Monday, April 27, 2020

Highlights in May

A Greeting from Dagmar

Three months ago we were all so busy with life, our projects, family plans, and anticipation of the upcoming Quiltfest.  It is hard to believe how an incident from the other side of the world has changed our plans, our lives and our way of life.  We have individually changed the way we plan, shop, work and interact with others.  When we begin making a quilt, there is an anticipation, a hope that when it is finished, it will have the look we imagined and be something we are proud to gift or display in our home.  We are experiencing this pandemic individually but we are bound as a guild through our love for quilting and need to keep that same hope that this will be over soon, and we can meet and enjoy our passion together.

Block of the Month!

Cynthia has prepared a beautiful new Block of the Month - number four in her Modern Quilt Influencer's series.  We will post the directions on Friday (May 1) on the blog.

Show and Share Virtually 

We invite you to share what you are up to in our virtual quilt gallery - The Greenville Modern Quilt Quark Gallery From full projects to blocks of the month, we love to see what you are creating.

MQG Keep Calm and Sew On

If you are a member of Greenville Modern Quilt Guild, then you are also a member of The Modern Quilt Guild.  The Modern Quilt Guild has a plentiful collection of techniques, patterns, and inspiration. Check them out!

Calendar

We will do our best to keep you informed of updates and changes to our Guild Calendar.  Most often we will make updates first on our Meetings and Activities blog page first.  We will try to follow it up on Instagram and Facebook as well.




Friday, April 24, 2020

Call for Masks (again)

Dear kind and generous GMQG members,           

For the third time I am appealing for urgently needed masks.  I know many of you have stepped up and it was much appreciated by the recipients. 

We delivered 150 masks to Miracle Hill within a few days of the call for masks.  Previous to that, we made  more than 100 masks for Hospice of the Upstate.  It seems as if there is no end to the need for masks.

For those who are willing to make more masks, Project Host has a need for as many as we can contribute.

Project Host is located on Academy St. near Pendleton St. and serves daily lunch to 180 homeless and other severely disadvantaged patrons.  Their patrons are mostly men whom, besides food, need clothing and personal care items.  Most live in shelters, tent city or in a car and are asking for masks.  The numbers of clients are increasing daily, and there are not any masks to give them.  The six-member staff have masks made by one of the employees.  

If you wish to donate masks, men's clothing, or toiletries, I plan to deliver them periodically so there is no rush or pressure.  I am sure wearing a-mask will help make these high-risk, vulnerable persons feel a little more secure.

I can't promise this is my last call -    

Faye Jones   
Philanthropy Chair


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Quilt Quark Gallery by Cindy Lange: Daughters


Daughters

If you are trying to do your best work now, my hat is off to you.  I am easily distracted and simply trying to stay busy and think happy thoughts.

My design process for this quilt was something like:

I wanna look at pretty colors.

I wanna hear the machine go clackety.

I don’t wanna cut off a fingertip and end up in an overburdened ER so I’m gonna keep it simple.

I pulled out my favorite soothing colors and started making HSTs.  As I made them, my mind wandered, and I thought about my three daughters, all of whom have April birthdays and how for the first time we will not have a big April party together.  And then I thought about how when a quilter cuts blocks out of other blocks, the second tier are referred to as "daughter blocks."  So then I made three daughter blocks inside larger mother blocks because I wish I could surround them and keep them safe.  And then I thought about how daughters are the double X chromosome sex.  So I made three pairs of QSTs and put them smack in the middle.

I had a big piece of blueberry print fabric but of course it’s never big enough, so I made an insert of stripes and thought of berries rolling through them like a maze and coming out safely in the end.  After securing the seams with wavy lines, I quilted front and back together with doubles Xs.

First quilt of the pandemic period, completed.

-Cindy Lange

Daughters, back

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Face Mask Update

Face Masks for Hospice of the Upstate -- Thank you!

Thank you to the members of the Busy Bees and Greenville Modern and Nimble Thimble quilt guilds! In the seven days since we sent out our requests for members to make face masks for the workers at Hospice of the Upstate, we have received more than 175 masks! 

