REMINDER: Sew Day Tomorrow!

REMINDER: Sew Day Tomorrow!
Sewing will go from 10am-11pm.

Please RSVP in the forum if you are coming, so we can get a general head count.


Location:
Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, California, 94022
http://g.co/maps/kvpkt


Plan to bring your own:

    Extension cord and/or power strip
    Sewing machine
    Cutting tools/mats (you might want a personal one)
    Night-owls might want to bring an iron and cutting if an
early-bird needs to take theirs home.


We will be in the Community Room of the Los Altos Library. It's the
large room on the side of the library nearest San Antonio Rd. There
are two sets of double doors on the outside of the library - both lead
into a foyer area, and the Community Room door is on the left part of
this foyer, the checkout desk is on the right.
If you arrive late (after 6pm when the library closes), knock on the
doors closest to the Community Room, and someone should be able to let
you inside.

We will need to set up and take down tables and chairs, which are
available at the library. Please plan to help with this. Also please
try to keep your floor area clean.

Coffee and other light snacks are available in the foyer of the library.

People often pick up meals from a local restaurant. There are many
places nearby, or you can take San Antonio to El Camino and find many
restaurants and markets there.

BAMQG Supports QuiltCon

We have been talking about QuiltCon, the conference for Modern Quiltmakers that will be held in February in Austin, TX. for a few months now. Several members plan to attend (and give detailed reviews, right? ;-)   )

Quick reminder of the details of QuiltCon are:  

• QuiltCon:  February 21-24, 2013 in Austin, Texas.  
• QuiltCon will feature a juried show.  
• Quilt entry opens July 1, 2012 and closes October 31, 2012.  
• Information can be found on the QuiltCon Website

The best news is that BAMQG is a Gold Needle Sponsor of the conference! We are fortunate that the name of our guild starts with a 'B' because that means we are second on the list. (Editor's note: BTW, the link from the sponsor page goes to this blog! Yikes! I had better up my game!)

QuiltCon has all the usual social media locations so:

• Sign up for their Newsletter. 
• Follow them on Twitter. 
• Like them on Facebook.

YAY! A big thanks to everyone that made this happen. 

Member Spotlight - Ruth

by Ruth

1. Who are you, where do you live, and who with? Tell us about your family and/or the important people (pets are GREAT!) in your life and how they feel about your quiltmaking?

My name is Ruth B., and I live in Mountain View with my husband Steve and our dog, Koni. Steve is very supportive of my quilting, including fabric buying. At least budget-wise... it doesn't extend to actually shopping with me.  
Koni gives his own brand of support.  When I use the sewing machine, he frequently comes around and tries to climb into my lap. Sewing is difficult with a doggie head in front of your face, just so you know.

2. Do you want people to look at your blog? website? Flickr stream? If so, please provide links?

I blog at PippinSequim .  I am ircabbit on both Flickr and Pinterest, if those are your jam.

3. How long have you been making quilts/ How and where did you learn to quilt/Who inspired you to get started?/Describe your first quilt
   My Mom was a sewer and quilter, and I was fascinated with it, as far back as I can remember.

   

   Me watching my Mom lay out squares

   I started “helping” with her quilts when I was about 12... cutting pieces for her (with a 12-yr old's precision)... piecing (I was always forgetting to hold the threads when I started, which made a big bird's nest of thread in her machine). By high school, I was mostly doing the tops for her quilts, and then leaving her to quilt them. (Nice arrangement for me, ya?) I took a break when I left for college, and then came back to quilting in 2009, when I started my first solo project:

   

