Monday, February 23, 2015

February 2015 Meeting

It was a good meeting last Saturday.

Mike, the MQG Liasion, gave us a tour of one section of the MQG. The goal is to get us more familiar with the benefits of that site since our BAMQG membership includes an MQG membership.

Karen, the 2015 Challenge Coordinator, gave us a small lecture on "What is Modern?". Stop with the eye rolling! It was interesting and a little off the beaten track. She took some principles of 'modern quilting' and showed us these elements in modern quilts as well as 'non-modern' quilts, including quilts from the 1980s and 1990s as well as vintage quilts. It was a cool presentation! Some of the elements she included were:
  • Improv
  • Pictorial
  • Graphic
  • Negative Space
  • Bright Colors
  • Alternative Grid (drop an element to mess up symmetry, space elements oddly, irregular spacing between element, etc)
  • Text was added in during the discussion.
The result of this fabulous presentation is a challenge quilt due in July (??) using an alternative grid. Charity presented two completed quilts and a new charity block. You can download the Stair step piecing directions (PDF) or go to the guild website and look at the directions.




Hawaiian Donation Quilts Some of the Hawaiian quilts are finished. Angela handed out binding and talked about the quilts. I think she got some other people who couldn't attend the Sew Day to take some pieces and parts and finish them.

Joy-Lily is the 2015 Swaps Coordinator and the first swap will be in April. We are each to bring a quilt book with which we have finished and trade with someone else for one. In the future, there will be a 'Sew As You Go" bag swap.
 Upcoming events:
  • Amish Exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles ends 2/28/2015
  • Manteca Quilt Show, March 7-8, 2015
  • SCVQA Show-March 14-15, 2015
  • Playcrafts has a challenge going using the Pantone Color of the Year, Marsala
Binding Bee Binding Bee: After the meeting ended, a bunch of us sat around finishing up the binding of the guild's opportunity quilt. The quilt is a monster, but it is also an amazing monster.

Ruth designed it and the design is very unique. Marci Gore designed the quilting and stitched it out on her computerized longarm.

2014 BAMQG Opportunity Quilt The first opportunity to buy raffle tickets will be at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association Show. It was fun. People would walk up and comment that it was just like an old fashioned quilting bee. The next Sew Day will be at The Intrepid Thread, which will be dangerous. ;-)

Friday, February 20, 2015

Meeting Tomorrow!

Hope to see you all at the meeting tomorrow!



A quick reminder about our meeting:
Saturday, February 21, starting at 1:00 pm -- we'll be meeting at the Redwood City Library, in the upstairs community room. 

Things to bring:
*Show 'n Tell
*Something that represents the Color of the Year (Marsala)
*Your name tag
*Charity blocks and quilts
*Small Group projects (Tula blocks, Hand Quilting)
*Schnibbles -- Amanda will be collecting these for cat beds
*Checkbook -- dues are, well, due now. Also, you'll want to sign up for the retreat!
*Information about local/national quilty happenings
*Non-messy snacks
*Enthusiasm and a positive attitude! 

Please note: this list is not necessarily all-inclusive. It's quite likely there's something important that's been left off, so if you think of something that should be added, please speak up! 

There will be lots of time to visit, too, especially after the meeting. So plan to stick around and have some fun!. Meet new friends, chat with old friends, and eat some yummy snacks!
If you have any questions, please reply here, or see me at the meeting.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

New Charity Block!



Stair Step Charity Block Piecing Directions February 2015

The blocks will be 14 inches finished size. The quilt will be 4x6 blocks with an extra border on the left side and the bottom, bringing the quilt to 60 X 88 inches.
Each block will need:
Focus fabric: 1 square 7.5 raw and 2 squares 4 inches raw.
Background (grey): 1 square 7.5 raw, 2 squares 4 inches raw, and 1 rectangle 4 X 14.5 raw.


Start with the four smaller squares. Sew one background square to one focus fabric square to make two units of two squares.



