San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

Gerre, our fabulous president, recently met with Amanda Rawson, SJMQT Deputy Director, and Anna Bagarov, SJMQT Marketing Manager, at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.  I was invited to meet with them to talk about how the guild might become more involved in mutual projects and events.  They are both enthusiastic about the modern quilt movement. Check out our ideas (in italics) below.

Amanda will be speaking to us at our April meeting about opportunities to get involved with the upcoming Modern Quilt Guild exhibit as well as the museum's upcoming 40th anniversary.
Anna followed up with me to provide information to our guild.  Below is an excerpt of her email to Gerre.  This has been edited for clarity. Please take the time to check it out.
__________
Hello!
Yes, an amazing meeting. Great to meet you, Gerre.

Here are a few more links for you for your members. I hope we can schedule a day in April for me to meet everyone in your Guild.

It would be great to get an email sent out to your members:

• Upcoming exhibits 
• Opportunities for action 
• Fibershots submission guidelines and information - (we would love for your members to submit their gorgeous artwork)
• Artist in Residence - all members are encouraged to apply 
• Fiberspace -  all members are encouraged to apply 
• Events - Updated each month
• Facebook Events page
• 40th Anniversary Open House

The museum also has a Permanent Collection which includes over 1,000 textiles. They have quilts from the 1800s. They have just completed the first phase of digitally cataloging all of it!

Now more than ever, it is vital that we have the support of the fiber arts community for  museums such as SJMQT. In addition to sponsorship that Amanda described, simply going to the museum for its exhibits or going to events or shopping in the gift shop is a big help. Sharing our social media posts and telling your friends is great. Word of mouth is powerful.

As I said during our conversation, I am open to ideas to collaborate and support one another- and to create a space where we nurture fiber art. Fiber talks, workshops, a mixer, a showcasing of modern quilt political responses to the current political situation - I am all for it. We are always looking for volunteers. Or perhaps your members have children or family that want professional Museum experience for their resumes- there is so much opportunity here to learn and create good references. 

Our next installation week is April 18-20^th.

If you know people that like to work with children- we have school tours and other activities for children. Passing on the art of quilting and the fiber arts is so important so that future generations support the art and the museums that preserve it through collections and exhibits.

The museum's 40th Anniversary is coming up

• We are looking for artists for our Make and Take tables.

It would be great to get an email out to your members about this very important birthday. The Museum was begun to promote and protect the art of quilting.

Please encourage your members to follow us on Instagram: @SJMQT. We are so close to our goal of 1,000 follower by our 40^th Anniversary Celebration.

Please let me know how we can support you and help you as well. I am open to all ideas as our missions are similar.

Hope to see you soon and have a lovely weekend!

Hearts for Orlando

By now most of us have heard of the horrendous massacre in Orlando. In true quiltmaker fashion the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild has started a quilt drive to create quilts for the victims and families of the slain. There is some discrepancy between the IG post and the blog post as to whether they are collecting quilts and blocks or just quilts. I *think* if you want to send blocks, send them to Intrepid Thread. The SV MQG based there will make them into quilts.

The overall  idea is to make heart blocks in bright, rainbow colors to represent everyone affected, and obviously represent the love we are sending them. Use the tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew to make 10" blocks in rainbow of bright colors, with a low volume background. The quilts should be no smaller than 5 blocks wide and 6 blocks long. You're more than welcome to make them larger, they'd like to keep them at the very least lap sized.

Overview:
Pattern: Cluck Cluck Sew Hearts
Size: 10"x 10"
Colors: varying rainbow of prints with low volume background
Send quilt to Orlando MQG (check blog for address)
Send blocks to Intrepid Thread
Timeframe: ASAP!

A lot of questions were brought up in the comments on the Orlando MQG post, so keep an eye on that blog for more information and the information on where to send the quilts.

Julie is hosting a get together this weekend to make blocks and quilts. Contact Julie at the Intrepid Thread for more details. If you have any other questions, please email alissalapinsky [at] gmail [dot] com. She is the president of the Orlando MQG.

