green grocery bag challenge

Happy endings and new beginnings


The last PMQG meeting of 2010 involved over 40 people, an abundance of quilts, a dazzling array of handmade delights, and sweet and savory treats for all!  From our first meeting on March 18 to our end-of-the-year celebration on December 16, it was a fun and eventful year.  And there is already so much to be excited about in 2011.  The fun, inspiration, and creativity just keep moving forward!

The meeting started with the introduction of visitors and three special announcements.
(1) Erin Gilday (Portland freelance writer) visited the meeting and is writing a feature on PMQG for The Quilt Life Magazine;

(2) We have been asked to put together a special exhibit for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in 2011, featuring quilts and any Project Modern winning quilts, which leads us to the most important announcement of all;
(3) Kristen MacDonald is a winner in Project Modern Challenge 1!  Congratulations, Kristen from everyone at PMQG!
Also of interest, out of 45 entries, 5 were from PMQG members! 
Here is Kristen's winning entry:

Kristen worked at Silver Creek Falls State Park last summer, and her quilt inspiration came driving through grass seed fields.  Her quilt is made of all Kona solids.  To read more about Kristen's work, see this post in which she was featured in Meet a Portland Modern Quilter and/or visit her blog.
 To read more and see more Project Modern Challenge 1 quilt winners and entries, go to the Project Modern Blog and/or the PM Challenge 1 Flickr group.
 
The next order of business was enjoying the wonderful treats that were brought by the members and admiring the amazing items made in the fabric bag swap.  At the previous meeting, participating members brought zip lock bags filled with fabric.  The bags were placed in a large bag, and each member then drew a bag of fabric to take home and make something fabulous to return to the original fabric owner.  The swapper could add one of her own fabrics and make anything desired with the fabrics.  The skill and creativity were astounding, and it was absolutely amazing to see how much fabric a determined fabriholic could fit in one small plastic bag!



























 President, Jen Carlton Bailly, thanked the 2010 officers:
Marcia Mersky, Vice President
Cherri Langley, Program Chair
Tamara Madsen, Treasurer
Joan Callaway, Secretary

and announced the 2011 officers:
President,  Christina Cameli
Vice President, Michelle Marcus-Boyer
Program Chair, Megan Dye
Treasurer, Rachel Kerley
Secretary, Katie Sciarrino

Jen was presented with a gift certificate to Modern Domestic from the guild to thank her for her service as PMQG president.

And, of course, there was SHOW and TELL:

 Elsa shared three pillows in progress:



Tania has been busy making green bags:

Inspired by tree quilts shared at the last meeting, Sandora made these two quilts as gifts -- her first quilts!:


She has quilted five quilts and bound 7 for the group home, and every youth at Harkins House will get a quilt this year!  For a much better picture that shows Rachel's cool flame quilting, see her photo in the PMQG flickr group.

Cathy shared this baby quilt with Lizzie House geese and Mendocino fish -- her first!

She also made this Christmas Tree wall hanging, adapted from the Purl Bee Little Forest tutorial.

Katie shared her Star Brite quilt made for Project Modern Challenge 1.  According to Katie, this quilt is going on the couch, and she just happens to have a blue star tatoo.  To see the inspiration behind this quilt, check out her photo on the PM Challange 1 flickr group.
  Katie also shared this green bag, made from a t-shirt, using a plastic grocery bag as a pattern.

 Monica shared this Happy Holiday/Gnoma table topper, which was originally going to be a tree skirt.  And yes, she had her reasons. 

Traci shared this advent calendar (another first quilt!).

Christina shared her Golden Good quilt, which was made for Project Modern Challenge 1.  You can also see her quilt and her inspiration in the PM Challenge 1 flickr group.

Christina also made this bunting quilt.

And what would a PMQG meeting be without any giveaways?!?!
Monica donated Happy Holiday yardage to help with the green grocery bag challenge!

And Robert Kaufman donated a charm pack of Kona solids to every member!  There's no excuse not to make at least a couple of green grocery bags now!

