March Meeting tomorrow

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting tomorrow!

Details:

Date: Saturday, March 21, starting at 1:00 pm 

Place: Redwood City Library, in the upstairs community room. 

Things to bring:

*Show 'n Tell

*Your name tag

*Finished Hawaiian quilts!!

*A bag (or two) full of fabrics for the Destash! (Check out the Ning post if you have questions)

*Charity blocks and quilts

*Small Group projects (Tula blocks, Hand Quilting)

*Schnibbles -- Amanda will be collecting these for cat beds

*Checkbook -- if you haven't paid your dues ($40) yet, now's your chance!

*Information about local/national quilty happenings

*Non-messy snacks

*Enthusiasm and a positive attitude! 

*nametag
*Schnibbles to fill cat beds. Cut into pieces no larger than 3"-5" and strips no longer than 15"

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.

Setting up the Quilt Show

BAMQG has three bays at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association 40th Anniversary Show and a group of us went to help set up on Friday.

This show is held in the same location as PIQF, but in a different hall (I think). I went late, but got there in time to help finish hanging the BAMQG quilts. Amanda, Kelly and Michelle had it well in hand. I added an extra pair of hands and driving skills.

There was some putting up and taking down, redoing and moving, but it went very smoothly. Kelly was well organized and Amanda has great project management skills. The quilt show has interesting tools for doing the hanging and some balance is required, especially for the larger quilts.

The biggest problem we ran into was the creases in the quilts. I know there isn't much we can do about it in general, but we went to lunch to decide on our next move. At lunch we decided that yes, we needed a steamer or a super duper steam iron. On the way back to finish our work, we stopped at Fry's to see what they had.

I have to say that steamers are the way to go. They don't, however, absolve all sins, but it did a great job with the folds, etc, from storage.The quilts looked better.

Funnily enough, everyone else at the quilt show came running over when they saw the steam, thinking there was a fire. When they saw what we were doing and that there wasn't a fire, they thought we were brilliant.

A few others, including the featured artist, asked to borrow it. Every quilt show management should have one.






Bay Area Modern Banner Pre-Steamed

Bay Area Modern Banner Post-Steaming

We thought the quilting stood out a lot of more, though I think my phone photos don't really do the work and expense justice.

We had a fun time and the quilts look great.

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.

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.




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: 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.

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. ;-)

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.

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.

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)