Sew one of these two-square units to the larger square of the background fabric.
 Place the larger background square on the right and the two-square unit is on the left with the bottom of the focus fabric lined up with the bottom of the larger background square.


Sew the other two-square unit to the larger focus fabric square. The larger focus fabric square is on the left and the two-square unit is on the right with the focus fabric square lined up with the bottom of the larger focus fabric square.

Sew these units together so that the focus fabric makes a stair step.
Sew the rectangle to the right hand side of the block, as shown.

Find a PDF on Jaye's blog. Ask Michelle or Peggy for assistance.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Charity Sew Day - TOMORROW!!!

We are having a Luau!!! Come join us in the opportunity to raise some funds to benefit our Charity projects.  We have been commissioned to make 10 lap/throw size quilts from Hawaiian fabric for a Hawaiian family who recently lost their mother-grandmother.  The fabric and batting will be provided.  Bring your sewing tools and join us for a sewing Luau. Wear your Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts (if you have them).  
Or you can just join us with your own projects to work on.  Hope to see you there.
  • Tomorrow: Saturday, February 7, 2015
  • 10 AM to 11 PM
  • Los Altos Library meeting room
  • 13 S. San Antonio Road
  • Los Altos, CA
 If you plan on being there, PLEASE reply to the discussion on the Ning so we can get a head count. 

If you are first to arrive,  please go to the librarian in the children's room and ask to have the doors opened to the room and to the supply room.

Shout out if you can bring these items to share
  • Light non-messy snacks
  • Irons (3)
  • Ironing boards (3)
  • Large cutting mats (need 2)
  • Design walls (need 2)
Plan to bring your own:
  • Extension cord and/or power strip
  • Sewing machine
  • Cutting tools (your own personal mat if you want)

Monday, February 2, 2015

Charity Sew Day - Hawaii Style

We are having a Luau!!! Come join us in the opportunity to raise some funds to benefit our Charity projects.  We have been commissioned to make 10 lap/throw size quilts from Hawaiian fabric for a Hawaiian family who recently lost their mother-grandmother.  The fabric and batting will be provided.  Bring your sewing tools and join us for a sewing Luau. Wear your Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts (if you have them).  
Or you can just join us with your own projects to work on.  Hope to see you there.
  • Saturday, February 7, 2015
  • 10 AM to 11 PM
  • Los Altos Library meeting room
  • 13 S. San Antonio Road
  • Los Altos, CA
 If you plan on being there, PLEASE reply to the discussion on the Ning so we can get a head count. 

If you are first to arrive,  please go to the librarian in the children's room and ask to have the doors opened to the room and to the supply room.

Shout out if you can bring these items to share
  • Light non-messy snacks
  • Irons (3)
  • Ironing boards (3)
  • Large cutting mats (need 2)
  • Design walls (need 2)
Plan to bring your own:
  • Extension cord and/or power strip
  • Sewing machine
  • Cutting tools (your own personal mat if you want)

Saturday, January 31, 2015

January Minutes

Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild Monthly Meeting
January 17, 2015
Redwood City Library

 January’s meeting started with each person introducing their self and sharing their favorite color. Picking one favorite color was easier for some than for others.

Announcements: BAM will be joining the National Modern Quilt Guild again in 2015. Mike L. is the MQG liaison for BAM. This is a new volunteer position. He will be providing helpful tips throughout the year on how to get the most out of the national website. Periodically, the guild will use its projector to show archived webinars from MQG during sew days and after general meetings. (Note: The archived webinars are available on the MQG website to all MQG members for viewing at anytime.)

BAMQG treasurer, Claire F. was unable to attend the meeting so the 2015 membership dues ($40) will be collected at the February meeting.

Kelly O. introduced the BAM Theme for the year - What IS Modern/Improv? Karen M. has volunteered to coordinate challenges throughout the year that will help highlight elements of modern design.

A new activity was introduced at the meeting – Angela O. lead a group discussion on The Slow Stitching Movement, a term attributed to Mark Lipinski. She started off with an excerpt from the website, stressing this is not about just sewing by hand. It was an enjoyable, interactive discussion with many people participating.