Thank you so much, Happy Zombie and Robert Kaufman!

Happy Stitching, Portland Modern Quilters!  See you in 2011!


December Blog Giveaways!

The Green Grocery Bag Challenge is spreading like wildfire, and it is so exciting to see all the creativity going on!  So exciting, in fact, that some friends of ours have generously donated fabric to support our efforts and provide new inspiration.  


Robert Kaufman has donated 5 charm Kona Cotton charm packs for 5 lucky winners.  Just think of the possibilities!


And member Monica Solorio-Snow (The Happy Zombie) has donated 10 yards of her Holiday Happy fabric!  The fabric has been cut into 1/2 yard lengths (so perfect for totes) and 5 lucky blog readers will win 1 yard bundles (2 half yards each) of her fabric.  The other 5 bundles will be given away at the December meeting. 


In other words, 10 blog readers will be giveaway winners!

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below.  Please ensure that your comment is linked to an email address (e.g., if you are a no reply-comment blogger).  One entry per person, please, and the giveaway is open to all members, friends, and blog readers/visitors! 
This giveaway will close at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, December 12.

For Green Grocery Bag Challenge tote ideas, see this post below.
And come back on December 13 as PMQG participates in the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day!



Thank you, Robert Kaufman and Monica!

This giveaway is now closed.

Green Bag Challenge-A whole lotta LINKS!

Thank you Kristin for not only presenting but also for all the great links!


Green Grocery Bag Challenge on Facebook. (Kristin has been posting tutorials and ideas here.)http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Grocery-Bag-Challenge/107692562629944

Green Bag Lady:
http://greenbaglady.blogspot.com/

Green Bag Lady Video Tutorial. (Similar to the velveteen bag Kristin had)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7nN36oIBqY

Irene's Classic Tote Tutorial on SMS (Kristin's Heather Ross bag.)
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=514

The singlet tutorial on Craftster (Kristin's green bag with red button lining.)
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=177482.0

Unrelated to the challenge, someone mentioned the Ticker Tape Tutorial, which was written for Sew Mama Sew by Amanda Jean.
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=2311


-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad-

November Abundance

It was standing room only as 46 eager Portland Modern Quilters came together on November 18 at Pacific Northwest College of Art to shop, share, and be inspired.  The energy level was even higher than usual with the excitement of multiple tables of fabric, notions, crafts, giveaways, and a silent auction.

Kristin Link of Sew, Mama, Sew! gave a presentation on the Green Grocery Bag Challenge.  This challenge was  created in collaboration with the Green Grocery Bag Lady to cut down on the amount of wrapping paper entering the waste stream and to get more multi use bags into circulation by wrapping gifts in reusable cloth grocery bags.

PMQG President Jen and Kristin Link

 The tutorial for this bag, designed by Irene, is here.

Kristin shared several ideas for creative and beautiful wrapping using cloth bags, including this vibrant drawstring pouch.  

Join the challenge and spread the word via the Green Grocery Bag Challenge Facebook page.  
Kristin got the group started by donating these gorgeous home dec fabrics for a giveaway.
A 1/2 yard cut is perfect for a cloth grocery bag.


Megan gave a Ten Minute Tute on stamping on fabric and making quilt labels, including using an old typewriter to type on fabric, which is then heat set with an iron.  



 Program Chair Cherri gave instructions for our November-December fabric bag swap.  Each member filled a ziplock bag with favorite fabrics which were collected at the start of the meeting.



Treasurer Tamara passed out the bags to the participating members, and swap partners then briefly met each other.  Each member will now add one fabric from their own stash to the fabrics in the bag they received and make something to give back to their partner.  This swap is wide open for all kinds of creativity, so be sure to check back here in December for the results!

Kaci and Cherri started off Show and Tell by sharing the story and results of a little design challenge they came up with together.

