F8 Rainbow Solids Swap

Our November ECMQG fabric swap will be a Fat Eighth Rainbow {Solids} Swap!  

Quilting with solids has become a huge trend in modern quilting, but accumulating a good selection of quality solid color fabrics can sometimes be frustrating and expensive.  Our Fat Eighth Solids Swap will help you stash a decent sized selection without the frustration and expense.

Hadley Coordinating Solids Bundle - photo courtesy of Westwood Acres Fabric

What is a Fat Eighth?

A fat eighth (FE or F8) is one eighth of a yard of fabric, or a yard of fabric cut into eight equal pieces. Traditionally, this long narrow cut from the fold line to the selvage, resulted in 8 strips measuring 4-1/2" x 44".  

Like the Fat Quarter, quilters changed the cutting dimensions of of that same yard of fabric to be both more useful by doubling the width and halving the length and ended up with a piece 9" x 22", and called it a Fat Eighth.  A fat eighth has so many more possibilities for quilting than a long, skinny 1/8 yard piece.

Modern quilters still found this cut too confining, and realized by changing the cutting dimensions yet again, shorter fatter pieces were even more user friendly.   

This newer cut, still a FE or F8, and hugely popular with modern quilters is sized at 11" x 18" or 10.5" x 18" (after selvages are removed).   

The Rules

If you wish to participate, here is what you need to do:

1.  Purchase one yard of Kona by Robert Kaufman.  Please do not choose other brands.   As we decided at the meeting Saturday, this is a NO NEUTRALS swap.  Some possible sources for your fabric might be:

Pensacola's A&E Pharmacy, both Lynn's and The Sewing Center Around the Block in Fort Walton Beach, Margie's in Crestview, as well as many online retailers - Pink Chalk Fabrics, Fat Quarter Shop, Fabric dot com, eQuilter, Intrepid Thread, Fabricworm, etc.  Some even have ALL 303 colors!!! 

NOTE:  Joann's and Hobby Lobby both carry a limited selection of Kona colors.  Should you choose to purchase from a big box store, be sure what you're buying is authentic Kona.  Their store brands are of a much lower quality and are unacceptable for swapping.

2 - You may swap up to three yards of fabric.

3.  Cut your fabric.  

4.  Place your cut fabric in a zip top bag labeled with your name.  If you're swapping more than one yard, place each color in a SEPARATE bag.  

***For this solids swap ONLY, label the selvage of each piece with the color name or color number.  

5.   During the November 8th meeting, leave your labeled bag(s) on the swap table for sorting and distribution.  

6.  At the the conclusion of our meeting, pick up your bag(s), each containing a colorful rainbow of quality solid fabrics.

7.  With 303 colors from which to choose, we will not have a sign-up requirement.  However, if you'd like to post in these comments, or on our Facebook page, the colors you select, please do so.  

Additionally, if you're one of those I-want-all-of-it types and plan on swapping two or three yards, please mix it up and choose a variety of colors!  For example, rather than choose three blues, choose a blue, a pink, and an orange.  Just don't bring fabrics that are neutral - whites, beiges, grays.

  

Cutting Modern Fat Eighths

1.  Press your fabric to remove the center crease.  Do not remove the selvages.

2.  Rotary cut your fabric lengthwise through the center.   This results in two pieces, each measuring approximately 22" x 36".

3.  Cut each 22" x 36" piece in half again lengthwise.  This gives you four pieces, each measuring 11" x 36".  

NOTE:  Solid fabrics are sometimes milled to wider widths than prints.  Be sure to measure the width and cut equal quarters.

4.  Cut each 11" x 36" piece in half crosswise.  This gives you eight pieces, each measuring 11" x 18".  A modern fat eighth.  


As always, if you have questions regarding the swap, or this tutorial, you can email me at wendimihalik at yahoo dot com.

This is going to be a super fun swap!

Wendi Mihalik
ECMQG Swap Captain

October Meeting Recap

It.Never.Fails.

After spending an entire Saturday talking, sewing, seeing, and touching all of the projects everyone has made, I need a few days to decompress and let it all settle.

ECMQG has so many talented, inspiring, creative women.  Our October meeting and Sew-Day was no exception.  

We started normally - energetic and frenzied - as everyone signed in, purchased door prize tickets ($1 each), claimed table space for the Sew-Day portion, introduced their guests, set out potluck dishes on the communal food table, paid a no-name-tag penalty (.25¢) if they'd forgotten theirs, entered blocks in the block lottery ($1 each), or just caught up after being apart.  It's crazy!  It's fun!  It's exhilarating!  It is, so I've been told, what makes us different from some of the other local guilds.

Door prizes this month came from members - Marcy (Halloween mouse) and Gina (Halloween pillows) - as well as Aurifil, Michael Miller, and Robert Kaufman.
  

