Thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild for allowing us to use their Zoom account for this month's and the remainder of 2020 meetings. If you would like a recording of today's meeting, please contact us at greenvillemqg @ gmail.com within 14 days of the meeting and we will email it to you.
FUTURE 2020 PROGRAMS:
All programs are set to be presented via Zoom, but should the opportunity arise to assemble outside, they are all adaptable to be done so.
OCTOBER - MEMBER PARTICIPATION: Who Inspires you?!
Please plan to participate in our October program by sharing your quilting muse with us. Faye Jones said, “I think we all really enjoyed last month's program when we all shared a little of ourselves with the group. In a continuation of the ‘getting to know you’ spirit, I am asking you to speak to us about what quilter or quilters shaped your quilting personality. I would love for you to show books or other materials from this/these person(s) and some of your work resulting from that influence. This is our guild and your contribution is what keeps us going during this challenging time! Looking forward to seeing new ideas and learning of new inspirational sources.”
The October 3rd meeting 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 a few days before.
NOVEMBER – COPYRIGHT ISSUES:
CINDY LAMMON AND PAIGE ALEXANDER will give a presentation on the use of printed and public materials, copyright considerations, what you can use, how you can use it, and if it is copyrighted, how to obtain permission to use it from the author of the material.
DECEMBER – MYSTERY HOLIDAY ELF SWAP:
In keeping with social distancing, in lieu of our annual Holiday Auction Luncheon there will be a Mystery Holiday Elf Swap for which we will secretly make items to swap. Sign up/register for swapping handmade items by emailing Faye Jones (birdie1345@aol.com), briefly identifying your preference for a religious, secular (e.g., HO HO HO, reindeer, etc.), traditional or modern item so that you can get something you will want and can use. There will be no parameters or rules for the items you wish to make. Once she receives all the sign-up emails, Faye will match people up with one another. If you don’t know already, in order to get a feel for what your assigned person would like, you may want to take a look at past work they’ve done in previous meeting minutes on the blog. Note that people have loved the “Christmas-y” things donated at the Holiday Auction. On the day of the meeting, you will show your piece on Zoom, talk about it a little, and then reveal for whom the object was made. It will be left to you to coordinate your swaps.
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM - OUR ACTIVITIES DURING QUARANTINE:
Due to illness, Travis Seward was unable to give his planned presentation, Men in Quilting. Meeting attendees did a “round robin" taking turns to talk about what they have been doing during the Covid 19 quarantine.
Faye Jones is dealing with the many significant issues we are all currently facing by keeping busy. She has done some painting and made hundreds of masks. She has donated some of them in exchange for a food bank donation and distributed some of them in her neighborhood. Outside of the neighborhood, she has a woman who is very well connected in those circles that distribute masks and quilts to sometimes help parlay them into other forms of donations. She also has a group of things going to a Women’s Shelter housing abused women and 25 children. Faye made a couple of kids’ quilts and one for herself. She feels better when she makes things that have a special meaning. Faye also made a quilt for the GMQG “Repurpose” challenge, “Yankee Thrift,” which took third place.
Susan Rink has done an abundance of sewing this year. Last year was her “Year of Finishing,” and 2020 is her “Year of Finishing, Part Two.” She has made numerous masks, in fact assisted an engineer whose wife works in a local pulmonary unit that was running short of masks. She sewed over 100 prototypes of masks for him made by found things including reusable fabric grocery bags, the latter of which ultimately proved to be much better than just cloth or paper masks. They now have a supply in storage in case there ever comes another time of shortages. Susan provided six charity quilts to Faye, is almost done with three more, and recently finished a 75” x 99” commissioned quilt top she then passed on to Rita Sassone for long-arm quilting. She highly recommends the spectacularly beautiful, safe-social-distancing retreat in Jonesboro, TN, she attended, whose affiliated store is Tennessee Quilts. The house-cum-retreat built c. 1820 is owned by a woman named Linda who can accommodate a small group of ten and is dutifully vigilant about social distancing. Susan also spent her time constructively when she completely dismantled, thoroughly cleaned, repaired, reassembled and polished one of two old, beaten-up 1941 Featherweights she found in Cowpens to give to a friend.
