Linen Improv Scarf from Elise

 Hello,

Here’s a submission for the Quark Gallery. I lost my sew-jo early on in the pandemic and struggled to find the mental energy to be creative. There were many other important issues that needed my time and energy. Lately, however, I’ve been able to devote some time to sewing and this linen scrap improv scarf was what brought it all back! Such a fun and fast make for a dear friend’s birthday (Hi, Sara!). I used scraps from other quilts and garments I’ve sewn in the last year or so and had fun with the random in-the-ditch quilting. Too bad it’s still way too hot for Sara to wear this now. Look for it at a meeting this fall!

Quiltingly yours,

Elise Dunbar

A Covid Quilt from Cindy Lange

 I’ve read a lot of people are crafting thru the pandemic. Lots of ‘finished my Covid quilt’ type comments. And I thought, Why not make a virus spread quilt?

 Here are my angry reddish blocks intruding on soft blue socially distant blocks. 

If the back doesn’t look like coronas on the move, I don’t know what does.

I may be cracking.

~Cindy Lange

Highlights from our August (Zoom) Meeting

GMQG MEETING MINUTES Date:  August 1, 2020

Thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild for allowing us to use their Zoom account for this month’s meeting.  If you would like a recording of today's meeting, please contact greenvillemqg@gmail.com within 14 days and we will email it to you.

PROGRAM:  GMQG 2020 ANNUAL CHALLENGE, “RE-PURPOSED”:

Faye reported we had nine participants in the Challenge.  The quilts were impressive and demonstrated an abundance of work and thought.  Many thanks to judges Carol Alperin and Delia Dorn, who felt the same and spent an hour judging and completing their judging sheets.  

First Place went to Paige Alexander for her “51 x 60” Metropolis quilt inspired by a photo she took of a building with staggered lines in Los Angeles.  It is made of several assorted colors of men’s chambray shirts that she started collecting from various thrift stores before the pandemic began as soon as the challenge was announced.  Two of the blue background shirts were Polo by Ralph Lauren, a miniature, embroidered nod to which may be found at the bottom right of her quilt.  It took a long time to piece because the slender, dark strips creating shadows required partial and Y seams; otherwise it was made of 2 ½” strips. 

Second Place went to Cynthia Steward for her 24”x 39” Up Till Now quilt.  The triangles and binding were made from an old dress in black and white rayon, which required interfacing for stability, bed linens and a red silk swatch.  She incorporated straight-line and sashiko stitching, and stitched several French knots over the black triangles in a one-inch grid.  

Third Place went to Faye Jones for her 42” x 56” Yankee Thrift.  As a big fan of Gees Bend improv and the improv approach of using what you have, Faye’s piece was made from family garments including her brother-in-law’s painting shirt, complete with paint, and patches of her late brother’s blue jeans, which made it a memory quilt.  The background fabric came from our “Free-to-a-Good-Home” table.  

Cheryl Brickey’s 21” x 21” Two T-Shirts quilt was made solely of two t-shirts from her and her husband’s almae matres, Purdue and Carnegie Mellon.  After making the attempt to hand quilt her piece (which Cheryl now does not recommend doing on knit fabric), it was machine quilted.

Ruth Freyer made a 100% repurposed, 12” x 12” abstract block from an old, rayon housedress for the background, which had been ruined while cleaning with bleach; couched leftover yarn from crocheting shawls; pieces of marbled fabric (from the paint leftover from the marbling fabric process); and a binding made from another piece of marbled fabric.

Valorie Kasten made her 36” x 30” Navarre in January from 2 bed sheets and a pair of jeans.  The blue sheet was for the backing and binding, while the gray comprised most of the negative space.  She overdyed/hand-dyed the middle section, used slashed improv piecing, and quilted it with ruler work and pebbling.

Sybil Radius’ 48” x 48” quilt was made of antique, wool samples gifted by her cousin whose grandfather was a tailor in Chicago in the early 1900’s, aptly named Tailor Made.  She used the Braided Quick Step pattern by Carol C. Britt to piece the many samples of wool, arranged the braids diagonally, and incorporated purchased red wool.

