Modern Maples QAL

Way back in April, Kelly S posted this comment and question to our Facebook wall:  "I've been wanting to make a Modern Maples quilt for a while. Today, thanks to a sale on fabricworm.com, I got all the fabric I need for it. Anyone else want to try to make one of these in time for the fall?"


She gave us the link to the Lark Crafts PDF and instructions as inspiration.

We also had Kelly B's finished quilt top to ogle.

She said it would be a "loose" QAL, with PLENTY of time to catch up.

Kira's fabric choice - Amy Butler (and a few others) large-print florals.

Since some of us don't play well with deadlines, "loose" sounded perfect!

A visual aid to help Bobbi cut her leaves.

Some of us immediately said yes.  

Kelly B's Modern Maples (left) in use.   

Others in the group were gently cajoled into joining.

Three of Marcy's leaves.

During our May meeting and Sew-day, several more people decided to join in on the fun. 

One leaf from Kelly S.

Kelly sent the following notes to everyone towards the beginning of June:

"Secondly, here's the schedule I came up with.  It's very relaxed, and I'm sure some of you could do this a lot quicker, but our goal is to finish by the Fall.  So I spread out the steps over 12 weeks.  That has us finishing in time for a reveal at our September meeting!  The way it's spread out also means that if you can't start right away, or if you fall behind, I think you can easily catch up.  The hardest week I think will be the first week, because it's just a lot of cutting.  So feel free to mix it up and change it to whatever works best for you - this is just a loose time table."

Wendi's fabric selection, Juggling Summer by Zen Chic.

Week 1 (June 10-16) - cut fabrics

More from Kelly S.

Week 2 (June 17-23) - make the four maple leaves for the first row, then assemble first row

Betty's leaves.

Week 3 (June 24-30) - make the two maple leaves for the second row, then assemble second row

A leaf from Wendi.

Week 4 (July 1-July 7) - make the three maple leaves for the third row, then assemble the third row

Leaf #2 from Wendi.

Week 5 (July 8-14) - make the three maple leaves for the fourth row, then assemble the fourth row

Wendi's leaf #3.

Week 6 (July 15-21) - make the four maple leaves for the fifth row, then assemble the fifth row

Wendi's leaf #4.

Week 7 (July 22-28) - make the two maple leaves for the sixth row, then assemble the sixth row

Six leaves from Elaine.

Week 8 (July 29-August 4) - assemble the quilt top

Three from Kira.

Week 9 (August 5-11) - prepare the backing

Kira's test layout.

Week 10 (August 12-18) - prepare the binding

Cindy's fabric selection.

Week 11 (August 19-25) - baste/quilt

Kira's Victor, working his magic on her Modern Maples quilt.

Week 12 (August 26-September 1) - bind

Kira's - quilted and ready for binding.

September 14 - ECMQG 2nd Anniversary Meeting/Modern Maples reveal!

How is your Modern Maples progress?  As you can see by the pictures in this post, which were published (mostly) to our Facebook wall, we're working at our own pace.  Personally I'm glad we still have a month until our reveal.  

Cindy
ECMQG Secretary 

September Block Lottery

A rainy weekend is a good time to spend at the sewing machine, right?  

Wonky Cross Blocks are what we'll be making for our September Block Lottery. 

All active members of ECMQG are invited to create and submit blocks for the lottery.  This is our fundraising choice to help pay our dues to the MQG.  

Just as we've done the last two months, make a block (or two), submit them along with $1 for each block, during our regular guild meeting, and you just might go home with all of the blocks.  I keep repeating the same phrase "insta-quilt" because that's what it is.   

Our palette this time is the colors of the sea - emerald, teal, seafoam, aqua, turquoise, cyan, marine, etc. (That Kona Color Card is always a good reference point.)  Remember the colors we used for our Children in Crisis charity quilt last year? 

If you have some of these fabrics in your stash, great!  If not, maybe you have something similar.  I'm sure your favorite LQS has prints that are modern, geometric, and monochromatic.  Let this bundle be your inspiration.  
  

The contrast color should be black, or a shade of black; a print or a solid.  

Elizabeth Hartman - Oh, Fransson! - has a tutorial which can be found at Sew, Mama Sew.  Blocks made following her directions will finish at 8".   

Marcy, Kelly, Leslie and I were inspired by these placemats from Debbie, a member of the Seattle MQG and who blogs at A Quilter's Table.  Great colors.  Modern fabrics.  A winning combination.    

An Emerald Table

Congratulations to Diane for winning the Shades of Gray Star blocks from our August Block Lottery!

Y'all made a total of 26 blocks. 

In Diane's absence (remember, she was playing at Camp Stitchalot), we toyed with design layouts.

Our first, had all of the darker shades of gray in the center and left a nice strip of negative space around the 26th star.

Layout #2 has a row of the darker shades of gray as the fourth of six rows.  It also leaves room for negative space, although, not linear.

In layout #3, we only moved one block, but the negative space became square!  

Okay Diane.  The rest is up to you.


Cindy
ECMQG Secretary

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars

ser·en·dip·i·ty

serənˈdipitē

Noun

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

..

Last month, our first block lottery winner, Susan, chose the theme for this month's blocks.

Stars...  

50 shades of gray...

with a pop of color...

12.5" unfinished...

paper pieced...

or...

traditional...

or wonky...

using MODERN fabrics.

Did Susan know our August meeting this Saturday would coincide with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower?

From the EarthSky.org website:  As evening deepens into late night, and the meteor shower radiant climbs higher in the sky, more and more Perseid meteors streak the nighttime. The meteors don’t really start to pick up steam until after midnight, and usually don’t bombard the sky most abundantly until the wee hours before dawn. You may see 50 or so meteors per hour in a dark sky 

Maybe she did.  Maybe she didn't.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of these blocks up close, as well as the additional blocks that haven't been posted to our Facebook group.   

Cindy
ECMQG Secretary