Highlights from the January 2019 Meeting

How to have a successful experience working with a longarm quilter.

Carol Alperin, Fannie Wengerd, and Johellen George

Sending your quilt top to be quilted by a longarm quilter is a partnership. Whether they are doing custom or edge-to-edge quilting, the most important lesson we learned this month is that communication is critical.  Let your quilter know what you expect and listen to her suggestions.

Our expert longarm quilters shared many of their recommendations in this month's program. Batting choice, thread choice, backing size, and border application were some of the important things to consider before turning your quilt top over to a quilter. Looking for quilting ideas? Carol suggested the book,  Listen to Your Quilt.

Thank you so much Carol, Fannie and Johellen!

Announcements

• We're excited to be meeting in a new and larger location at St Giles Church. We need to set up and take down the room each month for the meetings. If you can volunteer one or two months, please contact Nancy de Jong.
• We welcomed 48 members, 7 new members and 1 guest this month, for a total attendance of 56.
• Thanks to everyone who completed the 2019 Member Survey. The Board is using the information as we plan this year's programs.
• Reminder that January 31st is the last day to pay your membership dues of $50.
• Since Paige Alexander has been our treasurer for several years, we are looking for a volunteer who would like to work and train with her this year, with the possibility of taking the position next year.
• We presented Susan Rink with a "Thank You" quilt for serving as the 2018 GMQG President. The blocks were made by the Board Members, quilted and bound by Valorie Kasten and signed by our members.

Susan Rink - 2018 GMQG President

Sew-In Day

• Our first Sew-In day for 2019 is Friday, January 11th, from 10am-4pm. The Sew-Ins are held at Bernina We're In Stitches, 2310 East North St, Greenville, SC. You are welcome at any time during the open hours and bring anything you'd like to work on.
• We ask that you purchase a half yard of fabric from the shop. All the half yards will be raffled off at the end of the day to one lucky participant!
• This year, Faye Jones will bring a charity block project that you can make if you choose. This project is completely optional. January's block will feature easy curved piecing. Please bring primary solids and juvenile prints to make the block.

Spring Retreat

• The 2019 retreat is scheduled for April 25-28 at Wildacres Retreat. Cost is $235 and includes lodging, meals, gratuity and use of the sewing room.
• As of January's meeting, there were 3 spots left. Contact Sandy Helsel (shelsel65 at gmail dot com) to register or be added to a waiting list.
• This year 2 participants may split a spot (one staying 2 nights  the second one night). We ask that you pay for the retreat with one payment.
• A fun time for all, this year's retreat will include a project and several mini demos!

2019 Workshop

• We're excited to announce that Kitty Wilkin from Night Quilter is coming to Greenville to present a lecture and 3 workshops!
• All the information for the classes can be found here: 2019 Workshop Announcement
• Sign-ups have begun and there are currently spots left for all the workshops. Reserve your spot by sending your check to Cheryl Brickey or contact her by email (cheryljbrickey at gmail dot com).

Block of the Month

• This year's BOM is designed by Travis Seward and called Licensed to Quilt - Permit(ssion) to Test.
• There will be 1 block released at each meeting from January to October, for a total of 10 blocks. Travis has designed 2 possible settings for the blocks to create a finished quilt. 
• You're encouraged to play and create using the blocks each month. Travis will be adding more quilt designs for each block on social media to spark new ideas.
• If you post your blocks on social media, please use the hashtag #licensedtoquilt and be sure to follow Travis on Instagram @travlis and our guild @GreenvilleMQG.
• The pattern for each monthly block and layout options can be found on Travis' website here: 2019 Block of the Month.
• January's block is Intersection.

Upcoming Programs

• February - Negative Space We're asking you to participate. Please bring any quilts you've made that incorporate negative space (even if you've brought them for Show and Share previously) as we explore different ways to create modern quilts with negative space.
• March - Color Theory
• April - Choosing Fabric for Your Quilt

Philanthropy

• Many thanks to those of you who are able to donate quilts for our Quilt 4 Kids Program!
• Wanting to learn more about where your quilts go? We've updated the Charity Program information on the About Our Guild Page.