Dagmar Theodore tendered a 50” x 50” quilt named Pique-nique.  Her top fabric was comprised of three shirts, three pairs of jeans, one hand-dyed purple pillowcase, and a fussy cut tea towel featuring cats.  An old sofa cover was used for the backing and an old flannel sheet for the batting.  She used improv, curved piecing to make blocks the width of which were governed by the width of each jean leg, incorporating the pockets for picnic tableware.

Didi Salvatierra’s 54” x 54” Indigo Salvage was created using a cloth napkin for the center medallion, cut-up placemats for cornerstones and strips, a gifted skirt, men’s shirt fabric, and vintage 9-patch blocks.  She used a minimal amount of purchased fabric to supplement the 9-patches around the borders and then hand quilted it.  

Faye suggested that for those who may have been reticent to create a quilt for the challenge, there is no reason for not getting together to form a Repurpose Bee and create one together.  In observance of distancing, each part could be made individually and then ultimately delivered to one or two people to put together.  

A big thank you goes out to Paige Alexander for photographing the quilts (and helpers, Valorie Kasten and Cheryl Brickey) and to Cindy Lange for creating the presentation.  We also want to thank Faye for producing the challenge idea of Repurposing.

GMQG 2020 BLOCK OF THE MONTH:  LINE AND COLOR BY YOSHIKO JIZENJI 

The Modern Influencer for the August BOM presented by Cynthia Steward is Yoshiko Jizenji, the foremost contemporary quilt artist in Japan and a natural dyer focused on distinctive bamboo coloring from Bali.  She is a master of minimalism (one of the most recognizable elements of modern quilts), pioneering it long before we were calling it that.  Her quilt, Hieroglyphics II, is one such stunning example.  Her quilts often contain a great deal of mini piecing and negative space.  In 1970 while living in Canada, her discovery of Amish and Mennonite quilts inspired her to start quilting.  When she returned to Japan, she began incorporating Japanese patchwork techniques.  She later lived in Bali where she learned and began incorporating local weaving and dying traditions.  In 2002 she published a book, Quilting Artistry:  Inspired Designs from the East, which to a great extent garnered the attention of modern quilters in the U.S.  The book highlighted her ability to evoke serenity and spiritualism with her minimalistic designs and muted color palette using whites and creams.  Her quilts have travelled all over the world and many may be found in permanent museum installations. 

In 2011 she published her book, Quilting Line & Color, which celebrates white with a splash of color.  Her minimalist design, alternative grid work, and muted palette caught the attention of modern quilters at the time. 

The Line and Color BOM is fairly simple; for PDF instructions click here:  http://modernblockofmonth.home.blog/2020/08/01/august-yoshiko-jinzenji-line-color-block/.  

Email Cynthia at belleekster<AT>gmail<DOT>com with any questions.

Read more about Yoshiko’s remarkable quilts and the BOM on the blog at greenvillemodernquiltguild.com.  Find out more about Yoshiko herself at www.yoshikoquilt.com.

Please post or email photos of your completed BOMs for the Quilt Quark Gallery (“QQG”) to be shared at the following meeting.  We’d love to see your work!

SEW-IN:

Sandy Helsel reported our Sew-In at the Bernina shop scheduled for Fri., August 21 from 10-4 is still a Go.  Buy a ½ yd. of fabric as a thank-you to Leslie White (Bernina) to place in a drawing (winner gets all the fabric).  The drawing takes place between 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. and you do not need to be present to win.

NOTE:  Upon arrival at the Bernina store, should you wish employees to wear masks, you need only ask and they will happily comply.

MEMBERSHIP and DIRECTORY:  

We welcomed 33 members in our Zoom meeting this month.  To date we have a total of 79 members.

The final digital Membership Directory was distributed on July 21.  Please review your information in the Directory and email any discrepancies, changes or additions to Dagmar Theodore at dagmar_theodore<AT>yahoo<DOT>com.  We will publish such revisions to the membership and ask that people make the changes in their respective Directories. 

WILDACRES RETREAT – 2021:

Sandy Helsel reported Wildacres knows we are interested in having our next Retreat there (hopefully) during one of the last two weekends in April 2021.  We typically receive our assigned dates late October/early November.  Registration begins in January 2021.