 It all started with the cover of a magazine and some fabric inspiration.  
They kept the results secret from each other until the meeting:


 Cherri reveals her butterfly quilt from Amy's tutorial.

 Kaci reveals her spiderweb quilt.

 Then Cherri gave Kaci the butterfly quilt for her daughter, Daisy.
 Kaci showing off the back of the butterfly quilt.


 This quilt features cute hedgehog fabric.
(I didn't get a Show and Tell slip on this quilt, so I hope the quiltmaker will please contact me so that I can post your information)

 Marcia made this quilt with charm squares she collected, with a little help from her PMQG friends.
Marcia's quilt was quilted by Nancy.

Katie made this hexi charm square pillow with hexagons from the PMQG charm square swap

 Amber showing her patchwork camera strap.

 Michelle made this disappearing nine patch quilt top and asked for quilting suggestions.

Dawn made this Minnesota quilt.

 Tamara made this quilt, Mrs. Belote, for a newlywed friend out of Hope Valley fabrics.

 Tamara also made this improv quilt from a class she took from Denyse Schmidt in Sisters.

 Kimberly showed off her Peaches 'n Cream quilt which she made for her daughter's bed, and Baby made it into the picture!

 Megan's charm quilt

 Brittany's board game quilt, inspired by her family's love of board games.


 Lara made these tree applique quilts for twin girls.

 Kristin (first time visitor) shared this quilt top and asked for quilting advice for a new quilter.

Heather has been busy lately.  She shared this owl that she made for her niece, which was copied from a Pottery Barn stuffed owl,


this Pop Garden quilt, made from a Crazy Mom Quilts pattern,




 this Schnibbles quilt, 
and this Schnibbles quilt!

 Cherri made this Tokyo Subway quilt (pattern by Elizabeth), with quilting by Nancy.


Laura's Indian baby quilt.

And, of course, there were giveaways and items for a silent auction:

Donated by Sew, Mama, Sew!


3 copies of The Practical Guide to Patchwork donated by Elizabeth.

Mo donated some of her Party Dress fabric.


Announcements:

The December 16th meeting will include a potluck -- bring something sweet or savory.

Dues of $25/year will begin in January 2011.

Nancy Stovall's longarm quilting studio --  Just Quilting -- is having an open house on Friday and Saturday, December 10 and 11, at 105 SE Taylor Street (between Water and 2nd Aves), between 10am and 5pm.  On Friday between 11am and 2pm, local quilt and fabric designer, Lori Mason, will have a trunk showing of her new fabric designs for RJR Fabrics and fat quarters available for sale.  There will be door prizes, sweet treats, and hot drinks.

The meeting ended with a fabric destash and homemade craft item swap and sale:
















Traci and Violet (photo by Monica)

Let's hear some chatter, Portland Modern Quilters!  What was your favorite part of the meeting?  Did you score any great fabric or other treasures?

Green Grocery Bag Challenge

In conjunction with Sew Mama Sew and The Modern Quilt Guild, 
I present to you:

A Holiday Sewing Project for Mother Earth

Fact 1: US consumers generate 4 million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bag waste during the holiday season alone.

Fact 2: The U.S. goes through 100 billion single-use plastic grocery bags every year.
 
Fact 3: This year, you can make a difference!

The Green Grocery Bag Challenge is a project to encourage sewists to wrap their holiday gifts in reusable cloth grocery bags, thus reducing the amount of wrapping paper entering the waste stream, while simultaneously getting multi-use bags into the hands of consumers.

Our goal is to involve the entire sewing industry in this campaign to challenge sewists to include Mother Earth in their holiday plans.

LINKS:
Green Bag Lady video instructions.
Green Bag Lady pattern.

Furoshiki-Cloth Gift Wrapping
A tutorial at Sew Mama Sew-a little more involved, but produces a really great bag. 
Facebook page for the Green Bag Challenge 

Sew Mama Sew Blog post 

Kristin of Sew Mama Sew will be doing a short presentation and giveaway on this at our next meeting!  Stay tuned for details.