February Meeting Recap

Kira called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to our February meeting with 38 members and one visitor present.  She also discussed our primary goals for the year, charity and education.

By-Law Change
A change to the by-laws was presented by our co-VP, Natalie.  

As required, notice was given two weeks prior to the meeting.  

Some discussion followed as several members were unaware of the proposed changes.  Further discussion amounted to using all avenues of communication be utilized (Facebook, Email, and blog posts) to ensure pertinent information reaches our membership.

By a majority show of hands, the changes to the by-laws were approved.

Treasurer's Report
Nona provided details about the deposit(s) made for January.   Also, finances and a budget are in transition from the previous year.  Our PayPal account is active for accepting payment of annual dues.

Education
Kira introduced the first featured quilts and quilters in our series "Defining Modern Quilting" with two handouts.  The idea is to provide a reference each month describing why the quilt chosen fits a modern quilt definition, some information about the maker or designer, and their contact information.  All pictures and information are used with the maker's/designer's permission.

Several members have birthdays in February.

Swaps

The "Sweet Pouch Swap", in honor of Valentine's Day, made everyone who participated happy. 

In March, we're switching to a F8 Fabric Swap, with any of the gorgeous fabrics from the designers of Cotton + Steel.  As with our previous swaps, one yard increments; up to three total yards may be swapped per member.  Each yard MUST be a different print.  Please post pictures of your chosen fabrics to Facebook to minimize duplication. 

This "Sweet Pouch" was made by our junior member, Eliana

Faye has already chosen her fabrics for next month's Cotton & Steel fabric swap

Block Lottery
39 heart blocks were created and submitted, with three winners chosen - Laraine, Mandy, and Nona. 

Yvonne presented the chosen block for March.


Faye, Kim, Kira, and Natalie each showed a finished quilt top from previous block lottery winnings!

Susan presented the February Block Lottery Block (appropriately enough, it was a heart)

Faye finished her quilt top from one of last year's block lotteries.

Kira's "Polaroid" blocks quilt top from one of last year's block lotteries.

Kim's Churn Dash quilt top featuring low volume backgrounds and brights.

Natalie picked a few of these "Castle in the Air" blocks apart to come up with this modern quilt top.

"Reflections" for the March block lottery.

Show and Tell

We saw creative endeavors from 14 members.

Eliana made an outfit for her doll with the help of a friend.

Beverly made two quilts from a Kaffe Fassett design roll

Beverly's second quilt from her Kaffe Fassett design roll

Beverly also did some "selfish sewing" and made a new bag for QuiltCon

Mandy made 14 of these dolls for children in her husband's unit -each doll has a place under the plastic "face mask" for the child to tuck daddy's photo into while dad is deployed.

This quilt is made from hand-dyed fabric using a freezer paper technique.

Hand dyed and hand painted fabric.

This text fabric is hand painted

Many members made several "Sweet Pouches" in addition to the ones we swapped

Mary presented this 9-patch quilt

Mary also presented this super-modern quilt (modern elements are:  limited palette, lots of negative space, random placement of print fabrics)

And the back is just as cool as the front!

Mary has been busy - she also presented this string quilt top

Melissa is experimenting in this quilt top - she's not sure if it's finished.

Melissa made this star block in all the colors of the rainbow

This pattern makes two blocks

Melissa had lots of "advice" from guild members on this one.  Those blocks on the black?  Wow!

And the back of her quilt is fabulous too

Natalie said she used "ugly" fabrics in this beauty that looks like a landscape

Cindy did some "selfish sewing" and made her family a heart pillow for Valentine's Day

Marcy also did a bit of "selfish sewing" and made a flying geese table runner

Charity and Community Outreach
Cindy revealed the newest quilt for Project Honor.  It's a red, white, and blue string block quilt arranged in the shape of a heart that needs a quilter.  If you can assist, please let her know.  

We are also looking for other area organizations that are interested in receiving quilts.  Please let Cindy know who we can help.  Additionally, orphan blocks and unwanted fabric can always be used for guild charity projects. 

Thank you to everyone who gave completed quilts to our outreach efforts.

Our latest Quilt of Valor quilt top is completed

Bobbi and Cindy have been working on this charity quilt top since November

Wendi donated this "Bookshelf Quilt" as a charity quilt - Cindy will find it a good home

The back of the "Bookshelf Quilt"

Notification to Membership of Proposed Changes to ECMQG Bylaws

In accordance with the requirement in the ECMQG By-Laws regarding notifying members of proposed changes to the By Laws 2 weeks prior to the next general meeting of the membership, the following notification is given regarding to proposed changes to the By-Laws:


 Membership:
     Now reads:  Membership may be granted to anyone residing in the state of Florida 18 years or older...
     Proposed change:  Membership may be granted to anyone in Northwest Florida and surrounding geographic region 18 years or older...

