Thursday, December 29, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, December 2022

December was our annual holiday party/get-together/meeting.  It was held this year at N.E.W. with 13 people in attendance (one via Zoom).  

Brenda thanked the outgoing Board and Charity Chairs with some nice goodies.  Thank you Brenda for your wonderful job as President!

January Retreat (Friday Jan 27 - Sunday Jan 29 with optional Thursday) - there are still a couple spots open. Contact the board if you are interested in attending.

We had a fun time with the Notions Swap.  Everyone participated and I think all enjoyed the surprise gifts they received - everything from rulers to patterns to pin cushions.


We also played a fun game of Quilty Bingo.  Everyone managed to snag a prize and some even got two. Thanks to all the members who donated items for the game.

We continued month two of our Round Robin start-up. we currently have about 5 people participating and since the more we have, the better it is... it's never too late to join in! If you are interested bring your starter pack to the January meeting.

And then what I often think of as the best part of the meeting - some show and share happened as well:




Hope you all have a safe and warm holiday season and see you in January!

        January meeting (weather permitting) 

                        Wednesday, January 25

                        at N.E.W. with a Zoom link

P.S. If you haven't renewed your membership, now is the time.  We will be submitting our numbers to MQG in January and turning off emails and FB access at that time.

Thursday, December 1, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, November 2022

The November meeting was held at N.E.W. with 17 members in attendance, 4 of which were via Zoom. N.E.W. happily resolved the issues with Zoom connectivity for the Zoom portion so there were no issues with audio or visual clarity.


Membership:  We have only had about 1/2 our membership pay for their dues (which were due in October). Please be sure you get your dues paid by the end of this month as we will start with a clean slate in January for emails and Facebook access.   If you aren't sure if you've paid or not, just contact the board and we will verify.  You can fill out the membership form (required each year) which includes a link to pay via PayPal or the address to send a check to Amy..

Programs: Nothing new to report but Cheryl S. is working on getting us an in person class for the Spring.

Library: No report but reminder that you can find a list of the borrowable books on the website (right nav bar).

Charity: We are still looking for a Charity Chair for 2023.  Jackie reported that we do have 3 quilts that need to be donated.  Also the QuiltCon Community Giving quilt is done.  We have decided to allow the quilt to be sold at QuiltCon with the money going to the charities they've chosen.

Retreat:  Remainder of money is due by December 15th for the January retreat if you haven't paid.  Amy has sent invoices. If you think you need to pay or have questions, please contact the Board or Tara.  We do have 3 spots open if you would like to attend or if you are attending but would like to add a family member or friend.

Round Robin has started up again.  Members may jump into the process at any regular meeting.  Note that if we do not meet in person you will just hold on to the quilt you have in hand until the next in person meeting.  Also, it is requested that you do not work on or trade quilts with other members outside of the meeting.  Tara will be keeping track of who has what and that just confuses things.

Postcard Exchange:  The postcard exchange keeps getting better and better.  A lot of fun was had and members really did a great job figuring out what to make for their swap partner.



Sew-Ins:  Results of the survey sent indicated that we only have a small number of people interested in attending the Zoom sew-ins and that Tuesday nights were just not working for most.  It has been decided to keep having the meeting but to move it to Thursday night.  Kathy has sent out the new Zoom link and will start putting the link in the signature line of all board emails so it is closer at hand for attendees.

We were able to share some fall/halloween makes as well as some fun show and shares.




HOLIDAY PARTY / NEXT MEETING!  

The next meeting will be held on December 21st (that's a week early) at N.E.W. at our usual time.  

  • If you would like to participate, we will be having a Notions Swap - please bring a small $10-ish notion wrapped in a fat quarter.  This will be our usual Yankee Swap.
  • Please feel free to bring a sharable dessert or appetizer dish to share.  
  • The Board will be providing hot chocolate.  You can also bring your own Keurig type cups if you'd like to make coffee or tea for yourself.
  • We will be having our usual meeting items such as show and share. Bring your Round Robins if you are participating or wish to jump in.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Meeting Minutes and Officer Election Results, October 2022

Officer Elections:

We had 28 out of 60 members voting (43%) unanimously for the following slate of officers.  These officers will assume their duties effective January 1, 2023.


