May Meeting--Special Guest Jacquie Gering!
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.
Celebrate with PMQG, Modern Domestic, Pendleton and the MQG!
There are all kinds of fun events next weekend in Portland!
Here are a few that we are hoping to hang out with you at:
PMQG Party at Modern Domestic with Pendleton
and the MQG is hosing a meet up at the Red Lion Hotel on Saturday, May 18th
Quilts for Boston
Another great project -- this one from the Boston MQG. Read more about their project on their blog post: Quilts for Boston
from the Boston MQG
"We are asking the modern quilt community to support our efforts by sending us blocks for these quilts. Additionally, we will accept donations of fabric to be used for binding, sashing, and quilt backs. We would like to have the quilts ready to deliver to those in need as soon as possible, so we ask that you send your blocks to us within a month, by May 24th, 2013."
They would like all the blocks to be 12 1/2" tall by the width of your choice and made using fabrics that are blue, yellow, grey and white. They have some great examples of the color story on their blog.
We are happy to collect these blocks and the flags for the Vancouver MQG (see previous post) at our next meeting in May.
To Boston with Love
Visit their blog to get the tutorial and read more about this project:
Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild
Yesterday PMQG members began posting links to this wonderful project and then Monica Solorio-Snow emailed us that she was happy to be the point person for our guild and collect all our members projects for this at our next PMQG meeting.
VMQG:
"This is a small project that can easily be made in an afternoon. You may make as many flags as you are up for. The more flags, the bigger the impact. The overall idea is to provide Boston with an uplifting experience from quilters and sewists around the globe. We are inviting other modern quilt guilds to participate in this project and Berene Campbell will be coordinating participants."
Please bring your finished flags to our meeting May 16th at PNCA.
Thanks VMQG, Monica and Cristin Ritz!
If you are going to send your flags directly please make sure they will land in Vancouver, BC by May 21st. Visit Amy's During Quiet Time blog for more info.
April Meeting Recap: Announcements
What a fun PMQG meeting we had on April 18th! The room was packed, the energy was high and there were many new faces. About halfway through the meeting, Anne, our treasurer, whispered to me that we had just signed up our 150th member. 150! How cool is that!
Here is a recap of our committee reports and announcements.
Community Events:
Our next PMQG Sew Day will be held on Saturday, May 4th at Fabric Depot from 9am - 9pm. PMQG Members are free, Guests are $10.
Our first Charity Sewcial is on Friday, May 10th at Modern Domestic from 5-8pm hosted by Rachel Kerley. PMQG Members can participate in a free charity pillow sewing event (all supplies provided) or sew their own projects for $10 (machines and tools provided).
Quilt Shows:
Thank you to everyone who submitted quilts for the PMQG special exhibit at Sisters. Notification letters were sent out on April 9th. The deadline to submit a quilt to the general Sisters show is June 1st.
The deadline for HMQS has been extended through April 26th.
Historian Report:
Our first PMQG Quilt Documentation Day was held on April 12th from 1-4pm. We documented ten quilts, several of which were the first modern quilts to be documented for this project. Thank you to Susan Beal and Bill Volkening for spear heading these efforts.
Bylaws
We held a bylaw meeting on April 12th and reviewed the bylaw surveys and a working draft of bylaws for our guild. The next bylaw meeting will be announced. Please email us with Bylaw in the subject line if you would like a pdf of the document that we reviewed. A comment form is available on the Bylaw page of this blog.
MQG Membership
Allisa Haight Carlton will host a presentation on MQG membership at our May Meeting. Please send any questions about MQG membership to portlandmodernquiltguild (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line MQG Membership in advance of this meeting.
Before and After [Quilt] Market with Modern Domestic
We raffled off a class at Modern Domestic and will donate the proceeds to the Leiomyosarcoma Direct Research Foundation in honor of Heather Grant.
We are planning a Meet and Greet on Friday May 17th at Modern Domestic. Stay tuned for more details about that.
There are still spots available in Carolyn Friedlander's Ariel Wall Hanging and Olive Wall Hanging classes on Monday May 20th and Jacquie Gering's Slice and Insert Improv class on Wednesday May 15th. PMQG members get a 10% discount.
PNCA + PMQG team up
We have partnered with PNCA on two fantastic weekend workshops June 29-30. PMQG members get priority registration and a $100 discount off the cost of these classes. Links for our members to sign up are on our new PMQG member page on this blog. You will need a password to access it which we will send to members in an email.
Learn more about the instructors here: Eliza Fernand check out her work here
Cherry House Read Cherry's blog here
PNW MQG meet up
Pencil it in! August 15th - 18th in Portland, Or.
Neon and Neutrals Challenge
Our latest challenge was a Neons and Neutrals sponsored by Michael Miller Fabrics. Each member got 10 fat eights of Michael Miller solid neons, neon dots and Cotton Couture neutrals and was challenged to make a
block or accessory. Members showed their pieces at our meeting (see photo above the blocks!) Stay tuned for next steps.
BOM
PMQG member Heather Davidson hosted our BOM this month. We will be making her 'Spring Mod' block along with the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild. She did a wonderful tutorial on her blog. Thank you Heather!
Member Announcements
Violet is teaching her Herringbone Block Class at Quilting Delights on April 27th
WestSide Modern meets next Wednesday April 24th at the Pine Needle
Threadbias is hosting a Briar Rose quilt design contest now through May 5th
Please leave a comment if we missed anything.
Northwest Quilters next general meeting is May 13th at 9:30am
Stay tuned for the Presentation and Show and Tell recaps.
Thanks everyone!
-- Michelle
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| PMQG member's blocks for the Michael Miller Neon & Neutral challenge |
Here is a recap of our committee reports and announcements.
Community Events:
Our next PMQG Sew Day will be held on Saturday, May 4th at Fabric Depot from 9am - 9pm. PMQG Members are free, Guests are $10.
Our first Charity Sewcial is on Friday, May 10th at Modern Domestic from 5-8pm hosted by Rachel Kerley. PMQG Members can participate in a free charity pillow sewing event (all supplies provided) or sew their own projects for $10 (machines and tools provided).
Quilt Shows:
Thank you to everyone who submitted quilts for the PMQG special exhibit at Sisters. Notification letters were sent out on April 9th. The deadline to submit a quilt to the general Sisters show is June 1st.
The deadline for HMQS has been extended through April 26th.
Historian Report:
Our first PMQG Quilt Documentation Day was held on April 12th from 1-4pm. We documented ten quilts, several of which were the first modern quilts to be documented for this project. Thank you to Susan Beal and Bill Volkening for spear heading these efforts.
Bylaws
We held a bylaw meeting on April 12th and reviewed the bylaw surveys and a working draft of bylaws for our guild. The next bylaw meeting will be announced. Please email us with Bylaw in the subject line if you would like a pdf of the document that we reviewed. A comment form is available on the Bylaw page of this blog.
MQG Membership
Allisa Haight Carlton will host a presentation on MQG membership at our May Meeting. Please send any questions about MQG membership to portlandmodernquiltguild (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line MQG Membership in advance of this meeting.
Before and After [Quilt] Market with Modern Domestic
We raffled off a class at Modern Domestic and will donate the proceeds to the Leiomyosarcoma Direct Research Foundation in honor of Heather Grant.
We are planning a Meet and Greet on Friday May 17th at Modern Domestic. Stay tuned for more details about that.
