She's Here!

Sherri Lynn Wood arrived in The Villages today! She's a popular quilter/designer/instructor, and author of The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. We're happy to have her here.

Monday evening, these Central Florida MQGers enjoyed a meal and quilt-chat with Sherri. L-R: Carla, Linda, Karen, Sherri, Debbie, Judi, and Susan.

These quilters and others will be attending Sherri's Tuesday workshop - Modern Block Improv.  Tuesday evening our MQG chapter and Quilting Guild of The Villages are all looking forward to hearing Sherri's 6:30 program at Laurel Manor Rec Center - Improvise! Creating, Quilting, and Living Courageously.

Meeting About Social Media

Thirty-three people attended our September 14 meeting, four of them first-time guests.

After a brief business meeting, Bette shared the completed donation quilt top. Contributing members made between eight and 12 Delectable Mountain blocks, in a prescribed color grouping, and Bette assembled the top. We anticipate the quilt will be ready for binding by our December meeting when we'll have a binding bee.

Delectable Mountains: 86" X 91"

Joey shared her modern "Gator Quilt," a pattern she saw on Pinterest. She quilted it on her home sewing machine.

 And the back of the same quilt...

Jodie shared her lattice quilt that she also quilted on her home sewing machine.

Jamie showed her "Hexa-Go-Go" quilt. She followed Leah Day's Dancing Butterfly Quilt Along, using the quilt-as-you-go method to make the entire quilt. Jamie quilted it on her home sewing machine.

Karen shared this quilt top several months ago, and brought it back to show her domestic machine quilting - accomplished in one week! The quilt is "Mixed Bag." 

Mel happily shared these two minis. These are examples of what our members will have a chance to learn more about when Mel presents her program in February, 2016.

Social media was the focus of our meeting, as Linda presented a 58-slide program about 10 different forms of technology - all the on-line places where quilters hang out and are inspired.

Upcoming Activities

Tuesday, October 6, 9 am - 3:30 pm at Big Cypress Rec Center

Sherri Lynn Wood workshop - "Modern Block Improv" ($100 fee)

Tuesday, October 6, 6:30 pm at Laurel Manor Rec Center

Sherri Lynn Wood program - "Improvise! Creating, Quilting, & Living Courageously"

Wednesday, October 7, 1 pm at Panera Bread

Executive Committee 2016 Budget Meeting

Wednesday, October 7

During the Executive Committee Meeting (see above), winners will be selected in the Instagram #CentralFloridaMQGChallenge. Members are encouraged, between now and October 7 to: 1) open an Instagram account; 2) take a quilting-related photo (IE: sewing room, in-progress or finished project, fabric stash); and 3) post it, using the hashtag #CentralFloridaMQGChallenge. Winners will be announced on our blog and prizes awarded.

Saturday, October 10, 10 am - 6 pm at Belleview Public Library

Sew-In

Monday, October 12, 6:30 pm at North Lake Presbyterian Church

Central Florida MQG meeting

Program: "Maintenance Magic," by Al Lawson from Sharky's Vac 'n Sew. Al will share his many years of sewing machine knowledge and tell us his top ten "dos and don'ts.”

Monday Night Meeting

Don't miss our September 14 meeting! The program will help you learn to use technology to further your exposure and knowledge about modern quilting.

See you at 6:30 pm at North Lake Presbyterian Church, Lady Lake, Florida. Guests are always welcome!

Executive Board Meeting

Central Florida MQG members:

Executive Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 26, 9:00 a.m.
Panera at Sumter Landing.

Topics for discussion include:

• Selecting a nominating committee for 2016 officers
• 2016/2017 program planning
• Community Service update
• Publicity

Any member wishing to attend the meeting is invited to do so, and at that time may also raise any concerns.

Newspaper Article

We are happy to have been featured in the Wednesday, August 19 Daily Sun - in the "Local" section, page C8. Member Mary Shara, who has been going through the transition from traditional to modern quilter, is our "poster child." Also thank yous go to members Diane Basque, Judi Rutherford, and Linda Hungerford, for their interview comments.

Unfortunately, the call-out box information about our monthly meetings was incorrectly submitted. We do NOT meet on the second Tuesday of the month, rather it's the second Monday of each month.

August Sew-In, and Meeting

Once again, in August our Sew-In and regular meeting were only a few days apart. Ten quilters turned out for the Sew-In, dodging raindrops as they dashed into the Belleview Public Library.

