Paper Piecing and more ...

A great group of 30 women gathered for our first guild meeting of 2016. I think we were all glad that the snow and ice melted away and didn't interfere with our meeting!

After welcoming several visitors, we got right to business and discussed the following:

Weather Policy - We decided that going by the CMS school closure decisions may not make sense for whether or not we cancel a guild meeting so, in the event of inclement weather a decision will be made by the leadership about whether or not to hold a meeting and that decision will be communicated ASAP to the members and the wider public via our email list (for members) and website, facebook page, and instagram. (links below). 

Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild website and blog: http://charlottemodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/The-Charlotte-Modern-Quilt-Guild-142528345816277/?fref=ts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cltmqg/

Email list - If you are a member, please make sure your email address is current. You should receive an email by Friday, February 29 to test our list. If you do not receive an email, contact us via the guild email address: cltmqg@gmail.com

QUILTCON east - The quilting convention for the Modern Quilt Guild is coming east in 2017! This years QUILTCON is in Pasadena from February 18-21, but next year, it'll be on our side of the country in Savannah, Georgia. If you are interested in attending QUILTCON east, check out the website. If you think you are going to attend, hotels near the convention center will fill up fast. You can make a reservation now using the QUILTCON east reservation system and will receive a special rate for convention attendees. Yours truly just made a reservation for a room for four and I'm excited already about attending for the first time ever! Lecture and workshop offerings will be posted on June 1 and course registration for Modern Quilt Guild members begins June 25. Spots fill up fast so mark your calendars now : )

QUILTCON east - http://www.quiltconeast.com/

Hotel reservations for QUILTCON east - http://www.quiltconeast.com/about/hotels/

Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild labels for charity quilts - Our group has donated a number of quilts to charities in our city. In addition, last month we donated placemats to Friendship Trays. It was suggested that we have labels printed for our charity quilts. Certainly every quilt should have a label and this would let others know about our guild. Great idea!

Springs Creative Company Tour - Program committee member, Dee, shared some of the ideas that the program committee is working on for 2016, including a tour for guild members to the Springs Creative Company factory in Rock Hill. We decided that a Thursday during the day is the best time for a tour. More information to come as this gets organized.

Springs Creative - http://springscreative.com/

In addition, we may try to plan a trip to the thread company, YLI, also in Rock Hill. https://www.facebook.com/ylicorp

Finally, from our Swap Captains, here is info for our February meeting:

Paper Piecing Swap

Practice all that you learned at our last meeting! Choose a paper piecing pattern and turn it into something to swap at our next meeting. You could make a mug rug, pot holder, needle case – you pick what you want to make! Turn your practicing into something fun to share!

Secret Sister Swap

Sara has emailed everyone the name of her secret sister for the next three months. For each meeting, please bring something small in a plain brown lunch bag marked with your secret sister’s name. I can be something you make or something you buy (examples from the past: a new name tag, chocolates, fat quarters) Be creative!

If you signed up for a secret sister and did not receive an email from Sara, please email her at sara.struhs@hotmail.com

Whew! This is a loooong blog post full of info! I'll save the pictures from the meeting for the next post. Stay tuned ...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, friends! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to jump back into a new year. Our program committee has been working hard to figure out interesting and fun programs for the upcoming year and we'll post them on the Calendar and Events page of our blog as soon as they are finalized for each month.

For now, please mark your calendars for our January meeting on Tuesday, January 26th at St. Gabriel's Church Ministry Center, Room D.

Our program will be all about paper piecing and will be led by Jessie Gettliffe and Kelleigh Bland. The program will be geared to all levels of paper piecing from those who are complete novices to those who know how to paper piece and are interested in taking a design and developing a pattern for paper piecing it.

We will have different stations set up for piecing learning and growing at different levels:

Option 1 - If you've never done it, think you already hate it, don't like the idea of wasting fabric
This group will use colored paper and a stapler to try the technique. If you are interested in this option, bring paper cutting scissors and paper scraps (colored paper, leftover Christmas paper, etc.) and a stapler, if you have one.

Option 2 - If you already have the concept and need to learn how to prevent mistakes
A simple design, already drawn on foundation will be provided. We'll also have fabric scraps and needles and thread. You are also welcome to bring your own fabric scraps, scissors, needle and thread.

Option 3 - If you already know the basic concept and already have a pattern you want to do.
Bring an existing pattern and get help working out what order to add the pieces and how to avoid mistakes.

Option 4 - If you already know how, like paper piecing, and are ready to move beyond someone else's design.
Bring whatever image you want to paper piece and have the group help your figure out the design (or whether it's time to learn to applique instead : )

If you are interested in Option 4 and would like to send your image ahead of time, our program presenters will play around with the image ahead of time and try and figure it out. Email your image to cltmqg@gmail.com

Our swap team has also been working on upcoming swaps for the months ahead. For January, if you'd like to participate, you will have the opportunity to sign up for the Secret Sister Swap. This as always been a fun swap and a way to get to know another guild member better.