Explanation:  We already have members outside of Northwest Florida - in Baldwin County, Dothan and other surrounding communities.

Dues:
Now reads:  Payment of dues is required for membership and will be set by the Executive Board.  Dues will be collected annually.  Members that join ECMQG midyear (after July 1st) will pay the amount as described below.  If a member withdraws from ECMQG, dues will not be prorated or refunded.  Dues must be received no later than February 15th to remain a member in good standing...

Proposed change:  Payment of dues is required for membership and will be set by the Executive Board.  Dues will be collected annually.  Members that join ECMQG midyear (after July 1st) will pay the amount as described below.  If a member withdraws from ECMQG, dues will not be prorated or refunded.  Dues must be received no later than December 15th for the upcoming calendar year to remain a member in good standing...

Explanation:  Our national Modern Quilt Guild dues are due on December 31st for the upcoming calendar year, and the Executive Board proposes this change to comply with this deadline.

Quorum:
Now reads:  At all meetings of the Executive Board, 50% of the members must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  If the quorum is not met, the meeting may be ended and rescheduled.

Proposed change:   At all meetings of the Executive Board, 75% of the members must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  If the quorum is not met, the meeting may be ended and rescheduled.

Explanation: It was felt by the Board that 50% of the Executive Board was not sufficient to constitute a quorum. 

Upcoming Program: Foundation Paper Piecing

Becky, our Programs Director

Our next meeting is Saturday, February 14th.  Susan will be presenting our program on foundation paper piecing.  You may be asking,  "What is foundation paper piecing and why would I use it?"  

This is the answer: It is a very precise technique, used in quilting, to sew together a pattern, especially if it has small pieces or you want you block to be perfect.  Now... I think I can hear all of you saying, "What? Did she say 'perfect' and 'quilting' in the same sentence?  Impossible!"  There was a time that I would have agreed with you.  But once I discovered foundation paper piecing, all of that changed.  Read on...

For this technique, a special type of pattern is printed onto paper, like this: 

photo by Susan of ECMQG

Then pieces of fabric are sewn onto the paper in a certain order,

pressed and trimmed. 

photo by Susan of ECMQG

And there you have it, perfect angles, perfect points!

And the fun doesn't end there. Here are some other examples:

photo from: sewsweetness.com/

from: www.averbforkeepingwarm.com 

photo from: wombatquilts.com/

If you'd like to try your hand at foundation paper piecing, Susan will be available after the meeting for a hands on demonstration and guidance.  This is during our regularly scheduled "Sew Day" time.  The sample project is for a 4" x 6" mug rug and she'll provide the pattern.

To participate, the following supplies are necessary: sewing machine, thread, fabrics of your choice, small cutting mat, rotary cutter, a 2" x 6" piece of thin cardboard, rotary cutting ruler, or the special "Add A Quarter" ruler.

                                                 

See you soon,
Becky

January 2015 Meeting

Emerald Coast Modern Quilt Guild

Meeting minutes: January 10, 2015  10am

A warm welcome was extended by Kira, President, to existing members, new members, guests and visitors. There were 12 new faces at the meeting, some a result of a modern quilting presentation given to the Milton Quilt Guild last November.

The benefits of guild membership were highlighted.

The new board members and committee chairs were introduced.

Birthdays

     Eight members celebrated birthdays in December or January. These members received their birthday fabric “lollipops” and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” sung by those present.

Program

     Yvonne and Cricket presented a program on making a lined drawstring bag. The tutorial can be found at Jeni Baker’s blog,

                        www.incolororder.com/2011/10/lined-drawstring-bag-tutorial

The swap at next month’s meeting, “Sweet Pouch”, will utilize the drawstring pouch. Instructions and signup for the swap are available online at: 

                                  emeraldcoastmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com

The deadline for signing up is January 17, 2015. Contact Cricket or Yvonne with questions.

Today’s swap is: Low Volume F8’s. Instructions are available on the blog.

Announcements

     Cindy spoke about the Charity Quilt Program. These can be worked on individually or as a guild during sew time following each guild meeting. Today, interested members can work with Cindy on a “Make It Patchwork” quilt using 4½ in squares donated by guild members. Orphan blocks and UFO’s are a welcome donation. There is a link to the Charity program on the blog. Check there for more details.