I have turned them over to my very grateful neighbor, who heads up Hospice's disaster recovery team, and she was brought to tears by your generosity.

On behalf of the very grateful Hospice of the Upstate's team, thank you to all who pitched in on this effort. They seem to be set for now, and will let us know if they need more in the days to come.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

GMQG Retreat/Mini-Retreat Mystery Project 2.0 - Directions

Fabric TrayProject Finishes approx. 5" square.
(a pdf version of this pattern is also available here)


Fusible products are used in this project and it is very important to ALWAYS ENSURE that the fusible product is Glue Side Down on the WRONG side of the fabric!  Ironing surfaces can be ruined from the adhesive.  It is no fun removing fusible adhesive glue from irons!  Check twice, Fuse Once!

**Fusing Tip with Pellon Products:  I use a dry iron set to wool and either a spray water bottle and press cloth or a damp press cloth to fuse the interfacings/fleece to the cotton fabric.  Press from the fabric side first to fuse, then flip over and press from fusible side to ensure a good fuse.  Use the method that works best for you.**

Choose which fabric will be your Inner Fabric and which will be your Outer Fabric.  Both will be seen. 

Outer Fabric

Take the 9" square of Outer fabric and on the Wrong Side mark 2 inches from all 4 sides OR press a 2" fold on each side and open out.  This will form a 5" square in the center.













Set iron to Wool setting.

Center the 5" square of Peltex, GLUE SIDE DOWN on your drawn or pressed marking.











Carefully flip both over so fabric is Right Side Up and Peltex is still centered underneath.

Cover with a press cloth and spray lightly or use a damp press cloth.  Now press and fuse the Peltex to the Wrong Side of the Outer fabric.  It should take about 15-20 seconds per sections covered by the iron.  When cool, check that the Peltex has fused all around.

Place the 9" square of SF-101 (ShapeFlex) over the Peltex/Outer piece (no photo).  Make sure the SF-101 is lined up GLUE SIDE DOWN on the Wrong Side of the of the Peltex/Outer piece.  Cover with a press cloth and fuse using same method as before.


Inner Fabric

Check Fusible Twice, Fuse Once (No Photo)

Fuse Fusible Fleece to Wrong Side of Inner Fabric using same method as before.


Sewing 

Place both inner and outer pieces of fabric right sides together.
Leaving about a 5" opening centered on one side for turning, sew around all edges with a 1/2" seam allowance, back stitching at beginning and end.

Clip corners. Do not cut through the corners.













Turn right side out through opening.  Push out corners, using caution not to poke through the corner.  Tuck seam allowance at opening to inside and press unit flat.

Pin or clip seam allowance closed at opening, lengthen stitch, and use a contrasting thread color if desired to top stitch about 1/8" from edge.

Form bottom of tray by stitching a square along the edge of the Peltex. You can feel the edge of the Peltex and maybe even see the edge. Mark the stitching line if needed using a removable marker.







Finishing

Form Corners of Tray


Pinch 2 sides together at one corner of the Peltex, matching the side edges, forming a triangle.
















Mark a line from the corner of the Peltex to the edges of the tray.  Pin or clip the triangle together and sew on the line, backstitching at the beginning and end.

Sew slowly, you may want to lengthen your stitch.  Sew the other 3 corners the same way.  Clip threads or bury them if you choose.  Done!!  


Some options include:

  • Using the Quilt-As-You-Go technique onto cotton batting and eliminating the fusible fleece for the inside piece;
  • Fussy cutting a motif for the inside piece;
  • Securing the triangles with snaps, small pieces of Velcro, rivets, or hand sewing;
  • Trying alternate fabrics:  home dec, waxed canvas, oilcloth or laminated cotton.  Adjust interfacing to be sew in if needed, and press fabrics only if they can take the heat of an iron;
  • Adjust the size of the tray by varying the cut size of the fabrics.  Go rectangular!