Library

• We have a number of modern quilt books in our library that you are free to check out for a month or two at the most.
• Donations of modern quilt books for the library are welcome!

QuiltCon

• QuiltCon is next month and four of our members will have quilts in the show! Congratulations to Cheryl Brickey, Paige Alexander, Mitzi Schafer, and Cynthia Steward.

QuiltCon Charity Quilt

• We were excited to reveal our 2019 QuiltCon Charity quilt at this month's meeting. It was truly a group effort! Thanks to all out members who pieced blocks, Elise Dunbar and Cindy Lammon who co-chaired the design committee, Paige Alexander and Didi Salvatierra who helped design and assemble the blocks, Cheryl Brickey, Cindy Lammon and Faye Jones who did the machine quilting and Paige Alexander for finishing it up with binding.

Show and Share

Lynn Harrill

Didi Salvatierra

Cynthia Steward - Michael Miller Challenge going to QuiltCon

Delia Dorn

Susan Sinclair

Dagmar Theodore

Jackie Callis

made by Cheryl Brickey's son, Christopher - going to QuiltCon

Cheryl Brickey - Two Color Challenge, going to QuiltCon, Michael Miller Challenge

Cindy Lammon, Charity quilt on left

Faye Jones - Charity quilt left

Michelle Blake - bag made with waxed canvas

Travis Seward - Michael Miller Challenge

Travis Seward - Curve Challenge for Curated Quilts

Valorie Kasten - Charity Quilt

Valorie Kasten - Michael Miller Challenge on right

Quilts donated for Charity

Paige Alexander - Michael Miller Challenge going to QuiltCon

We started the year with a new and bigger space and found that we filled it with friendship and a mutual love of quilting. We hope you can join us next month, February 2nd, from 1-3pm at St. Giles Church, 1021 Hudson Rd., Greenville, SC.

2019 Workshop Announcement

Greenville Modern Quilt Guild is excited to announce a lecture and workshops with Kitty Wilkin from Night Quilter this Spring!

Kitty Wilkin is a stay at home mom of three littles, wife, sewist of quilts and other beautiful things, knitter, gardener, yogi and all in all lover of life. With three little children, her only sewing time is after bedtime, thus the name of her business and blog, The Night Quilter.

Kitty is a national instructor, lecturing and teaching at QuiltCon 2018 and the upcoming QuiltCon 2019.  Her quilts have been featured in international magazines such as Love Patchwork & Quilting, Make Modern, and the Quilter's Planner.  Kitty has produced professional photography for the Quilter's Planner, Aurifil, and Amy Butler's magazine.

Learn more about Kitty on her blog, Night Quilter and on Instagram @NightQuilter

Friday, May 31, 2019 

Photography Workshop, 9am - 12pm

• You’ve spent countless hours planning, cutting, sewing, trimming, basting, quilting, and binding your quilt, now how do you document your masterpiece!? Whether you have a point and shoot, a fancy DSLR but simply don't know how to use it, or even a smartphone, Kitty will teach you how to make the most of the tools you have to get great quilt photos for your blog and Instagram. Kitty will discuss photography basics, lighting, composition, and staging, and will share a few inexpensive tools that you can find around your house to take your photos from good to great! Complete with hands on practice, you will leave feeling confident that you, too, can take great quilt photos without buying any fancy equipment. Please bring your camera or smart phone, and a finished quilt (optional—and if time permits)!

Lecture: Meticulous Magic: The Many Faces of Fussy Cutting, 6-7pm Social Hour, 7-9pm Lecture

• Explore the world of fussy cutting and see the many ways you can apply it to your projects to take your quilting to another level. Fussy cutting, or the practice of intentionally cutting a specific motif from a fabric design, is a fun technique that can be applied to any project. There are many different ways to add a touch of meticulous to your quilting projects, whether traditionally pieced, foundation paper pieced, or English paper pieced. Kitty will show examples of the many ways fussy cutting can be applied to quilting, will show ideas on how to make your own planning templates, and will share tips and tricks on successfully cutting, basting (if applicable), and accurately stitching your carefully cut fabrics so that you can use some meticulous magic to transform your next project.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

English paper Piecing Workshop, 9am - 12pm

• In this workshop suitable for all skill levels, you will learn all about English Paper Piecing. The class will cover everything you need to know to get you started piecing, including how to choose fabrics, the basics of English Paper Piecing, and tips for how to use fussy cutting to create stunning secondary designs within a quilt. Kitty will share different methods of basting and stitching, tips and tricks for success in EPP, and will share examples of the diversity of designs that can be emphasized through fabric choices and placement. 