There are still spots available in Carolyn Friedlander's Ariel Wall Hanging and Olive Wall Hanging classes on Monday May 20th and Jacquie Gering's Slice and Insert Improv class on Wednesday May 15th. PMQG members get a 10% discount.
PNCA + PMQG team up
We have partnered with PNCA on two fantastic weekend workshops June 29-30. PMQG members get priority registration and a $100 discount off the cost of these classes. Links for our members to sign up are on our new PMQG member page on this blog. You will need a password to access it which we will send to members in an email.
Learn more about the instructors here: Eliza Fernand check out her work here
Cherry House Read Cherry's blog here
PNW MQG meet up
Pencil it in! August 15th - 18th in Portland, Or.
Neon and Neutrals Challenge
Our latest challenge was a Neons and Neutrals sponsored by Michael Miller Fabrics. Each member got 10 fat eights of Michael Miller solid neons, neon dots and Cotton Couture neutrals and was challenged to make a
block or accessory. Members showed their pieces at our meeting (see photo above the blocks!) Stay tuned for next steps.
BOM
PMQG member Heather Davidson hosted our BOM this month. We will be making her 'Spring Mod' block along with the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild. She did a wonderful tutorial on her blog. Thank you Heather!
Member Announcements
Violet is teaching her Herringbone Block Class at Quilting Delights on April 27th
WestSide Modern meets next Wednesday April 24th at the Pine Needle
Threadbias is hosting a Briar Rose quilt design contest now through May 5th
Please leave a comment if we missed anything.
Northwest Quilters next general meeting is May 13th at 9:30am
Stay tuned for the Presentation and Show and Tell recaps.
Thanks everyone!
-- Michelle
Book Review: Pillow Pop
I had the chance to review the book Pillow Pop: 25 Quick-Sew Projects to Brighten Your Space, compiled by our very own Heather Bostic! She shared a little about the book at last month's meeting, and at tonight's meeting you could win this copy!
picture from www.amazon.com
Book Description :
This installment of the Design Collective series is
stuffed full of pillows! Make a distinctive statement with eye-catching
modern designs—choose from 25 different 18” to 20” square pillow
projects to decorate your home. Pull out your favorite fabrics and have
fun stitching up something new to adorn your bed or favorite chair.
Popular blogger and modern sewist Heather Bostic brings you a
sensational selection of pillow projects. Try different techniques like
paper-piecing, quilting, embroidery, and appliqué. 20+ designers with
fresh, modern style offer something for everyone at any skill level.
Besides pillows from Heather, this book also features some of our other guild members, how cool to see in print! I loved seeing the pillows from Jen Carlton Bailly, Mo Bedell, and Joan Callaway!
Pillow Pop shows different ways of using applique, piecing , paper piecing and embroidery to make beautiful pillows. In some cases I never would have thought of using a certain technique or pattern on a pillow, and I love all the ideas browsing through this book has given me!
April Meeting Reminder
We have a great meeting planned for April!
April Presentation
Elizabeth Hartman presents:
Social Quilting: All About Bees, Round Robins, and Quilt-Alongs
If you read blogs or correspond with other quilters online, you've probably heard of at least one of these. But what are they, and how can you get involved? Elizabeth will discuss the basics of different kinds of bees, round robins, and quilt-alongs and show examples of the kinds of projects they can produce. If you've ever wondered how you can join a social quilting project, or if you just want to see some of the quilts that come out of them, this presentation is for you!
When: Thursday, April 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: PNCA, 1241 NW Johnson St, Portland, OR 97209, Room 101
Schedule:
- Announcements
- Call for Volunteers
- Bylaws + MQG Membership
- Up and Coming events:
- Quilt Market
- Pacific Northwest Meetup
- Sisters Quilt Show
- Presentation (see below)
- Business Member Spotlight--Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique
- Show & Tell
Remember to bring:
- Michael Miller Neon Challenge Blocks and Accessories
- Puzzle Blocks
- April BOMs--Monica's Block
- Cash for a fun raffle! Raffle tickets will be $5 each. Cash only, please. Raffle net proceeds will go to the LeioMyoSarcoma Direct Research Foundation (LMSdr) in honor of Heather Grant. What can you win? One of these fun classes at Modern Domestic:
- Slice and Insert Improv with Jacquie Gering--May 15th, 10 am-5pm
- Aerial Wall Hanging with Carolyn Friedlander--May 20th, 10 am-1pm
- Olive Wall Hanging with Carolyn Friedlander--May 20th, 2-5pm
Elizabeth Hartman presents:
Social Quilting: All About Bees, Round Robins, and Quilt-Alongs
If you read blogs or correspond with other quilters online, you've probably heard of at least one of these. But what are they, and how can you get involved? Elizabeth will discuss the basics of different kinds of bees, round robins, and quilt-alongs and show examples of the kinds of projects they can produce. If you've ever wondered how you can join a social quilting project, or if you just want to see some of the quilts that come out of them, this presentation is for you!
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| Blue Bee Quilt photo by Elizabeth Hartman |
March Meeting Recap - Show and Tell
March Show and Tell
We'll just jump right in, shall we!?
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Bill - Wild Eyed Susans and his Vintage Quilt (below) |
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| Chelle - Vintage Quilt |
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| Mary Ann's Charity Quilt |
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| Mom's Quilt |
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| Disappearing Nine Patch |
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| Helen - Lap Quilt |
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| Anne Matlak - $10 Quilt Club 2010 |
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| $10 Quilt Club 2011 |
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| Bubbles |
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| Marcia Mersky - Hexagons and Zen Chic (below) |
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| Anne Whiting - Niece Quilt |
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| Susan Beal - Hand Quilted Pillow and Crazy Quilt (below) |
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| Kelly Cole - Hexagon |
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| Chris Pera - Stripes, Urban Improv (below) and a yet unnamed quilt |
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| Tam Gardner - Color Blocks |
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| The Bee Charmers - Scrappy Trip Around Charity Quilt! |
AnnMarie Cowley - Emerald City
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| Linda Nussbaum - Icy Cool 60°/30° |
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| Sara Quigley - Baby Quilt (Pink Zig Zags) |
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| Peggy Noto - Improv (First Try) |
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| Veronica - BOM |
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| Michelle Marcus-Boyer - Raindrops |
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| Sarah Jackson - Single Girl |
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| Judi Gillies - Star of the Orient |
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| Jennifer Ball - Little Deer |
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| Jolene Knight and her boy & girl Scrappy String Quilts
Anne Hepsitz shared her First Improv Quilts
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| Katie Herzog's Portland Winter |
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| Teresa Coates and the amazing hand pieced quilt top she inherited from her Great Grandmother |
We had the pleasure of meeting Luke Haynes and seeing some of his inspiring work! You're welcome back anytime Luke!
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| Cath Hall - Day & Night |
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| Heather Bostic - Bear Claw |
Business Member Spotlight--Gina at Bolt
Each month we'll be highlighting a different business member on the blog, and they will also speak at that month's meeting. This month we're happy to learn more about Bolt.
Gina had this to say about Bolt:
Bolt opened its door in the fall of 2005, with a goal of providing a comfortable, neighborhood place for all people interested in fabric to imagine, learn, share, experience, and explore.
It has always been my intention to not have rules around what someone does with the fabric they find at our store.
