Anne Sullivan Comes to CFMQG

On Monday, June 11, the Central Florida MQG is proud to host modern quilter and designer, Anne Sullivan (@PlayCrafts) for a workshop and program. Anne will share her innovative modern designs and techniques with members at her "Design As You Go" workshop; and though a wonderful evening program: "You Are Creative!" Her program is open to all members, guests, and anyone interested in modern quilting!

Anne is a member of the Orlando MQG, and has a true gift for designing and creating modern intentionally-designed and improvisational quilts. You'll find her quilts as free patterns offered through the MQG (link here, and here, to MQG members), and she has shared her approach to creative designs on this episode of season two of Fresh Quilting TV.

You won't want to miss this opportunity to learn from the best of the MQG!

Twenty members of our Central Florida MQG chapter will have the opportunity to take Anne's "Design As You Go" workshop on Monday afternoon, June 11, from 12:45-3:45 pm.

Anne will explain and discuss aspects of design elements and principles, that we’ll put to work creating an improvisational mini-quilt. Improvisation is an ongoing design exercise, where you design-as-you-go, constantly modifying what happens next based on what you’ve done before. By learning some design concepts, it gives you much more power over your improvisational quilt and get it closer to your desired vision. Anne will also review techniques for cutting and piecing improvisational shapes either with or without a ruler, including gentle curves.

Our workshop is at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, 4886 County Road 472 (Rainey Trail), Oxford. 

The cost is $40 to members with registrations being accepted at the April 16 meeting. Or, if you're unable to attend the meeting, send payment to our post office box: PO Box 1355, Lady Lake, FL 32158.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Central Florida MQG evening program with Anne Sullivan

As for Anne's lecture/program, it's free to Central Florida MQG members, but go ahead and invite your friends! For only $5, they too can hear a fabulous lecture about Anne's approach to being creative. 

Anne's lecture is the same inspiring lecture that she presented at QuiltCon 2017 in Savannah! So if you weren't able to attend that (at a considerably greater cost!) you definitely don't want to miss this opportunity to hear Anne's talk. She will have you itching to make your own, original-design modern quilt! 

$5 at the door for non-members (no pre-registration needed)

Lecture: You Are Creative!

If you have trouble thinking of yourself as creative, Anne will set you straight! She explains what it means to be creative, providing tips and tricks to be your most creative self. Everyone is creative, including you!

Anne's program begins at 6:30 pm at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, 4886 County Road 472 (Rainey Trail), Oxford. 

This will be a fabulous day for everyone with a penchant for modern quilts. We hope you will join us!

Email CentralFloridaMQG@gmail.com if you have questions.

March 5 Meeting

Our March meeting was held on the first Monday of the month, March 5, due to a conflict with the church where we meet. Please note that the April meeting date has also been changed due to a conflict with the church. We will meet in April on the third Monday of the month, April 16, at 6:30 pm.

Even with our meeting date change, we had a great turnout with 40 people in attendance! Three of the 40 were first-time visitors - We're very glad you came to check us out, and hope you return! We also have a new member - Tambry. Welcome! She brings our membership to 53 people!

👏👏👏

Our program - "Inspiration for Modern Quilt Designs" - presented by member Beth, was information-packed and inspirational! She presented a series of slides with pictures of quilts, and some of the real-life items that inspired the quilt designs. 

She reviewed many modern quilting elements such as scale, minimalism, traditional made modern, improv, gridwork, off-the-grid, and a newer design concept... maximalism. 

Based on Beth's presentation, our chapter members have been challenged to choose an inspiration and come up with a new design, then make that design a quilt by our July 9 meeting. If you missed the details of this challenge, go here to read about the Inspiration Challenge.

This is Brenda @easy_beezee and her wallhanging, "Night and Day" by Gosia Pawlowska @quiltsmyway Brenda added a gold charm to the intersections of each design.