Jen goes to QuiltCon

QuiltCon 2015 - Austin, Texas by Jennifer J.

So Jaye asked me to write a blog post about QuiltCon. I said sure. I don’t know why. I’ve never done a blog post and I’m not quite sure what people want in one. I am not a regular reader of blog posts so I didn’t even have footing as a blog post reader. So I was left with simply sharing my take-aways, hoping that it offers something for those who take the time to read it. So here goes.

This was my second QuiltCon. I went to the first one because I saw a movement taking shape and I wanted to support it and be a part of it. Like a child's first steps or words…this movement, the Modern Quilting movement, was the real deal and, by golly, they were even having their own conference. So it was a no-brainer that I was going to go.

Attending for the second time, I got to see a reflection of how the movement seems to have grown. I don’t know the statistics comparing this year to the previous one, but it felt more mature to me. On a very practical level, the bag of swag (you know, the bag you get when you arrive and get your badge) really stood out…not just all the goodies in it (from books, to fabric, to a watch that was also a ruler...try to picture that) but even the bag stood out. I would overhear people at the show talking about how much they liked it. When I got back home my mother-in-law, also a quilter, was shocked at just how much they gave you for just for attending. During the show, someone stopped me outside of the convention center to tell me they liked my bag and wanted to know if I had made it. Imagine their surprise when I said this was the bag they gave everyone who registered for the show!

Again this year the online registration process was a little disappointing in that I was only able to get into one workshop of the many that I was interested in. It seemed like everyone had ‘early registration’ so in the end, nobody felt like they actually got to register early. I was however able to get into some lectures. The speakers I did see were entertaining and informative. One speaker reminded me that the lectures from the first QuiltCon might still available for free on Craftsy. I am hoping that this year’s lectures will end up there too so I can watch them all. I might even go back and catch some from the previous year.

The primary theme that came across to me this year, was one of connecting. How quilting was bringing people together, and through quilting, new connections were being made. The idea of connecting was all around me in bits of conversation I would hear. Speakers were alluding to it and the show itself seemed to breed it…QuiltCon’s new app allowed you to connect with others or share through social media. The idea of connecting generations came up a lot as well. I saw lots of moms with babes in arms… a rare sight I’m sure for most quilting conventions. Lecturer Mary Fons, with her mom Marianne chiming in from the audience, speaking about the quilting industry back then versus the industry now. Lecturer Heather Givans of Crimson Tate talking about when she took her mom to quilting camp. It was nice to to hear how quilting was connecting not only people are close to one another, but those who are far away from each other as well. Not to mention this year’s yoga sessions for quilters...every morning there was a large group of quilters on yoga mats, connecting with their inner selves. Connection was everywhere.

I couldn't hope to capture everything at QuiltCon, not in person nor in this blog post. If you have not gone, I hope maybe I have piqued your interest and maybe you'll consider attending next year in Pasadena, California or the following year in Savannah, Georgia.

Upcoming Color Class

This is a quick turnaround, but some of you may be interested in a color class.

Mary Carroll, will be teaching a Color Class  called COLOR MATTERS on March 22, 2013 at QUILTERS QUARTERS 4343 PACIFIC AVE., STOCKTON (209-462-0161).

Description: Learn how to get away with almost anything in color! Using the five primary color system developed for fabric and yarn make your quilts zing! Mary is an artist, quilter and teacher who recently relocated from the Bay Area. Join her in making a colorful wall hanging which you design yourself!

Call now to sign up! 209-462-0161. It is a haul, but go with a friend and stop at some quilt shops on the way back.

National Quilting Day TODAY

Yes, it is that time again: National Craft Month/National Quilt Month, depending to whom you talk. Today is National Quilting Day! Let's add some modern into it!

The following post was originally posted on the  Quiltin' Jenny's blog. Thanks to Jenny for letting me repost it and share the information with you. I have edited it a bit to make it appropriate for BAMQG.

It's that time of year again! Yes, March 16 is National Quilting Day, and there are events all month to celebrate.

The National Quilting Association has chosen the 2013 theme - "Celebrate America" - and the free pattern to go with it is suitable for donation to Quilts of Valor.