Building off past experiences of feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, left with no one to lend a hand, ear, eye, or an open mind, I saw the need for Bolt.
It has been a tremendous (almost) 8 years of growth of the business, the staff and our customers. Over the years we’ve had the joy of seeing members of our community evolve in their abilities, talents, and interests.
We’ve watched and encouraged while customers have gone from exploring the world of fabric for the first time to creating amazing garments, quilts and even starting up businesses. We are so grateful for the excitement our customers bring with them when they walk through the door and we are excited to see what the next 8 years brings!
What are your hours and location? Other info?
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6 (stay tuned for possible extended hours mid-week through the summer), Sat 10-5, Sun 11-4
2136 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon 97211
Website:
and
(blog)
What’s the best thing about owning your particular business?
I really enjoy the challenges and diversity of tasks in running a business in general, but the creative aspect of this business has been the most enjoyable for me.
To see what people are making, to imagine what I’d make with the goods that arrive at the store—it is so fun.
What’s been your favorite order/customer/memorable moment as a business owner?
I don’t know that I have a favorite, but I think what I like the most is the ease of interactions between our crew and our customers.
We have a lot of regular customers and I think one of the things that makes me the happiest is when we’re having a staff meeting or get together and we’re filling each other in on what our customers are making.
That’s when I feel like the “neighborhood” part of “Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique” is working.
It sounds corny, but it really is an important aspect to me.
What other jobs/businesses have you worked/owned?
I’ve worked a variety of jobs over the years—food service, movie rental, landscape maintenance, research assistant.
The majority of my background before starting the store has been in social service (homelessness and severe poverty specifically), community development and research in those areas.
I tried my hand at starting a couple of different sewing oriented businesses over the years, as side projects.
The most recent was making duvet covers, which led to me opening Bolt.
What made you want to go into this field of work?
I wanted/needed a break from social service related work and I also didn’t want to rely on sewing as the main part of my work.
I loved picking out fabric and thought I saw the need for something like Bolt.
I thought it would be a good challenge that would keep me interested for a while.
Do you still have time to do your own quilting and sewing while owning your business?
Yep, somewhat.
I actually really enjoy gardening and cooking, so I have to admit, when there’s free time, those things can fill it pretty quickly.
My husband and I recently created a permanent sewing space for me in our house, and that helps tremendously as far as being able to just sit for a few minutes and work on something.
I don’t have to spend the time setting up and taking down now.
Does your store have classes, get-togethers, or special events you’d like to mention?
Yes!
We have our big bi-annual sale this weekend!
Every year we hold a store-wide sale the end of October (our anniversary) and the middle of April.
It’s fun and exciting!
Also, we’ll be hosting a designer (stay tuned for the announcement on this) during Quilt Market in May for a meet and greet type of event.
And, this year we’re resurrecting our “Organization of the Month” club where we feature a different charitable organization each month and then hold a donation day, after which we donate 10% of the day’s total to the organization.
The donation days are typically the last Saturday of the month.
You can follow this on our blog.
We’ve also been working to get more customers to share their projects via Flickr through our Flickr Inspiration project.
We draw a winner each month and feature them on our blog.
What would you like to see PMQG do to strengthen the quilting community in the Portland Metro Area?
This is tricky one for me—it seems like PMQG is rockin’ the quilting community in Portland.
Thanks for the opportunity to share!
I really appreciate it.
March Meeting Recap - Presentations
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.
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| Here is Monica showing the magazine her block was published in. |
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| A couple sample blocks |
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| Monica's beautiful quilt showcasing the Around the Rosie block! |
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!!
Threadbias Quilt Design Tool review + giveaway!
I'm so happy to be today's stop on the Threadbias Quilt Design Tool blog tour!
I was invited to try out their fabulous Quilt Design Tool recently, which has been super fun. I have never used any kind of design software before - I always sketch my ideas on paper, then use graph paper to formalize things and get my numbers organized, then start cutting and sewing. The QDT was a very cool departure from my usual analog approach! You can create simple or intricate shapes, maneuver them around very easily, switch colors or fabrics with a single click, set a block, and transform your initial idea into an overall quilt design with tons of flexibility. The program even adds borders and gives fabric requirements, and you can export the design onto your desktop to look at as a whole and get a sense of how it will live as a quilt. At only $10 a month, it's a wonderful resource and I think it really transforms the design process into something special.
When I was at Quiltcon, I got a beautiful charm pack of Lizzy House's 26 new Pearl Bracelet colors from the Andover booth, and immediately knew I wanted to make a quilt for my almost-five-year-old daughter, Pearl. She loves rainbows and color, and I pictured a bright, happy design that would grow up with her. The charm squares were such a cool gift, and I wanted to use every bit of the precious 5" squares, rather than cut them up into secondary shapes, as pops of color on a twin-size quilt she could use on her bed.
So once I had a chance to work with the Quilt Design Tool, I thought I'd try some different ideas out and see what worked. My first thought was a basic 12" two-tier log cabin block (I love log cabin!) with a larger, asymmetrical center charm square (that I filled in with yellow Pearl Bracelet from their fabric archives). I used the workspace software to make a simple block layout, then tiled that into a 6 x 4 grid and rotated some of the 24 blocks to create movement throughout the design.
I stitched up three real blocks using these dimensions, mixed in a little off-white in the logs for color interest, then set them out in that rotation to see how I liked it. And it just didn't do a whole lot! I liked it but I didn't love it, and I felt like this cool chance to use a design tool, just for quilting, deserved more. So - back to the drawing board, and opening a new workspace.
I kept thinking of roundness, and somehow arranging an array of the small charm squares to create that feeling of a bracelet of color - a beautiful, simple circular design instead of a regular old grid. I could shape the 12" blocks into a tight, tall oval with some major maneuvering, but they were just too big to make a circle on a twin quilt.
So a couple of math problems later, I reduced my block size and widened my quilt a little bit, and came up with a 10" one-tier block that offered a lot more flexibility - and even could be coaxed into a symmetrical 16-block circle!
We narrowed the 26 colors of Pearl Bracelet down to 16, and arranged them in a joyful ROYGBIV circle on the dining room floor. Pearl loved this part!
I chain-pieced, pressed, and squared up the blocks. I love how quilt blocks look in a neat stack.
Here's how the top mini-row of three will look in the bracelet. It's very similar to my first idea, but the fact that it's the top section of a circle instead of the heart of a grid just really gives it a lot more life, I think.
I used the Threadbias design tool to fill in the other parts of the quilt (inside and outside of the circle), and get the measurements for cutting and piecing each section into a whole. This was really handy and made the math and other arrangements very quick.
With such a generous circle design, a huge section of the center was a completely blank slate. I love improvisational piecing and writing messages in my quilts (like the "good night" quilt back I worked on for the PMQG Quiltcon charity quilt) so I pieced a subtle, large-scale "pearl" in white-on-white Pearl Bracelet, against Michael Miller Bright White Cotton Couture. For reference, this section measures 51" wide by 30" tall.
Pearl loves that her name is in the quilt. She is just learning to read and it made her super happy to see it there.
I had hoped to have the top all done for today, but here's where I'm at:
so I'll be sharing the finished Rainbow Charm Bracelet top at our April 18 PMQG meeting, and I'm super excited to hand it off to Nancy to quilt! Speaking of PMQG, Threadbias has generously offered a prize of a free month of the Quilt Design Tool (!) to a lucky winner... and instead of giving it away through comments here, we'll draw a name at the meeting! They're also offering a nice bonus to PMQG members, which you'll hear more about then too.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour - there are some wonderful reviews and quilts up already, and Jen will be reviewing the QDT for Sew, Mama, Sew tomorrow!
