January 21, 2024
The Sew Day turned into a Snow Day for the meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 16th but was cancelled due to weather. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for cancellation notices and other news.
The first meeting of the year and we are off on a great start!
Sharon F. gave a great presentation on Negative Space in quilting and how negative space can give your eyes a place to rest and keep your quilt from looking too busy or cluttered. It was a wonderful lead into this year's challenge theme- Negative Space.
2024 Challenge- To intentionally use negative space as a design component in your quilt.
- Quilt can be any size
- Incorporate modern design elements
- Strive for at least 40% of the quilt top to consist of negative space
- Consider using a color besides white or black for negative space
- Plan your quilting to unify your design and negative space
- Finished quilt due August 20, 2024.
Member Spotlight - Karen D.
Karen has been making quilts for many years, she started out with the cardboard templates and when using a sewing machine was not to be used, for the true quilting experience everything had to be done by hand. Boy, things have change, and all for the better! Many of the quilts she has made have been given away.
This Storm at Sea quilt was just her second quilt. It is striking in the fabric choices and has really stood the test of time.
Orange was not a color Karen would usually work in. So when her son sent her a box of fabric from Austin, TX she had to challenge herself to com this Snail's Trail quilt.
When Aboriginal fabrics were all the rage, she made this elephant quilt. (pattern by Violet Craft) She ending up having to make a herd of elephants for eager family members.
This star jacket is ready for runway. The gold fabrics sparkled on the black background. Pattern/technique by Editya Sitar of Laundry Basket Fabrics.
This king sized flying geese quilt was brought in right off the bed. A great use of Kaffe Fassett prints that she finally allowed herself to cut into. She had been collecting Kaffe fabrics for years and had been hesitant to cut them. She separated them by color and it works beautifully with the border print.
Lastly, Karen shared a quilt she made from taking a class on curved piecing at the PA Quilt Extravaganza quilt show in Oaks, PA.
At her former guild, they had a block challenge. One member had gotten 40+ vintage blocks and separated them so each participant received two blocks. Then the participants had to re-invent the blocks in a new project. The vintage block in Tasha's cactus quilt became the flowers.
Leslie R. made t-shirt memory pillows for a friend. The pillows were great, complete with corded edges and hidden zippers.
Debbie L., made this Freya quilt for a co-worker. She wanted a mid-century modern design, The backing fabric is a golden yellow minky. A popular color from the 60's and 70's.
Debbie L. created this original design. The inspiration was trying to take a picture of a bee and he would keep flying out of frame. The border is filled with colorful hexagons to evoke the honeycomb of the hive. The border is then filled with feathers, swirls and pebbles in a golden yellow color.
Sharon F. made this "Tall Tales" quilt for the Mennonite Relief Quilt Auction. The books were made using a freezer paper technique. On the back she made one large book from the leftover fabrics.
This batik quilt was made with over 500 different fabrics as a response to someone commenting that a quilt should not have more than 5 fabrics. The jewel tones stand out against the pastel colors and create a striking on-point grid design.
Karen made a lot of Judy Niemeyer quilts, but this one is a keeper for her. She had it custom quilted and it is stunning.
Karen has a bucket list of techniques she wants to learn, we look forward to seeing her learn these techniques and continue to share her beautiful creations.
Sew and Share
Christine M - made this charming Christmas tree. She fussy cut novelty prints to put inside the gold stars. She quilted the background with a meander and snowflakes.
Tasha F., who recently moved to the area, brought some projects she made. This feather quilt she quilted herself and it was her first free motion quilting. Excellent job!!
Tasha also shared her "Clue Bag". Another challenge from her previous guild. Participants would randomly pick a character, a weapon and a room from the board game "Clue". The front of Tasha's bag represents: Colonel Mustard, the Knife in the Ballroom.
Karen S - made this adorable quilt in memory of her dog, Charlie. It was done with scrappy applique. A technique she will be talking more about later this year.
Chelsea H. - made this jacket from a vintage quilt that had been damaged by a dog. Talk about making lemonade from lemons. This is a gorgeous way to preserve a quilt. Pattern is the "Chore Coat".
Looking ahead to February:
Sew Day (or possible "snow day") - Sunday, Feb 18, 2024 - 2-4pm- Giant Community Center
Meeting - Feb 20, 2024 7-9pm (Social time at 6:30pm) Giant Community Center
Meetings are the Third Tuesday of the Month. Meetings are held in the Community Center of the second floor of the Giant Food store at the Camp Hill Shopping Center. Conveniently located at the intersection of Rt 581, Rt 11/15 and Rt 641.
Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild
New members are always welcome, contact us at CapitalAreaMQG@gmail.com