Sandy Helsel learned through her daughter in California they were unable to get any masks at all out there and so made and sent her several. She also made some for Project Host through Newcomers and for various hospice nurses. Sandy made a quilt for Cheryl’s book, a baby quilt, a charity quilt, and is now working on one with fabric she got in Alaska five years ago. She made a beautiful table linen set featured in Quilt Quark based on a quilting magazine photo for her granddaughter’s wedding shower, which she attended in St. Louis, Missouri. Some attendees wore masks and some didn’t, and everyone from the group is well. Sandy said getting out and away doing something for a weekend was wonderful. Among other things, Sandy has a background in Flora Culture and is making silk head pieces for the two five-year-old flower girls.
While Valorie Kasten continued working from home answering a good deal of technical questions, she managed to carve out a little time every day to spend in her sewing room even if it was just to play on EQ8 to design quilts. She has been running and biking near her home and working out with some home gym equipment. Valorie made a quilt to go into Cheryl Brickey’s upcoming quilt book, a quilt for the Repurposed challenge, and among the masks she made, some were adapted to fit over specialized head gear worn by her male co-workers (probably upping her popularity quotient among the boys in the process). She even spent some time cleaning her sewing space.
Cynthia Steward has been quilting daily and succeeded in finishing a baby quilt, a couple of charity quilts, finished quilting some on her long arm, and is making a mini quilt for Curated Quilts due shortly (not to mention administering the Block of the Month for us). She made a quilt for the GMQG “Repurpose” challenge, “Up Till Now,” which took second place. In addition to a building project and family things, she has undertaken the time-consuming chore of cherry picking things from her old computer to transfer to a newly acquired computer.
Lynne Harrill has made some quilt-like things, but mostly has spent her time gardening. The abundance of rain in her area has wreaked havoc on her tomatoes, yet she still managed to make some tasty sauce. Lynne shared a beautiful quilt top she made using a pattern she designed and with fabric given to her many years ago. She needed a little more of the green to complete the quilt and after several unsuccessful attempts to dye her own, discovered the perfect fabric in her stash. Go to Quilt Quark to see this lovely tessellated quilt top.
Emily Pitman not only managed quarantine with a husband and three children (one in college, one just graduated from high school and one sophomore), but she did it with a sprained ankle requiring six weeks of recovery during which she was unable to sew. She had been home schooling, but is retired now since her youngest is attending Wade Hampton. Being grounded allowed her the time to sort through a multitude of photos to make baby books for each of her children. She made numerous masks and then worked with her quite particular 18-year-old daughter to help her make her own custom mask. Emily showed us the pebble and flower quilted squares she intends to put together (very good Emily). She also shared an in-progress paper-pieced dragonfly she’s excited about, paper piecing being something she is particularly fond of. Additionally, Emily spent a good deal of time working with Dana on communicating with the Guild as Co-Secretary.
Pat Davies’ Canadian friends visiting with her in Myrtle Beach had to pack up and go when Covid hit, and as her family lives in Canada, she had to cancel her plans to visit them pending the border reopening. She misses her kid and grandkids and like many others has been riding the Corona virus roller coaster. Pat has made some masks and is making a quilt for her granddaughter, which she had planned to give her in person this summer but for now must hold in abeyance. She has been exercising like a fiend and has happily lost weight (kudos Pat!). She is doing an embroidery class at Viking, a little bit of socializing at a distance, and has been buying quantities of fabric.
Along with Emily, Dana Blasi has been working with the Board, communicating with the Guild, and unintentionally ended up helping her HOA by running a fine-toothed comb through its Bylaws for errant commas, never thinking her “fun” quotient would be measured by editing grammar. Seeing everyone on Zoom has been one of the highlights of the season for her. She really enjoyed having her stepson come down from NJ with his border collie (Leo) and stay for the better part of 3 months. He recently headed back north, and rather than take the dog back to languish in his typically tiny NJ condo, ceded Leo would be better off with an actual yard in which to run and play (not to mention provide much needed distraction in SC). Dana made a quilt for Cheryl’s book, several masks for friends and family, and is almost finished with a quilt that, but for pressing family matters, intended to submit for the Repurpose challenge. Her original idea of using antique doilies proved a little too “sweet” to qualify as modern, so she had to change course at the last minute. She says she’ll have her new one, “Machination,” done by October’s meeting.