- - - - - - - - - - -
Monday, March 25 – Freshly Pieced
Tuesday, March 26 – Don’t Call Me Betsy
Wednesday, March 27 – Generation Q Magazine
Thursday, March 28 – The Sometimes Crafter
Friday, March 29 – Diary of a Quilter
Monday, April 1 – Swim, Bike, Quilt
Tuesday, April 2 – Fresh Lemons Quilts
Wednesday, April 3 – West Coast Crafty
+ Portland Modern Quilt Guild (me!) Thursday, April 4 – Sew, Mama, Sew!
Friday, April 5 – Alison Glass
Saturday, April 6 – Pink Castle Fabrics
Sunday, April 7 – Ellison Lane Quilts
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank you to Andover for the gift of the Pearl Bracelet charm pack and to Threadbias for the chance to review the Quilt Design Tool! (I bought my Bright White Cotton Couture and the additional white Pearl Bracelet at Fabric Depot here in Portland.) By the way, if you're interested in more detail on my cutting, chain-piecing, and row assembly methods, you can check out my book, Modern Log Cabin Quilting. Thanks, and happy Wednesday!
I was invited to try out their fabulous Quilt Design Tool recently, which has been super fun. I have never used any kind of design software before - I always sketch my ideas on paper, then use graph paper to formalize things and get my numbers organized, then start cutting and sewing. The QDT was a very cool departure from my usual analog approach! You can create simple or intricate shapes, maneuver them around very easily, switch colors or fabrics with a single click, set a block, and transform your initial idea into an overall quilt design with tons of flexibility. The program even adds borders and gives fabric requirements, and you can export the design onto your desktop to look at as a whole and get a sense of how it will live as a quilt. At only $10 a month, it's a wonderful resource and I think it really transforms the design process into something special.
When I was at Quiltcon, I got a beautiful charm pack of Lizzy House's 26 new Pearl Bracelet colors from the Andover booth, and immediately knew I wanted to make a quilt for my almost-five-year-old daughter, Pearl. She loves rainbows and color, and I pictured a bright, happy design that would grow up with her. The charm squares were such a cool gift, and I wanted to use every bit of the precious 5" squares, rather than cut them up into secondary shapes, as pops of color on a twin-size quilt she could use on her bed.
So once I had a chance to work with the Quilt Design Tool, I thought I'd try some different ideas out and see what worked. My first thought was a basic 12" two-tier log cabin block (I love log cabin!) with a larger, asymmetrical center charm square (that I filled in with yellow Pearl Bracelet from their fabric archives). I used the workspace software to make a simple block layout, then tiled that into a 6 x 4 grid and rotated some of the 24 blocks to create movement throughout the design.
I stitched up three real blocks using these dimensions, mixed in a little off-white in the logs for color interest, then set them out in that rotation to see how I liked it. And it just didn't do a whole lot! I liked it but I didn't love it, and I felt like this cool chance to use a design tool, just for quilting, deserved more. So - back to the drawing board, and opening a new workspace.
I kept thinking of roundness, and somehow arranging an array of the small charm squares to create that feeling of a bracelet of color - a beautiful, simple circular design instead of a regular old grid. I could shape the 12" blocks into a tight, tall oval with some major maneuvering, but they were just too big to make a circle on a twin quilt.
So a couple of math problems later, I reduced my block size and widened my quilt a little bit, and came up with a 10" one-tier block that offered a lot more flexibility - and even could be coaxed into a symmetrical 16-block circle!
We narrowed the 26 colors of Pearl Bracelet down to 16, and arranged them in a joyful ROYGBIV circle on the dining room floor. Pearl loved this part!
I chain-pieced, pressed, and squared up the blocks. I love how quilt blocks look in a neat stack.
Here's how the top mini-row of three will look in the bracelet. It's very similar to my first idea, but the fact that it's the top section of a circle instead of the heart of a grid just really gives it a lot more life, I think.
I used the Threadbias design tool to fill in the other parts of the quilt (inside and outside of the circle), and get the measurements for cutting and piecing each section into a whole. This was really handy and made the math and other arrangements very quick.
With such a generous circle design, a huge section of the center was a completely blank slate. I love improvisational piecing and writing messages in my quilts (like the "good night" quilt back I worked on for the PMQG Quiltcon charity quilt) so I pieced a subtle, large-scale "pearl" in white-on-white Pearl Bracelet, against Michael Miller Bright White Cotton Couture. For reference, this section measures 51" wide by 30" tall.
Pearl loves that her name is in the quilt. She is just learning to read and it made her super happy to see it there.
I had hoped to have the top all done for today, but here's where I'm at:
so I'll be sharing the finished Rainbow Charm Bracelet top at our April 18 PMQG meeting, and I'm super excited to hand it off to Nancy to quilt! Speaking of PMQG, Threadbias has generously offered a prize of a free month of the Quilt Design Tool (!) to a lucky winner... and instead of giving it away through comments here, we'll draw a name at the meeting! They're also offering a nice bonus to PMQG members, which you'll hear more about then too.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour - there are some wonderful reviews and quilts up already, and Jen will be reviewing the QDT for Sew, Mama, Sew tomorrow!
- - - - - - - - - - -
Monday, March 25 – Freshly Pieced
Tuesday, March 26 – Don’t Call Me Betsy
Wednesday, March 27 – Generation Q Magazine
Thursday, March 28 – The Sometimes Crafter
Friday, March 29 – Diary of a Quilter
Monday, April 1 – Swim, Bike, Quilt
Tuesday, April 2 – Fresh Lemons Quilts
Wednesday, April 3 – West Coast Crafty
+ Portland Modern Quilt Guild (me!) Thursday, April 4 – Sew, Mama, Sew!
Friday, April 5 – Alison Glass
Saturday, April 6 – Pink Castle Fabrics
Sunday, April 7 – Ellison Lane Quilts
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank you to Andover for the gift of the Pearl Bracelet charm pack and to Threadbias for the chance to review the Quilt Design Tool! (I bought my Bright White Cotton Couture and the additional white Pearl Bracelet at Fabric Depot here in Portland.) By the way, if you're interested in more detail on my cutting, chain-piecing, and row assembly methods, you can check out my book, Modern Log Cabin Quilting. Thanks, and happy Wednesday!
Sew Day Announcement!
***UPDATE***
The time has changed from 10 to 4 for this Sunday at Quilting Delights! See you there!
The time has changed from 10 to 4 for this Sunday at Quilting Delights! See you there!
We’re pleased to announce our April Sew Day is this Sunday, April 7th at Quilting Delights!
There is limited space so please email us at portlandmodernquiltguild@gmail.com to reserve a spot. It will be first come, first served and we can fit approximately 20 machines. Please feel free to stop by and say Hi, or if you miss the initial sign-up and have any handwork please come!
There will be tables and chairs, power strips and surge protectors. Please bring your own cutting implements and irons.
Quilting Delights is located at 14863 SE Oregon Trail Dr, Portland, OR 97015, and is open from 9 to 5! There is a classroom in the back of the building, but I’m sure you can let the ladies know you’re with PMQG and they’ll also show you where to go. See you Sunday!!
