Greenville Modern Quilt Guild: Highlights from February 2017 Meeting

Seeing is the best way..... to Doing!

We had a rockin' quilting good time Saturday! We appreciate Leslie White, Faye Jones and Cindy Lammon for making this happen! They came prepared for us to SEE fantastic demonstrations - each showing and sewing a distinctive quilting technique. For some of us, seeing the visual steps on how to achieve a certain quilted look....is the fuel we need to trying it out on our next quilted piece.

What are some of the quilting techniques they demonstrated for us:

Machine quilting with rulers:

Here we had opportunity to see how the specific brand, a Bernina sewing machine, coordinates with the same brand rulers. Leslie used a specialized footer that sews along side the placement of the ruler on the fabric. She demonstrated several rulers with different shapes - half moon, multiple curves, diagonals -- so we could see the quilting design effect of each. The rulers are very cool tools!

Leslie White demonstration on Machine quilting with Bernina rulers

Free motion quilting:

This style of quilting defines itself. It is using the free motion capability of your sewing machine to sew - up, down or side to side - creating a customize design. Of course, experienced Faye, made this look effortless and easy. She demonstrated squiggles, echoing, curved lines, connected bubbles or circles, traveling and more. One of her recommendations "for going rogue" with this technique is to begin practicing with fabrics that have a simple design motif such as butterflies, flowers, circles where you sew the outline of the shape to familiarize yourself with speed and fluidity. Great tip!!!

Faye Jones demonstration on Free motion quilting

Spiral quilting:

This design technique begins with a core circle approximately 3" that then becomes the guide for the next circle layer and next and next and so forth sewing out to your desired circumference. Using her circle template, Cindy started by drawing with a washable pencil on her fabric a 3" circle in the desired location she wanted to start. The initial 3"circle required shorter stitches and a little more maneuvering but as she moved from ring to ring the sewing progressively went faster and easier because the circle was larger. The final look spectacular and very effective in showcasing her quilt design.

Cindy Lammon- Spiral Quilting

In addition, we had unanimous approval for our vote to amend Articles 6 -10 of the GMQG By-Laws which included a change in month for officer nominations & election, adding the Membership Chair position to the Executive Board and adding the formation of Standing Committees.

Thanks to Paige Alexander and Nancy DeJong for their GMQG updates on Financials and Memberships. Nancy reported we had 40 in attendance with 8 guests. As of February, GMQG has 51 members which includes (from this meeting) one renewal and 4 additional new members. ;-)

As we closed the meeting, we had a drawing for three (3) giveaways. Thank you to Cindy Lammon and Marcie Snyder for donating a quilting book and two pairs of rotary cutters. Our three recipients were delighted.

Upcoming GMQG Events:

Modern Quilt Guild's - QuiltCon East 2017 is February 23-26th in Savannah, GA...For those of us going, be on the lookout for other fellow GMQGers, quilt entries by Paige Alexander & Cheryl Brickey AND, AND, AND our Charity Quilt. Thank you again Valorie for keeping our group on task to complete this quilt project in January and successfully shipping it on February 1st to QuiltCon. You did a great job for us!
April 7-9th: Our guild is having a first retreat at the Wildfires Retreat Conference Center in North Carolina. The details of the event are here on our website.Thank you Sandy Helsel and Faye Jones for planning and coordinating this weekend away. It's not to late to sign up or participate in a carpool. For assistance, email Sandy at shelsel65@gmail.com
May 12 & 13th - Michelle Wilkie Workshop - Modern Quilt Design-Every Day Inspiration. Look for the workshop details on our website. For the Friday night opener, Michelle will speak on "The Skill of Quilt Design" and on Saturday, she will lead a workshop entitled Modern Quilt Design-Every Day Inspiration. Please note: we only have six (6) workspaces remaining for the Saturday workshop. If interested in coming, please do not delay in contacting Dana Blasi at danabird57@bellsouth.net

Upcoming Outside Quilting Events:

Modern Quilt Guild: QuiltCon East 2017 coming this month to Savannah, GA. Feb.23-26th.
Riley Blake Challenge with Creative Rockstar Fabric 2017

The deadline for submissions is April 30th

Anna Maria Horner, quilter, author and textile artist coming to visit two local SC quilt guilds in March:

March 9 - Landrum Quilters starting at 9:30a.m. at the Gowensville Community Center lecture on A Morning of Inspiration. Fee $5.00/guest
March 13- Nimble Thimbles starting at 7:00pm at the Messiah Lutheran Church (gym). Fee $5.00/guest

April 7 & 8-Tarheel Quilters Guild-"A Symphony of Quilts-Quiltfest 2017" in Fayetteville, NC

They are accepting quilt entries for the show thru February 20th

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art - The Re-Launched and Re-Discovered Exhibit thru April 23rd in Charlotte, NC
May 5 & 6-Western NC Quilters Guild-2017 Quilt Show.

They are accepting quilt entries for the show until April 1, 2017

Modern Skill Builder - Block of the Month

Look at the response for the January 2017 Block of the Month called Cloud 9 New Block designed by Carole Lyles Shaw (our regional MQG representative). Way to go GMQG in starting the new year off....very impressive.

For February, Cheryl Brickey has an equally challenging design. It is called Ellen's Snowball designed by Cath of Wombat Quilts. The pattern is located at Wombat Quilts

Block name: Ellen's Snowball

Notes for construction details:

The blog post contains a link for 12" block templates. You will have to print out this template page 4 times (for 4 of the "A" template and 4 of the "H" template). Make sure to print at "actual size" or "100%".

For piecing the block:
Use low volume prints for pieces 1 and 6 (try to use fabrics with a white or cream background and white/gray/black print)
Use darker pinks, reds, oranges, and purples for pieces 2, 4, 5, and 7
Use yellow for piece 3

Leave paper on the back of the block when you turn it in.

Philanthropy

Faye Jones reported that we had a total of six (6)quilts donated to families whose homes were destroyed by fire in Gatlinburg, TN. Thank you members who supported and donated quilts. We know the recipients receiving these quilts will be blessed.

And, as you know, Faye is challenging our group to bring in quilt squares that never became a quilt. You know the ones......

Then, her challenge to us is to make a philanthropy quilt from one of those squares. Faye's theory is that a hidden away quilt square could be the inspiration to another.

Our goal is to prove her right in April. We have two months to complete our Block Recycle Challenge.

We look forward to seeing your creativity in this special philanthropy challenge!

Be in the Know:

Johnny McKenzie has volunteered to organize a mentoring program to connect experienced quilters with members new to quilting who need advice and guidance. For more information or to participate in the program contact Johnnie by email at johnniemckenzie@att.net

Johnny McKenzie is also offering free beginner classes in her home for our members. Two classes "Ready, Set, Quilt" and "Quilt Making/Sewing basics" started in January. For more information or to participate contact Johnnie by email at johnniemckenzie@att.net. Thank you Johnnie!

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