President:  Kathy Koch
VP Programs: Cheryl Smallwood
VP Membership: Deb Spring
Treasurer: Amy Stevenson
Secretary: <open>

Committee Chairs:
Library: Kim Ulrich
Swaps/Challenges: Tara Parks
Retreats: Tara Parks
Charity: <open>
Secretarial committee (in lieu of electing a secretary): Kathy Koch will chair - looking for committee members


October Meeting Minutes:

There were 22 attendees at this meeting via Zoom.

The Guild was honored to host guest speaker, Carole Lyles Shaw.  Carole has been quilting for over 30 years and over that time has pondered the concept of "sustainability" in her quilting life.  She has seen too many times where a quilter is no longer able to quilt or passes on and then has a huge stash that friends and family need to deal with.  Carole has decided it is a much better way to live in the moment with our stash by only purchasing fabric that can be used immediately in a project.  She has stopped gathering fabric just because she loves it and instead tries to find other fabric in her stash that will do instead on any given project.  Carole gave the guild a lot to think about and offered some great tips on how to reduce, organize and repurpose our stash.  Thank you Carole for an inspiring presentation!

Other Business:

  • Sunday, October 30th - "Scrappy Appliqué" class by Nico Laudenberg.  There is still plenty of room in the class if you'd like to sign up.
  • Elections for the 2023 Board are being run online, will close voting Thursday at noon.
  • October is dues month.  Please go to the form link fill it out and then pay your dues ($40 by check, $42 by PayPal).
  • We have 3 openings for the January Retreat at Creative Passions. We have opened it up for family/friends of members so let the board know if you or a family member would like to attend. 
  • Postcard swap: sign-ups have been extended until Friday.  You should have a link in your email.  Tara will send out swap partners by the end of the day Friday. Postcards will be exchanged in person at the November meeting or you can mail them to your swap partner. 
  • Round Robin: will be starting up again at the November meeting.  See link at tabs above for more information.
  • Sew-Ins: A question was raised as to whether Tuesday evenings are no longer good for Zoom virtual sew-ins.  The Board let everyone know that we have plenty of availability to set up Zoom meetings on other days and times so just let us know if you'd like to start something on a different day.  The Board will discuss whether we want to go to a once a month or every other week schedule after the new year.
  • Monthly meetings:
    • November 30th - in person at N.E.W. (bring postcards, any finished fall or halloween quilts, round robin packets if you are interested in participating, any other show and share quilts or tops). Please remember to wear your mask.
    • December 21st (note this is a change of date from the 28th) - holiday party/gathering also at N.E.W.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, September 2022


The September meeting was held at N.E.W. with 16 members in attendance, 3 of which were via Zoom. We were able to get a pretty decent video connection for the Zoom portion, however the instructions for the facility on how to connect the camera and microphone were incorrect.  This meant that Zoom attendees had difficulty with the audio portion.  We hope to get this corrected by the November meeting.

Membership:  We currently have 61 members.  Members are reminded that October is when we collect dues for the following calendar year (2023).  Dues will remain at $42 if you pay via PayPal, $40 if you pay by check.  Members should go to the link on our website to fill in their form and make their payment.

Programs:  

  • We have an exciting program planned for our October meeting.  Carole Lyles Shaw will be giving a presentation on sustainable stashing. This presentation will be on Zoom only. Note that we are not able to sell tickets for non-members for this event.


  • Nico Laudenberg has offered to give a free class to guild members call "Scrappy Appliqué".  Look for an email with sign-ups.  [UPDATE: This class has been scheduled to replace our sew-in on Sunday, October 30th.  It will run from 10-4 at N.E.W. and does require sign-ups.]
  • Cheryl is working on setting up a class for the spring timeframe.  More on that as we get details firmed up.
  • The board is looking into a partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library where we would set up classes/instruction for library patrons.  
Charity:  
  • The MQG Community quilt top was finished and is at the longarmmer.


