Sseptember 10, 2015

Hi y'all, fall is here! Well, not officially, but it's in the air. Mums, scarecrows (how did scarecrows become a fall thing?!), pumpkins and Halloween things are popping up all over. Have you done your fall decorating yet? I started but I get sidetracked easily. Note to self: finish cleaning and get your fall decor out. I blame the internet for not finishing decorating. I can get lost just by seeing one crafty thing after another that I want to do. Are you like that too?

Anyway, at our last meeting we went over the rest of the year, starting with the September 26th workshop. Lunch will be chicken and dumpling soup prepared by Marcia. Each of us are bringing an ingredient or something that will go along with soup. Sounds delicious! Bring your machines, tools and ideas for something to be sold at the Hometown Holidays on December 5th. We have all kinds of fabrics available for you to use or if you'd rather use your own or work on your items at home that's okay. If you aren't sure what you want to do, we have a few small patterns on hand or you can just come and sew strips together to be used in a larger quilt for us to raffle off in the future. We don't have any embellishments in our stash, so if your project needs button, zippers, etc. you will have to provide them yourself. We have a tub we can use to store finished items at the church, that way they are all together and we can get them priced before we set up. If you were or weren't at the last meeting and you still want to see the demonstration for the fold and sew blocks, I will be bringing them so we can go over them again. You need 7 or 8 10" squares and at least twice as many or more 5" squares to do all or most of the blocks.

We've decided that our next two regular meetings will also be workshops along with the October workshop so we have enough time to get these items finished. That would be the October 8th meeting, the October 24th meeting (please note the date change because of Halloween) and the November 12th meeting. There is no workshop in November because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

December 10th will be our annual Christmas potluck and gift exchange starting at 6:00 p.m. at the church. Let us know by the November meeting what you plan on bringing for the potluck. Everything is open at this time. The gift exchange, if you want to participate, is either a notions gift with a limit of $20 or a homemade item. The gifts should be wrapped and will be placed under the tree, if there is one available. Names will be drawn and that person will pick a gift, the next name that is drawn has the option of either taking a new gift or taking the gift from another member until all the names are drawn. After the last name is drawn then we will open the package we have ended up with. Hope everyone enjoys this version of the gift exchange.

The next meeting after the first of the year will be on January 14th with the workshop on January 30th. Here I'll interject our snow day plans. If the weather is looking nasty, we will make the decision whether to hold the meeting or cancel by 5:00. It will be posted here, on facebook, you will receive an e-mail from me and we will also make up a call list so nobody has to do all the calling. Sometimes it can be nasty in the morning and by evening everything is clear. Of course you have the option of not coming even though the meeting is still on. That is totally up to you.

2016 is the year for our quilt show. Tentative date is April 9th at the New London Alliance Church. The public is invited to display quilts they have made and this year we are setting up categories. These will include, mini quilts, table toppers and/or runners, wall hangings up to 36", wall hangings up to 60", wearable, bed size quilts, crib quilts, holidays, antique quilts, unfinished tops, misc. such as purses, bags, pillows and our BOM challenge. The deadline for entries is March 1st so we may get tags with the quilt information printed. You can start letting us know what quilt you are going to display so we can get started on making the tags. We want them to be uniform with each other and easily read. Information needed is owner, who pieced, who quilted, machine or hand, year and name of quilt if available and who the pattern was by.

Here are a couple of show and tells.

 

 This is a rag quilt by Gloria, love the colors

These blocks were done by Carol before she passed away and never finished. We did the two grey block with her name and in memory of and put them all together. This will be hung when we go to an event in her memory.

 Believe it or not, this knotted rug by Racheana is made out of her husbands sweatpants.

Here's our group working on the fold and sew blocks pictured below.

 

I think that's it. I hope see you at the workshop on September 26th. Get those fall decorations out!

Chris P.

August 29, 2015

We had a great turnout for our workshop on Saturday, August 29th. Some worked on their own projects while some went through the fabric stash and found some unfinished projects that will be simple to finish among the donated fabrics. It was like finding treasure! These will be sold at the Hometown Holidays in December.

Here are some pictures for you.

The three quilts above are ones Marlene quilted for a friend. She's been very busy.

Above is a close up of some of the quilting by Marlene. She does everything free motion. Great job!

The quilt above was given to Marlene to finish assembling and keep. Lucky lady to be given a quilt.

The quilt above and below was put together by Marlene's quilting friends. They get together just to quilt and sew.

