September 2023 Meeting

September 2023

News

Member Spotlight

Cordell shared part of her quilting journey in a format we may just adopt for future spotlights. She focused on four topics:

1 Theme, what she creates: creating functional quilts with an artistic eye. 

2 Materials, what she creates with: using up stash, donated fabrics

3 Method, how she creates: walking foot quilting, improvisational piecing

4 Reason, why she creates: to improve herself and learn

Modern Sampler made  with dupioni silk fabrics. 

Pattern by Jill Stemple.

Sew and Share

Debby M.

Debby M.

Melanie M.

Elise

Chelsea

Quilter’s Questions

We learn by asking questions and getting answers from others who have faced similar challenges and experiences.

Tonight’s questions:

Debby M.- what do you consider when deciding on a quilting design?

consider the purpose of the quilt

What elements do you want to emphasize

How much time do you want to spend

Look for similar quilt patterns to see how someone else quilted it

Wait for the quilt to “speak to you”

Karen D.- what are your favorite methods of marking?

Air erasable, water erasable, chalk, painter’s tape

Be sure to test whatever you plan to use to make sure it can be removed

Elise- how do you display your quilts?

Draped over the rungs of a ladder.

Stacked in a cabinet.

Hang on the wall. Use straight pins or sewing machine needles if you don’t want to put a sleeve on the quilt.

Use command hooks to support a rod, use rings with alligator clips to hold the quilt

On a bed

Sharon F.- how do you pick the color of thread to quilt with

Consider the purpose, what is the focus, the piecing or the quilting

Use a busy backing fabric to hide your thread

Keep the bobbin thread in low contrast to the top thread 

Lay samples of thread on the top to see how it looks. A single strand of thread will look different than the whole spool.

Sharon F.- making a costume, how to keep edges from fraying when you need to make slashes in the fabric.

If the fabric is prone to fraying when cur there were several suggestions:

use fraycheck

Use a fusible stabilizer behind the area to be cut, the glue will hold the cut edge

Don’t cut at all. Apply paint or fabric appliqués to give the illusion it was cut.

Chelsea- what colors do you use and why?

The colors that people preferred varied but they also changed over time. What you don’t like today you might love next year. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is a good exercise to work with colors you don’t usually use. It can expand your understanding of how colors work together.

Upcoming Meetings

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 7pm-9pm

Sunday, November 19, 2023 2pm-4pm (a sew day)

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 6pm - 9pm holiday gathering 

We meet on the second floor of the Camp Hill Giant Food store located in the Camp Hill Shopping Center at 3301 E Trindle Rd, Camp Hill, PA 17011. The meetings start at 7pm with social time starting at 6:30pm. 

 Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild New members are always welcome, contact us at CapitalAreaMQG@gmail.com

August 2023 Meeting

 August 2023

There was a board meeting before the regular meeting. The board decided to hold the annual Christmas/holiday gathering on the third Tuesday of December rather than the third Sunday as too many people already had obligations for Sunday. We will have a white elephant gift exchange. Members who want to participate should bring a wrapped quilty gift (approx. $25 value).

It was also decided that the guild would purchase the Global Quilt Connection Sampler which will be aired on September 23rd and 24th. More information will be sent out closer to the event.

New member- Karen Derrick of Etters, PA. Thanks for joining us!

The guild is seeking new leadership for 2024. If interested contact Gay.

Member Spotlight

Melanie Miller Foster shared her recent trip to Uganda with Global Teach Ag Network. She shared many photos and stories about her time there. The culture, the people, and the textiles. She wasn’t there for quilting but a quilter will find fabric wherever they go.

Sew and Share

Karen D. - Atomic Star

Elise- Chicago Bulls- over 6000 squares make up this quilt she drafted on graph paper.

Chelsea- Moravian Star Christmas ornament, made with 60 pieces of 60 degree diamonds.

April S.- beach scene, fusible applique, quilted by Gay Weigand.

Challenge Reveal

Quilter, Quilter What do you see?

We invite you to make a quilt that represents something you see within one mile of your home. It can be inspired by scenery, architecture, objects, signs or even something inside your home.…… It’s up to you!

Please consider stretching your creativity with this challenge by trying something new or incorporating more modern quilting techniques in your craft. 

Challenge is due August 2023

Requirements:

1.     Make a quilt or quilted project. 

2.     Take a picture of your inspiration and bring it along with you in March.

3.     Keep to modern quilting guidelines……..Modern quilts are primarily functional and inspired by modern design. Modern quilters work in different styles and define modern quilting in different ways, but several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt. These include, but are not limited to: the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. “Modern traditionalism” or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting. www.themodernquiltguild.com

 

May 2023 Guild Meeting

 May 2023

Tonight we welcomed Chelsea Holbert as a guest and she left as a member. Welcome Chelsea who recently moved from Indianapolis. We’re glad to have her!