Of course, we should have a National Quilting Day Sew In on March 16.  Who's with me?

If you haven't joined us for a sew in before, it's easy! We post messages on Twitter with a specific hashtag, in this case #NQDSI.  If you do not have a Twitter account, just sign up.  It's free.  Once you have an account, join us using the hashtag, #NQDSI. There is also a #NQDSI room on Tweet Chat. You don't need a Twitter account to read those posts, but you do need one if you want to post.

To follow happenings, go to your Twitter feed and click on one of the tweets with the #NQDSI hashtag.  If I don't see one, go to the search feature and type in #NQDSI.  The Twitter search engine will then bring up all the tweets with that hashtag.  Just refresh frequently to see the conversation.

Other National Quilting Day/Month Events:

• The Venice (FL) Area Quilter's Guild celebrates on March 3.
• Quilter's Day Out takes place in Louisville, Kentucky on March 9. 
• The Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild offers workshops on March 9-10.
• In Georgia we have the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop from March 14-17.  
• The International Quilt Study Center and Museum hosts a day of lectures, demonstrations, and tours on March 16.
• CAMEO Quilters Guild in Michigan celebrates a belated NQD on April 20.  

There are many other events, including:

•  our own BAMQG meeting. 
•  The Quilt Show is celebrating by offering free access to all their shows on their site from March 15 through March 17. That includes Jinny Beyer's two shows, episodes 313 and 601 which feature a tour of her home and some detailed hand-piecing instruction. Visit The Quilt Show.
•  Visit your local quilt shop (and get a badge here!) after the meeting, of course. ;-) The Intrepid Thread and Always Quilting, as well as all the other Bay Area Shops will thank you.

 Join in the fun! Thanks again, to Jenny for letting me use parts of her post.

National Quilting Day

Yes, it is that time again: National Craft Month/National Quilt Month, depending to whom you talk.

The following post was originally posted on the  Quiltin' Jenny's blog. Thanks to Jenny for letting me repost it and share the information with you. I have edited it a bit to make it appropriate for BAMQG.

It's that time of year again! Yes, March 16 is National Quilting Day, and there are events all month to celebrate.

The National Quilting Association has chosen the 2013 theme - "Celebrate America" - and the free pattern to go with it is suitable for donation to Quilts of Valor.

Of course, we should have a National Quilting Day Sew In on March 16.  Who's with me?

If you haven't joined us for a sew in before, it's easy! We post messages on Twitter with a specific hashtag, in this case #NQDSI.  If you do not have a Twitter account, just sign up.  It's free.  Once you have an account, join us using the hashtag, #NQDSI. There is also a #NQDSI room on Tweet Chat. You don't need a Twitter account to read those posts, but you do need one if you want to post.

To follow happenings, go to your Twitter feed and click on one of the tweets with the #NQDSI hashtag.  If I don't see one, go to the search feature and type in #NQDSI.  The Twitter search engine will then bring up all the tweets with that hashtag.  Just refresh frequently to see the conversation.

Other National Quilting Day/Month Events:

• The Venice (FL) Area Quilter's Guild celebrates on March 3.
• Quilter's Day Out takes place in Louisville, Kentucky on March 9. 
• The Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild offers workshops on March 9-10.
• In Georgia we have the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop from March 14-17.  
• The International Quilt Study Center and Museum hosts a day of lectures, demonstrations, and tours on March 16.
• CAMEO Quilters Guild in Michigan celebrates a belated NQD on April 20.  

There are many other events, including:

•  our own BAMQG meeting. 
•  The Quilt Show is celebrating by offering free access to all their shows on their site from March 15 through March 17. That includes Jinny Beyer's two shows, episodes 313 and 601 which feature a tour of her home and some detailed hand-piecing instruction. Visit The Quilt Show.
•  Visit your local quilt shop (and get a badge here!) after the meeting, of course. ;-) The Intrepid Thread and Always Quilting, as well as all the other Bay Area Shops will thank you.

 Join in the fun! Thanks again, to Jenny for letting me use parts of her post.