Tiny Piecing Workshop, 1 - 4pm

• Come sew tiny with Kitty! Explore the world of tiny piecing in this playful class where we’ll experiment with sewing blocks that finish at a whopping 1 1/4” square! Kitty will share tips and tricks for sewing tiny so that you can set yourself up for success in your future tiny stitching endeavors. Beginning with traditionally pieced and improv blocks, and moving to more intricate and precise foundation paper pieced blocks, you’ll leave this class giggling at the absurdity and marveling in amazement at your teeny tiny sampler-style quilt blocks.

Sign-ups begin at our regular meeting on Saturday, January 5, 2019

• The Friday night lecture will be in place of our regular Saturday meeting in June and is free to all Greenville MQG members and non-members.
• Early Bird pricing for Greenville MQG members is $25 for each of the 3-hour workshops until February 15th. After the 15th the cost goes to $30. No refunds.
• The workshops will open to non-members on February 4th, if there are any spaces available, at a cost of $35.
• The lecture and workshops will be held at St. Giles Fellowship Hall, our regular meeting location.
• Sign-ups will continue at our regular meetings or you may contact Cheryl Brickey (cheryljbrickey at gmail dot com) for sign-up information.

This is a great opportunity to learn from a talented modern quilter and photographer. You don't want to miss it!

January 5, 2019 at noon - Advice from longarm quilters

The saying goes, "It's not a quilt until it's quilted". But so many of us end up with unfinished projects that get stalled at the quilting stage. Maybe that's the time to consider sending your quilt top to a Longarm Quilter. What should you expect in partnership with a Longarm Quilter and what do they expect from you? Our member experts will be answering those questions, this month, as they cover topics such as: batting, backing, thread and design considerations. You'll learn how each of them got started with Longarm quilting and what makes each of them unique.

Our speakers will be:

• Carol Alerpin - Carol first learned to quilt in the early 80s, but didn't catch the quilting bug until 1998 when her daughter left for college. She worked as a computer programmer for 23 years, but after quitting that job, she found she had made enough quilt tops to invest in a longarm machine. Her quilting obsession quickly moved from making tops to quilting quilts. Carol has been an active member of the SC quilting community, leading the Longarmers of the Upstate Group, serving in several capacities for both Foothills Piecemakers QG and Nimble Thimbles QG, and serving on the board of the QSC as newsletter editor.
• Fannie Wengerd - Fannie grew up in Lancaster, PA. Her mother was a quilter and made a quilt for each of her 10 children. Fannie made her first quilt in 1966 for her son and hand quilted it. After making that first quilt, Fannie decided that quilting took too long and lost interest until she learned to machine quilt on a domestic machine from Harriet Hargrave in 1990. She continued to make quilts using her domestic machine until buying a longarm in 2003. Fannie was the first longarm quilter in the area and has won ribbons throughout the country for her work. She has served as a board member for Electric City Quilters and has been teaching at Anderson University with the Lifelong Learning Program since 2014.
• Johellen George - Johellen started sewing before she started school! She has been a lifelong sewer of camping gear, lingerie, clothing, doll dresses and started quilting before the rotary cutter came along. When 4 grandchildren arrived within a year, machine quilting became a necessity, but Johellen found quilting on a domestic machine wasn't much fun. She found that she enjoyed quilting on a longarm and purchased one when she retired from teaching school. Johellen has been quilting for customers for several years and teaches classes in free motion quilting and ruler work on the longarm.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Starting this month, we will be meeting at the Fellowship Hall at St. Giles Church. The January meeting will be from 12-2 pm. (All subsequent meetings will be at our regular time of 1-3 pm). The address is 1021 Hudson Rd, Greenville, SC 29615. We suggest entering the address instead of the name of the church into your GPS - you will enter the grounds from Hudson Rd. Follow these directions from the Bernina Store:

• Turn right out of Bernina onto E. North St. Drive 2.5 miles to Mitchell Rd.
• Turn right onto Mitchell Rd. Drive 0.5 miles to Hudson Rd.
• Turn left on Hudson Rd.
• St. Giles is on the left side immediately after the light at the intersection with Devenger Rd.
• Parking is straight ahead.
• Fellowship hall is located behind the Sanctuary and is the second building with the covered pathway.

Reminders:

• This is the last reminder to pay your 2019 dues of $50. According to our Bylaws, dues must be paid by January 31st or members will be dropped from both our roster and membership in the Modern Quilt Guild. 
• Please return any library books that you have checked out.
• The December BOMs, the Chicken Block and the Dog Gone Cute Block can be turned in at the January meeting.
• We look forward to seeing your modern Show and Share projects!

Hope you can join us as we start the new year! We'll see you, Saturday, January 5th, from 12-2 pm at:

St. Giles Church

1021 Hudson Rd.

Greenville, SC 29615

Highlights from the December 2018 meeting

Our Annual Holiday Party and Auction!

This month we celebrated a great year for Greenville MQG with a holiday party!

Many thanks to our 2018 party planners, Darlene, Sandy, Jill and Dana! Thank you also to Leslie for decorating and hosting, all of those who brought food and dessert and everyone who contributed items for our auction.

 As you can tell from all the smiling faces, a festive time was had by all!

We enjoyed a beautiful holiday atmosphere, wonderful food and many went home with one or more gorgeous raffle wins.

Announcements

• Thank you to the 2018 GMQG Board Members and anyone who volunteered this year! 
• Thank you to Leslie and the staff at the Bernina Store for hosting our guild the past several years!
• Reminder: Our meetings will be moving to St. Giles Church and we will be switching to the first Saturday of the month. For January 5th only, the meeting will be held from 12-2 pm. The meetings will be held the first Saturday of the month from 1-3 pm for the remainder of 2019.
• Your 2019 dues of $50 are due by the end of December. Checks can be mailed to Paige Alexander.
• The December BOMs, the Chicken and Dog Gone Cute blocks, can be turned in at the January meeting.
• Cheryl Brickey is presenting a workshop, "EQ8 for Beginners" on January 26th, from 2-5 pm at the Taylors Library. The workshop is free, but you must register. Find all the details here.
• The 2019 Retreat will be held April 25-28. Registration will open at the January meeting and is limited to 24.
• Our program for January will feature longarm quilters, Johellen George, Fannie Wengerd and Carol Alperin. They will be sharing all you need to know about having your quilt tops quilted.

Kitty Wilkin Lecture and Workshops

• We are excited to announce that GMQG will be hosting Kitty Wilkin from Night Quilter in 2019! She will be doing a lecture on Friday evening, May 31st and two classes: a 3 hour class on May 31st and a 6 hour class on June 1st.
• We would like to have your input before choosing which of Kitty's classes to offer. A description of all the lectures and classes are listed below. Please read through them and use the Survey Monkey link below to rank your favorite topics. We'll be announcing the results in a future post and you'll be able to start signing up for classes at the January meeting. The survey will be available until December 19th.
• Kitty Wilkin (Night Quilter) Lecture and Workshop Survey

Lectures

Meticulous Magic: The Many Faces of Fussy Cutting
Explore the world of fussy cutting and see the many ways you can apply it to your projects to take your quilting to another level. Fussy cutting, or the practice of intentionally cutting a specific motif from a fabric design, is a fun technique that can be applied to any project. There are many different ways to add a touch of meticulous to your quilting projects, whether traditionally pieced, foundation paper pieced, or English paper pieced. Kitty will show examples of the many ways fussy cutting can be applied to quilting, will show ideas on how to make your own planning templates, and will share tips and tricks on successfully cutting, basting (if applicable), and accurately stitching your carefully cut fabrics so that you can use some meticulous magic to transform your next project.