A Logo Story
This is one of the posts written to celebrate PMQG's third anniversary. Many thanks to Katie Sciarinno for her logo work and for contributing this blog post!
A Logo Story
by Katie Sciarrino
At some point between May and June of 2010 I asked then
President, Jen, if she thought we needed a logo. She said yes so I got
busy working on a few design directions for the entire guild to vote on.
For those of you who don't know, I'm a graphic designer so this was way
up my ally.
We put three logos up for a vote:
#3 Won the majority. It was influenced by fabric selvages.
Slightly abstract and built in CMYK. It's bold and modern—just like us.
After the logo came name tag buttons. Look around at the next meeting, you're sure to see a few members wearing them.
And after the buttons came the banner. Several members
contributed 6" blocks (of their own design) making it a solid
representation of the guild. I pieced it together and appliquéd the
logo, the amazing Nancy quilted it to perfection, and Cherri donated the
b/w stripe backing and binding fabric. It was a hugely successful group
project. I love seeing it at all our events.
Now you can wear a representation of the logo—check out the "swag" button to the right!
March PMQG Meeting Recap - Announcements
So was that a fun meeting or what? Wow! It was jam packed with over 100 members and guests -- our little room was bursting at the seams! It was our 3rd anniversary -- Happy Anniversary PMQG!
Membership Directory
We started with a few business announcements. Jolene Knight of Good Knight Quilts has put our first guild membership directory together. We are finalizing some details and it will be emailed out to members in the next week or so. Thank you Jolene!
Committees
Many members signed up to help with our newly formed committees. We have so much planned for this year and we will need as much help as possible! Plus it is fun to volunteer. Who knows what it will lead to (hmm, we will need new board members in 2014...!) We would love to have a member or two volunteer to help with membership. Please email or leave a comment if you are interested.
Sisters Special Exhibit
The deadline for submitting a quilt to the PMQG Special exhibit is April 1st -- which is coming right up. Unfortunately there was an error in the link to the email and if you submitted a quilt and didn't get a confirmation please resubmit it. The correct email is:
2013sisterssubmission@gmail.com
Double Date April 12th! Documentation Day and Bylaws
We still have spots available for quilts for our first PMQG Quilt Documentation Day, April 12th from 1-4pm. Fill out the form to reserve your spot and Susan Beal, our guild historian will get back to you with more information. We will also be using that space to review the first draft of our guild's bylaws which Cathy Fowler is spearheading. If you haven't filled out part two of our bylaw survey there is till time before she compiles all the information.
The location is Shaking the Tree 1407 SE Stark St. We will be heading over to Enso Winery which is across the street for happy hour around 6pm. Please join us for that too!
MQG Membership
The MQG announced at QuiltCon that it is offering guilds membership starting in July for the remaining half of 2013 or in December for 2014. There are many benefits including 501(c)3 status, a CRM website and discounts on MQG events, Our guild will review the details and vote on whether we join in July or December at our next meeting in April.
Before and After [Quilt] Market
There is lots of excitement surrounding Quilt Market, which will be in Portland this year. PMQG is teaming up with Modern Domestic to bring our members some amazing classes and possibly a party. So far we have confirmed a class with Jacquie Gering on Wednesday, May 15th and two sessions with Carolyn Friedlander on Monday, May 20th. PMQG members will get priority registration and a 10% discount. We can't wait to finalize all the details so we can share them with you!
PNW MQG meet up
Pencil it in! August 15th - 18th in Portland, Or.
Neon and Neutrals Challenge
We are super excited to announce our latest challenge: Neons and Neutrals sponsored by Michael Miller Fabrics. You get to create a block or accessory or both to show at our April meeting. Each member got 10 fat eights of Michael Miller solid neons, neon dots and Cotton Couture neutrals. Make sure to pre-wash the solid neons.
Guidelines:
Blocks: Make your blocks 12.5" (12" finished) by whatever your choose. We will assemble a group quilt(s) from there.
Accessories: Your choice of accessory: purse, pouch, bag, etc. -- pieced, quilted or both. This is yours to keep.
BOM
Monica Soloria-Snow (aka Happy Zombie) hosted our BOM this month. We will be making her 'Round the Rosie' block which was originally featured in Quiltmakers 100 Blocks and was recently reissued. She did a wonderful tutorial on her blog. Thank you Monica!
Stay tuned for a recap of our Presentations and Show and Tell.
Thanks everyone!
-- Michelle
Membership Directory
We started with a few business announcements. Jolene Knight of Good Knight Quilts has put our first guild membership directory together. We are finalizing some details and it will be emailed out to members in the next week or so. Thank you Jolene!
Committees
Many members signed up to help with our newly formed committees. We have so much planned for this year and we will need as much help as possible! Plus it is fun to volunteer. Who knows what it will lead to (hmm, we will need new board members in 2014...!) We would love to have a member or two volunteer to help with membership. Please email or leave a comment if you are interested.
Sisters Special Exhibit
The deadline for submitting a quilt to the PMQG Special exhibit is April 1st -- which is coming right up. Unfortunately there was an error in the link to the email and if you submitted a quilt and didn't get a confirmation please resubmit it. The correct email is:
2013sisterssubmission@gmail.com
Double Date April 12th! Documentation Day and Bylaws
We still have spots available for quilts for our first PMQG Quilt Documentation Day, April 12th from 1-4pm. Fill out the form to reserve your spot and Susan Beal, our guild historian will get back to you with more information. We will also be using that space to review the first draft of our guild's bylaws which Cathy Fowler is spearheading. If you haven't filled out part two of our bylaw survey there is till time before she compiles all the information.
The location is Shaking the Tree 1407 SE Stark St. We will be heading over to Enso Winery which is across the street for happy hour around 6pm. Please join us for that too!
MQG Membership
The MQG announced at QuiltCon that it is offering guilds membership starting in July for the remaining half of 2013 or in December for 2014. There are many benefits including 501(c)3 status, a CRM website and discounts on MQG events, Our guild will review the details and vote on whether we join in July or December at our next meeting in April.
Before and After [Quilt] Market
There is lots of excitement surrounding Quilt Market, which will be in Portland this year. PMQG is teaming up with Modern Domestic to bring our members some amazing classes and possibly a party. So far we have confirmed a class with Jacquie Gering on Wednesday, May 15th and two sessions with Carolyn Friedlander on Monday, May 20th. PMQG members will get priority registration and a 10% discount. We can't wait to finalize all the details so we can share them with you!
PNW MQG meet up
Pencil it in! August 15th - 18th in Portland, Or.
Neon and Neutrals Challenge
We are super excited to announce our latest challenge: Neons and Neutrals sponsored by Michael Miller Fabrics. You get to create a block or accessory or both to show at our April meeting. Each member got 10 fat eights of Michael Miller solid neons, neon dots and Cotton Couture neutrals. Make sure to pre-wash the solid neons.
Guidelines:
Blocks: Make your blocks 12.5" (12" finished) by whatever your choose. We will assemble a group quilt(s) from there.
Accessories: Your choice of accessory: purse, pouch, bag, etc. -- pieced, quilted or both. This is yours to keep.
BOM
Monica Soloria-Snow (aka Happy Zombie) hosted our BOM this month. We will be making her 'Round the Rosie' block which was originally featured in Quiltmakers 100 Blocks and was recently reissued. She did a wonderful tutorial on her blog. Thank you Monica!