   The first project that I started on my own

   My four sisters each contributed embroidered squares that I used to make a quilt for my oldest niece. It's my favorite of the quilts I've made so far.
4. What is your style and where do you find inspiration?
   My inspiration is probably evenly divided between Flickr, blogs, the guild, and things that I see - like buildings, beaches, vineyards, etc. My quilting style would probably be considered modern, but I don't feel a strong need to fit my quilting under some label or banner. I make what seems pretty or interesting to me.
5. Do you belong to other guilds besides BAM? If so, which ones and why?
   Bay Area Modern is my baby! When I started quilting again three years ago, I looked around for a quilting group, but I didn't really find anything that seemed like a good fit. I was so jealous when I started hearing about the meetings of the LA Modern Quilt Guild. Alissa put up a post inviting people to start their own local MQGs, and I kept checking back over and over, waiting for someone to take action in the Bay Area. Then, one day I was looking at the post, and I remember thinking “Well, all I really have to do is click right there and send an email, and then I will have started one!”
6. What guild job do you hold and why did you volunteer for that position?
   My job in the guild is Challenge Coordinator (and General Interferer in Everyone's Business, haha). It was easy picking my job - before we had coordinators, I did a little bit of almost all the positions we have now, so I knew just what I liked best! Editor's note: Ruth was also the first president.
7. Favorite quilting blogs?  (mainly because Joelle wants some new blogs to read ;-)  )
   I read a lot of blogs, but the majority of them are related to garment sewing, home decorating, or just humorous/random writing.  I do follow some of the big ones like Film in the Fridge, Tallgrass Prairie Studio, Oh Fransson, and Crazy Mom Quilts. I also follow some of our guild members who have blogs.
8. What do you generally do with the quilts you make?  Give away? Keep? Sell? Show?
   I have given away all of the quilts that I've finished so far. Of the six quilts that I have in progress right now, 3 are destined to stay with me (it's about time!), and the other six will be given away.
9. What is your favorite block pattern?
   When I'm asked for my favorite color, I usually say a different one every time because it takes too long to explain that I don't really have one and the colors are all lovely in different contexts. It's the same with block patterns, so for today I will say the Storm at Sea block. It's lovely, creates beautiful secondary patterns, and has such an excellent  name.

   

   Storm at Sea in Neptune by Tula Pink

10. In what room of the house do you sew? Tell us about your sewing/quilting/crafting space.
    I have a semi-permanent setup on the dining room table. It only gets put away for company. Some company. My tools and scraps are in a set of plastic drawers to the left of my sewing chair, and my ironing board is to the right. My fabric stash doesn't fit in the dining room, so it is in the office. I thought it was a little cramped (the danger of reading too many “my sewing space” blog posts from quilters who have a whole room to themselves) but I have a lot more room than some of the other people in the guild. 
    

    
11. Do you create in any other areas of craft? Is quilting your main creative outlet?
    I do all kinds of crafts. I have quilted, sewed garments, housewares, and softies, knitted, crocheted, mod-podged, stamped, upholstered, refinished a chair, done woodworking, machined metal, and made bracelets, earrings, and yarn poodles. Lately my crafting time is mostly devoted to quilting and garment sewing.
12. Are there any must have quilting tools?  
    I really love my Chaco liner. It's a chalk marking device sold by Clover, and it's magical. I almost always mark my tops for quilting because I've learned that my quilting is straighter if I mark my quilt where my needle needs to go, rather than using the side of my foot against the piecing lines. The Chaco liner is definitely the best marking device that I've used, and it's just chalk on the surface, so I don't worry that sometime it won't come out.
13. What are your favorite shops either online or in the neighborhood?
    I have a bad addiction to Julie's shop (Intrepid Thread). I follow her blog, so I'm constantly being tempted by the new fabric coming in. She always invites me to pick up my fabric if I don't want to wait for the next guild meeting, and of course once I'm there, a few more things usually end up in my stack (Julie – that's preying on the weak!).
14. Is there an area of quilting at which you feel you excel? Tell us about it. Do you prefer the process of designing, piecing, or quilting?
    My favorite part of the quilting process is definitely design, but it's a bit empty if I never actually do anything! The very best part is picking fabrics. My stash (and the room it's in) is always a crazy mess because I pull fabric combinations frequently and enthusiastically.
15. Do you have a favorite sewing tip or trick?

I have a great technique for placing your next fabric when paper piecing, but it's a bit hard to just describe. Hit me up next time you are paper piecing and I will gladly show you.

August Show & Tell

Here is a short and sweet slideshow of August Show and Tell.

Thanks to Adrianne for helping your editor with this post.

REMINDER: August 25 Sew Day!

REMINDER: We are planning an August 25 Sew Day!
Sewing will go from 10am-11pm.

Please RSVP in the forum if you are coming, so we can get a general head count.


Location:
Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, California, 94022
http://g.co/maps/kvpkt


Plan to bring your own:

    Extension cord and/or power strip
    Sewing machine
    Cutting tools/mats (you might want a personal one)
    Night-owls might want to bring an iron and cutting if an
early-bird needs to take theirs home.