 The quilt below was done by Martha. This is a in the hoop design by Hoop Sisters. You machine embroider each individual block and then assemble them together. Be sure to look at the close up pictures. They are truly amazing! Wonderful job Martha!

This is my (Chris P.) quilt (above) I did following the Disappearing Hour Glass II tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Company that Marcia show us last Spring.

And there's the gang above. We really enjoy getting together. If you would like to join us sometime, come out the the New London Alliance Church just west of New London, Ohio the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. and/or the last Saturday of the month, same location from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We'd be glad to see you.

July 9,2015

Good day quilters! Here's what you missed at our July 9th meeting.

First up, we discussed our upcoming workshop on July 25th from 9:00 a.m. to appr. 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. If you haven't finished your BOM by now and need some help, we can assist you at the workshop. Or you can bring another project to work on. If you don't have anything started or you just don't want to pack up and bring your UFO, we have a few small patterns and fabrics we can get started on items for Hometown Holidays on Dec. 5th. If you happen to have a favorite, small gift type pattern of your own, you are most welcome to bring it and use what fabrics are available in our stash. Be aware though that if the pattern calls for any kind of embellishments, we have none on hand. We also have Carol's memorial quilt to finish putting together and then it will be ready for quilting. This is made up of the blocks from our "Amazing Jelly Roll Block" project that she had never had time to assemble. There will be embroidery stating "In memory of" and her name for 2 of the blocks. They are sashed with corner stones and will displayed whenever we attend an event as a group. Another idea for you to consider is, we have all this fabric and we need to use it to cut down on storage (the church has generously given us space to use, but we have several large totes taking up that space). It can be sewn into strip sets or squares and then cut to make scrappy blocks. It can be assembled into scrap quilts and then can be raffled off to raise funds for other projects or supplies. Again we will have our sub and chips luncheon from Subway with dessert provided by Martha. BYOB or you can purchase pop or water from the youth room. Please let me know by July 23rd if you plan to attend. Remember our workshops and meetings are open to anyone who wants to participate, they don't have to be a member of the guild.

The workshops for August, September and October will be used to create items to be sold at Hometown Holidays. Bring your small gifty type patterns to be used. Again you can bring your own fabrics or use what we have on hand. Luncheon will be provided and will be determined at each month's previous regular meeting.

Hometown Holidays will be here before we know it. December 5th is the date and we will hopefully be at the Hileman Building again this year. Be thinking of what may be a good seller (I know I'm repeating myself) and about volunteering to man the booth. It runs from 9:00 to 3:00 and we really need to set up a schedule so we don't have too many people standing around.

December 10th meeting night will be our Christmas potluck and gift exchange. At our November meeting we will ask what dish you will be bringing. If you can't attend you can e-mail me or message me what you would like to sign up for. Start time will be at 6:00 p.m. The gift exchange this year is a notions exchange with a $20 limit or a homemade item of your choice. The gifts will be placed on a table and names will be drawn. You can either take a gift from the table or from another member if you so choose. Gifts will be opened after the last name is drawn. Should be interesting!

2016 is the year for our quilt show. Tentative date is April 9th at the New London Alliance church. The public is invited to display quilts they have made and this year we are setting up categories. These will include, mini quilts, table toppers and/or runners, wall hangings up to 36", wall hangings up to 60", wearables, bed size quilts, crib quilts, holidays, antique quilts, misc. such as purses, bags, pillows and our BOM challenge. The deadline for entries is March 1st so we may get tags with the quilt information printed.

We had one of our own quilters make a donation in memory of Carol's passing. Thank you Chris K. We would like to use some of the contributions to purchase some children's books for the public library. It was suggested by Marlene perhaps books with quilts as part of the stories. What a great idea!

If anyone would like to do a demonstration for any of our regular meetings let us know. Last meeting Yvonne showed us how to make yo-yo's and bias strips to make stems and flowers. Yo-yo's are a great way to use up scrap fabrics. They can be used on a variety of projects for embellishments. Here are a couple of pictures from that meeting.

Here Yvonne is showing us a quilt top from a shop hop using yo-yo's as the center of the flowers.

This is called "Little Dresses". Yvonne has showed us this cute quilt before but someone had requested she bring it back in.

We had a workshop on June 27th, here are some show and tells.

 Here is another one of Yvonne's.

This cute basket block was going to be the center of Jen's BOM. 

A sampler block quilt from Marcia. She did quilt as you go and quilted it on her DSM. Great job!

Here is the back which gives you a better view of the quilting.

Hope to see you at the workshop! Stay dry!!!!!!