Joey @cozycuddlequilts showed her "Wander" quilt, a pattern by Sew Many Creations. Joey practiced domestic machine quilting on this one, improving and trying new designs as she went. 

President Karen @sunrayatplay shared several quilts she made to donate to charities. This is a Jaybird Quilts pattern called "Stereo." Karen quilts all her quilts on a mid-arm sit-down machine, a Tiara.

This is "Love Links," a pattern by Deb Tucker's Modern 180.

Dee @quilterdee finished "Squiggles" a quilt-along with Christa Watson @christaquilts that Dee made with Farmer's Daughter fabrics.

Dee also finished four mini quilts from Sew Sampler boxes receive from the Fat Quarter Shop.  Designs are by Center Street Quilts and Thimbleblossoms. Dee domestic machine quilts all her quilts.

Linda @flourishingpalms showed "Slopes" a pattern from Amanda Jean Nyberg's book "No Scrap Left Behind." She domestic machine quilted it. 

Beth (who also presented our inspirational program) showed this filmstrip quilt, made with blocks begun in 2013 with other members of our chapter. These monthly blocks were made available from the Bay Area Modern quilters. Thus, it was called "BAM-BOM." (See more pictures here. And here.) Beth walking foot quilted this herself, incorporating film reels into the quilting design.

Beth and Karen both made and showed quilts that will be donated to North Lake Presbyterian Church for distribution to veterans.

This is how we say thank you to the church for allowing us to hold our meetings in their fellowship area. Thank you Beth and Karen for making these!

Don't miss our Saturday Sew-In this coming Saturday, March 10! We'll be at the Belleview Public Library starting at 10 am. Bring whatever you'd like to work on, and lunch (unless you want to go to Subway). It will be a great opportunity to get feedback on your new challenge idea too. 

Mark your calendar for April 16, the date change for our monthly meeting at 6:30 pm at North Lake Presbyterian Church.

Our April 16 program is "Gridwork Quilting With Pizzazz!" by member Cindy.

She'll demonstrate how to use your home sewing machine and a walking foot to quilt a grid pattern, and then use a free motion quilting foot to fill the grid. Bring a pencil so you can practice draw/quilt on your own worksheet. 

New Quilt Challenge: Inspiration Challenge

Each year, several of our members manage to come up with a chapter challenge that inspires us to grow in our modern quiltmaking. So we're happy to introduce this challenge, presented by Beth. It begins immediately.

Inspiration Challenge

Here are the criteria for the challenge:

• Choose your own design challenge from one of these three sources:

1. Our March 5 meeting program: “Inspiration for Modern Quilt Designs” by Beth.
2. Any MQG Fresh Quilting television program accessible through the MQG website.*
3. Any MQG webinar accessible through the MQG website.*

*Log into www.themodernquiltguild.com
Choose: Community; Resources (Members Only)
On the right side, refer to "Filter by Types" to choose: Fresh Quilting (64); or Webinar (50)

• Show your source of inspiration. If you are inspired by a pattern or another quilter’s quilt, make your finished design different. Choose a style or technique new to you. Do not copy the original design. Take a photo of your inspiration and print it to show with your quilt.

• Quilt may be any size but no smaller than 20" X 20". Make a larger quilt if you wish. Beth suggests that 20" to 40" is a good size to try out new inspirations or techniques.

• Your challenge piece does not need to be kept secret. Share your progress, ask for input, or receive guidance at Saturday Sew-Ins. Post challenge progress pictures on Instagram using the hashtag #cfmqginspirationchallenge

• Everyone who completes a challenge piece has an equal chance to win a prize. (No member-voting, or Viewer’s Choice.)

• Completed quilts are due at the July 9, 2018 meeting. Be prepared to explain your inspiration and how you created your version of the inspiration.  

• Above all have fun!

Our thanks to member Beth for presenting the program on inspiration, and tying our challenge into her presentation. Each of us has something fun to strive for!

Don't forget to share your progress pictures on Instagram! #cfmqginspirationchallenge