We will be in the Community Room of the Los Altos Library. It's the
large room on the side of the library nearest San Antonio Rd. There
are two sets of double doors on the outside of the library - both lead
into a foyer area, and the Community Room door is on the left part of
this foyer, the checkout desk is on the right.
If you arrive late (after 6pm when the library closes), knock on the
doors closest to the Community Room, and someone should be able to let
you inside.

We will need to set up and take down tables and chairs, which are
available at the library. Please plan to help with this. Also please
try to keep your floor area clean.

Coffee and other light snacks are available in the foyer of the library.

People often pick up meals from a local restaurant. There are many
places nearby, or you can take San Antonio to El Camino and find many
restaurants and markets there.

A-B-C Challenge: W & X Blocks

The A-B-C Challenge  is still going strong and we have just a few blocks left before we can start sashing, setting and quilting. You can still join us. ;-) Bring your W and X blocks to the September 8 meeting. Here are some ideas for your W & X blocks:

W blocks:

• Wampum, 12" (Quilter's Cache, and Around the Block, pg122)
• Wandering Star, 9" (Quilter's Cache)
• Washington Star, 9" Paper pieced (Quilter's Cache)
• Watermill, 10" (Quilter's Cache)
• Weathervane, 12" (Quilter's Cache)
•  Wheel of Fortune, 8" Paper pieced (Quilter's Cache)
• Whirling Hexagon, 7"x8" RECTANGLE! Paper pieced (Quilter's Cache)
• Windmill, 10" Paper pieced (Quilter's Cache)

Some examples of X blocks, which were very hard to find!, are:

• X Quartet (from Around the Block, pg.127)
• The X (from Around the Block Again, pg.125)
• Japanese X (from Badskirt tutorial via Doodles and Designs Friday Reveal)

Rhonda was looking for a quilt block named after a place. We found a quilt with the name of Xanadu. If you are in the same boat as Rhonda, take a look at Connecting Threads at the Xanadu quilt.

Remember that there are many, many blocks, not listed above, from which to choose. Below are a few of the many block resources available to inspire you:

• 1000 Great Quilt Blocks by Maggi McCormick Gordon 
• 501 Rotary Cut Quilt Blocks by Judy Hopkins
• Around the Block with Judy Hopkins: 200 Rotary Cut Blocks in 6 Sizes by Judy Hopkins
• Around the Block Again: More Rotary Cut Blocks from Judy Hopkins by Judy Hopkins
• The Civil War Love Letter Quilt: 121Quilt Blocks Inspired by Love and War by Rosemary Youngs
• The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt: 55 letters and the 111 Blocks they Inspired by Laurie Hird
• Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix & Match by Susan Briscoe
• Judy Martin's Ultimate Book of Quilt Block Patterns by Judy Martin
• Modern Quilt Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from your Favorite Designers by Susanne Woods
• Once More Around the Block by Judy Hopkins
• The Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders by Jinny Beyer (out of print)
• The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns: 4044 Pieced Blocks for Quilters by Jinny Beyer (2009) - you NEED this book if you don't have it.
• Quilter's Cache website

So, go forth and make blocks. You can do it. Have fun, use great fabric. Enjoy!

August Meeting

by Adrianne

Improv Fun

Summer doesn't slow this guild down! Our demo coordinator, Rhonda, organized a full day of improv and it was awesome!! Members brought their machines, tools and scraps to play with. The bell rang and everyone got to work. Rhonda wisely advised that we just create and not think about it too much. The enthusiasm in the room was contagious. It was fun to see people try new techniques and also change it up and make it their own. Wonky strips and log cabins? Sure. Why not? 

Four quilters led demos to get things started.

Clockwise from Left: Slice and Insert with Joy-Lily, Wonky Strips with Angela,
Wonky Log Cabins with Alison and Improv Strings with Adrianne

Members working on improv blocks

Improv blocks by BAMQG members

Improv blocks by BAMQG members

New Charity Block

Charity coordinators, Deborah and Jennifer, unveiled a new block for this quarter, The Patchwork Wheel by Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy. Kits were available at the meeting. You can also make your own using bright, modern fabrics and Kona white. Any questions? Just holler!