Resolutions for 2015 – Everyone was encouraged to write down their quilting/sewing resolutions for the year on cards and put them in envelopes. The resolutions will be revisited at the end of the year. Please see Cheryl S. at the next meeting if you have not filled out a card yet.

Charity Update - Currently, lots of kits need to be quilted.

  • Please return all 2014 kits you have at home, in any state. They do not need to be completed, but they do need to be returned to the guild. 
  • The new block for 2015 will be introduced at the February meeting. 

Attendees were invited to stay after the meeting and help cut fabric for the 2015 block.

The next charity sew day will be Saturday, February 7 at the Los Altos Library. We will be working to make 10 quilts from Hawaiian fabric donated to BAMQG.

2015 Retreat – The committee is working on retreat dates in the spring and hopes to start sign ups at the February meeting.

BAM Opportunity Quilt Update - Amanda M. has volunteered to oversee the completion of the quilt and the ticket sales throughout 2015. The quilt top and back were passed along to Marcie Gore for long-arm quilting. The Opportunity Quilt will be shown at the SCVQA Quilt Show in March and PIQF in October. Amanda is lining up additional venues. Volunteers will be needed to help bind the quilt and to sell tickets whenever it is shown.

Peggy L. has the quilts from the Los Altos Library Show. Please contact her if you haven’t gotten your quilt back.

2014 UFO Project update – 115 projects were completed by the participants in 2014. Congratulations to all who participated. Kelly O. did one last random drawing for all the participants and presented a bag she had sewn, filled with goodies, to Lyndalee K.

Gift bags were given to Kelly O. (President), Amanda M. (Vice President), Claire F. (Treasurer), Peggy L. (Charity Committee) and Michelle B. (Charity Committee) as a “thank you” for their volunteer work for the guild in 2014. The bags were made by Jaye L. and Cheryl S. and filled with items donated by members. The effort and hours all five dedicated to BAM is greatly appreciated.


Quilty Happenings:

Amish: The Modern Muse at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles Update

  • The 2nd half of the show is going up on Monday, 1/19/15. 
  • The start date was delayed due to issues that caused the museum to be unexpectedly closed for a short period. 
  • The Antique Ohio Amish Quilts exhibit and Amish: The Modern Muse show will continue until March 15, 2014. 
  • Details are on the museum’s website - www.sjquiltmuseum.org 


Don’t miss this wonderful exhibit. Quilts by BAM members are also in the second showing.


  • Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association will be having its biennial SCVQA quilt show on March 14-15, 2015 at the Santa Clara Convention Center (same location as PIQF) 
  • BAM members have been invited to submit quilts. 
  • Kelly O. will have more details on the submission date and how many quilts the guild can submit. 
  • Watch for details on the Ning site. 
  • We will be showing the BAM Opportunity Quilt at this show Volunteers are needed for Opportunity Quilt ticket sales, set up and take down of show quilts, door staffing during show and white glove duties. 


Sign up sheets will be passed around at the February meeting.

Barbara, C., President of the Peninsula Quilters presented information about their 24-hour Quilt-a-Thon on January 25-26 from 8:00am to 8:00am. BAM members are invited to join the fun and/or sponsor Peninsula Quilters in their efforts. More information is available at on their website peninsulaquilters.org

The Modern Quilt Guild’s show Quiltcon 2015 is February 19-22 in Austin, TX. There will be a few BAM members attending.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, February 21 at the Redwood City Library, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Please bring a sample representing your interpretation of Marsala – the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Members Exhibit Quilts


During December 2014 member of the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild will exhibit our quilts in an exhibit called "MOST MODERN." 

The Quilts are hanging at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road in Los Altos and are available to view during regular library hours.  There is no entry fee. 

One of the benefits of such an exhibit is that people who would normally not have the opportunity to see quilts as art get to see them in a setting that is not scary.

A team of guild volunteers led by Peggy did the hanging of the quilts on December 1.

Thanks to Peggy L for organizing and hanging and the Los Altos Public Library for the opportunity.