Our first and most important business item was the discussion of board elections next month - November 9th - for the coming calendar year.  Marcy provided a list of job descriptions for the major positions as well as some of the ancillary positions necessary because of our growth.

Diane, who attended Camp Stitch Alot earlier this summer, was scheduled to present her projects and dish on her experiences, but had a last minute conflict.  Luckily, Kim, having just returned from Sewing Summit agreed to share her experiences.

While public speaking is not to her liking, (but hey, we're all friends here) in our back and forth, question and answer format, Kim told us everything.  From why she chose to attend; the process and excitement of signing-up and selecting classes; her self-described introvert trepidation about traveling (and meeting and talking to all of these people that although you know them online, you don't really know them); the shopping and camaraderie; the keynote speaker; the hospitality (and swag!!) of the Salt Lake MQG; and her Sewing Summit projects made both before traveling and while there. 

Because I was talking and not taking pictures, I'm thankful Kim is active on Instagram.  Her photos tell her story so well.    

I'd say Kim had a fantastic time, wouldn't you? 

Next, Kira who recently volunteered to be our Block Lottery Captain, spent a few moments describing and showing details for November's block.

  

It is a simple snowball.  It is a traditional block, BUT with the use of MODERN fabrics and colors, it fits our aesthetic.  All of the details - color palette, size, types of fabric - can be found here.

These are just some of the 80, (Yes, you read that right!) pinwheel blocks turned in this month.  

The lucky winner?  Me.  Aren't they beautiful, colorful, and cheery?     

After the drawing for the block lottery, came the door prize drawings.  Again, lots of smiling faces and squeals of delight.

The reveal for the Spoo-ky Swap was next.

Nona made these Screamin' Halloween strip-pieced pillows for Kira.

Bobbi,  inspired by an image from Pinterest, made this 12" x 12' HST pillow cover for Melissa L.

I made Amy three small items, including a wonky-pieced Spook-tacular stand-up container, a coffee cozy from Jeni Baker's tutorial, and a tiny Hello, Halloween! ticker tape inspired mini quilt. 

Dee made Faye an Autumn colored pillow with Thimbleberry fabrics.

 Kira made the appliqued Boo Bat mini-quilt for Kasandra. 

Amy made a set of Autumn inspired coasters for Wendi.  Upon signing-up for this swap, Wendi let us all know she preferred Thanksgiving to Halloween.  Amy's coasters were EXACTLY right for Wendi.

Kasandra made this mini-quilt for me.  I love the intricate piecing and jack-o-lantern colors. 

Melissa L, not having any Halloween fabric in her stash, went shopping at our LQS/Pharmacy, A&E, for the fabrics for Dee's trick-or-treat basket.  Check out those pom-poms!  

Wendi, through the swap discussions on Facebook, knew Bobbi preferred Autumn colors.  She pieced a smaller Modern Maple leaf and surrounded it with long strips of saturated color.  What this picture fails to show is the hand quilting.  A beautiful understated table runner Bobbi can use well past October 31st.

Faye made Nona two mug rugs.  The one you can't see is a smiling jack-o-lantern!

Our meeting ran long, because as wrote at the beginning of this post, our group of women are talented, creative, and fun.  We are also enthusiastic prolific quilters. 

Stay tuned for the pictures, and what I can remember, from our Show & Tell, and Sew-Day scenes.

Cindy

ECMQG Secretary

March Meeting

I can hardly believe it's March.  But it is.  And we have a meeting and SEW-day right around the corner.  As in 4 days.  So how about a short (ha!) post with the details.

We expect a larger than normal turnout this month, which is extremely exciting! 

Thanks in part to last weekend's show where our quilts were so well received, as well as the Valentine's Day modern quilt presentations given by Marcy and Cindy to the Santa Rosa Quilters' Guild, and by Marcy to the Silver Threads Quilt Guild.  What a way to spend Valentine's Marcy!  Even though you weren't with your honey, you were talking about something you LOVE.

Name tags.

  
Please wear one.  If you don't, you'll be missing out.  It makes you eligible for door prizes and we all know, door prizes are good.  How about a fat quarter bundle of Kona solids courtesy of that GIGANTIC box we received from Robert Kaufman for our anniversary?  Just ask Wendi.  Nothing like attending your first meeting and winning!  Awesome.  
   

Madrona Road Challenge reveal.

Ok, reveal may not be the correct word, as many of us have already shared photos of our projects on Facebook and Flickr.  However, we'll do the BIG show & tell as a group.   I am looking forward to seeing everyone's projects!!

We might will have a short presentation on Project Linus as their "call to blankets" for Camp Corral caught the attention of member Kim Godwin.  Camp Corral actually has two locations in Florida, one of which is the 4-H Camp Timpoochee, in Niceville.  Our backyard.  

At present, Kim hasn't made blankets for Project Linus, although she has a couple that are "almost" ready to go.  She regularly receives their EMails and says "I don't think there is anything better than to give a child a wonderful handmade keepsake. Plus, my son received a small fleece blanket from the hospital when he was born.  I don't know for sure if it is a Project Linus blanket, but I think it might be.  He just turned four and he still loves it!"  