Quilts to Mark Milestones

What do you get when you combine journaling with quilting, and add a little bit of photography? Milestone quilts! Come explore the world of quilts created to mark milestones, and see why these quilts are a fun and meaningful solution to joyful sewing in this busy world. Join Kitty as she shares the milestone quilt she created for her third child to mark his first year of life, and explores other life events that can be documented through the creation of a quilt. Leave feeling inspired and ready to document your days through quilt-making, one attainable goal at a time.

Three-Hour Workshop Topics

Fearless Foundation Paper Piecing

In this workshop, you will learn the basics of foundation paper piecing, but also an arsenal of tips and tricks to ensure you never have to rip seams again (well, or at least very, very rarely!). Foundation paper piecing is a quilting technique with which you sew fabric pieces to a paper foundation by sewing along predrawn lines, allowing for perfect points, easily duplicated blocks, and the creation of just about any pictorial or geometric design sewn with fabric. With a bit of practice and some helpful hints along the way, foundation paper piecing opens a whole new world of quilting.

Tiny Piecing

Come sew tiny with Kitty! Explore the world of tiny piecing in this playful class where we’ll experiment with sewing blocks that finish at a whopping 1 1/4” square! Kitty will share tips and tricks for sewing tiny so that you can set yourself up for success in your future tiny stitching endeavors. Beginning with traditionally pieced and improv blocks, and moving to more intricate and precise foundation paper pieced blocks, you’ll leave this class giggling at the absurdity and marveling in amazement at your teeny tiny sampler-style quilt blocks.

Pollinate EPP

In this workshop suitable for all skill levels, you will learn all about English Paper Piecing using Kitty’s Pollinate Quilt pattern. The class will cover everything you need to know to get you started on your Pollinate Quilt, including how to choose fabrics, the basics of English Paper Piecing, and tips for how to use fussy cutting to create stunning secondary designs within the quilt. Kitty will share different methods of basting and stitching, tips and tricks for success in EPP, and will share examples of the diversity of designs that can be emphasized through fabric choices and placement in Pollinate. (This workshop will require the purchase of a kit.)

Tips for Meticulous Cutting (AKA Fussy Cutting Fun)

In this workshop, we will talk about the practice of intentionally cutting during the piecing of a quilt, often called fussy cutting, and what it can bring to your quilt making. Kitty will teach methods and share tips and tricks for incorporating fussy cutting into traditional piecing, foundation paper piecing, and English Paper Piecing. We will talk about identifying the focal fabric feature, making your own fussy cutting templates, and how to piece your meticulously cut features accurately. Students will be able to practice their new skills in the beginning of a fussy cutting project of their choosing, and will leave feeling ready to meticulously cut to their heart’s desire.

Photographing your Quilts

You’ve spent countless hours planning, cutting, sewing, trimming, basting, quilting, and binding your quilt, now how do you document your masterpiece!? Whether you have a point and shoot, a fancy DSLR but simply don't know how to use it, or even a smartphone, Kitty will teach you how to make the most of the tools you have to get great quilt photos for your blog and Instagram. Kitty will discuss photography basics, lighting, composition, and staging, and will share a few inexpensive tools that you can find around your house to take your photos from good to great! Complete with hands on practice, you will leave feeling confident that you, too, can take great quilt photos without buying any fancy equipment. Please bring your camera or smart phone, and a finished quilt (optional—and if time permits)!

Six-Hour Workshop Topics

Pollinate EPP

In this workshop suitable for all skill levels, you will learn all about English Paper Piecing using Kitty’s Pollinate Quilt pattern. The class will cover everything you need to know to get you started on your Pollinate Quilt, including how to choose fabrics, the basics of English Paper Piecing, and tips for how to use fussy cutting to create stunning secondary designs within the quilt. Kitty will share different methods of basting and stitching, tips and tricks for success in EPP, and will share examples of the diversity of designs that can be emphasized through fabric choices and placement in Pollinate. (This workshop will require the purchase of a kit.)

