May and June Activities

We are dedicating our activities in May and June to community service!  Here's what we have planned:

Tuesday, May 21st:  Meeting, Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, 6:30 p.m. socializing and set-up, 6:45 p.m. meeting.  (Please RSVP via email so that we can prepare materials)

• Show and Share (please bring along any projects, complete or UFO, you would like to share)
• Discussion of the CAMQG Member Quilt Show/Exhibition (to be held in September)
• Fabric Cutting Session:  Caitlin's Smiles Totebags
• Caitlin's Smiles is a wonderful local charity that puts together Bags of Smiles for children in hospitals with chronic or life threatening illnesses.  The bags consist of crafts kits, journals, handmade cards, books or small toys, journals, and other goodies and are distributed to hospitals in a several state radius.
• We will be cutting the fabric at the May meeting and then sewing the bags at our June sewing day.
• We are looking to our members or anyone in the community to donate stash fabric for this activity.  High quality cotton, denim, upholstery fabric, or the like (prints or solids) can be used.  The bags will be used for kids from preschool through high school, and for both boys and girls.  No religious or holiday prints may be used.  1-2/3 yards of 42" fabric would yield 4 complete bags.  Smaller amounts of fabric can be used....the main panel to make the bag will need to measure 15" x 32" and the handles will be made from 2 - 5" x 10" pieces of fabric (or 1 - 5" x 20" piece).  Handles and bags can be made from different fabrics.  
• The bags will be simple tote bag style, around 13 x 15 inches, finished, with 2 handles and unlined.  This will be a simple pattern utilizing french seams and would be a great beginner project!
• PLEASE BRING YOUR FABRIC, ROTARY CUTTING MAT, RULER, AND ROTARY CUTTER!  We will only be cutting and organizing the fabric at this meeting.  Sewing will take place in June.
• We will distribute the pattern at the meeting (currently tweaking the pattern).
• Quilts for Boston Quilt Block Collection
• The Boston Modern Quilt Guild is sponsoring and completing this great project!  They are collecting completed quilt blocks to be included in quilts to be donated to those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.  
• We will be collecting completed quilt blocks for Quilts for Boston and making one shipment on behalf of our guild.  Finished blocks need to measure 12 1/2" tall by any width and can only use blue, gray, white, and yellow fabric (Boston Marathon colors).  Please click on the link above for more information on the block requirements.
• Our shipment must be postmarked by May 24th so blocks must be brought to the meeting.  If you would like to donate but are unable to make it to the meeting, please contact us to make other arrangements.
• This would be a great way to support our sister guild and those affected by the tragedy.  Blocks can be of any style, simple or complex.  Consider making one the next time you sit down at your machine!

June Sewing Day:  Caitlin's Smiles Tote Bags:  Tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 15th  (RSVP request to follow)

• Specifics on time, date, and location will be announced within the week.
• Join CAMQG for a day of community service sewing!
• We will be assembling the tote bags for Caitlin's Smiles.

We hope that you can join us!  Wishing you happy stitching!

Meg and Jill

What's Coming Up for CAMQG....

Lots of plans are in the works for the Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild!  Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg.  6:30 p.m. set-up and socializing, 6:45 p.m. meeting.  We will be sharing projects, discussing plans for our guild's growth and a member modern quilt show, signing up for our UFO sewing day at Smile Spinners on Saturday, April 20th, as well as exploring resources for modern quilters.  We would love for you to join us!  Please email us at capitalareamqg@gmail.com to RSVP or for more information.

Wishing you happy stitching!
Meg and Jill

Fat Quarter Challenge

At our November meeting we ask each person to bring a fat quarter of modern, small scale print fabric.  We then each cut that fabric into six strips and had a swap, two groups each ended up with one of their own strip and one strip from five other members of their group.  They were asked to add at least one solid fabric and make a small scale project.  Here's what a few of us came up with

Sigrid's Tetrahedron Pouch

Rose's Wall Hanging

Lois' awesome cut away applique

Meghann's Wonky Log Cabin

Jill's Wonky Star Pillow

 It was our first meeting in our new home for evening meetings, The Midtown Scholar, who were extremely gracious hosts.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the challenge!  More modern sewing coming up soon.

Upcoming Schedule

The CAMQG is excited to be growing and we'd love to have you join us.  Here's what's coming up in the next few months.