Our other swap for January is "Out with the Old, Start Something New"
Bring any UFO or orphan block you're tired of looking at and know you will never finish. At the meeting, you will have the opportunity to select from another guild member's "cast off" project that calls out to you and inspires your creativity. You will bring the completed project back to the February meeting so we can all see your creative re-imagining of someone else's UFO. We've done this swap before and there are always lots of ooohs and ahs as we see the direction these projects take.

Finally, do you have any New Year's sewing/quilting resolutions? Projects you want to complete in the year ahead? New techniques you want to try? Feel free to chime in in the comments section on the blog or the facebook page and we'll share some of these at the January meeting.

Til then, happy sewing and quilting!

January Meeting and Modern Star Challenge

Hello All! 
I hope you are getting excited for our January meeting next week. We have lots of great things in store for you. 


We'll roll out our plans for the year and have some great ideas up our sleeves. Fun swaps, challenges and workshops. Our guild is only as good as its members, and lucky for us we have such an amazing collective of talent! We need to share what we know! 


Sign ups for teaching mini workshops and demonstrations will be held at the January meeting.  You can sign up with a friend and team up to teach the demos together if you would like. 


We need you! Our workshop topics for this year are: 


Piecing Curves
Specialty blocks: Y Seams, Disappearing 9 patch, Wonky & Improv Blocks
Machine Binding
Hexagons (English Paper Piecing) 
Words on Quilts
Thread School


Please give some thought to what you would like to teach our group. 


So, ready for the next challenge? We have this fabulous stack of modern fabric ready and waiting. 

Source: thequiltedcastle.com via Jennifer Mathis on Pinterest

The Modern Star Challenge kicks off this meeting. Each participant will receive some of this beautiful Echo fabric by Lotta Jansdotter.  More details on Thursday! 


Our next sew-in day is Saturday, February 18. We'll complete the Habitat fabric charity quilts and work on individual projects. Sew-In is from noon to 4:00, and we'll sign up to bring snacks. 
The sew-in will be in Ligon Hall at Carmel Presbyterian Church.  It is a beautiful church hall, at the intersection of Carmel Road and Sharon View Road, not far from Morrison Regional Library.  
The address is: 

2048 Carmel Road  Charlotte, NC 28226-5098 (704) 366-5114 Pull around to the back of the church and park by the playground.

And finally, we are sharing the love with a fat quarter swap on Thursday. 

Valentine’s Day  is on the horizon so why don’t we “SHARE THE LOVE”

WHAT:          A fun, easy fat quarter swap

WHEN:           Our January meeting

HOW:         Bring 2 fat quarters that have PINK or RED somewhere in the fabric

(FQs may be washed or unwashed quilt shop quality fabric)

Turn in your fat quarters at the beginning of the meeting and they will be mixed and paired in twos.

At the end of the meeting each person will then have a turn to select the pair they would like to take home.

Please note the time change for this meeting: 6:30 at Morrison Regional Library! See you next week!  
PS: A big congrats to Amanda Murphy! Her quilt is on the cover of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting! 

January Meeting

Hey Friends!

We are planning ahead for the new year and want to hear from you about what topics you would like to learn more about.

A few suggestions I've received are:

• hexies (english paper piecing) 
• machine binding
• zippered pouches
• thread school (exploring the various types, brands and uses) 
• quilt block demos (Y seams, 10 minute blocks, disappearing 9 patch) 
• challenge modern BOM
• pattern workshop
• EQ / Quilt Pro lesson
• basting techniques

We are looking for someone to teach a mini lesson on hand quilting for our January meeting. If you can hand quilt and would like to share your knowledge,  please contact me ASAP!

If you have other suggestions or just want to chime in on the ones above, please let your voice be heard! I would love to know what you are interested in. Sign ups for teaching the mini workshops and topics above will be available at the January meeting.

Have you picked out your pink OR red fabric for the fat quarter swap in January? Bring your two fat quarters to our next meeting for some fun swapping. Modern, quilt-shop quality fabric please.

Mark your calendar for our next Sew-In Saturday, February 18 from noon-4:00. We will be bringing our machines, snacks and projects to complete. We'll also put together our two charity quilts using the habitat blocks. I hope everyone will join us!

See you soon!

January Meeting- Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful, restful holiday season.

Our next meeting is January 26, at 6:00 at Morrison Regional Library. More details about our workshop/10 minute tip coming soon.

Our swap for January information is below. What a great idea Karen has put together for us!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb 18 from 12:00-4:00 for our next Sew-In day. I've found a great location for us in South Park and will let you know more details soon. We need to get a move on our Habitat fabric charity quilt. Sign ups to help quilt the two tops will be at our January meeting.

If you have suggestions or ideas for our guild, please let me know. Looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks! Let's make 2012 great for the CLT MQG!

Valentine’s Day  is on the horizon so why don’t we “SHARE THE LOVE”

WHAT:          A fun, easy fat quarter swap

WHEN:           Our January meeting

HOW:         Bring 2 fat quarters that have PINK or RED somewhere in the fabric

(FQs may be washed or unwashed quilt shop quality fabric)

Turn in your fat quarters at the beginning of the meeting and they will be mixed and paired in twos.

 At the end of the meeting each person will then have a turn to select the pair they would like to take home.