Show & Tell

Our members have been busy, busy bees.  This month's show and tell encompassed works in progress, charity quilts, cat beds for donation, plans for the Aurifil sponsored challenge, ABC blocks and hand dyed fabric from the workshop with Joy-Lily.  This is only a small sampling of what we worked on this month.

Sheetal and Peggy show off their new hand dyed fabric

Quilt top by Debbie

Quilt top by Patti

Charity Quilt by Kim

Quilt top by Mallory

Plus quilt by Jennifer A.

Mel shows off some test squares for the Aurifil challenge

Ruth took some orphaned blocks and turned them into a charity quilt.

Rhonda and Lynette show off their ABC blocks

Phew, busy I tell you. Clippies for all!!!!

Dates To Remember

• August 15th - Deadline for QuiltCon challenge blocks
• August 25th - Sew Day in Los Altos, members RSVP here
• September 8th - BAMQG meeting (note this is the 2nd Saturday of the month)

See ya next month!  
-Adrianne

July Show and Tell

Yes, I know this post is LATE! Still, your editorial staff thought that you would enjoy some photos from the July (yes, JULY!!!) meeting.

QuiltCon Block Challenge: Nearly Your Last Chance

 DEADLINE: August 15, 2012  August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012

BAMQG is participating in the QuiltCon Block Challenge! The "challenge is to use the colors of the QuiltCon logo to make a quilt block that reflects what modern quilting means to you."

These guidelines (from the original QuiltCon post) to follow when constructing and submitting your blocks:

1. Blocks should be 12½” tall x the width of your choice. That could mean 12½” x 5”, 12½” x 24”, or anything wider, more narrow, or in between. Be creative!
2. Blocks should be machine pieced. Any piecing style is welcome, but please avoid using hand sewing, applique, embroidery, fabric markers, or any other embellishments.
3. Please use only “quilt shop quality” 100% cotton or cotton/linen fabrics in colors consistent with the QuiltCon logo (tangerine, gold, citrine, lime, aqua, turquoise, white, and gray).  Please feel free to include as many or few of the logo colors as you like, but avoid adding additional colors. Both print and solid fabrics are welcome.
4. Use your own judgment when selecting thread. Our preference is white or light gray 100% cotton thread, but any coordinating thread of good quality will do.
5. Each quilter may submit up to 3 blocks.
6. Each submitted block must be accompanied by a Block Challenge Entry Form. Please send your finished block(s) and entry form(s) by August 15, 2012 to: QuiltCon Block Challenge
   c/o Elizabeth Hartman
   PO Box 2309
   Beaverton, OR 97075

Please send only finished blocks. Partially completed blocks, additional fabric, or other supplies will hamper the process.

For more information about the QuiltCon Block Challenge, please refer to The MQG website.

No blocks will be returned!

Buy fabric bundles in the QuiltCon logo colors from the sponsors!
Sew Modern
Marmalade Fabrics
Fat Quarter Shop
ChéFAB
Pink Chalk Fabrics

An additional challenge with the same type of blocks to make a BAMQG project is going on at the same time.

Sew Day August 25

We are planning a August 25 Sew Day!
Sewing will go from 10am-11pm.

Please RSVP in the forum if you are coming, so we can get a general head count.


Location:
Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, California, 94022
http://g.co/maps/kvpkt


Plan to bring your own:

    Extension cord and/or power strip
    Sewing machine
    Cutting tools/mats (you might want a personal one)
    Night-owls might want to bring an iron and cutting if an
early-bird needs to take theirs home.


We will be in the Community Room of the Los Altos Library. It's the
large room on the side of the library nearest San Antonio Rd. There
are two sets of double doors on the outside of the library - both lead
into a foyer area, and the Community Room door is on the left part of
this foyer, the checkout desk is on the right.
If you arrive late (after 6pm when the library closes), knock on the
doors closest to the Community Room, and someone should be able to let
you inside.

We will need to set up and take down tables and chairs, which are
available at the library. Please plan to help with this. Also please
try to keep your floor area clean.

Coffee and other light snacks are available in the foyer of the library.

People often pick up meals from a local restaurant. There are many
places nearby, or you can take San Antonio to El Camino and find many
restaurants and markets there.