PHILANTHROPY:

Faye delivered 12 quilts to the Julie Valentine Center.  They do not need any masks at the moment since they are not seeing as many patients due to Covid 19.

Quilts-for-Kids quilts are still needed and are being collected offsite.  Please upload or email photos of your quilts prior to passing them on to Faye to share with the Guild.  Questions concerning the program and drop off/pickup may be directed to Faye Jones at birdie1345<AT>aol<DOT>com.

GMQG 2020 WORKSHOPS:

All 2020 workshops are cancelled.  Cheryl has torn up members’ checks given to her for workshop reservations; Cindy Lange will be sending reimbursements by check to those who paid in cash.

If you would like to join in on Cheryl’s quilt along, go to
https://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/p/morewood-mystery-quilt.html.

QUILT QUARK GALLERY / SHOW AND SHARE:

The Zoom version of Show and Share took place courtesy of QQG submissions.  We saw a work-in-progress, play exercise/art quilt by Johnnie McKenzie; a Covid quilt by Cindy Lange punctuated by hot reds and oranges to represent Covid trying to invade the healthy, cool blue space; Dagmar Theodore’s No One Fights Alone based on a photo of a Lego version of boxing gloves, made for auction at a leukemia and lymphoma charity event; and a scarf by Elise Dunbar made for a birthday gift.  Please go to the QQG page on the blog to see more. 

Please post photos of your quilts (including Quilts for Kids), BOMs and other projects to the QQG page of our blog at greenvillemodernquiltquild.com, or email them to greenvillemqg@gmail.com .  We will share them during the following month’s meeting.

SEPTEMBER MEETING:

We will conduct the September 5th meeting via Zoom.  It will be open from 12:30 p.m.– 3:30 p.m. to give members a half-hour prior to, and a half-hour after the standard (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) meeting time for socializing.  To attend, sign on using the link and passcode provided by email during the week before.

OTHER NEWS:

 

QuiltCon Together: 2021 registration opens to non-members on Monday, August 3.

The GMQG has a Facebook page for sharing photos, links, and information open solely to GMQG members.  No official business will be conducted, since not every member subscribes to FB.  

If members come across a link they would like to share, they may forward it to Dagmar by email at dagmar_theodore<AT>yahoo<DOT>com to be shared at the next meeting.

Carolina Shop Hop is scheduled for September 11-26, 2020.  Click on the link for more information.

For an interesting look at Yvonne Fuchs’ Curved Piecing method, Beyond the Drunkard’s Path, see her webinar through the Modern Quilt Guild’s website (originally posted via the MQG newsletter on July 8).  Dagmar reported it was well worth it.

Highlights from our July (Zoom) Meeting

GMQG MEETING MINUTES Date:  July 2020

Thanks to Susan Rink for generously allowing us to use her personal Zoom account for this month’s meeting.  If you would like a recording of today's meeting, please contact greenvillemqg@gmail.com within 14 days and we will email it to you.

PROGRAM:  LESLIE WHITE OF “BERNINA: WE’RE IN STITCHES”

Our featured guest, Leslie White, owner of Bernina: We’re in Stitches at 2310-A E. North St., Greenville, SC, since 2015, bought the 30-year-old Bernina business and moved it to its current location, an updated, bright and roomy space, dressed up by her own flowers out front.  While she is a Bernina dealer, the “We’re in Stitches” addition to the name reflects who she and her staff are – sewists whose favorite things are to sew and laugh.

Leslie’s mother was a great seamstress, who made all of Leslie’s clothes in the days when it was cheaper to make your own clothes.  As a tomboy, Leslie was not interested in sewing at all, but later as a stay-at-home mom, Leslie did sew many custom, home dec items.  When her three boys had grown, she also had an exterior design business to put herself through nursing school.  Her sister, a talented sewist, repeatedly encouraged her to learn quilting, though she resisted.  After a catastrophic head-on collision, Leslie came home from the hospital in a wheelchair.  Although greatly limited by her injuries, she could wheel up to a sewing machine, and that is when she started to quilt. 

