.

Christina shared her hexagon creatures which were inspired by thumbprint drawings by children's author, Ed Emberley.


There are more pictures of Christina's blocks on the Portland Modern Quilters Flickr group.

Violet displayed her Heather Bailey quilted duvet cover.

Jill's hexagon pillow.

Gorgeous vintage English paper pieced quilts.

Show and tell quilts and projects inviting closer inspection after the meeting.

Christina (The Sometimes Crafter; on the left in the black top) gave a presentation on her Adventures In Hexagons, comparing and contrasting different methods and materials.
 Even if you couldn't join us last night, you can read all about it on her blog post here.

Stitching and chatting in the small groups.

!!!THANK YOU!!!

Many, many thanks from PMQG to Mettler and YLI for generously donating thread for our hexagon stitching pleasure.

  Jill made and donated the hexagon paper templates for everyone.  Your time, effort, and generosity are much appreciated, Jill!  (To make your own templates like the ones Jill made for us: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TabSlot).

And a big thank you to Rachel for putting together and donating two giveaway bags -- and I won one!

Flea Market Fancy, thread, and scissors.  Ready, set, HEXY!


I'll close this post with these lovely hexies stitched and dressed up by Heather for Mo in Mo's Party Dress fabrics.

Keep on stitching, Portland Modern Quilters!

Note:  If I missed your quilt at the beginning of the meeting, please send me a photo and I will add it to the eye candy.  Also, I have tried to link to blogs whenever possible.  If there is a photo of you and your quilt above and it is not linked to your blog, please let me know and I will add it.
joanhcallaway@comcast.net

A charming evening

Our May 2010 meeting took place at PNCA on May 20th.  Thirty quilters were in attendance and expressed appreciation to Katie Sciarrino for designing our logo, which she and Amber are making into name tag buttons.


Elizabeth Hartman gave a brief presentation on the history of charm quilts and charm squares. Historically, charm quilts contained only one piece of each fabric.  Charm quilts were seen as early as the 1870's and have had occasional resurgences in popularity over the years.  Today, charm packs of 5" fabric squares are widely available by many manufacturers.  Elizabeth discussed several uses for charms in quilts and invited any interested members to complete a project to bring back for show and tell.

Each member brought charm squares for swapping and it took two large and two smaller tables to hold them all.  We were an incredibly quiet and polite group as we surrounded the tables to choose and count our charms.  Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of the charms or the swap process as I left my camera in the classroom and am still hoping that it finds its way back to me.  In the meantime, I will try to make do with my iphone camera.

These 40 squares went home with me.

Following our charm swap Jen, Tania, Tobey, Tracie, Anne, Lisa P., Cherri, Linda, Wendy, and Lisa B shared quilts for show and tell.  If my camera is found or if any other members took pictures to share, I will come back and post them here as an update.


Robert Kaufman donated several charm packs of their beautiful Kona Cotton solids via Elizabeth.

And the winners were:  
Sorrell, Elise, Lisa B., Anne, and Kristin

Thank you Robert Kaufman!


Jill Collins donated several packs of rulers that she is designing and manufacturing with her husband.
And the winners were:
Circles -- Beverly
Squares -- Katherine
Hexagons -- Karen

Thank you Jill!


From now on, Saturday Night Sewing at Modern Domestic will be the first Saturday of the month, making our next sewing night June 5.  Lupine of MD is putting together a large basket of goodies as a raffle prize for us!


The next regular meeting of PMQG will be June 17 from 7 - 9 at PNCA.
I will be giving a presentation on a bit of a journey I have been taking this year in 
using solids 
and exploring liberated quiltmaking,

including a virtual field trip of my visit to the Amish Abstractions exhibition at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco in April.


After the presentation, there will be a show and tell of first quilts and most recent quilts.


Joan Callaway, PMQG Secretary