Challenge Opportunities!

Riley Blake Challenge

The third MQG Riley Blake challenge was announced in January, and within eight hours, all challenge spots were filled! Several CFMQGers did get in and have received their fabrics - six fat-eights of "The Cottage Garden" collection by Amanda Herrig. 

If you didn't get in on the free fabric bundle, you can still participate. Just go to a quilt shop - brick-and-mortar, or online - to purchase what you want. 

Then, create and sew! The challenge is:

• Make something fantastic that is quilted.
• Make something you've never done before
• Challenge yourself to try something new.
• Use only Riley Blake The Cottage Garden fabrics and any coordinating Riley Blake basics and solids.
• Complete your project by July 31. We will be sharing challenge projects at our August 10 meeting.

Share your work and see what others in the MQG are doing by taking pictures! Upload photos to:

• the community page of the MQG website
• Instagram or Facebook. Tag them #mqgfabricchallenge

American Made Brand Tiny Quilt Challenge

American Made Brand is the only fabric manufacturer whose product, from field to fabric, is entirely produced in the US. 

Sixty-two solid colors are available, so choose yours to make a project. 

• that's pieced, appliquéd, or quilted
• design must be original - CFMQG verified with AMB 4/24/15
• no larger than 15" X 15" and include a 4" hanging sleeve
• enter as many items as you wish by September 15
• juried winners will be announced by October 1, and 
• will be included in an exhibit at Road 2 California in January, 2016

The top prize will win an all-expenses paid trip, for two nights, to Road 2 California! Find complete details and entry forms here.

Central Florida MQG Solids Challenge

We're also encouraging members to use solids in their modern quilts. The rules are simple:

• Use solids only
• Make anything quilted.
• Make it any size.
• Create a project that focuses on a modern element that you can talk about when sharing at a chapter meeting.
• Complete your project by November 9.
• A "Viewer's Choice," and other prizes will be awarded.

Share your work! Take pictures of your in-progress and finished project. Upload photos to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #CentralFloridaMQG

Looks like it's time to put creativity and inspiration to work! We can't wait to see what everyone does! 

April 13 Monthly Meeting

This month, 29 quilters turned out for the second Monday of the month evening meeting. Two of those quilters were first-time guests.

Quilters participating in the Florida postcard swap, being organized by the Orlando MQG, turned in their postcards, and 50-cents. When mailing addresses have been received from the Orlando coordinator, our swap chair Kelly will address, stamp, and mail postcards. 

Becky with "Wild and Fun," longarm quilted

Becky

Toni and "Stack and Whack" placemats

Beth and her "Professional Tote," a pattern by The Creative Thinker

Linda H. and "SuperTote," a pattern by Noodlehead

Linda H. and "Metro Waves," a SewKindofWonderful pattern, domestic machine quilted

Cecelia

Cecelia's "Fifty Shades of Grey" using the Tula Pink tubular technique

Karen's "Rainbow Wave," a Weeks & Ringle "Making Waves" pattern from Modern Illustrated magazine, domestic machine quilted

Linda T completed a SewKindofWonderful "Urban Abacus" bed runner. Each abacus is pieced from jelly roll strips.

Vice President Debbie led our program, sharing various ways to make hexagon quilts - English paper-pieced whole and half hexagons, machine-sewn, and ways to sew them modern. 

Debbie's English paper-pieced Millefiori-along project, from the book "The New Hexagon"

Linda T's hexagon quilt, pieced in columns with half hexagons.

JoAnn's hexagon quilt made with the JayBird Quilts ruler.

Celina's modern hexagons

Everyone engaged in a hexagon exercise, coloring hexagon graph paper to create modern designs. For designing, print sheets of hexagon graph paper here. You can also load your printer with card stock and print 1",1-1/2",  2",  and other sizes of hexagon papers here. 

Each month, more members are wearing their homemade name tags. We have some good-looking ones here!

handmade name tags

Challenge
CFMQGers are challenged to make a project (no size restrictions), using only solid fabrics. These are due at the November meeting.

American Made Brand announced a "Tiny Quilt Challenge." Quilts must be no larger than 15" X 15" and made entirely of AMB solids. Entries are accepted beginning May 15 to September 15. Prizes awarded. More information is available here.









Mod Retreat Update (Gainesville/Central Florida MQG)
This was our last meeting before the May 7-10 retreat with the Gainesville MQG at Luther Springs. Twenty-four quilters will attend - 18 from CFMQG. Everything is a "go," with final payments made, and volunteers who will bring two sets of table risers and four ironing boards/irons. If you haven't yet done so, please provide emergency medical information as indicated on the form emailed to retreaters. Be sure to include the name and phone number of your doctor. 

May Meeting
Monday, May 11, 6:30 pm
North Lake Presbyterian Church
Program: "How to Make it More Modern... or, I Tried and Didn't Succeed"
Bring a quilt that you tried to make modern, or could have made modern. Or, if not a quilt, bring a pattern, photo, or magazine picture of a quilt that could be made modern. Be prepared to explain how you would make it modern. 

As always, bring your modern project or quilt for show-and-tell!