June 11, 2015

First I have to apologize to anyone who has been looking for our May 14th meeting notes. We didn't really have a structured meeting. A year ago we were the recipients of 9 boxes of fabrics, thread and batting from the niece of a lady from Columbus who had passed away. None of her family sewed or quilted and it was too much for the niece to keep everything. Since we have moved our meeting place, we now have a place to store fabrics and etc. graciously provided by the New London Alliance Church. Everyone brought back the fabrics they had taken home and we sorted it into color groups so it would be easier for us to pick and choose fabrics for future projects we are planning on doing in the guild.

Now for the June 11th meeting. First off we mourn the passing of our member Carol Schaffer. She was an integral part of our group. She served as secretary for many years, keeping notes and pictures of our activities. The guild has received memorial donations in her name and we have decided to use some to purchase and donate books to our public library in memory of her. The group also decided to finish one of her projects and to hang it as a backdrop for our display whenever we participate in outside activities.

Next discussed was our June 27th workshop. Bring your BOM if you are still working on it. If not, bring another project to work on or just bring your machine and tools, we have several small projects the guild wants to make to sell at the Hometown Holidays. We have the fabric available. We may need other notions such as elastic, snaps, buttons, etc. Those things can be brought to our next workshop in July and added if need be. We will again be having a sub lunch from Subway. Please give us a head count by e-mailing me at acp1955@hotmail.com by Thursday, June 25th.

The workshop in September, we will be working on items for the Hometown Holidays. If you have a favorite pattern for a small item that you think would be a good seller, bring it to the workshop. We have fabrics and a few patterns available for you to use. If the pattern needs added notions, you will have to plan on bringing them with you as we don't have any of these things in our "stash".

This is a reminder of our Christmas gift exchange. This year's exchange will be either  a homemade item or sewing notions gift. We have set a limit of $20 for the sewing notions gift and the homemade item doesn't have to be a big item. This will be for our December 7th meeting.

We have also been informed that the Norwalk guild would like to visit us sometime, either a meeting or a workshop. Also was mentioned that the Uniontown guild has invited us to visit them. This sounds like a good opportunity to see what other groups are doing.

We had a couple  show and tells.

Above is Yvonne's 10 minute block BOM. She used 30's prints.

This is Chris P.'s 10 minute block BOM. She used cottons and batiks.

It will be interesting to see what the other members come up with.

 

This cute springtime quilt is a kit Yvonne has been working on.

She will be adding yo-yo's for the flowers and the edge is scalloped.

"A Quilted Village" was done by Chris P. It was a kit and was a challenge. 

Unfortunately when you buy kits you run the risk of not

having enough fabric which was the case.

So she dipped into her stash and came up with other fabrics that worked well.

See you at the June workshop!

April 9, 2015

April showers, bring May flowers. We've been having some really nice weather lately. Spring will be in full bloom soon.

Last month was the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo held in Cleveland. A few of us attended on different days and all agreed it was hard to get in the booths to see what was being sold.

We also had members attend the Cure for Cabin Fever held at the Hileman Building in New London. We sold a few items and had some interest in the guild.

April 25th will be the next workshop. We're still doing the BOM and if you haven't started, don't worry, there's still time. We would like to have these done for our quilt show for 2016. If you're not doing the BOM, bring another project and join us for lots of friendly conversation. We're having a soup luncheon. Marcia is making chicken and vegetable soup and everyone has volunteered to bring something to compliment it. If you would like to bring something let me know so we don't double up on dishes.

Our Christmas gift exchange this year will be either a homemade item or sewing notions gift. We have set a limit of $20 for the sewing notions gift and the homemade item doesn't have to be a big item. This will be for our December 7th meeting.

Several group projects were discussed for the future.

We were reminded of the Ashland quilt show the weekend of July 4th. If you're interested in entering a quilt, please contact Yvonne.

We had one show and tell, but this blogger forgot her camera, sorry Marcia, your Christmas tree skirt was beautiful.

Next meeting will be May 14th. We need to have someone volunteer to do a demonstration. If you would like to sign up, please let me know. If the May meeting doesn't work for you we have all meeting dates open for volunteers.

Hope to see you at the workshop!

