Hello everyone,
Here's your summary of what happened at this month’s meeting for everyone who wasn’t able to attend (and to jog memories for those who did).
News/etc. from the meeting:
- We’re going to borrow an idea from the Rocket City MQG and start doing a 30 minute social time prior to the start of the meeting. After all, we have the space from 6:30 to 9, so why not use it? There is a kettle in the kitchen, so bring your favourite mug and your favourite tea bags (or your Starbucks/Timmy’s). We’ll see about figuring out a sign-up or rotation for treats at some point, but for right now it will be ad hoc as for the break.
- It’s membership renewal time. If you haven’t renewed yet, please do so at the November meeting or get in touch with us.
- Quick update on the donation quilts project: We’re up to 29 fully finished quilts, another almost done, and 17 quilt tops awaiting quilting. Speaking of which, we’re having a sewing day at Jonanco this Saturday from 9-4 to work on the donation quilts… more on that below.
- We discussed the CQA’s Quilt Canada challenge, “Gateway to Adventure” - I’ll put more details on that below. Let us know at the November meeting if you’re interested in participating.
- As mentioned/discussed before, this December we’ll be doing an ornament swap at the potluck rather than the mug rug. In keeping with that, we brought in a few fabric ornaments to spark some ideas (and there’s always Pinterest too.)
- We were going to have a quick run through the MQG website, but ran into technical issues (i.e.: needing a long extension cord that we couldn’t find), so we will do that at the November meeting. Also at the November meeting: there will be an improv exercise using construction paper.
- We discussed maybe starting a lending library similar to what the Victoria MQG or the Nanaimo Quilter’s Guild has, but aimed more at books on modern quilting. However, the consensus is that, at least for now, most of our members tend to use online resources instead of books, so we decided to build a resource list with appropriate links on our website. It will take a while to get it made but we’ll try to have something at least started by the next meeting, and will slowly add to it as we go.
- And of course there was show & share (also has pics of the example decorations):
SEW DAY AT JONANCO: This Saturday October 5th at Jonanco, all day (9-4ish). This is for assembling and otherwise working on the donation quilts, come on out! Jonanco is at just south of Nanaimo at 2745 White Rapids Rd.
DONATION QUILTS: As we discussed in previous meetings, we have an ongoing project to make half square triangles for quilts to be donated to kids in foster care. Barb said we’re now up over 35 totally finished quilts.
We had a brief discussion about whether to continue with the HSTs theme or move to maybe using more panels as centrepieces and adding borders. It was decided that we’ll open it up; if you’d like to continue making the HSTs as last year and described below, awesome. If you’ve had enough of HSTs but want to do a different pattern or do panels, that’s cool. Just make it modern and make it overall about 45” x 60” if you’re doing an entire quilt on your own, bonus points for that size plus borders to beef it up.
We also have batting for the donation quilts, so get in touch with us if you have a top done because there is batting to be had for it and we can cut it for you if you tell us what size your quilt top is.
If you missed the specs on the HSTs: we’re going for a scrappy sort of look, but big and modern. Half square triangle blocks should be trimmed to 8.5 inches, with one side lighter and the other darker (relative is OK, like pink against white), and we also discussed having one side be a solid (or a subtle print that reads as a solid) and the other a print. The target age is the slightly older kids and teens, say 6-16, as there tends to already be a lot of donations aimed at the really little kids. Final quilt sizes will be lap size (5 blocks wide by 7 blocks high, plus borders) or twins, but you can also just keep feeding us HSTs and we’ll build the quilts later on. As this is an ongoing project, just make ‘em as you can and bring ‘em – great way to work through your stash.
If you missed the specs on the HSTs: we’re going for a scrappy sort of look, but big and modern. Half square triangle blocks should be trimmed to 8.5 inches, with one side lighter and the other darker (relative is OK, like pink against white), and we also discussed having one side be a solid (or a subtle print that reads as a solid) and the other a print. The target age is the slightly older kids and teens, say 6-16, as there tends to already be a lot of donations aimed at the really little kids. Final quilt sizes will be lap size (5 blocks wide by 7 blocks high, plus borders) or twins, but you can also just keep feeding us HSTs and we’ll build the quilts later on. As this is an ongoing project, just make ‘em as you can and bring ‘em – great way to work through your stash.
CQA CHALLENGE: The highlights: those who want to participate will each make a small quilt (maximum perimeter of 72”, so max 18x18” or 12”x24”, etc.) based on the theme “GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE”. The quilt must have Kona K001-147 Jungle in “a visible amount” plus 3 other fabrics, which can be solids or prints, and will be due by the April meeting, when the guild will choose one of the quilts to represent the guild at Quilt Canada (deadline for entry is April 15, 2020).
More info: https://canadianquilter.com/member-guild-challenge-2020/
Please let us know by November if you’re going to do this challenge, because we may be able to order a small bolt of the required Kona fabric and get a discount on it if enough of us are going to do it.
YEAR AT A GLANCE: This is what we have planned so far:
- November: design exercise, MQG website
- December: annual potluck and Christmas swap - this year it will be quilted or other fabric ornaments
- January: design exercises or a guest speaker, TBA
- February/March: one month will be a trunk show, the other will be technique demos
- April: presentation or design exercises, TBA
- May: TBA
- June: stash sale as previously discussed, we need someone to take on organizing the details; summer challenge assigned
- July: annual potluck picnic
And of course, we take August off.
Next meeting: Tuesday, November 5th, 7pm (doors open by 6:30 for the pre-meeting social)
Upcoming quilt shows:
Maybe Island Quilt Guild: July 18, 2020, more info on their website here: http://
Links for our guild:
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
See you in November - happy quilting!