Chelsea was our first door prize winner, Amy Barrick and Mary Ellen Wical were the other winners.

The Modern Quilt Guild recently revised the definition of Modern Quilting. As quilting evolves so does what is considered modern. To read about it visit the Modern Quilt Guild website.

We shared what aspects of Modern Quilting we will be using in our challenge quilts.

Program

 Mary Ellen did a great job informing us on batting. The different kinds, brands, and material. She shared tips about them as well as showing samples. She prefers the Quilters Dream line of battings. The Dream Wool is her personal favorite. Another favorite is Hobbes 80/20 blend. 

Sew and Share

Mary Ellen finished a bunch of quilts recently. The Bonnie Hunter Mystery- Chilhowie.

Block-of-the-Month class that Mary Ellen taught at Halfmoon Handwerks in New Cumberland.

Mary Ellen used the scraps to make a donation quilt.

Finally, she made a Mondo bag out of a collection of bee fabrics.

Debby M. made this quilt top as part of a quilt along with Jittery Wings - Charade

Gay W. took a class on improvisational piecing at Quiltcon-Atlanta with Charles Cameron called Wonky Pluses

Next Month

Leslie Robinson will be sharing info about Pappas House, a hospice care home. Our fall charity quilt will involve making a quilt for them.

Our challenge quilts are coming due in August. For the next meeting members are to think about what they learned while making their challenge quilt and share at the meeting.

 New members are always welcome, contact us at CapitalAreaMQG@gmail.com

March 2023 Meeting

March 2023

We started the meeting with our member door prizes. Mary Ellen Wical, Evelyn Hunt, and Amy Barrick were tonight’s winners.

Deb Lohman let everyone know that the membership for 2023 was paid to the National Organization. As members of The Modern Quilt Guild we all get free admission to Quiltcon. She shared the recent experience at Quiltcon in Atlanta, Georgia.  Next year. Quiltcon will be in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Upcoming quilt shows include

The Lancaster Quilt Show March 29-April 1st at the Wyndham Resort in Lancaster, Pa. Free Admission and Free Parking.

Mennonite Quilt Relief March 31-April 1st at the Harrisburg Farm Show, Free Admission, Parking Fee.

Baltimore Heritage Quilt Expo, April 22-23rd, Timmonium, MD

Global Quilt Connection- online sampler- May 6-7th- details to come next month

Member Spotlight: Karen Sykes

She started sewing as a young child making clothes, took up knitting in college, and later took up quilting.

Mystery Quilt

Gertie the Ghost

Triangles with Rebecca Bryan

Improv, scalloped edge was cut by hand with no pattern

Kangaroo quilt

Early quilt made for her mother.

Favorite knitted vest

Knitted jacket from her travels to Austria

Pattern by Rebecca Bryan

Sew and Share

Debbie M., pattern by Jennifer Sampou-Sky Madras Bloom Tablerunner

Sharon F., pattern by Jan Krentz-variation of Hunters Star.

Maike B. pattern Colored Happy by Valorie Wells

Maike B., Interleave technique

Maike B., hand appliqued circles and pieced squares. The back of the quilt made from tablecloth she used for special parties so it has special meaning to her.

Debbie M., quilted the Bingo Quilt made from the blocks members made when we played fabric bingo. Quilt will be donated to Quilts for Kids.

Sharon F., inspired by the book Lovely Landscape  Quilts

Evelyn H. shared quilted placemats made by Judi Bitner from another guild that they are donating to Meals on Wheels and a senior center. A great way to use up scraps from projects.

Favorite Tools

Members shared there favorite tools for quilting:

A phone, a camera, a computer, a toothpick, a slotted ruler, bobbin case that closes, little crochet hook, 2 1/2” x 24” ruler, Clover Needle threader, sharp mini scissors, Celtic bars, Strip Stick for pressing

Business 

Members voted to vary the meetings if warranted. That meetings can be held the third Sunday of the month at the discretion of the leadership, mainly in the winter months in the event of bad weather or darkness consideration. All meetings through October 2023 will be held the third Thursday of the month.

Upcoming

April -Deb Lohman will be talking about Threads

May- Mary Ellen will tell us about batting

Modern Quilt Guild New members are always welcome, contact us at CapitalAreaMQG@gmail.com