  • A suggestion was made that we consider giving charity quilts to UofM's Compassionate Care program.   The quilts are given to support patients and families at end-of-life.  The Board will pass this along to Jackie for follow-up.
Retreat:  We currently have 11 sign-ups for the January retreat.  We have a max number of 16 and need deposits by mid-month.  Cost is $165, with an additional $30 if you want to add Thursday to the event.  It was also shared that we have one scholarship available at a cost of $85.  Let the board know if you would like to apply for the reduced fee.

Swaps
  • The postcard swap kicks off at the October meeting with cards being sent to their recipient in early December.
  • For our December meeting we will have our "Notions Swap" (wrap a small notion and swap anonymously Yankee style).
Business cards:  Brenda has made up business cards which can be posted at quilt shops and venues that allow it.  Let her know if you need cards.

Elections:  October is officer election time.  We have two open slots on the board.  You may run for any position, although the present gaps are President and Membership VP.

Sew-Ins:  We continue to hold virtual sew-ins via Zoom on Tuesday evenings.  Contact the Board if you've lost the Zoom link info.  

Other
  • We had some sharing of upcoming events (see also our guild google calendar).
  • Kim brought library books that can be borrowed
Show and Share:



Next meeting will be Wednesday, October 26th.  Zoom information will be send prior to the meeting.

Friday, September 2, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, August 2022

The August meeting was held via Zoom with 23 members and 10 guests in attendance.

The bulk of the meeting was a presentation by David Owen Hastings on "Minimal Design, Maximum Impact" >

David spoke on three topics: the history of modern quilting, inspiration for quilts showcasing some of his favorite quilt designers (Carson Converse, Erik Wolfmeyer, Pamela Wiley) as well as himself, and the process he uses when creating his pieces.  

David gets a lot of his inspiration from architecture and likes to mimic the lines he sees there.  One of his mantras if he is struggling with a piece is "when in doubt, take it out" where he will start removing pieces to continue to simplify the work. When he teaches his classes he often has the students create a maquette or miniature of the piece in paper and then superimposes that on a picture of a wall or other element to visualize it large scale.  He also recommends using just a few minimal shades like browns, black, gray, white and then adding a pop of a brighter color.  Another recommendation is to use varying colors of thread to add impact.

Interested in knowing more?  You can sign up for David's newsletter and get information on future workshops at https://www.davidowenhastings.com.





Elections:  Reminder that guild elections will be in October.  We definitely have two open positions since this is Brenda's last year on the board. We also have the membership vp spot open and are looking for someone interested in the charity chair, however we aren't limited to those spots - please let the Board know if you are interested in any position.  You can view the job duties of each position by selecting the Bylaws tab at the top of this page.

Programs:  In addition to elections at our October meeting, Oct 26th. This meeting will once again be via Zoom and we will be featuring another guest speaker, Carole Lyles Shaw on "Sustainable Stashing".  We are not able to sell guest tickets for this event, so this will be for guild members only.


MQG Community Outreach Quilt:  Progress is continuing on the Outreach quilt.  There will be an assembly session at N.E.W. on Sunday, September 25th.  Please let Amy S. know if you plan on attending - the more the merrier!

Business Cards: The guild now has business cards that can be put out at other meetings or events.  Let Brenda know if you'd like to have some for this purpose.  We did put out flyers at the GAAQG Quilt Show and we do now have 7 new members so outreach is important.  

Show and Share: just a small group this month with Cheryl M. sharing her medallion quilt and Brenda showing her recent baby and matching dolly quilt.


September Meeting - Sept 28th:  Location to be announced - we do not know if we will be having this next meeting via Zoom or in person as we are checking on the room capacities for N.E.W.


Saturday, August 27, 2022

David Owen Hastings - "Minimal Design, Maximum Impact", Wed Aug 31st

Guest tickets* are available for the David Owen Hastings Zoom lecture at our guild meeting on Wednesday, August 31st.

Meeting starts at 6:30pm but attendees can gather earlier anytime after 6pm.  There will be a waiting room prior to the meeting.  Tickets are $10 for this one time event.  

We are no longer accepting requests for guest tickets.  Thank you for your interest!