New Charity Block Pattern for Q3

by Deborah

It's time for a new block!  Don't Call Me Betsy's Patchwork Wheel is a fun and scrappy block made up of mix of HSTs and squares.  It combines the best of both worlds for a quilter- the ease of mindless chain-sewing, along with the creative challenge of laying out the components in a pleasing design.
As always, we will provide block kits at the meetings and Sew Days, but feel free to use scraps from your own stash.  What should you use?  As in the example below, bright and colorful prints with a background fabric of bright solid white (such as Kona white).


If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Jennifer or myself.

Editor's notes: For ease of making the HSTs, check out Jaye's blog for a Triangle Technique

This block is a classic block first recorded as Cheyenne in the Kansas City Star on September 16, 1933. It was, then,published in the Aunt Martha series,ca 1963 as Rock Garden

August Meeting Tomorrow!

We have a meeting tomorrow, Saturday August 4, and we hope to see you there!


MEETING & SEWCIAL
Saturday, August 4th 1-5pm
Redwood City Library,
Community Room (upstairs)
1044 Middlefield Rd
Redwood City  

AGENDA (subject to change)

• Show & Tell (1 hour)
• B-A-M Demo: Improvisational Piecing (3 hours)

WHAT TO BRING

• Name Tags
• Quilts and projects to show
• ABC Blocks (U & V)
• Snacks to share
• BAMQG Block Design blocks (pin a label with your name to each entry)  
• Charity blocks, tops and finished quilts
  
• batting for charity
• Supplies for B-A-M demo (If any of you have extension cords, splitters, power strips, and/or electrical tape or wide painters tape, please bring them on Saturday. )
  

Other

• Please contact Diana if you can bring an iron,  ironing board, coffee maker to any of the upcoming meetings. She is collecting sign-ups. 
• PIQF sign-ups are live 
• New Quilts of Northern California entry forms are live (find the info sheet and entry form on the NCQC site under forms)
• 
  

Reminders:

• Sew Day August 25
  

NEW MEMBERS If you’ve never been to a meeting before this will be a great meeting to see a lot of new projects and meet our members.  Your first meeting is free and you can read about becoming a member here (http://bayareamodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/p/membership.html).  We want to see your projects, so bring them along! If you have any questions, ask any officer.  We’re happy to talk with you.

See you tomorrow!

QuiltCon Block Challenge: Deadline Approaching!

BAMQG, with Ruth as leader of this project,  is participating in the QuiltCon Block Challenge. The "challenge is to use the colors of the QuiltCon logo to make a quilt block that reflects what modern quilting means to you."

These guidelines (from the original QuiltCon post) to follow when constructing and submitting your blocks:

1. Blocks should be 12½” tall x the width of your choice. That could mean 12½” x 5”, 12½” x 24”, or anything wider, more narrow, or in between. Be creative!
2. Blocks should be machine pieced. Any piecing style is welcome, but please avoid using hand sewing, applique, embroidery, fabric markers, or any other embellishments.
3. Please use only “quilt shop quality” 100% cotton or cotton/linen fabrics in colors consistent with the QuiltCon logo (tangerine, gold, citrine, lime, aqua, turquoise, white, and gray).  Please feel free to include as many or few of the logo colors as you like, but avoid adding additional colors. Both print and solid fabrics are welcome.
4. Use your own judgment when selecting thread. Our preference is white or light gray 100% cotton thread, but any coordinating thread of good quality will do.
5. Each quilter may submit up to 3 blocks.
6. Each submitted block must be accompanied by a Block Challenge Entry Form. Please send your finished block(s) and entry form(s) by August 15, 2012 to: QuiltCon Block Challenge
   c/o Elizabeth Hartman
   PO Box 2309
   Beaverton, OR 97075

At this point you will need to send your blocks and paperwork directly to Elizabeth Hartman. The BAMQG group package is already on its way.

Please send only finished blocks. Partially completed blocks, additional fabric, or other supplies will hamper the process.

For more information about the QuiltCon Block Challenge, please refer to The MQG website.

No blocks will be returned!

Buy fabric bundles in the QuiltCon logo colors from the sponsors:
Sew Modern
Marmalade Fabrics
Fat Quarter Shop
ChéFAB
Pink Chalk Fabrics

An additional challenge with the same type of blocks to make a BAMQG guild banner is going on at the same time.