Leslie worked at the Bernina shop for a about a year.  When the owner indicated she wanted to retire and sell, Leslie bought the shop.  It has been some of the hardest work she has ever loved, and part of her success is counted in the many friends she has made.

Leslie said the hardest job is choosing fabric at market, simply because you can’t have it all and must stick to a budget.  While she leans toward a modern aesthetic, she found an ally in longtime employee and educator, Carol Doak, who has an eye for traditional fabrics.  Between the two, they balance out their selections to appeal to a broad range of customers.  She noted as you visit different shops you will detect a range of fabric choices resulting in each store filling its own niche.  Leslie does not buy many complete collections but, rather, parts of them she knows will go well with fabric she or her customers already have, especially exemplified in blenders.  Some fabrics are hot and fly off the shelves, while others fall flat.  There is no predicting since what appeals to each of us in terms of color and design is so subjective.  

Leslie noted the average age of quilt shop owners in the U.S. is 60+.  It takes a great amount of capital to open a small quilt store and is typically a second career.  If you set out to do it as a hobby, it most likely will fail since you must make a profit to survive.  In 2010 there were 5,500 registered small, brick and mortar quilt shops, and sadly, by April 2019, there were only 3,200 left.  We have yet to see the effects of COVID-19 on that statistic.  Prior to COVID the biggest struggle was competing with online shopping.  While online prices may be lower, because they don’t have the overhead shops do, Leslie and staff feel they sell more by providing an experience in personalized customer service, classes in a comfortable classroom, socializing, fellowship in an inviting atmosphere, and inspiration on every wall.  She is currently working towards having an online presence, but it is temporarily on hold due to the fallout of the pandemic, but promises she will get there.

Find Leslie at 8:45 a.m. on Facebook for what she calls “Coffee Live,” a time to share happenings, chit-chat a little and share what is new in the shop.  Created as a means to stay connected during the quarantine, to battle isolation, Coffee Live has developed into making new friends nationally and internationally.  She also conducts Live Sales on her Friday night happy hour.

Bernina will be kicking off two Machine Mastery classes at July’s end for new owners of the many machines she sold during quarantine.  She also plans to schedule other fun classes through August as well, and means to have a normal class schedule by September.  

When Leslie first bought her shop, she had no time to do any personal sewing, but over time and with a dedicated staff who pitch in to make shop samples, she is balancing it better.  While she tests patterns, she also works in at least 15-20 minutes of personal sewing per night.  The shop provides quilting services on the in-house longarm machine with custom free-motion, or software designs.  She will open up longarm renting time to the public again in August.  While following CDC guidelines, the Bernina shop is now fully open, not just by appointment.  Remember, as Guild members we receive a monthly 20% discount when we show our Modern Quilt Guild membership card.  Leslie also carries GMQG member, Cheryl Brickey’s, Mystery Quilt Kits. 

SEW-IN:

Sandy Helsel reported there WILL be a Sew-In at the Bernina shop on Fri., August 21 from 10-4.  Buy a ½ yd. of fabric as a thank-you to Leslie White to place in a drawing (winner gets all the fabric).

MEMBERSHIP and DIRECTORY:  

We welcomed 29 members in our Zoom meeting this month.  To date we have a total of 79 members.

Following the recent distribution of the digital Membership Directory, we were alerted to some omissions and changes.  Please review your information in the Directory and email any discrepancies, changes or additions to Dagmar Theodore through greenvillemqg@gmail.com.  We will distribute an updated/corrected version via the GMQG email, and this time it will be password protected.  (Thanks to Sandy for bringing this to the Board’s attention.)

GMQG 2020 BLOCK OF THE MONTH:  

The Modern Influencer for the July BOM presented by Cynthia Steward is the Gee’s Bend, improvisational quilts.  The citizens of Gee’s Bend were isolated and self-taught quilters resulting in work of their own imagining without the constrictions of traditional “quilting rules.”  Their quilts were bold, unconventional, used alternative grid work and use of space, and a great deal of recycled materials, all characteristics our current day modern quilts echo.  According to the Gee’s Bend Quilting Collective run by Mary Ann Pettway, “this group of ladies developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional American and African American quilts, but with a geometric simplicity reminiscent of Amish quilts and modern art.”  