February Meeting

• Tuesday, February 19th, 6:30 socializing/set-up, 6:45 meeting
• Midtown Scholar Bookstore
• Meeting Agenda Items:
  • Introductions and Show and Tell
  • What is Modern Quilting? Presentation
  • Member Challenge Project Presentation and Voting
  • Guild Activities Discussion and Planning
  • Gathering of the Guilds, Saturday, February 23rd
  • AQS Lancaster Show, March 13-16
  • April UFO Sewing Day, Saturday, April 20th, at Smile Spinners, space for 15 attendees
  • Member Quilt Show (call for planning committee)

March Meeting

• Tuesday, March 19th, 6:30 socializing/set-up, 6:45 meeting
• Midtown Scholar Bookstore
• Tenative Meeting Agenda Items: 
• Introductions and Show and Tell
• Online Resources for the Modern Quilter Presentation
• Fabric Printing Video 
• Member Quilt Show discussion 
• Discussion and planning for growth

April UFO Sewing Day

• Saturday, April 20th, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Smile Spinners, Marysville
• Time to work on and hopefully complete some of those unfinished projects!

New members are always welcome!  Please RSVP to allow for set up.

Hexagons Two Ways

Last weekend our guild had the chance to gather for our second sewing day workshop at Quiltmakers Cottage in Hershey, thanks to Beth and her gracious staff.

Lois led the group in learning a machine piecing technique, using a butterfly seam. 

And I (Jill) got to share my love of traditional English Paper Piecing.

An all around fun day of hexies!  Our next sewing day will be in April and we're planning free sewing and social time, hopefully a good opportunity for everyone to catch up on their WIPs.   Exact dates will be up soon with our spring schedule, so be sure to check back!


 

Hexies 2 Ways Workshop...Only 2 Spots Left

We still have 2 spots left for the Hexies 2 Ways Workshop on Saturday, January 12th beginning at 9 a.m. at Quiltmaker's Cottage in Hershey.  Please read below for complete information on the event and please RSVP via email ASAP (by this Saturday the 5th) to secure your spot for this awesome workshop!

Hexies 2 Ways Workshop

Presented by our very own Jill Stemple and Lois Bruno

Jill will be teaching the hand piecing method while Lois will be showing us how to machine piece hexi blocks.

Lois will be providing pre-cut hexagon packets (enough for 2 blocks) for the machine portion for $2.  Jill will be providing paper piecing kits for $5 which will include the paper foundations (115 hexagons, 35 half hexagons) and a template for cutting the hexagons for the hand piecing process.  Please bring $7.00 (exact change) to the workshop so that we can reimburse Jill and Lois for the kits.


Along with the funds for the kits, each participant will need to bring the following to the workshop:

Machine Piecing supplies:
        Sewing machine
        Basic Sewing supplies
        Neutral thread
        Good/comfortable seam ripper (This is used in the construction process. It's not that I am certain you will make mistakes.)

Paper Piecing Supplies:
       Fabric- great way to use up scraps, but FQs or yardage is also fine
       Basting thread- basically any thread, cheap and old is fine, it won't stay in the blocks
       Hand Quilting Thread in neutral or matching color
       Hand sewing needle
       Pencil
       Fabric Scissors

Beth will have hexi rulers for sale ($8.95) at the shop the day of the workshop.  These would be used to cut the hexies for machine piecing (Lois's method).  If you are looking to continue this method, this would be a great time to pick up the tool.

Looking forward to a great sewing day!  Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


Meg, Jill, and Lois

Our First Member Sewing Challenge

At the last meeting, we introduced and prepped for our very first Member Sewing Challenge.  For this challenge, each member was asked to bring a fat quarter of small scale print modern fabric.  Participating members were broken down into 2 groups for the challenge, 6 in each group.  Fabric was then cut into strips, 3 x 18 inches, and shared with the other group members resulting in each member having a strip of their own fabric as well as a strip from each of the other members in their group.  Here's what each member ended up with:

Group 1's Fabric Strips

Group 2's Fabric Strips

Here's the challenge portion:

·       Each member will use the fabric strips to make a project of their choice (mini quilt, pillow, table decoration, bag, etc….the ideas are limitless!!!).

·       The finished project can measure no larger than 24 inches x 24 inches.

·       All member fabrics must be represented/visible on the front/outside of the project but they can also be used elsewhere.

·       A solid fabric must also be integrated into the front/outside of the project.

·       Fabric may be added to complete the project; however the main/focus fabrics must be the member strips and the solid.

·       Completed projects should be brought to the February meeting.

We are so excited to see what our members create!