Jackie Callis has spent her time house hunting with a sister visiting from Georgia and finding out how much work is required to both buy and sell a home. She did a Block of the Month from the year 2000 called Turn of the Century (which is not modern at all) that has taken a great deal of time, has made masks, and finished two Hawaiian pillows. When asked if she has done anything on her new mid-arm, Jackie said she quilted one thing for the Landrum Quilting Guild’s philanthropy group for the Ronald McDonald House. Otherwise she is spending a good deal of time on yard work or doing jigsaw puzzles.
In addition to an increase in reading, Darleen Sanford made a quilt for Cheryl’s book. She then turned her attention to a basket full of coordinating fabric packs purchased at quilt shows over the years. She made a quilt from some of it to take to her sister-in-law in Rochester, NY, but of course will be unable to deliver it until next year. She also made a quilt for her great niece who was graduating from high school with high honors. When she offered to make a memory quilt for her friend whose husband died in January, expecting to be given button down shirts with which to work, she instead was given many of his T-shirts and ended up making a T-shirt quilt. Darleen said Landrum Quilters were planning to meet outside for their next meeting if it didn’t rain.
Cheryl Brickey has kept busy with two children in fifth and eighth grade, respectively, now attending virtual school. Cheryl works at home and after some cuts at her business, more work came her way, which has kept her quite busy. Cheryl made a quilt for the Repurposed challenge and completed several quilts for her upcoming book, “Just One Charm Pack Quilts,” while coordinating several quilters from the guild to make duplicates in other color ways. Unlike her previous book publisher, the publisher for this book involved Cheryl in the process every step of the way. The book, pictured here, is now available on Amazon for pre-sale and should be out late spring/early summer (congratulations Cheryl!).
Nancy deJong has been very busy with her vegetable garden, and writing a curriculum for vacation bible school. She has sewn a considerable number of masks, some of which went to her friend in Chicago to give to a friend of hers employed in a hospital, and some she put in a box on her porch, followed by an invitation to her neighbors to take what they wanted. She has completed some quilts including the Postcards from Sweden quilt she started at the 2019 Retreat. She participated in two MQG tutorials, Yoga for Healthy Hands and the Scrappy Triangles quilt taught by Sarah Bond, which she just dropped off at Faye’s with two other quilts. Using fabric found on the “free-to-a-good- home” table consisting of lightweight canvas fabric with French script and scenery along with coordinating fabric, she made a market bag used recently for the first time at the Downtown Market. She is now putting together some charm and UFO squares that have been patiently waiting for her.
Paige Alexander continued her accounting work full time throughout quarantine and has resumed working out at her recently reopened gym. She made one mini quilt for the Modern Design Lab Exhibit at the Greenville Creative Arts Center, and made a quilt for the GMQG “Repurpose” challenge, “Metropolis,” which took first place. A quilt by Paige also appears on the cover of Quiltfolk, a 180-page, quarterly print, ad-free journal that focuses on the quilters of one state at a time that, “…celebrates the people and stories behind the stitches.” Now that the MQG has announced its two challenges (see below), Paige has gotten excited. She ordered the Fabric Challenge fabrics by Moda online before hearing that Bernina is carrying them. Paige said in honor of its 10th Anniversary, the MQG is having yet another challenge called Classic Quilts (see below). Your quilt will be in their special exhibit at QuiltCon 2021 if you get in.
One of Paige’s quilts made the cover of Quiltfolk quarterly journal, Issue 14 (congratulations Paige!)
“Lifelong Southerner Paige Alexander describes herself as ‘a traditional quilter who loves modern quilting.’ In her sunny studio, ribbons from local, regional, and national quilting shows line the walls. Alexander’s meticulous attention to detail and solid technique take her quilts to the next level, but it all starts with a challenge: Alexander found her inspiration by taking on challenges issued by guilds. The results are winning, indeed.”
