What's new for the New Year?

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and wishing you a happy, "modern" New Year!

We begin 2017 with our monthly meeting on Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00pm.  This meeting will be held at our regular location at Christ Community Church, 2221 Bowen Road in Nanaimo. This month's meeting will include a demo on Celtic knots and show-and-shares.

We've got some exciting programs coming up, starting in February, with a couple of fun and informative workshops by Krista Hennebury, author of Make It, Take It.

Speed Date with Improv
Saturday, February 25th (10am-5pm)

Square Peg, Round Hole

Sunday, February 26th (10am-4pm)

Workshops will take place at Jonanco Hobby Workshop, located at the intersection of Nanaimo River Road and White Rapids Road in Nanaimo.

NMQG members: $65/workshop, Other quilters $75/workshop. There is a small materials fee for all participants.

To register contact Lori Hargreaves: lori.hargreaves@yahoo.ca or 250 585 2065

Check out Krista’s blog: http://poppyprintcreates.blogspot.ca
 

November updates

Hope you're taking advantage of the crummy weather to cuddle up with your sewing machine and get some projects done! We'd love to have a bunch of projects at the Show and Share at our next meeting, which is December 7. Heads up, we are starting early at 6:30 for a potluck! Bring a sweet or a savory, and bring your own utensils, plates, etc. At least we won't have wasps this time!

Please also bring a contribution to Allen's "thank you" basket. I would encourage local products since they are still finding their way around our great city and island. Ideas: coffee, tea, beer, wine, tea towels, candles, or books or toys for their son (just over a year, named Felix). I will collect money towards a gift certificate towards a local restaurant if you prefer to give me cash/cheque instead of bringing an item. I'll pile it all in a basket with a card and a couple baby-sitting coupons.

At our Christmas meeting we'll be having a presentation on quilted postcards by Becky. This is will be great for getting us inspired for our first project exchange!

Last by not least, we have a sew-in at the North Nanaimo Library Nov 26 at 10:00. Address is 6250 Hammond Bay Road (not the address posted previously). Bring your project, your sewing machine, and extension cord. To reserve a spot and pay $10, email the NMQG at nanaimomqg@gmail.com

Stay warm and dry this fall, and keep quilting!

spreading the MQG word at the library

Just a quick post about our sew in...

Dorothy with her paper-piecing

We had a few brave ladies brave the cold and rain to sew the day away at the library. Lots of people were tempted in to hear about the lovely mysteries of modern quilting. We'll be there every other month, so we hope see a few of those curious folks at a meeting some time!

Becky is clearly organized for the afternoon!

NMQG does FMQ!

The happy face of a blossoming free motion quilter! We had a great time at...

We only have a few sports left for our Stacy Murton workshop, "Free Motion Quilting with a Modern Twist"! It happens Sept 25 at Jonanco Hobby Workshop, 2745 White Rapids Road. This is our first workshop for the Nanaimo MQG, and we'd love to see a full house!

To sign up, email us at nanaimomqg@gmail.com. Your spot is considered reserved once you pay the guild ($45 for members of the NMQG, $50 for non-members).

Hope to see you there! Happy quilting!

PS Our November sew in is filling up fast well. Email us at nanaimomqg@gmail.com to sign up for that, too!

Great Start to the Year!

Our first official meeting of the Nanaimo Modern Quilt Guild was a great success!

Meeting in the lounge of the Christ Community Church allowed us to spread out and have a lively discussion of our biggest weakness at fabric stores (basically it sounds like we should all check our wallets at the door). The executive team of Lori, Mary, Lise, Donna-Mae, and Kathleen explained the guidelines that will help shape this great group. Here are some highlights...

1) As a fledgling guild, our bank account is stretched thin by start up costs. We will be offering opportunities for you to financially support the guild, from a one dollar fine for not having a nametag to various activities and raffles. We would never want you to feel like you're being nickeled-and-dimed, though, so we hope to keep our requests light-hearted and worth your while!

2) We want to draw on our your expertise and curiosity! Actually, we want to learn from your mistakes. We are hoping to have a guild member present on a topic at most meetings. From a technique you're exploring to a new product or ruler, you each have skills the rest of us are envious of! This is a friendly, low pressure group; presentations can be anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Think about what you might be able to share...

3) In order to promote the NMQG, we hope to do some challenges with Vancouver MQG, Victoria MQG, or other guilds. We look forward to making a name for ourselves, and be inspired to new projects.

4) Show and share guidelines will help us enjoy the fruits of everyone's labour. Each person will have up to five minutes to present whatever modern quilting projects you bring. We encourage only finished works, unless the project is going out of your hands before the next meeting, or you are desperate for some feedback on a particular stage. If we have extra time, people may present the projects they didn't get to in their five minutes.

Next month will be less business and more fun! We'll be showing a web video that will help us define and explore modern quilting. Hope to see you there! Watch the blog for updates!

We have a Stacey Murton workshop coming up!

Stacey Murton from the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is coming on Sept 24 for a workshop on free motion quilting. Whether you thought FMQ would make a Fussy Mess of your Quilt and have never tried it, or have been doing it for a while, this workshop will boost your creativity and skill!

The workshop runs from 10:30-4:00 on Sept 24 at Jonanco Hobby Workshop (2745 White Rapids Road, Nanaimo). The cost is $45 for members, and $50 for non-members. Until Sept 10, tickets are available EXCLUSIVELY to NMQG members. Starting Sept 11, the remaining tickets will be made available to Victoria Modern Quilt Guild and the Nanaimo Quilt Guild.

There are only 15 spaces available, and your spot will not be reserved until you have paid. Come to our Sept 7 meeting at Christ Community Church to sign up, or email us at nanaimomqg@gmail.com to arrange your payment and sign up.

A list of supplies has gone out to NMQG members. The list will be posted here closer to the date that the tickets will be made available to the public.

We Have Sew-In Dates Booked!

We have booked a year's worth of sew-in dates! All of our sew-ins will be at the Vancouver Island Regional Library North Nanaimo Branch, 6250 Hammond Bay Road. These will be day long events to bring your own sewing machine and work on whatever project you have on the go. Space will be limited, so we will be taking reservations closer to each date. Exact times and other helpful details will be coming soon!




Sew in dates: Oct 1 2016, Nov 26 2016, Jan 28 2017, May 27 2017.




Keep an eye out for more information, and we hope to see you there!

Our Current Meeting Location!

We've outgrown the community room at the Country Grocer! Steadily growing since February 2016, the Nanaimo Modern Quilt Guild has obtained a new space. Starting September 7, we will be meeting at the  Christ Community Church at 2221 Bowen Road (at Northfield Road) in Nanaimo. With the flexibility to accomodate up to 50 people and with a kitchen for those energizing refreshments, the CCC is sure to be the site of many exciting meetings.

Many thanks to the Country Grocer on Bowen Road for having accomodated us so generously!

We look forward to seeing you all (and your quilts) in the new space.

End of summer daytrip to Vancouver MQG's Quilt Showcase

You might have heard that the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is having their first ever Quilt Showcase August 27 and 28, 2016. It is being held at the Pipe Shop at the Vancouver Shipyards, at the foot of Londsdale in North Vancouver.

If you're interested in joining a group going over to see the show, email us at nanaimomqg@gmail.com. We'd love to spread the word about this new guild we have here!

Take an (iced) coffee break: no meeting this August!

We will have our first meeting as the official Nanaimo Modern Quilt Guild on Wednesday September 7, at 7 pm. The executive team will be using August to build the foundation of the NMQG.

Enjoy the time off, do what inspires you, and we look forward to seeing you at the unveiling of the Nanaimo Modern Quilt Guild!