David states: "This talk ties directly into my Modern Abstract Quilts workshop, giving an overview of my process for coming up with simple graphic quilt designs, starting with stitched paper models (called maquettes). I show examples of how to translate an architectural photo into a quilt design, and have many samples of mini quilts I created using this process. The techniques I present are also great for making unique modern quilt block designs. I also talk about walking foot quilting and how to break free from stitch in the ditch."


* This lecture is free to Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild members.



Saturday, August 20, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, July 2022

The July meeting was held at Ann Arbor's Southeast Area Park.

Secretary/Webmaster: Kathy reminded members to read the minutes (posted here every month - usually shortly after the meeting takes place).

Sew-In's:  Nothing is currently planned over the next couple of months but let the Board know if you would like to host one and we can reserve N.E.W. for that day.

Library: Kim brought some books in to share for members to borrow.  Remember that we have a list of loanable books on the website.

Programs:

[Correction on the following program dates. Carole is actually in October and David will be August's speaker. Apologies for any confusion.]



  • Retreat:  We are getting ready to send out sign-ups for the January retreat (Jan. 27-29) at Creative Passions. The cost is a bit higher this year - will be $165.  If you also want to go on Thursday, there will be an additional $30 fee.  The retreat also provides manicures/pedicures you can sign up for and there is a quilt shop run by CP in town.

MQG
  • Brenda noted that the website is getting better - more of the content has been moved over.
  • The Sessions registration is now open to MQG members (if you are a member of this guild, you are also an MQG member).  Sessions is a new event this year where they are offering virtual lectures over several days, October 13-16. The lectures will be recorded and available for 14 days after the event. Cost is $95 for all classes.

  • QuiltCon registration opens on August 16th at 3pm ET.  The conference will be in Atlanta February 23-26 next year. Rossie Hutchinson shared which classes she will be teaching.


  • Community Outreach Quilt:  Amy S. discussed the project to make the Outreach quilt.  She will be purchasing the fabric and sign-ups will go out asking for volunteers to make blocks and other tasks. Tara and Lana offered to cut and distribute the fabric.
GAAQG:  Reminder that the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild will be having their bi-annual quilt show this next weekend (July 30-31).  Several of our members will have quilts in the show. Brenda plans on putting out an information sheet about our guild.

Other: 
  • It was shared that Creative Bug offers free crafty classes through many libraries in the area.  Ann Arbor District Library is one of them although you do need to be an Ann Arbor resident.  Kathy shared on FaceBook a list of the local libraries that may offer Creative Bug.
  • Brenda shared the book that she had made through Snapfish which contained photos and information about all the quilts she's made.  She said it cost about $97 which was 50% off.  Members who've used Snapfish said always look for the 50% deals.
  • We had a donation of fabric coordinated by Rossie which was sold to members as a fundraiser for the guild.
Swaps and Challenges:  The guild held a yankee swap for "smalls" (small handmade items such as mug rugs, pincushions, etc.).



Show and Share: Members are having so much fun being able to share quilts in person. There were a ton of quilts to ooh and aah over.


Next Meeting:  August 31st via Zoom

Thursday, June 30, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, June 2022

 The June meeting was held at Ann Arbor's Southeast Area Park with 16 members and 2 guests in attendance.

Secretary/Webmaster:  Kathy presented results of the planning survey. 44 out of our 52 members responded to the survey (way to go Guild!). Summary of results indicate the Board's ideas regarding meeting planning are pretty much in line with the membership.  Most members felt that paying for speakers is a good use of guild funds and a majority felt that it might be acceptable, depending on the amount, to raise the annual dues in order to continue providing speakers.  In addition, about half the respondents would like us to continue to try to do a mix of zoom and in-person meetings when possible with only a few saying they preferred only zoom meetings and some saying they did not want zoom meetings at all.

Programs:  Reminder that we have the following speakers lined up for future meetings >

    [Correction on the following program dates]

Treasurer:  Our current fund balance is $1820.56 with a reminder that our dues year starts in October.

Charity:  Since most of our charitable giving sources have dried up, Jackie was able to donate to Faith in Action.  This organization was thrilled to get the quilts we had on hand.  We look forward to working with them but of course are also hopeful that our resources at Mott and Ozone House open back up.

