Mary Keasler's improv cabins |
We were delighted to begin our first meeting of the year with six visitors. As of the January 9th meeting we have 38 members.
Thoroughly Modern Minis*
Our guild (along with Nashville's Music City MQG and Knoxville
MQG) has been invited by the Memphis MQG to participate in a Tennessee mini-quilt swap.
Participants will specify their level of expertise as well as a couple of their
favorite modern techniques and their color preferences. Those from our guild
who want to play will be matched with members of other guilds with similar
levels of expertise and preferences. We will make quilts that measure no more
than 24" per side or diameter. In a couple of months we will have the swap.
We'll be notifying members via email to find out who is in. Theresa will be our
guild person in charge.
*A play on the movie title "Thoroughly Modern Millie" with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.
Outreach Report
We have chosen Habitat for Humanity as our recipient for the
charity quilts we make this year. Jean Larson will be our liaison and person in
charge. Our hope is that all guild members will participate by making quilt
blocks and sometimes piecing, quilting, or binding them together. Jean says
Habitat expects to have six houses ready during the first half of this year.
Jean sent out a help-needed email in December to get a quilt
ready for January 12. More than half a dozen of us met to cut fabric, make
blocks, and piece a top together. Kelly even invited a newspaper photographer
to come document the day for a feature article. Jean quilted and bound the top
and had it ready in time.
This was made in late December and finished just in time! |
This is the Team Janet quilt from 2014, hand-quilted by Janet. |
January 12 was the dedication day for two Habitat homes. Jean and
several members took the quilts to the event for the presentation.
MQG Charity Quilt Challenge
Quilting Detail |
Sixteen of us made improvisational blocks for this one last September and October.
Mary, Jean and Audrey put the blocks together and Carolyn worked her quilting
magic. Now Gerry will bind it and we'll have it ready for its voyage to QuiltCon
Pasadena near the end of the month.
Here's Carolyn with the bridges quilt. As you can see in the detailed photo above, she quilted wispy wind and wavy water, all freehand. Thank you Carolyn!
This one will be displayed at QuiltCon then returned to us.
Our charity quilt will be mailed to Pasadena, and we have at least two members headed to QuiltCon in February. Jean's modern churn dash quilt she showed us in December will be on exhibit there!
Photo Directory
Veronica has volunteered to assemble a directory for us that will
include face photos, names, geographic areas (rather than addresses), phone numbers
and social media information. If you hear from Veronica please respond in a
timely manner. We want to get the directories printed and distributed as soon
as possible.
January Program -- Quilts from Architecture
Audrey led us through her process for designing a quilt from
something architectural. We brought photos, graph paper and drawing supplies.
We practiced looking for basic shapes in the photo and using them in design. We
talked about how to construct what we drew and we touched on how to calculate
sizes using the graph paper squares.
If you drew a design, try to make a block from that design and
bring it to our February meeting!
Show and Tell
Far left: a slice of Shirley's applique quilt, 11 years in the making so far!
Jackie's yellow circle quilt; Theresa's modern mini; Jackie's pillow and Kathleen's bento box quilt
The computer wants Mary's quilt at the top so that's where it is!
Thank you for a boisterous, creative and fun meeting, everyone. Next month we will have a sew-in and details will be posted and emailed.
Audrey