     Marcy  gave an update on the charity quilt worked on by guild members and submitted to QuiltCon 2015. She requested that anyone who worked on the quilt please contact her with their name so it can be included on the label for the quilt.

     Marcy is also planning the guild’s first retreat. She updated us on ideas she has, venues she is exploring and passed around questionnaires asking “what would we like to do” and “what can you teach”. The retreat is tentatively planned for September, 2015.

     Becky passed out a survey, to be completed at the end of the meeting, on which members can indicate which programs they would be interested in seeing and any areas where they could help. A field trip to A&E was discussed.

     Natalie talked about “Quilt National ‘13” being held in Panama City, FL. The exhibit can be visited through February 20, 2015. There is a $6 admission fee. For more information visit the Science and Discovery Center of Northwest Florida’s website.

Block Lottery

     The block lottery for this month, ‘Castle in the Air”, was won by Natalie.

Next month’s block lottery, presented by Susan, is ‘Hearts”. Details can be found on the blog as well as the rules governing the block lottery.

      Blocks may also be made using a red, white, and blue theme to be used for QOV.

Door Prizes

     Many wonderful door prizes were won by members, guests, and visitors. Each member wearing a name tag receives one ticket. Additional tickets may be purchased for $1 each.

Show and Tell

     Eleven members brought in show and tell this month, including one new member and one junior member of our guild. Pictures will be posted either on the blog or Facebook.

February 2015 Block Lottery - 12" Heart Block

My name is Susan and I have been quilting for just over a year.  Quilting for me is my happy place.  My mother was an artist and encouraged me a lot growing up and I inherited her creative side.  :)

February is my month to pick our block.  Of course I chose a heart - I LOVE hearts!!  Well, hearts and hello kitty.  Be glad I chose hearts! 

The awesome pattern I found is a free one online from Amy Smart who blogs at Diary of a Quilter. 

Click here for the tutorial.

Photo credit - Amy of Diary of a Quilter

I love what this pattern stands for - 'Be Good to Your Heart'.  Amy's made it really fun and easy.  What could be more perfect for our February lottery block?

The colors are white on white and solid or modern prints in reds or pinks. Hope you love making this block as much as I did!

Oh and don't forget the rules!!

Susan
Block Lottery

EDIT:
Laraine, Mandy, and Nona were the winners for the quilts this month!  We had a huge turn out with enough blocks for three quilts, or 39 total blocks. Congrats ladies!

Programs 2015...We need YOU!

Happy January, everyone! My name is Becky, and I am the program director for our meetings this year. I hope you have all recovered from the chaos of the holiday season, and you're ready for some quilty fun in 2015!

2015 is the year for everyone to get involved! We've had quite a few members volunteer this year, and they have joined together into committees and started planning some amazing things for the guild. We want this guild to belong to its members, through continued input and participation. Our guild meetings are a great place to meet with our friends, meet new ones, learn some new stuff and have fun. 

As program director, I am looking for some wonderful, amazing, talented ladies (this means you) that are willing to admit it, and help me out! 

Listed below are my fabulous ideas for potential programs this year. My intentions are to offer the most relevant information on modern quilting topics and techniques, in the areas of greatest interest to our members. I'd like everyone's input so that I can narrow down the options. 

Here are some ideas:

• Glue basting (possibly Feb)
• What's the deal with copyrights? (possibly March)
• Field trip to A&E (possibly April) See last year's trip here
• Hand quilting the modern way
• Foundation paper piecing
• English paper piecing, possibly modern medallions
• Paperless paper piecing
• How to prepare fabric for the best quilting results 
• How to choose the best neutral for your project 
• Deciding what to quilt 
• Making labels
• Modern vs Traditional fabrics. 
• Binding quilts by machine, quilt binding attachments
• Pixelated quilts
• How to insert/attach zippers

In the comments below, please indicate which of these topics interest you, and which ones you can demonstrate to the guild. Don't be scared, I'm not looking for a fancy presentation! You can even volunteer in pairs or groups. 

Happy Quilting!

Becky

January and February 2015 Swaps

I am Cricket Harris and with the help of Yvonne Campbell, we will be arranging the swaps for this year.  

As a reminder, January's Swap is a F8 low volume swap, maximum of three different yard cuts.  Don't forget the meeting is this Saturday, January 10th!!!  