MQG:
  • MQG Community Outreach Quilt.  The members voted between designs submitted.  An email will go out to the membership asking for volunteers to piece, complete, quilt and bind.
  • QuiltCon is Feb 23-26 in Atlanta with registration for classes starting in a couple of months. See the full catalog online.
  • MQG has updated their website.  Brenda tested it and her existing login worked although it looked like some content was still in progress.
  • MQG will be hosting online sessions Oct 13-16.  Registration opens July 26th. Members should have received an email but if not, please visit the MQG website for more information.
Swaps/Challenges:  
  • Four members participated in the "Selfie" challenge.  The winners of the charm packs were Allison and Wendy.  Thank you all for participating.










  • Next month's SWAP will be a Smalls Swap.  If you would like to participate, please plan on making a "small" item to be yankee swapped.  Examples of smalls are: mug rugs, pin cushions, coffee cup cozies, zipper pouches, coin purses, etc.
Member Spotlight:  Tara shared with us three of her quilts.  It was fun seeing and sharing her makes.


Skill Share:  Kathy gave a short presentation on collage quilting. She and other members shared their insights on some good designers, books and classes on the technique.



Show and Share:  Look at all the wonderful makes our members have created!

Makers and their quilts from left to right:  Row 1/2: Deb; Row 1: Sheryl, Ida, Nico;  Row 2: Pam, Ida, Nico; Row 3: Nico, Deb, Ida; Row 3/4: Allison; Row 4: Allison & Amy, Brenda, Brenda.

Next meeting will be in person, Wednesday, July 27, at this same park.  Brenda will check into park availability but we may decide not to pay to reserve the pavilion.  If it is not available, Tara has a couple of pop-up tents and we can set up on the asphalt or grass.  Members should bring a chair in case we don't have the pavilion.




Thursday, June 2, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, May 2022

The May meeting was held via Zoom with 13 members in attendance.

Secretary/Webmaster: Kathy noted that she added the link to the public facing Facebook page to our About Us page on this site (https://www.facebook.com/a2mqg/).  This Facebook page isn't heavily used but it is where users can look for and find us within Facebook.  This is different from our private group on Facebook where you have to be a member in good standing to view content.

Membership: We had one new member join this month.  Welcome Barbara!

Programs

Zoom Speakers > We had great feedback on our March meeting with Audrey Esarey from Cotton and Bourbon Quilts so the Board has lined up two more speakers (with the possibility of a third - more on that once it comes to fruition) for the remainder of the year:

                [Correction on the following program dates] 

    • August (Zoom) - David Owen Hastings "Minimal Design, Maximum Impact"
    • October (Zoom) - Carol Lyles Shaw "Sustainable Stashing: Creating an Eco-Friendly Quilt Life"
The board is also looking into possible zoom teachers, skill shares, or even an in-person class.  Cheryl Murphy has indicated that she is willing to teach her freezer paper paper-piecing class, so look for that in the near future and let us know if you have other ideas.

We are planning to hold a couple in-person meetings during the summer. 

Question/Discussion: "Did you have a blanket or lovey when you were little?  Do you know where it is now?"  There were lots of interesting tales of a favorite stuffed animal or quilt from when members were little.  

Charity:

  • Guild is still trying to find a home for our small (3x4') quilts.  Several board members plus Jackie are looking into places, but if you have a suggestion let us know.
  • More string blocks were made at the in-person sew-in and by members at home.  If you make any blocks, get them to Jackie or Brenda (6-1/2" blocks (6" finished)).
  • We also discussed other ideas for charitable giving such as teaching sewing classes at the Library. There was positive feedback on this idea so Brenda will continue to investigate.
    MQG Community Outreach Challenge (quilt donated to charity after being shown at QuiltCon):
  • Brenda showcased photos of some of the past quilts the Guild made for the MQG Community Outreach Challenge and discussion was held on the 2023 challenge.  
    • Members should bring concepts (drawings, pictures, sketches) prior to or at the June meeting so we can decide what we want to do. 
    • Since Amy was the project chair for this last year's she provided a timeline and task list:
      • Volunteers needed: (1 fabric bundler, many block members, many top assemblers, 1 back assembler, 1 quilter, 1 binder, 1 sleeve maker, 1 photographer)
      • Timeline: (treasurer buys fabric, bundler cuts and distributes fabric before or at July meeting, blocks made by early September, there will be a sew-in date in September to assemble quilt, quilting/binding/sleeve finished by mid-October, photography by October 31st, quilt shipped to QuiltCon in January)