March 12, 2015

March is finally bringing us some warmer weather and more members are venturing out of hibernation. Plans were discussed for our March 21st workshop. Please note the date change. This is so members may make plans to attend the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the I-X Center in Cleveland on Saturday if that's the only day they are free to go. It runs March 26, 27 & 28. The workshop on the 21st will start at 9:00 a.m. and will run until around 1:00 p.m. Don't forget you may come and go as you please. We will be working on the BOM and if you haven't started, don't fret, just bring your prepared fabrics and we will help you get started. Some of our members have already completed their blocks and some are still catching up, so we are all at different stages of assembly. A luncheon was planned and it was decided to have a salad bar. Each member signed up for a salad item and everyone is to bring their own tableware and salad dressings. We still have openings for carrots, green peppers, Garbanza beans, cheese or salads type meats. Please let me know if you want to fill in any of these spaces. Be sure to have every thing cut and ready to go.

April 9th is the next regular meeting and we will be meeting in the youth room that evening. Since we didn't have our demonstration of binding at the last meeting, we will plan on doing it at this meeting. Please bring your prepared 12 x 12 quilt sandwich, your machine and tools and enough double folded binding to go around your sandwich with extra so we can show you how to join the ends so they won't show. If you already have a good grasp of binding your quilts you don't need to bring anything. This is for member who struggle with binding.

We need to raise funds and with us having a table at the Cure for Cabin Fever this Wednesday, March 18th, we discussed possibly doing other craft shows. We would need each member to donate items but if they can't, please consider a donation of at least $5 to cover costs. Also later this year at some of our workshops, we thought it would be a good idea to bring in all the fabric we have had donated to the guild and each member be on the lookout for craft show type item patterns. These should be small, quick and easy projects. Of course you can make things on your own too.

We had a couple show and tells from our workshop and meeting.

First some workshop pictures. Here we are working on the BOM.

 

Chris P. couldn't wait for spring to see some pretty tulips on her table.

 

This bunny table mat is by Chris also.

 

Martha said these blocks have been hanging around her sewing room since the 90's. She thought it was time to put them together.

 

Here's the back of Martha's 90's quilt. She used left over fabric and pieced it together.



 

This little quilt is for Rachenea's granddaughter's Barbie doll.

More springy flowers. These are appliques borders for a quilt Yvonne has been working on.

 



Hope to see everyone at the workshop this weekend.

 

Chris

 

 

 



This is a short post as the weather is still taking its toll on attendance of our meetings.

We held the January workshop on the 28th with Laurie Jones showing us how we can embellish our projects with beading and thread. We were all a little intimidated at first, but with her encouragement we dived right in. She provided several examples of small projects and supplies and each member chose one to stitch and take home if unfinished by the end of the workshop. It was decided a couple of days before to have lunch brought in from Subway with coffee, teas and hot chocolate. It was a nice respite with lots of conversation.

 

 





 

 



The attendance at our regular meeting on February 12th was still on the small size, so no official meeting was held. Marcia showed those who braved the cold and snow how to assemble the "Disappearing Hour Glass Block 2" by the Missouri Star Quilt Company. If you would still like to learn this block, bring a 10" dark square and a 10" light square to the next workshop and she would be happy to help you assemble this block. It's a quick and easy block to use up that layer cake package you may have bought and just don't know what to do with it.

The next workshop will be held February 28th where we will be working on our BOM block 2. If you haven't gotten block 1 done, don't worry, we can work on that at the same time. Plan on bringing another project or even the next couple of blocks to work on after you finish block 1 & 2. If you're not doing the BOM come and bring a project to work on. We will again have Subway, coffee, tea and hot chocolate brought in.

Our March 12th meeting I (Chris P.) will be demonstrating how to apply binding to your finished top. Please bring a 12" x 12" or larger quilt sandwich (this doesn't have to be anything special, just scraps) with enough 2 1/2" strips sewn together end to end and folded and pressed in half, to go around your sandwich with several extra inches to allow for mitered corners and connecting the start of your binding to the end. Also bring your machines and any tools you may need. Irons and ironing boards will be provided.

On March 18th New London CIC is having a Cure for Cabin Fever at The Hileman Building in the recreation park from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A couple of us will have a table representing our guild.

The workshop for March will be held the 22nd instead of the 28th. This is because of the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Cleveland held on March 26, 27 & 28th. That way if someone wants to attend the Expo on Saturday they can do so without missing the workshop. We will also be meeting in the youth room where the stage is due to a conflicting event at the church.

We're looking for members to sign up for a demonstrations for the rest of the years regular meetings starting with April's meeting. Please consider volunteering to share with the rest of the guild a technique that you find interesting. It could be a new ruler, a quick and easy block, a new tool or anything you would like to share.

Here are a couple of show and tell.

Martha did this gorgeous embroidered quilt from Hoop Sisters. These pictures do not do it justice.

A couple of small projects from Chris P.
 



Guess this wasn't so short after all. See you at the next meeting!