Bring your yard of fabric cut into F8s, each yard in an individual zip-top bag, and label the outside of your bag with your name.  At the meeting, drop your fabric off in the designated place.  Before you leave, you will receive your ziplock back with an assortment of F8s.  

For those still needing to cut fabric, here are the instructions posted earlier in the blog by Wendi Mihalik, last year's swap coordinator.

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 cricket at superiorinhomecare dot com (M-F between 7 to 4:30) or harr703 at cox dot net anytime.  Your best bet is to text me on my cell phone or call me on my cell phone.  I am on the guild roster.  

February's Swap and our meeting lands on Valentine's Day!!!

For February, we are going to do a "Sweet Pouch" swap.  It will be a drawstring bag with a sweet treat for your partner.  

This will be a secret swap.  You will only know who you are making a bag for, and not who is making one for you.  

Sign ups are at the bottom of this post and close Saturday, January 17th.  I will assign partners on Sunday, the 18th, by the end of the day.  

There will be a program on this bag at the January 10th meeting.  I will be available after the meeting if you have questions, or would like assistance in making a test bag.  Materials needed, in addition to the normal notions, to sew a bag:  

- 3 fat quarters
- 2 yards of ribbon, or 1/8 yd fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Interfacing if you want to use it: enough for 2 cuts of 12.5" x 10.5" 

This is the lined drawstring bag we will be using for the swap.  The tutorial for the bag can be found on the blog, In Color Order by Jeni Baker. 

The only thing we would like is for the bag to made by the general pattern and finish close to the dimensions of the bag in the tutorial.  For example, you can piece the main fabric section of the bag, as in this tutorial, or if you want to make your bag striped, another tutorial is here.

Never done a neat nifty cut corner?  The tutorial is here.

All these tutorials are from Jeni Baker's In Color Order blog, so please pop over and let her know what you've made.  And maybe a "thank you" for the tutorials she worked so hard to give the quilting/sewing community.  

Hope to see you at the meeting!

Thanks!

Yvonne & Cricket
Swap Coordinators

Sign Ups:
Reminder, signups close January 17th!

Name:

E-mail:  blank at wherever dot com

Favorite colors:

Favorite sweet treats:

Name:  Cricket Harris

E-mail:  harr703 at cox dot net

Favorite colors:  all of them!  I know, no help at all...

Favorite sweet treats:  semi-sweet dark chocolate!  No red dye, no nuts please....allergies...other than that, I don't discriminate!

January Block Lottery

Happy holidays and may the new year bring you much joy! 

This will be my 1st post on ANY blog and hopefully I make sense!  The block lottery for 2015 has been handed over to a committee of 3 - Susan M, Yvonne C and myself, with me being in charge of the January block.

My name is Elaine and I started quilting about a year and a half ago.  Quilting has become my new obsession.  What I have loved about the block lottery is that I have learned so much and it has made me step outside what was comfortable for me at the time.  It strengthened my quilting skills, as well as made me laugh at the the mistakes I made.  It gave me ideas for new quilts I have in my "I want to make" list.

Welcome to the new year and the beginning of the next year of block lotteries!

The block I chose for January can be found at the Quilter's Cache and is called Castle in the Air.

The block was not terribly difficult but there were a few quirks I found along the way that I wanted to share that might help you in creating your block. 

It finishes to a 12.5” block. The final design is fun to play with.

First of all, make sure you read through all three pages of making/cutting the block.  If you are new to the Quilter’s Cache site, you will see links at the bottom of the 1st page that take you to page 2, page 3, etc., as well as, actual blocks or quilts that were made as examples.
  

In making the block, I found I had to use a scant ¼” seam throughout the ENTIRE block to make it come out the size and way I wanted.

I did have to refer back to their diagrams for the final piecing arrangement on several occasions. They took the guess work out of it for me.

Color #1  - will be a blue or green modern print  
Color #2  - will be a yellow modern print
(The one I used was a lighter print that gave a little texture to the yellow - almost low volume in design.)
Color #3  - Kona White (I used brighter colors, but any shade of white will work for this block.)

This block works well with scraps you might have.  Below are the color combos I used.

The next set of cuts prior to stitching:

The final blocks in all their glory!

Hopefully you find these as fun as I did and I can't wait to see what all of you come up with.

As a final note, my thanks to Kira and all of the blocks she gave us over the last year.

Happy quilting & contact me if I can help in any way,
Elaine

(Edited)
Natalie was our winner for January, and here are the blocks she won!

And the quilt top she created from her blocks!