      • The theme of the challenge is "Color Shift" and the two color palettes we have to choose from are: 

        and  

         
Sew-Ins:

  • We continue to hold weekly sew-ins on Tuesdays from 7-9pm via Zoom. 
  • If you would like to set up a small group of your own within the guild, let the Board know and we should be able to let you have a time slot on Zoom as long as it doesn't conflict with our other meetings.
  • We had an in-person Sew-in at N.E.W. on May 15th.  Our next one will be Saturday, June 25 from 10-4.  IMPORTANT:  Please let the board (or just Amy Stevenson) know if you plan on attending.  We have been told by some that they showed up and no one was there, so they left.  Because it is typically a small turnout and because the timing is flexible the 10:00 start time is somewhat flexible so it will help if we know you are planning on attending.
MQG:  In addition to the above discussion on the community charity quilt for QuiltCon (in Atlanta February 2023) - check the QuiltCon website for more information:
  • 2023 American Patchwork & Quilting Modern Log Cabin Quilt Challenge
  • 2023 Windham Ruby+Bee Fabric Challenge (fabrics by Chawne Kimber)
Swaps/Challenges: Our current Challenge is for you to make a quilted "selfie".  Note that your project does not need to be an actual face/portrait. it can be abstract, improv or representational. Or yes, it can even be a collage from an actual picture as long as it depicts "you". The only rules are it should be no larger than 18" - it can be smaller - and it should be about you. Here is a link to an interesting tutorial: http://kristinshieldsart.com/.../faces-in-fabric-part-1-a...
        This challenge is due at our June meeting.

N.E.W. Center Update:  We still are limited to very small groups which work for our sew-ins but not so much for full meetings.  Brenda has been communicating with the Center to let them know our requirements.  N.E.W. will not be making any architectural changes until they have full funding so probably will not be until mid-next year.

Next Meeting:  Our next meeting will be in-person at Southeast Area Park in Ann Arbor.  June 29, 6:30pm (join us for meet and greet at 6:00).  The park is on the corner of E. Ellsworth and Platt roads.
Please be sure to join us, bring a snack to share if you'd like, and bring a quilt for show-and-share. Lets make this a great in-person get together (and tell the weather to behave!).



Sunday, May 15, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, April 2022

 The April meeting was held via Zoom with 19 members in attendance.

Secretary / Webmaster: Kathy did a quick preview of our Google Calendar noting that it shows not only A2MQG events (meetings, sew-ins, etc.) but also events or shows that are not ours but which may be of interest to members.  Members should email the guild address if they know of other local quilt shows.

Treasurer:  Taxes have been filed.

Programs: Cheryl is working on a couple of speakers although no concrete dates have been set.

Question/Discussion:  "Where is your first quilt?"

Challenges/Swaps: Reminder that our current challenge is a mini-quilt (no bigger than 18") "self-portrait" which can be actual or improvisational or even representative of something you enjoy.  We hope to have a showing in person at our next in-person meeting (hopefully the June meeting).

Charity

  • We are continuing to look into other agencies we can donate small quilts to (e.g., 3' x 5' size). We currently have 7 lap quilts for kids with no place to donate to.  Suggestions for charities should be forwarded to Jackie (some suggestions include Quilts for Kids, MI Foster Closet, Alpha House Child Advocacy Program). 
  • Also noted that Grillin' has been cancelled again this year.  Members are encouraged to send monetary donations to Food Gatherers as the need for families continues.
  • Jackie noted that she is looking for solids for charity quilts.