Stay tuned for a recap of our Presentations and Show and Tell.
Thanks everyone!
-- Michelle
Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe Book Review
First, a big thank you to Martingale publishing for generously sending us Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe to review!
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| Jigsaw - Designed by Amy Ellis |
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| Diamond Crosses - Designed by Kate Henderson |
Hopefully (ahem Martingale!) this is the first of many volumes showcasing the beautiful quilts from bloggers around the world!
-Amber
One lucky winner will get to take home this great book tonight at our Guild Meeting!
-Amber
One lucky winner will get to take home this great book tonight at our Guild Meeting!
OMG! It's Luke Haynes!
- a conversation with Teresa Coates and Luke Haynes
If you haven't heard, Luke Haynes is coming to Portland this weekend to teach at Modern Domestic and to attend the PMQG meeting on Thursday (squee!) I have long been a fan of his work and was thrilled when he said he'd fill me in on a few things before he came to town. The guy has mad talent and a reputation for being one of the kindest folks you'll ever meet, plus he's a man who quilts--what's not to love?!
If you haven't heard, Luke Haynes is coming to Portland this weekend to teach at Modern Domestic and to attend the PMQG meeting on Thursday (squee!) I have long been a fan of his work and was thrilled when he said he'd fill me in on a few things before he came to town. The guy has mad talent and a reputation for being one of the kindest folks you'll ever meet, plus he's a man who quilts--what's not to love?!
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| On my bed #3 2010 |
People can often recognize your work on sight as a 'Luke Haynes' quilt. What do you think defines it as oh-so-you?
Well, most of them have pictures of me on them, and who else in their right mind would do that?!
Plus I faked quilting for so many years that I have a bit of "folk art" to it. meaning that there is not so much base in tradition that I work from.
What makes this whole quilting thing important to you? to the world? In other words, why do you do it?
It's important to examine the objects and traditions that we take for granted. I am working on understanding the concepts and the process behind making quilts and behind the culture of objects.
So what makes a guy start quilting people onto quilts? Or is that even how it started?
My first quilt was just an experiment. I was 'painting' with fabric. From there I continued to innovate method and image. and here I am today.
What's the tool or technique you swear you would die if you couldn't use it anymore?
If there were no more rotary blades I would be lost. I can't imagine using scissors to cut strips!
Your work has been on display all over the country; where can I see it now? Next month?
I am currently being shown at the Brooklyn Museum, the Katonah Museum and in Island Quilter on Vashon Island.
If I were buying, what drink would you order?
An Arnold Palmer (half tea, half lemonade) in the afternoon and an Old Fashioned in the evening.
An Arnold Palmer (half tea, half lemonade) in the afternoon and an Old Fashioned in the evening.
Is there a specific place on this planet that makes you especially happy? Like, "When I need to feel like all's right in the world, I go to..."
Not presently. I am working on moving to LA so I am between homes currently. If I had to say I'd say my Honda, but that sounds a bit sad....maybe I should say Disney World or something.
What's the one thing you absolutely must do/see when you come to Portland?
Eat at Pok Pok. I love that place!!
Because I am doing it for fun. I don't teach but maybe once a year and I have a lot to share. Plus it will be a blast! We will get some projects made and learn some new methods and ideas. PLUS Pok Pok is a few blocks away!
Sign up for Luke's class online and be sure to come to our meeting on Thursday to get a chance to meet him and see his amazing work in-person.
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| Christanas World |
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| Iconography #7 Rags to Ritches detail |
Member Spotlight--Anne Woodman
We're continuing the Member Spotlight series this year in order to learn more about our fellow guild members. Meet PMQG Member Anne Woodman!
Many people are amazed that I
have time to make quilts because I have two children still living at home, a
seventeen-year-old boy and a thirteen-year-old girl that I home school and a
part time job. I have worked at the Hilton Portland and Executive towers for
sixteen years and I love it. Working in a hotel is like living in a small town,
it is a little community. I don’t really have time to make quilts, I neglect
other things to do it, and I try not to feel guilty.
I love to travel but I have not
gone anywhere since I went to Costa Rica with a girlfriend two years ago. I
have taken my children as far as Africa and Nepal. I have special fabric from
Africa that I only use a little at a time. Africa and Nepal are special to me
because the women who live there appreciate fabric.
Q: What got you into quilting?
A: I have always been sewing
something or other for years. I made my first quilt from an AOL tutorial when I
was pregnant with my youngest daughter thirteen years ago.
Q: How long have you been a PMQG
Member?
A: This is my third year as a
guild member, and I love it! I have learned so many things from guild meetings
that I would not have learned otherwise.
Q: What’s your quilting
philosophy?
A: Quilting time is art time! I
need to make time to quilt and make art so that I can really be the person I
was meant to be.
Q: What’s your favorite
sewing/quilting tip?
A: Do not worry about mistakes.
Mistakes are part of the learning curve. I just helped a friend sew a bunch of
old baby clothes together for a keepsake quilt. I do not normally sew knits,
but I dived in and laughed at my
mistakes and my friend LOVED the blocks I made.
Q: Do you have a favorite quilt
pattern? Fabric designer?
A: I do not have a favorite
pattern. I made so many Dresden plates when I started that most people who know
me outside the guild would say it is my signature block, but now I do not
normally make any pattern more than twice.
As far as a favorite fabric designer Sandi
Henderson is great, also, Petra and Monica are special to me because they are
local and I love to follow what they are doing.
Q: Do you have a favorite
notion/tool you couldn’t quilt without?
A: My rotary cutter is one of my
best friends.
Q: What’s your favorite part of
the quilting process?
A: I adore improve piecing.
Q: What part of the quilting
process do you dislike the most or find the most difficult?
A: Basting. I do not pin baste, I
am too suspicious that it will not stay smooth, so I baste all my quilts with a
four inch grid of purple serger thread. This is not fun. My knees do not like
this activity.
Q: What inspires you to create?
A: I feel blessed to live in a
beautiful world.
Q: Do you do any other crafts?
Which ones?
A.I paint watercolor paintings.
Watercolor is a very hard medium, and I have had little training. Hillsboro has
some wonderful affordable classes and I have taken a few, but I am not very
good. I do love it though. This is really the time of year I get inspired to paint.
Q: How many quilts have you made?
A: More than 25, I have given so
many away I cannot count them accurately.
Q: What are some of your upcoming
projects?
A: I will probably make another
Urban Nine Patch. The one I have completed was not to my satisfaction, but my
seventeen year old son loved it, and when I told him I was not happy with it he
begged me for it, so I gave it to him. I would like to make another one though;
I am looking forward to it when I can find the right fabric.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Anne!
--Mary Ann VP
March Meeting Reminder
Our meeting this month will be at PNCA in Room 101 on Thursday, March 21st. See you at 7 pm!
PNCA
1241 NW Johnson
Portland, OR 97209
Room 101
This month's meeting will be chock full of fun! As usual we'll have fun giveaways and a new Block of the Month, but in addition you can look forward to:
- A QuiltCon recap Presentation by Elizabeth Hartman
- Modern Quilt Guild membership information
- A new "Totally Rad" Michael Miller Challenge, with fabric for paid members
- Special guest Luke Haynes during Show and Tell. He has an upcoming class at Modern Domestic
- Sign-ups for new guild committees
- Special 3rd Anniversary Celebration
- Mo Bedell will be presenting her upcoming fabric line Full Moon Lagoon
What to bring to this month's meeting?