GMQG 2020 BLOCK OF THE MONTH: MARY FONS – INFLUENCER ON MEDIA
Cynthia Seward’s September BOM modern influencer is Mary Fons. She has influenced a great many areas of media since the middle 2000s including online work, TV, and print, and was one of the first to do online tutorials. Being the daughter of Mary Ann Fons gave her built-in name recognition and she appealed to the young as well as older quilters. Now a mostly modern traditionalist, she did not know how to quilt and learned how from her mom on air, so was teaching as she learned, greatly appealing to novice quilters. This month’s BOM is a 10” Friendship Block or Greek Cross used in Ms. Fons’ Blonde Redhead quilt. It’s great for using up scraps with 2.5” squares in a 10” square pattern and some 2.5” x 6.5” background rectangles. It is easy to scale up or down in multiples of five and works nicely in a Horizontal layout or on point.
The PDF instructions are online and there is a link to them on the blog. Cynthia also made a companion block for more interesting options for a quilt that moves the darker corner squares to the outside and gives you a big single center. She also had examples of an alternate design with solids and another with some of the elements of the blocks removed to create a more modern quilt, which she called Falling Leaves.
Email Cynthia at belleekster<at>gmail<sot>com with any questions. Please email photos of your completed BOMs for the Quilt Quark Gallery (“QQG”) to greenvillemqg@gmail.com to be shared at the following meeting. We’d love to see your work!
Dagmar Theodore and Sandy Helsel shared their beautiful Yoshiko Jinzenji BOMs from last month.
SEW-IN:
Sandy reported there will be no Sew-ins until February 2021.
WILDACRES RETREAT – 2021:
Sandy said we are awaiting our assigned dates expected late in October/early November, and registration begins in January 2021. Reportedly, the Writers group is scheduled to hold their retreat there soon while observing social distancing.
MEMBERSHIP:
We welcomed 23 members in our Zoom meeting this month.
PHILANTHROPY:
Faye has received some charity quilts and is holding them since the Julie Valentine Center is not seeing many kids onsite at this time. If you have a quilt to donate, you may hold on to it for now or coordinate with Faye to pass it on to her. She thanked the people who have been sharing their work on the QQG beforehand. She has invited Laurel Wanner of the Valentine Center to come get three Halloween quilts since they are seasonal. Questions concerning the program and drop off/pickup may be directed to Faye at birdie1345<at>aol<dot>com.
Faye passed along an item in a recent MQG email regarding the Social Justice Sewing Academy who have made a call for blocks memorializing victims of violent crimes. For those interested in making a 20” x 24” block, they are taking brief applications asking you to write a little about yourself and will select a victim of violence for each applicant. There is a comment space where you can indicate that you prefer a child victim if you so desire. You can use standard or iron-on appliqué, and these will be assembled into a quilt or a banner to be shown at community or awareness-raising events. Go to sjsacademy.com for more information on the Remembrance Project and to apply.
MQG CHARITY QUILT CHALLENGE 2021:
The Board has decided to take a pass on participating in the 2021 MQG Quilt Challenge as a guild, but if you are interested in participating yourself, Bernina has the fabrics.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
We have several Board positions opening up for 2021. Please take a moment to consider whether you would like to contribute something more than quilts. You may receive a call asking you to consider assuming one of the positions, or instead of waiting for the call, go ahead and email anyone on the Board to volunteer. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! The members who have been serving in these positions will most assuredly be there to usher you along.
President – (Dagmar Theodore) coordinate with other Board members to prepare and send out agendas and invitations for board meetings, and MC membership meetings (help to represent the group as a whole while keeping the meetings on schedule).
Vice President, Programs – (Faye Jones - discontinuing after 3 years) select and arrange monthly programs (Jan. – Nov.; Dec. is the Holiday Luncheon & Auction); you don’t have to go it alone when deciding on programs – finding out what members would like is as easy as asking. Board members serve as a great sounding board, Faye will serve as a resource (much of the groundwork has been laid for this position), and one month will already be covered when Travis can present Men in Quilting.
Outside Speaker (Cheryl Brickey - discontinuing after 3 years); select and arrange one annual program and workshop by a nationally known quilting teacher - Debbie Grifka likely will be available to come next year; Cheryl will serve as a resource.
Block of the Month (Cynthia Steward) – choose or design quilt blocks (possibly incorporating information on known quilters or movements) that reflect elements of modern quilting, and present them during the monthly meeting to promote participation in guild activities, inspire creativity, and encourage members to try different or new techniques.