Sew-Ins:  

  • Reminder that we continue to have our Tuesday night Zoom Sew-ins 7-9pm. Contact the board if you need the dial in information.
  • Next In Person Sew-In will be Sunday, May 15th at N.E.W. from 10-4.  Jackie will bring kits and unfinished tops/fabric if anyone would like to 'adopt' one.
  • We also have an in person sew-in scheduled for Saturday, June 25th

String Quilt progress from the April in-person sew-in.

MQG Update:  project ideas were shared from the MQG website.

Next meeting: Wed. May 25


Thursday, March 31, 2022

A2MQG Meeting Minutes, March 2022

The March meeting was held via Zoom with 25 members, two guests and our guest speaker in attendance.

Guest Speaker:

Our guest presenter was Audrey Esarey, Cotton and Bourbon Quilts, "Finding My Voice in Modern Quilting" 

Ultraviolet Radial Pattern 2_12-57.png

Audrey gave a very inspiring talk about her quilt journey which started in 2005 with a very traditional hunter's star quilt but segued into explorations of color and unique design choices.  Her "most famous" quilts are using a radial design created using curved and paper-piecing. She loves bringing in splashes of color, especially in her thread choices and has recently gotten into hand dyed fabrics.  She noted that neon threads are her favorite with a predominance of Glide Citron Yellow. She has shown and won awards for many of her quilts and one of them, Angular #2, was featured in the National Quilt Museum's Block-of-the-Month program in 2021. Her quilt is the one for April and is a free pdf pattern download >

  Angular, #2 April 2021 - Round 3 #4

 

Charity Quilts:

  • VA - Brenda reported she gave 7 quilts to the Veteran's Hospital on our behalf and they noted that they really love it when we provide red-white-blue quilts.  
  • Motts - She also noted that Mott's Children's Hospital is no longer handing out quilts.  They did mention that their Office of Decendent Affairs might be interested in giving quilts to their clients.  Brenda will check and see if this is something they are interested in and what the requirements might be.   
  • Other options - Brenda also gave some of her personal charity quilts to the Jewish Family Services who provide quilts for refugees settling in their new homes. Up to now they have been getting bed quilts from The Quilting Season but indicated they might be interested in the smaller couch or lap quilts.  
The members were asked if they had any strong feelings about who we donate our quilts to and the consensus was that as long as they are going to someone in need, it is fine.  Brenda will follow up on the Jewish Family Services connection and we welcome input from any members on other sources.  One comment that was made was that it is nice if we could find places that like the smaller (baby, lap, couch) sized quilts as it can be hard to put together the twin- or larger-size quilts like we do for Ozone House and Food Gatherers (we will continue to give quilts to these organizations).

Sew-Ins:

  • We will be having two in-person Charity Sew-Ins, Sunday, April 24th and May 15th from 10:00am - 4:00pm.  These will be at N.E.W.  At the April sew-in it was suggested that we work on string quilts.  A recommendation was made for Timna Tarr's string quilt class that is available virtually until April 29th.  Members were sent a link and more details.
  • Members were also reminded that we continue to have Zoom sew-ins every Tuesday from 7-9pm.
Swaps/Challenges:
  • This quarter's challenge was a UFO challenge.  There were 8 participants.  Here are some of the quilts that members pulled out from the deeps and completed:
          

   


    The winners of the challenge were:  Nico Laudenberg for "Most UFOs Completed" (she finished 4, or at least that what she showed, I have a feeling there were more); Ida Copeland for her quilt started in the 1990's (!); and the random drawing went to Amy Stevenson.  Tara will be sending a charm pack to each recipient.

  • The next quarter's challenge will be a "You-nique" challenge.  Participants are to create a mini-quilt (18"x18" or less) which is representative of themselves.  This can be anything from a self-portrait, to something abstract/improvisational, a favorite technique, representing a hobby or lifestyle, or just about anything that represents the quilter.  The only requirements are the size and it should be a quilt.  We hope to have a small quilt show of the finished quilts at our next in-person meeting - hopefully the June meeting - where we can have fun trying to figure out "who's who" for the quilts.

Other:  Patti Towers introduced herself and let us know that she is from Traverse City and they are in the process of setting up a modern quilt guild there.  So far they have about 20 people interested and are hoping to have meetings starting in May or June.

Next meeting: Wednesday April 27th, via Zoom.