- Charity BOMs if you have any
- Charity Bee tops or quilts
- I also need 4-5 members to bring non-alcholic drinks to share, along with cups. Please leave a comment on this post or FB if you can commit to bringing water, juice, pop, etc. This has to do with our anniversary!
And just a reminder:
- The Sisters Quilt Show submission deadline to get your quilt into the show is April 1st
- Sign-ups for Quilt Documentation Day on April 12th are online
- If you have a moment, please fill out our Bylaw Survey part 2. It will be posted through April 15th
- The April 6th Sew Day is cancelled due to space issues. We are hoping to schedule one for another day in April but will keep you updated.
Follow us on other social media:
Flickr
See you Thursday!
--Mary Ann, VP
February 2013 Meeting Recap--Announcements
It was great to see so many members at our February meeting! It was a fun night both at our meeting and following the Instagram QuiltCon posts from our members in Austin. Just as our meeting was starting we were excited to learn that four of our PMQG members had won awards for their quilts! Congratulations to Monica Solorio-Snow (RonQuilt: The Ron Swanson Quilt, 1st Place, Piecing - Large Quilts), Heather Davidson (Retro Modern Shapes, 3rd Place, Applique - Large Quilts), Megan Dye (Trajectory #2, 1st Place, Use of Negative Space - Large Quilts), Katie Sciarrino (Hannah, 3rd Place, Modern Traditionalism - Large Quilts). Read more about the quilts on the Modern Quilt Guild Blog.
If you were not able to attend QuiltCon this year, Craftsy has partnered with the Modern Quilt Guild and has many of their lectures (including the awards ceremony) posted for free! Yes, you read that right - free! Take advantage of this amazing glimpse into the incredible experience of Quiltcon. You just need to sign up to be a member on Craftsy (also free). Here is the link: QuiltCon Lecture Series 2013
PMQG is now offering Business Memberships. This was suggested by a member of our business community and it has been a big hit! Welcome to the PMQG Family Cool Cottons, Just Quilting, Modern Domestic, SewPo, Bill Volckening, Quilt Appraisals, Good Night Quilts, and the Bear Creek Quilting Company. We look forward to learning more about your businesses in the up coming months.
And a warm PMQG Shout-Out to our Business Sponsors. These businesses offer generous discounts to our guild members: Bolt Fabric Boutique, Joann Fabrics, Lark Cottons, Modern Domestic, Pendelton Woolen Mill Store, PNCA, Sew, Mama, Sew, and SewPo. Be sure to call PNCA if you plan to register for a class in order to get your membership discount.
If you were not able to attend QuiltCon this year, Craftsy has partnered with the Modern Quilt Guild and has many of their lectures (including the awards ceremony) posted for free! Yes, you read that right - free! Take advantage of this amazing glimpse into the incredible experience of Quiltcon. You just need to sign up to be a member on Craftsy (also free). Here is the link: QuiltCon Lecture Series 2013
PMQG is now offering Business Memberships. This was suggested by a member of our business community and it has been a big hit! Welcome to the PMQG Family Cool Cottons, Just Quilting, Modern Domestic, SewPo, Bill Volckening, Quilt Appraisals, Good Night Quilts, and the Bear Creek Quilting Company. We look forward to learning more about your businesses in the up coming months.
And a warm PMQG Shout-Out to our Business Sponsors. These businesses offer generous discounts to our guild members: Bolt Fabric Boutique, Joann Fabrics, Lark Cottons, Modern Domestic, Pendelton Woolen Mill Store, PNCA, Sew, Mama, Sew, and SewPo. Be sure to call PNCA if you plan to register for a class in order to get your membership discount.
Sew Days
We are thrilled to announce Brittany has scheduled monthly Sew Days for our guild on the 1st Saturday of every month at Fabric Depot. Next up: March 2nd (oops! That was last weekend! Next one is April 6th.) It is always 9am to 9pm; PMQG members are free and guests are only $10. Not sure what to sew? Bring your Puzzle Blocks or request some from Mary Ann. She has lots of projects waiting for an adoptive home.
Sisters
Swag
Pencil it in!!! The 2nd annual Pacific Northwest Meet-up will take place on August 15th -18th in
February BOM Kim presented our February BOM the X Plus Block. This has been buzzing on Instagram lately and we wanted to join in the fun. Cutting details, layout diagram, tutorial and history of this block can be found on our BOM page by clicking on the block link or you can also get there from here: Feb BOM. We are also starting to see our first Bee Quilts made with our Jan BOM blocks to give. Way to go folks!
We were fortunate to have Christina Lane, aka The Sometimes Crafter, join us for a reprise of her presentation Adventures in Hexagons now re-fashioned as Adventures in English Paper Piecing. She shared many of her techniques in a detailed slide show with beautiful photographic images. Here is the link to her tutorial for how to stitch hexagons. Her first book, Quilting Happiness, which she co-authored with Diane Gilleland of Crafty Pod is coming out this summer and we can't wait to get our hands on it!
To compliment her presentation, guild members Gail Weiss (I Think Sew), Christina Camelli (A Few Scraps), Elsa Hart (A Fine Line) and Teresa Coats (Crinkle Dreams) lead small groups of members on a guided tour of paper piecing techniques. It was so much fun to learn all their different techniques and secrets! Christina has a fun paper piecing QAL on her blog: check that out here Sprockets Quilt Along. And extra points for guessing correctly who is behind that quilt block in the upper-right photo in the collage. She must have been feeling overwhelmed by the swarms of paparazzi!
Stay tuned for details about our 3rd Anniversary Meeting next month. We are planning a Quilt Con Recap, a new Michael Miller Challenge, some terrific giveaways and much more! Our next guild meeting will be March 21st at PNCA.
-- Michelle
Gail Weiss announced the details for our 3rd Annual PMQG Special Exhibit at the Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show. You can find all the details for how to enter your quilts on this post here: PMQG Special Exhibit Details. Gail is also taking volunteer shift sign-ups right now! Send your quilt submission via email by April 1st to: 2013sisterssubmission@gmail.com
PMQG Swag! T-shirts, Hoodies, Totes -- oh my! a big PMQG thank you to Gail Weiss and Phantom Chicken Screen Printing for printing up some super cool products to show off our guild pride! And just because she is so awesome, All proceeds from sales go to PMQG! Watch facebook for an announcement for her next scheduled print date: you can order anytime by clicking our fancy Swag button on the right side of our blog or on this link: Phantom Chicken PMQG Swag.
Double Date!
Friday, April 12th, 1-6pm, happy hour afterwards. (Location is still being determined) Save the date for our first Quilt Documentation and Bylaw meeting. Susan Beal and Bill Volckening are teaming up to document and photograph your quilts. There will be a small fee of $15 per quilt to cover the costs of formally entering the quilts into the Oregon Quilt Project. You can sign up now on our new Documentation page.
With regards to our Bylaws, forty-two of you filled out our Bylaw Survey Part 1 (thank you!) and we have posted the Bylaw Survey Part 2 which will be up throughout the month of March. Your feedback is pivotal to determining the best structure for our guild and we just learned that we will be able to become a 501(c)3 thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild as soon as July, so it is also necessary in order to move forward with that! More details about that at our March meeting.