Photographing your Quilts

You’ve spent countless hours planning, cutting, sewing, trimming, basting, quilting, and binding your quilt, now how do you document your masterpiece!? Whether you have a point and shoot, a fancy DSLR but simply don't know how to use it, or even a smartphone, Kitty will teach you how to make the most of the tools you have to get great quilt photos for your blog and Instagram. Kitty will discuss photography basics, lighting, composition, and staging, and will share a few inexpensive tools that you can find around your house to take your photos from good to great! Complete with hands on practice, you will leave feeling confident that you, too, can take great quilt photos without buying any fancy equipment. Please bring your camera or smart phone, and a finished quilt (optional—and if time permits)!

Our next meeting will be Saturday, January 5, 2019 from noon-2pm at:

St. Giles Church

1021 Hudson Rd.

Greenville, SC 29615

EQ8 for Beginners Workshop

Are you new to Electric Quilt 8 and don't know where to start? You can leave your pencil and graph paper behind when you learn the basic functions and explore the versatility of EQ8.

We are happy to announce a free workshop with Cheryl Brickey in January of 2019. This is the same class that Cheryl will be teaching at QuiltCon in Nashville. Some of the topics that will be covered include: how to navigate the block and quilt worktables, use library blocks and fabrics, create your own blocks, and build a quilt top using different block settings, colors, fabrics, sashing, borders and more

WHEN: Saturday, January 26th, from 2-5 p.m.
WHERE: Taylors-Burdette Branch Greenville Library System, 316 W. Main Street, Taylors, SC 29687






The workshop is open to all! Bring your laptop with EQ8 installed and activated OR attend the class and watch the demonstration. Either way, you're sure to go home knowing more about quilt design with the program.

Lunch (completely optional)

Meet for lunch at noon at Panera Bread, 6015 Wade Hampton Blvd, Taylors, SC 29687 (in front of Target)

For More information

Use the following link for more information and details: EQ8 for Beginners Workshop

How to Register

Click on the address below (or enter it into your browser) to register via Google Forms:

https://goo.gl/forms/SFx52u2jyx5F8JJW2

Questions? 

Contact Cheryl Brickey at cheryljbrickey@gmail.com

December 8, 2018 - Holiday Lunch and Auction

We're celebrating a great year of learning and growing as modern quilters with a holiday luncheon on December 8th from noon to 2 p.m. at the Bernina Store. This will be our last meeting at Bernina, due to our move to St. Giles Church in January 2019. Please join us for a fun, social meeting!

Lottery Auction

In addition to lunch, we will host our annual Lottery Auction this month. Your donations of quality items for the auction are welcome and appreciated. Please consider donating anything that you know a fellow quilter would love to win.

You will also have the opportunity to bid on the auction items. Tickets are a dollar each, cash or check. This is our guild's only fund raiser and a great chance for you to win something awesome.

Reminders

• Dues of $50 for 2019 are now due and will be collected at the December meeting, cash or check. The deadline for dues is the end of December.
• No Show and Share this month.
• Please return any library books that have been checked out.
• Our BOMs are the Chicken Block in colors used by Quilty Love and the Dog Gone Cute Block.

Our meeting starts at NOON this month! Hope to see you at:

Bernina Sewing Center

2310 East North Street, Suite A

Greenville, SC 29607

"Subtracting for Minimalism" Workshop

This past Saturday, a group of our members thoroughly enjoyed a workshop with Cheryl Brickey called "Subtracting for Minimalism".

Cheryl spent the morning explaining the idea of starting with a simple quilt pattern and then taking away elements randomly, to create a modern, minimalistic quilt. She offered several options for design, including EQ8, Power Point and pencil and paper. She then showed us how to turn our designs into a pattern to make a quilt.

With pencil and paper, we all played with a Flying Geese block and each person came up with their unique design.

Cheryl was full of advice and ideas as we designed.

In the afternoon, we were able to take our designs to fabric and get a start on making our own minimalist Flying Geese quilt.

It was an inspiring and fun workshop and we all left with a great, new design tool!

Thank you, Cheryl! You can find more from Cheryl on her website, Meadow Mist Designs.