I think, like Kim, several of us might have a quilt top or two in the "almost" stage that would be perfect for donating.

We'll be finalizing the details of our April road trip to Pensacola.  A&E here we come!  This trip will be the perfect time to pick up a fat quarter or two for the May Blind FQ swap.  

Borrowing a page from the LAMQG, Kelly gave us the details last month.  Choose up to three FQs and individually wrap them in brown paper - no peeking.  For every FQ you contribute, you withdraw one, taking turns, until each wrapped bundle is gone.  Unwrapping is the exciting part, because as we all know, good things come in small packages.  Just remember to keep your fabric selection modern.  No solids allowed. 

Of course we'll recap our quilt show experiences.

Don't forget about show & tell.  Finished projects, WIPs, fabric - we enjoy seeing and hearing all about them.

  

  
We have a couple of demonstration and skill building lessons for you.  Wendi's on tap for wonky blocks and hexagons.  Both of which she prepared as a brief demo for last weekend's quilt show.  Marcy's going to show us the ins and outs of making a little lined zippered pouch.  

If you'd like to learn, or practice, please bring a couple of fat quarters, 1/4 yard of fusible fleece or interfacing, a 7" zipper, and your sewing machine's zipper foot.  Double, or, triple these amounts if you're staying for the SEW-day.  I have a feeling these are addicting.  I know wonky blocks are.  I think the same can be said about hexagons and zippered pouches too. 

And speaking of skill building.   What about those Craftsy BOM blocks?  If anyone is participating, bring in your block(s).  They just might earn another ticket for a door prize.

Food, as in snacks to share, is always a good thing and greatly appreciated.  We are informal and do not have a food sign-up list or committee like some of the larger guilds.

SEW-day supplies should include your project(s) and anything you might need, including an iron, a pressing surface, and possibly, an extension cord.    There are several LQS in Crestview - A Quilter's Place and Margie's, just in case.

See you Saturday!

Dreaming of QuiltCon

Our little piece of QuiltCon.  You know, that inaugural conference and show by and for The Modern Quilt Guild that happened in Austin, TX over the weekend.  You know, the one we all wanted to attend.  You know, the one some of us recently  dreamed about attending.

QuiltCon.  The reason we made this beautiful quilt.   

First came the idea of, and the challenge.  Even when QuiltCon was in it's planning stages and details were vague, we knew we wanted to participate.

Then came fabric. 

This little bundle was put together at Lynn's during our March 2012 meeting.

Then came the blocks.  

August 25, 2012 was the submission deadline.  Some of us sent blocks.  Some of us held onto our blocks.  Some of us even held onto our fabric.  From around the country and around the world, more than 375 blocks were received, but only 20 to 25 would eventually be chosen for the Raffle Quilt.  Elizabeth Hartmann wrote a series of posts about all of the blocks, organizing them into shape families and piecing styles.  Photos can be found here.  She did this from August 27th thru September 22nd.  There were SO many gorgeous blocks!  

After her selections for the Raffle Quilt, the remainder of the blocks, in groups of 7 or so, were distributed to MQGs who wanted to make a quilt for the Austin Children's Shelter.  These quilts would also be displayed during QuiltCon.

These are the blocks ECMQG received.  From New Zealand.  From Charlotte, NC.  From Philadelphia, PA.      

During our November meeting, we decided to make our quilt in the style of a "travelling quilt" with participating members arranging blocks, adding blocks, and/or adding yardage.  We chose Kona medium gray as the background. 

As it made it's tour through our homes over the holidays and into January, it took shape like this:  (I think I have these in order.  I think I know who made new blocks and who assembled what, but for fear of omitting someone, I'll just show pictures.  For now.)

After our January Sew-day, Marcy took it home and began free motion quilting with her longarm.  Once again, just as she did with this quilt, she took a one dimensional top - a beautiful, colorful, modern top - and intuitively, magically, made it come alive.  Texture.  Depth.  Beauty.  Dimension.  Fun.

The pieced binding, hand-sewn by Kathleen just as she did for our last charity quilt, is a combination of Michael Miller's Painter's Canvas in tangerine orange (I think tangerine is more descriptive, but...) and On A String in lime by Valentina Ramos for Robert Kaufman.  Both, obviously, are official QuiltCon colors.  Both compliment our quilt beautifully.  We have to thank Kelly S for that design choice.

Finally, our label.

We packed this baby up and shipped it off to Austin for QuiltCon and it's eventual destination at the Austin Children's Shelter.  What better way is there to share our love of quilting, our love of color, our love of fabric, our love of sewing, our love of design, than to comfort a child, a young adult, or a family that needs protection and healing?

I think we accomplished all of that with every stitch we put into this beauty.  Congratulations ladies.