Facility Coordinator (Nancy deJong) - coordinate with St. Giles Church to reserve the room for meetings and workshops, open and prep the room for meetings, and return the room to its original order before closing and locking up afterwards.
QUILT QUARK GALLERY / SHOW AND SHARE:
Show and Share quilts included (click here to view the slide show)
Cindy Lange’s Covid quilt punctuated by hot reds and oranges to represent the virus trying to invade the healthy, cool blue space.
Linen Scarf by Elise Dunbar made for a birthday gift.
A 2019 BOM Baby Quilt made by Cynthia Steward.
Sandy Helsel’s Quilted Table Linens starting with a runner based on a photo of a quilting magazine advertisement, complimented by her own designed placemats and napkins for eight (the deceptively cream background fabric is actually light gray).
Elise’s Intersection Block Quilt created with the help of Travis Seward using his first block of the month in 2019.
Dagmar Theodore’s No One Fights Alone based on a pixilated photo of a Lego version of boxing gloves made by request for a leukemia and lymphoma charity auction, and another Charity Quilt by her made with a prior year’s BOMs.
Psychedelic Baby Quilt by Elise based on a Katie Pederson of Sew Katie Did class.
Darleen Sanford’s Zaria quilt for her great niece made with her fav colors and quilted on Darleen’s Brother machine.
Two Philanthropy quilts by Nancy deJong (Love Pattern by Moda with Kaffe Fassett fabrics and Off Center Squares, pattern from Pinterest) made with charm packs, a Red White and Blue quilt made with leftover squares for Didi Salvatierra for a Quilts of Valor quilt, and a Scrappy Triangles by Sara Bond quilt made with her many scraps of blue and yellow from her stash.
Please email photos of your quilts (including Quilts for Kids), BOMs and other projects to greenvillemqg@gmail.com for the QQG page of our blog at greenvillemodernquiltquild.com. We will share them during the following month’s meeting.
OTHER NEWS/REMINDERS:
We have 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.
The Modern Quilt Guild website has a plethora of free webinars and patterns available to all its members.
If members come across a link they would like to share, they may forward it to Dagmar via email at dagmar_theodore<at>yahoo<dot>com to be shared at the next meeting.
Carolina Shop Hop has been rescheduled for July 9-24, 2021.
MQG 2021 CHALLENGES:
1. The Wedge Quilting Challenge: American Patchwork & Quilting and the MQG are challenging MQG members to take the classic quilt element of a wedge and make a fresh, modern design. Log in to themodernquiltguild.com for details.
2. The QuiltCon Together Fabric Challenge sponsored by the MQG includes a large floral with a few blenders to challenge members to create a modern quilt and are calling it Floral & Vine. Fabric colors include 29106-12 Apricot Ash Coral Dotty (coral blender), 29101-19 Apricot Ash Rose Garden (large floral), 29105-19 Apricot Ash Ash (gingham), 48676-11 Abby Rose Greenery (vines). Log in to themodernquiltguild.com for details.
3. The MQG Modern Classics Challenge -The MQG is re-releasing some of its favorite patterns of the month and are inviting you to join in for a chance to have a quilt included in a special exhibit for QuiltCon Together in 2021. In honor of the MQG’s tenth anniversary, they’ve decided to dust off a few of their favorite patterns and relaunch them in an all-new color palette. During the course of the year, they will share twelve quilts previously released as Quilt of the Month patterns.
Choose any MQG pattern in the Resources section and make it using their 2020 color palette. Follow along using the hashtag #mqgmodernclassic and enter your quilt to be a part of a special MQG Modern Classics exhibit at QuiltCon Together 2021. To be eligible for the exhibit, a quilt must be made from an MQG Quilt of the Month released prior to 2020 and in the 2020 color palette. While you do not have to use all seven colors, the colors must be from this palette alone. See themodernquiltguild.com for details.
The MQG Modern Classics Color Palette: Moda Bella Solids
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Nautical Blue (9900-236) |
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Natural (9900-12)
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Dusk (9900-116) |
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Mustard (9900-213) |
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Violet (9900-224) |
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Capri (9900-225)
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Petunia (9900-301) |