The “Housetop” style quilt, a style readily found among the Gee’s Bend quilts is the basis of this month’s block.  According to soulsgrowndeep.org, the Housetop and Bricklayer block refers to any quilt dominated by concentric squares.  Its all-around simplicity hosts many experiments in formal reduction and, at the same time, offers a compositional flexibility unchallenged by other multipiece patterns.  The Housetop, from the composite block down to its constituent pieces, echoes the right angles of the quilt’s borders, initiating visual exchanges between the work’s edges and what is inside…  It begins with a medallion of solid cloth, or one of an endless number of pieced motifs, to anchor the quilt.  After that, Housetops share the technique of joining rectangular strips of cloth so that the end of the strip’s long side connects to one short side of a neighboring strip, eventually forming a kind of frame surrounding the central patch; increasingly larger frames or borders are added until a block is declared complete.”  Read more about these dynamic quilts and the BOM on the blog or click here for PDF instructions.

Cindy Lange coincidentally reported the Berkley Art Museum is celebrating the donation of approximately 3,000 quilts by African American Artists, and is hosting a 70-minute virtual tour of quilts by Rosie Tompkins now through Dec. 20.  More information is available at https://bampfa.org/program/rosie-lee--tompkins-retrospective.  

Please post or email photos of completed BOMs for the Quilt Quark Gallery (“QQG”) to be shared at the following meeting.

WILDACRES RETREAT – 2021:

Sandy Helsel reported Wildacres knows we are interested in having our next Retreat there (hopefully) during one of the last two weekends in April 2021.  We typically receive our assigned dates late October/early November.  Registration begins in January 2021.

PHILANTHROPY:

On behalf of Faye, Emily Pitman reported Quilts for Kids quilts are still being collected offsite.  Please upload or email your quilts prior to passing them on to Faye to share with the Guild.  Questions concerning the program and drop off/pickup may be directed to Faye Jones at birdie1345@aol.com.

Masks are still needed for Project Host!  Past recipients sent heartfelt thanks.  For details, contact Faye.

GMQG 2020 ANNUAL CHALLENGE, “RE-PURPOSED”:

Click here for a Very Brief Entry Form to identify your entry:

http://www.greenvillemodernquiltguild.com/2020/07/2020-gmqg-annual-challenge-repurposed.html.

Drop off at Bernina: We're in Stitches Wednesday, July 29th and Thursday, July 30th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (make sure to leave yourself some time to shop!)

ATTENTION:  We are looking for a volunteer to photograph and post photos of entries, and an impartial person to judge the Annual Challenge quilts.  If you are interested or know of someone who might do either, please contact Faye Jones at her email given above.

GMQG 2020 WORKSHOPS:

All 2020 workshops are cancelled.  Cheryl will tear up members’ checks given to her for workshop reservations.  Cheryl will directly contact those who made a cash deposit.

If you would like to join in on Cheryl’s quilt along, go to 

https://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/p/morewood-mystery-quilt.html.

QUILT QUARK GALLERY / SHOW AND SHARE:

The Zoom version of Show and Share took place courtesy of QQG submissions.  We saw beautiful quilts made by Cindy Lange, Johnnie McKenzie, Dianna Wiggins, Dagmar Theodore, Susan Rink quilted by Rita Sassone, and Sandy Helsel along with 2 bags she made for her daughters. 

Please email photos of your quilts (including Quilts for Kids), BOMs and other projects to  greenvillemqg@gmail.com so we can share it as part of our Quilt Quark Gallery on the blog.  We will also share them during the following month’s meeting.

AUGUST MEETING:

We will conduct the August 1st meeting via Zoom.  This time it will be open from 12:30 p.m.– 3:30 p.m., giving members a half-hour prior to, and a half-hour after the standard (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) meeting time for socializing.  Sign on using the link provided by email the day before to attend.