Back, L-R: Susan, Kelly Karen E., Karen T., and Judi
Front, L-R: Toni, Debbie Flo, Diane, and Linda

At the August 10 meeting, three entries in the Riley Blake Cottage Garden were revealed. Quilts shown were made by: (L-R) Susan, Beth, and Karen E. Both Susan and Karen's quilts were made with a Quick Curve Ruler.

Flo showed all the modern blocks she's been making from the Sew Kind of Wonderful pattern, "Curve it Up."

Kathy shared three projects: a small wall hanging, and two tote bags. She used a tumbler template to make one bag and the wall hanging, the latter of which she quilted herself.

Toni made "Astrodelic" using a jelly roll. The free pattern can be found on the Art Gallery Fabrics website. Toni quilted "Astrodelic" herself. 

This is only Karen T.'s second project, a bed runner made using a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial for a Disappearing Pinwheel. Karen quilted it herself. 

Jill started this quilt while on our May retreat and named the quilt "Luther Springs Surprise." She quilted it herself.

Betty showed her in-progress Professional Tote.

Karen E. shared her finished 74" X 74" quilt made with blocks from "100 Modern Quilt Blocks" by Tula Pink. Karen quilted it herself.

Our informative and fun program was led by Kelly who wowed us with an amazing assortment of items she uses for making quilts. How about sewing through a prepackaged antiseptic swab to clean off a sewing machine needle that's been "gunked" with adhesive?

Kelly explains that at home she has three bricks, wrapped with duct tape. She uses them to pound seams, to make them flat, after pressing. Note the black, duct tape-wrapped brick on the table.

Here, Kelly shows everyone how to use a Boogie Board, an LCD Ewriter. It's a JoAnn Fabrics purchase that she uses it to draw free motion quilting designs.

Everyone was attentive to hear what Kelly's next unique idea might be.

Kelly uses a #10 Bernina foot - an edge stitch foot - to demonstrate how easy it is to join pieces of batting to make a larger batt for use in a quilt.

Here, Kelly shows how to use an O'lipfa Seams Sew Fast to easily sew together fabric strips, as when making a jelly roll quilt.

Thanks to a relative of Kelly, everyone received an envelope opener! Did you know it can be used to cut apart chain piecing?! With the narrow point at the top and pointing toward yourself, tape the opener to the side of a table or drawer. Then, simply slide a pair of chained pieces into the slot to cut the threads to separate the pieces. Easy-peasy!

Thanks for a great program, Kelly!

Saturday, September 12 Sew-In - Let us know if you plan to attend. 

September 14 meeting program - "Social Media and the Modern Quilter," presented by Linda H. This presentation is an overview of the MQG website; quilting blogs; Facebook; Pinterest; Flickr; Instagram; and podcasts. Bring your small electronic devices and be ready to take notes!

Sew-In AND Meeting Pictures

Our Saturday, July 11 Sew-In saw the following quilters happily stitching away.

Susan, hand-stitching hexagons

Beth, machine-stitching hexagons 

Debbie (L); and Kelly

Bette

Judi, who has just joined our chapter from the Atlanta MQG

Twenty-seven quilters attended our Monday, July 13 meeting. Six of them came as guests, and five left as members! Welcome: Carol, Eleanor, Diane, Flo, and Kathleen! 

Our charity co-chair, Bette, shared a sample of joined Delectable Mountain blocks we'll be making into a quilt to give to North Lake Presbyterian Church. 

Donation Quilt
More blocks are needed! Please bring 10 blocks or more to the August 10 meeting. Refer to the Yoyogi Park sampler, at right, for choosing print colors. Follow the pattern in the January/February 2015 issue of Quilty magazine.

Kelly has been wowing all of us with her beautiful selvage projects, including shoes!

Jill shared her finished hexagon wall hanging.

Another of Jill's quilts.

New member, Carol, made this with a Moda Bella jelly roll, and intends to quilt it herself.

This quilt by Cindy was inspired by another improv quilt. She quilted it herself, organically!

New member, Judi, with her modern quilt.

First-time visitor, Jamie, has a new sewing machine and is teaching herself free motion quilting!

Jamie is following Leah Day FMQ lessons on Craftsy, to gain domestic machine quilting confidence.

In the absence of President Karen, Vice President Debbie led the meeting and with assistance from Vice President Beth, presented a program on minimalism. Verbal descriptions, and visuals of a wide range of minimalist quilts helped everyone have a greater understanding of minimalism in design.

Debbie made her minimalist quilt top with blocks created in a Victoria Findlay Wolfe workshop.

August 10 Program Topics are:
Tips and Tricks, by Kelly
Let's Learn About Social Media: Instagram, by Linda