With regards to our Bylaws, forty-two of you filled out our Bylaw Survey Part 1 (thank you!) and we have posted the Bylaw Survey Part 2 which will be up throughout the month of March. Your feedback is pivotal to determining the best structure for our guild and we just learned that we will be able to become a 501(c)3 thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild as soon as July, so it is also necessary in order to move forward with that! More details about that at our March meeting.
Pencil it in!!! The 2nd annual Pacific Northwest Meet-up will take place on August 15th -18th in
Portland, Oregon. We are in the very beginning stages of planning this so more details and plenty of volunteering opportunities to come!
February BOM Kim presented our February BOM the X Plus Block. This has been buzzing on Instagram lately and we wanted to join in the fun. Cutting details, layout diagram, tutorial and history of this block can be found on our BOM page by clicking on the block link or you can also get there from here: Feb BOM. We are also starting to see our first Bee Quilts made with our Jan BOM blocks to give. Way to go folks!
Sadly we had our first member memorial and took a moment to remember Cheryl Elgin. Her daughter and close friend were at our meeting to share Cheryl's last quilt and we were grateful for their lovely personal memories they shared with us. Peace be with the Elgin family and friends in your time of loss.
To compliment her presentation, guild members Gail Weiss (I Think Sew), Christina Camelli (A Few Scraps), Elsa Hart (A Fine Line) and Teresa Coats (Crinkle Dreams) lead small groups of members on a guided tour of paper piecing techniques. It was so much fun to learn all their different techniques and secrets! Christina has a fun paper piecing QAL on her blog: check that out here Sprockets Quilt Along. And extra points for guessing correctly who is behind that quilt block in the upper-right photo in the collage. She must have been feeling overwhelmed by the swarms of paparazzi!
Stay tuned for details about our 3rd Anniversary Meeting next month. We are planning a Quilt Con Recap, a new Michael Miller Challenge, some terrific giveaways and much more! Our next guild meeting will be March 21st at PNCA.
-- Michelle
February Meeting Recap--Show and Tell
We had a wonderful show and tell at our February meeting! Thank you to everyone who shared!
We had a moment to reflect on the the loss of our friend Cheryl Elgin, and were able to see her last quilt. Nancy Stovall quilted it and her husband Matthew brought it to the meeting, where Cheryl's good friend, Patty Turner, and her daughter, Hillary Elgin, shared it with the guild. Hillary hadn't seen the quilt before, but now it will be hers.
Anne Matlak showed her quilt "The Sea"
Cherri Langley shared her "Dancing Stars" quilt made with Lizzie House fabric. The free pattern by Amy Ellis can be found here:
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/dancing-stars/40382
Cath Hall shared her "Gretchen" quilt for Project Linus. Cath can be found at www.wombatquilts.com
Chris Pera showed her "Green Checks" quilt. She was trying to use less color than she usually does and used Jenn Carlton-Bailey's wavy quilting technique, which you can see on the back.
Heather Lott showed this Sampler Quilt. Heather blogs at www.quiltorstitch.blogspot.com
Anne Woodman had a Doll Quilt and a Princess Quilt to show. These sat on her design wall for a while before she stitched them up!
Joy Ruplinger shared this baby quilt.
Amber Garrison showed her Orphan Blocks and Pink quilt. Amber blogs at www.lifeincolorphoto.com
Cathy Fowler shared this First Grade Auction quilt that she worked on with the kids. She can be found on Flickr as CathyAgent
Juline Bajada had 4 mini quilts to show. One is made with the modern cross pattern from Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin book she won at our December meeting. Juline is on Flickr and Instagram as JulineB
Jennifer Gleich shared her Madrona Road Quilt top and her tips for how she did the lettering.
Kimberly Lumapas showed her "Never Ending Dear Quilt." She made this for some friends and had changed the size of the blocks which made it more difficult. Her advice is not to change the pattern! Kim is on Flikr as Perfection Not Included
Mary Ann Morsette (me) shared my Converging Corners quilt top for the Faith Circle of do.Good Stitches. I'm on flickr as maremare312, Instagram as soapsbymaremare and blog at Soapsbymaremare.blogspot.com
Bill Crane showed his African and Polka Dots Quilt which he used Susan Beal's Modern Cross pattern for. He says that he likes to have "weird backs" on his quilt.
Gail Weiss debuted the finish of her Dragon Hexie Quilt! This quilt has 4,132 half inch hegagons. Gail blogs at gaillizette.blogspot.com
Veronica B. showed her Block of the Month quilt.
Anne Levant Prahl showed her Diamonds Quilt top. Anne and her mother worked on this quilt together from thousands of miles apart. Anne says she makes really big quilts, this one was huge and she said she might still add a border!
I can't wait to see what is shared next month!
-Mary Ann, V.P.
We had a moment to reflect on the the loss of our friend Cheryl Elgin, and were able to see her last quilt. Nancy Stovall quilted it and her husband Matthew brought it to the meeting, where Cheryl's good friend, Patty Turner, and her daughter, Hillary Elgin, shared it with the guild. Hillary hadn't seen the quilt before, but now it will be hers.
Anne Matlak showed her quilt "The Sea"
Cherri Langley shared her "Dancing Stars" quilt made with Lizzie House fabric. The free pattern by Amy Ellis can be found here:
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/dancing-stars/40382
Cath Hall shared her "Gretchen" quilt for Project Linus. Cath can be found at www.wombatquilts.com
Chris Pera showed her "Green Checks" quilt. She was trying to use less color than she usually does and used Jenn Carlton-Bailey's wavy quilting technique, which you can see on the back.
Heather Lott showed this Sampler Quilt. Heather blogs at www.quiltorstitch.blogspot.com
Anne Woodman had a Doll Quilt and a Princess Quilt to show. These sat on her design wall for a while before she stitched them up!
Joy Ruplinger shared this baby quilt.
Amber Garrison showed her Orphan Blocks and Pink quilt. Amber blogs at www.lifeincolorphoto.com
Cathy Fowler shared this First Grade Auction quilt that she worked on with the kids. She can be found on Flickr as CathyAgent
Juline Bajada had 4 mini quilts to show. One is made with the modern cross pattern from Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin book she won at our December meeting. Juline is on Flickr and Instagram as JulineB
Jennifer Gleich shared her Madrona Road Quilt top and her tips for how she did the lettering.
Kimberly Lumapas showed her "Never Ending Dear Quilt." She made this for some friends and had changed the size of the blocks which made it more difficult. Her advice is not to change the pattern! Kim is on Flikr as Perfection Not Included
Mary Ann Morsette (me) shared my Converging Corners quilt top for the Faith Circle of do.Good Stitches. I'm on flickr as maremare312, Instagram as soapsbymaremare and blog at Soapsbymaremare.blogspot.com
Bill Crane showed his African and Polka Dots Quilt which he used Susan Beal's Modern Cross pattern for. He says that he likes to have "weird backs" on his quilt.
Gail Weiss debuted the finish of her Dragon Hexie Quilt! This quilt has 4,132 half inch hegagons. Gail blogs at gaillizette.blogspot.com
Veronica B. showed her Block of the Month quilt.
Anne Levant Prahl showed her Diamonds Quilt top. Anne and her mother worked on this quilt together from thousands of miles apart. Anne says she makes really big quilts, this one was huge and she said she might still add a border!
I can't wait to see what is shared next month!
-Mary Ann, V.P.