OTHER NEWS:

 

Travis Seward reported the Greenville Center for Creative Arts is officially open and allowing attendees (with masks) inside to see the ARTalk: Modern Design Lab (“MDL”) Quilt Invitational Exhibition through July 29.  Members of the MDL, Paige Alexander, Cheryl Brickey, Faye Jones, Valorie Kasten, Cindy Lammon and Travis Seward, in addition to featured guest artists Jack Edson, Yvonne Fuchs, Connie Kincius Griner, Nicole Neblett, Sylvia Schaefer and Michelle Wilkie, have quilts in the exhibition.  For further information, go to artcentergreenville.org or see the July 14th presentation LIVE on Facebook.

We have a new Facebook page for sharing photos, links, and information.  The page is open to GMQG members only and no official business will be conducted, since not every member has a Facebook account.

  

If members come across a link of an interesting online quilt exhibit they would like to share, they may forward it to Dagmar through greenvillemqg@gmail.com. We will share it at the next meeting.

Carolina Shop Hop has moved from July 10-25 to September 11-26, 2020.  See carolinashophop.com/

2020 GMQG Annual Challenge - Repurposed

“Re-purposed.”

Rules: 

• At least 50% re-purposed fabric such as clothing, vintage blocks, sweaters, woolens, etc...
• May be quilt, wearable items, totes, purses, pillows etc.
• No size restriction but recommended 60' max.
• Must be 3 layer quilting- top/batting/backing.
• Item should be of MODERN design

Please fill out the entry form here.  (The item does not need to be finished before you fill out this form.)

Drop off details:  

Drop off at Bernina: We're in Stitches 

Wednesday July 29th and Thursday July 30th from 11 AM to 4 PM (make sure to leave yourself some time to shop!)

Pick up:

 Friday July 31st after 1 PM from Bernina: We're in Stitches (and if you didn't shop yesterday, you can do it today). 

If you can't make these drop off or pick up times, contact Faye to make other arrangements. 

Prizes are 1st: $50, 2nd: $30 and 3rd: $20

Questions?  Email Faye at birdie1345 (at) aol (dot) com.

July 11, 2020 - Behind the Scenes at the Quilt Shop with Leslie White (Bernina: We're In Stitches)

We look forward to seeing you this month on July 11 (because of the holiday on the first weekend) from 1-3! We will continue meeting via zoom at least this month and next in a continued commitment to love and care for each other's health. 

We are so excited to have Leslie White join us this month for our program. She will be sharing all her Quilt Shop Secrets with us! PLEASE remember to get your questions to Faye (birdie1345<at>aol,dot>com)  before the meeting so that Leslie can come prepared. If your not sure what to ask, check out the store website for inspiration: https://www.berninagreenville.com/ or find Leslie on the very active (and fun) facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/berninagreenville/. 

A Few Reminders and Bits of Information

• The Annual Guild Challenge is NEXT month. The theme is Repurposed Fabrics. To accomodate our continued commitment to safety we will use a modified format-dates and details to follow. Items will be dropped, judged, photographed and published on blog, then picked up at Bernina-We're in Stitches. We thank Leslie White for making the challenge possible. Prizes will be gift certificates to Bernina-We're in Stitches. To help simplify the process, Faye is asking for everyone who plans to participate to  please email her ASAP with the following information: Type of item and approximate size. We will still accept last minute submissions, any pre-planning we can do will be immensely helpful.

• This months block is "Big Cross" inspired by Modern Influencer Denyse Schmidt.  

• For Show and Share this month, we will be featuring the submissions that have been shared in our virtual gallery (http://www.greenvillemodernquiltguild.com/2020/03/introducing-greenville-modern-quilt.html) since the last meeting. If you have additional projects to share with us (including blocks of the month) send pictures to greenvillemqg@gmail.com and we will do our technical best to share them on our zoom meeting. 

• Finally, here's the link for the July ZOOM meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83664338423?pwd=c0tXY0t0OUdOQXJjSlA4RU12b1ozZz09

 

Meeting ID: 836 6433 8423

Password: (WILL BE SENT OUT IN A SEPARATE EMAIL, if you don't receive it by Friday afternoon, email greenvillemqg@gmail.com so we can get it to you)

 

Dial by your location

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

Cindy Lange - "Burnin' Through Scraps"

Burned thru a lot of scrap! -Cindy Lange

Another Quilt for the Valentine Center. Thank you, Cindy!