About Last Night, or... Our December Social

Nineteen quilters attended our first annual December Social on December 9. It was a great opportunity to get better acquainted, and talk about our favorite and least favorite sewing and quilting notions. Several people really stepped up our request to bring "one or two notions to share"... and brought a half dozen or more! Thankfully, those on the "favorite" side were in greater supply than those that were bad-mouthed as "unfavorite."

Gloria liking her binding tail joining tool

Frieda touting her bodkin, for pushing out point corners

Denise enlightening us about the many uses for sewer tank lining!

Denise and her comic book cards for fabric folding and storage.


Doris shows us a seam ripper, a tool we love to hate.

Karen and her Kona color card

Linda and her favorite 1/8"-thick nested circle acrylic rulers

Jill tells about her favorite Aurifil thread

Sandy likes her Martinelli rotary cutter

More than one quilter likes her magnetic bowl, from an automotive store.

Terry likes her magnifying seam ripper

Linda likes the flexible, fusible tape for joining batting pieces.

And, her dangerous-looking stiletto!

A quilt top by Carolyn

Sandy, who quilted this wreath herself

Sharon with her modern batiks quilt

longarm quilting

For the first time, we were able to get a picture of the group that's been responsible for getting our chapter off the ground.

We're grateful for the generous leadership of these quilters: (left to right)

Karen E.; Linda T.; Doris H.; Denise L.; Mel T.; Gae N.; Brenda H.; and Linda H.  

Missing from our group picture, yet not to pass unnoticed, was also valued input from Carla S., Sheddy R., and Carly W. Thank you everyone!

We're especially grateful for Karen's willingness to take on the chapter's leadership role beginning in 2014.

November 11 Meeting Review

What a great turnout for our November meeting!

Twenty-two quilters were in attendance; three of them were first-time visitors! We're happy to see such interest in modern quilting.

Linda won one of our door prizes.

Beth gave our 12-Minute Tip... which may have gone slightly over 12 minutes.

She showed us numerous items, purchased from a home improvement store, that can be used for quilting.

Our program was - "Make a Hottie" - where we shared what we'd made with Insul-Bright, one of the products included in a box of batting and other products donated by The Warm Company to Modern Quilt Guild chapters across the US.

We saw curling iron holders...

hot pads...

more hot pads...

table top protectors...

Carolyn

Updated to add: If you'd like to make the table top protector/hot pad that Carolyn showed (above), the five-minute YouTube video is here: How to Sew a Hot Pad, Triangle Version, by Brandi Frey

a potato bag...

... and a shoulder bag for a Kindle or tablet. Insul-Bright is placed in back of the tablet pocket, to keep the heat off your lap,

Joan

Joan

Rebecca

Rebecca

Beth - a Weeks Ringle design

Beth

Carolyn

Linda - a Weeks Ringle design with Victorian Modern fabrics

Looking ahead...

DECEMBER 9:

• Program: "Favorite and Unfavorite Tools and Notions" - The program is for everyone to share one or two tools or notions that you can't sew without, or that you wish you'd never bought.
• Social Time: Bring an appetizer or dessert to share with 4 to 6 people. Drinks and paper products will be provided. 
• Brainstorm: We'll have a general discussion about possible programs and activities for 2014. 

JANUARY 13, 2014:

• Program: "Color, Hue, and Value" by Doris Hulse
• Riley Blake Challenge Reveal - Everyone who received a challenge packet will show their completed project.
• Quilter Spotlight - A new, get-to-know-a-quilter time will begin this month, and continue throughout the year.

FEBRUARY 10, 2014:

• Program: "Circlin' Around" by Beth Shutty

All meetings are at North Lake Presbyterian Church, on Rolling Acres Road (behind Home Depot) in Lady Lake, Florida. We hope to see you at a future meeting!

October 14 Meeting

Twenty quilters turned out for our monthly meeting! Though there was an unanticipated problem getting into the building (Locks had been changed and our quilter hadn't received the new key!), we managed to conduct most of our business meeting outdoors, while waiting to be let in. We're grateful for the beautiful Florida weather we've been enjoying!

Once inside, in a new-to-us, larger, well-lit room, we got down to sharing some quilting.

Brenda gave a 12-Minute Tip about how to easily sew a Windmill block.

Three quilters who are participating in the BAM BOM shared their latest blocks: "Woven." (See BOM list on menu bar at right. Please join in!)

Beth, Gae, and Linda

Linda gave the "Hexie Craze" program, explaining and demonstrating different ways to make hexagon quilts - using the Hex 'n More ruler, and with English paper-pieced hexagons.

Made by Brenda with Kaffe Fassett fabrics

Back side of Brenda's quilt

Designed and free motion quilted by Doris

Quilt top made by Frieda

Designed and quilted by Carly

Made and tied by Pat

Riley Blake Challenge fabrics were distributed. Participants are asked to follow the national guidelines when making their projects.

• Make anything you want as long as it is quilted!

• Add in any solids or Riley Blake printed fabric.

• You do not need to use all the fabrics given to you.

Those who have an individual MQG membership will find information here. CFMQG finished challenge pieces will be shown at the January 13, 2014 meeting.




November 11 Meeting - "Make a Hottie!"
Also distributed to October meeting attendees were various specialty battings for use in the oven or microwave. These were donated to us by The Warm Company. Our quilters are asked to use these battings to sew items for the November 11 "Make a Hottie" challenge. Everyone is invited to participate whether you received batting at the meeting or not.

Simply make anything suitable for use in the oven or microwave - such as a potato bag, pot pad, pot holder, bowl buddy - using modern fabrics. The item is yours to keep or gift, as you choose. Bring your finished item to show at the November 11 meeting, noting where you found your pattern. That information will be posted here at a later time.

We're still looking for regular attenders to wear a homemade name tag. Lots of ideas are out there on Flickr!

Don't forget to upload pictures of your modern quilts to our own Central Florida MQG Flickr group page! This is especially useful to our long-distance members. Can't wait to see what you've been working on!

Meeting Monday

Monday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m. is the monthly Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild meeting. We'll be at North Lake Presbyterian Church, Lady Lake, in the "Faith" room, a new, larger room that's been given to us because we're growing!

Agenda topics include:

• our chapter's organizational structure
• Saturday, November 2, 9-3 Sew-In at Oxford Community Center: $3 at the door
• Bay Area Modern BOM show and tell
• Upcoming programs, including information about the November 11 "Make a Hottie" 
• 12-Minute Tip about Windmill Blocks
• Distribute Riley Blake Challenge fabrics to those who signed up
• Program: "Hexie Craze" with demonstrations of how to use the Hex 'n More ruler, and make English Paper-Pieced hexagons
• Show and Tell - Bring your modern quilts and tell us about them - What worked? What didn't?

Don't forget to wear your hand-made name tag.

As always, visitors are welcome! We love meeting new quilters, and renewing friendships with our regular attenders. See you there!

Riley Blake Challenge Fabrics, one fat-eighth of each print/solid