Leftovers Workshop

On Saturday, July 15, 12 of our members attended an all-day "Leftovers" workshop with Debra Jalbert in Clermont. Debra graciously made arrangements for our workshop to happen at her home church-school, as we often have difficulties finding a private place that will allow us to sew.

Debra is a member of the Orlando MQG, is on Instagram as MadeofHonorQuilts, and blogs at MadeofHonorQuilts, where we've been able to watch her develop the process and methodology for creating improv quilts from leftovers.

Debra explains the development of her process. Quilts behind her are those she has made or are in progress.

Explaining the first task.

Much of the success of such a design depends on 1) color combinations and contrast; 2) fabric print and solids choices; 3) and a graduation in the size of the pieces.

 

After completing the first step, this is what everyone's teenies looked like

Continuing in a similar manner, the pieces began to grow.

Sewing machine received a lot of intense focus.

As much rotary cutting happened as piecing.

This is Debra's quilt that started the whole leftovers improv piecing concept.

At the end of the workshop we had a nice wrap-up with discussion about the process, and a review of everyone's work. We may see some pin cushions, or pillows, or quilts from these starts!

We presented Debra with a basket of fat quarters, so she can begin she own Leftovers Quilt #12!

Standing L-R: Karen T., Jane, Margaret, Marlene, Ardie, Beth, Dianne, Gwen

Front L-R: Karen E., Dee, Debra, Mary, Cindy (photographed by Linda H.)

Yay! We did it!

July 10 Meeting

We were thrilled to have 46 people attend our Monday evening meeting!

We welcomed 11 first-time visitors, and another 14 people joined to become official members of our chapter and the MQG.

We welcome to our chapter: Brenda, Nancy, Jeanette, Marie, Judi, Janet, Linda, Alice, Karen, Carole, Sharon, Barbara, Char, and Patricia!

We hope you'll jump in to participate in our social opportunities, educational resources, and the fun of being a Central Florida MQG member!

The July program, "Design Remix," was presented by Beth and Debbie who attended Riane Menardi's (VesselQuilts) QuiltCon workshop and lecture in Savannah, in February.

Presenting a PowerPoint show, and a few pieced examples, Beth and Debbie gave an overview of how to deconstruct a traditional quilt block and make it modern.

Members were asked to bring several copies of one of five quilt blocks. Then using a ruler to mark where to cut up the blocks, the papers were cut apart, and rearranged into a variety of modern arrangements.  

Following the exercise, quilters walked around to see what designs everyone came up with. 

Each of us left the meeting with a greater awareness of the possibilities for making new quilt designs from old blocks. Thank you Beth and Debbie! 

Patriotic Pinwheels is an original design by Linda using Painter's Palette Solids. She quilted it with a combination of machine quilting and big stitch hand quilting using size 8 perle cotton.

Beth, who was one of our program presenters, designed and walking-foot quilted this piece. She used a wavy ruler to mark quilting lines across the quilt at intervals. Then, by "eyeball" she quilted to fill in the spaces inbetween. 

Selina is working her way through the "No Scraps Left Behind" book by Amanda Jean Nyberg (our October 2 guest speaker) and made this "Nines" quilt.

She also made some of Amanda Jean's note cards, using little fabric scraps to decorate them.

Karen T. is making items for a family wedding. Eight of these tote bags...  

... a quilt for the flower girl

and a University of Florida quilt for a little boy. 

July Doin's
The Saturday, July 15 "Leftovers" Workshop with Debra Jalbert in Clermont is full.

Click on our calendar (top right of this home page) for information about upcoming activities.

June 12 Meeting

For it being summertime, we had a fabulous turnout for our monthly meeting!

President Karen welcomed everyone - 34 quilters - eight of whom were first-time visitors!  It's great to see so much curiosity and interest in making modern quilts!

Linda H. shared a recent finish that's an original design she named "Outer Space." She domestic machine quilted it and plans to donate it to Project Linus.

Peggy has been experimenting with curved piecing and completed this small quilt top.

Frances just bought EQ7 and tried designing to make this placemat. She used CraftTex to give the placemat body. Frances plans to make more!

Linda T. was binding this quilt at last Saturday's Sew-In. The pattern is Metro Rings by Sew Kind of Wonderful. It was made using a Quick Curve Ruler.

Linda's domestic machine quilting shows up beautifully on the quilt back.

Dee completed a dresser runner using Alice in Wonderland fabrics. On her domestic sewing machine, she walking foot quilted it with a grid pattern.

Karen shared a quilt she calls "Firefly," made following the Sew Kind of Wonderful pattern, Country Chic. It was pieced using the Quick Curve Ruler. Karen quilted this on her Tiara sit-down machine.

Using a 10-inch slicer ruler, Karen pieced this quilt and then slashed and inserted fabric strips to create zig-zag movement. She quilted it herself on her Tiara sit-down machine. 

After last's month's excellent walking foot quilting program by Beth, using Jacquie Gering's book, "Walk," several members returned this month to show their own walking foot quilting.

Lora walking-foot quilted this pillow on her domestic sewing machine.

This quilt is an original design by Lora that she also straight-line quilted on a domestic sewing machine.

Her quilting shows up beautifully on the back.

Lora used a walking foot and the Serpentine stitch on her Bernina sewing machine to quilt this one.

Mary is a skilled free motion quilter who's new to walking foot quilting! After last month's program, she was inspired to use her walking foot to quilt both straight lines and a large spiral. The quilt is for a great grandchild.

Program - Book Review
Periodically, we are inviting members to review modern quilting books... sharing what they like/don't like, and any projects made from that book. The overriding theme at the June meeting was domestic machine quilting! Many Central Florida MQG members are Angela Walters fans.

Carol showed us a quilt with more than 70 different quilting designs she tried in an effort to improve her domestic machine quilting skills.

(The photographer forgot to take a picture of the quilt front! 😁 Too blown away by the quilting!)

Bette too shared a machine quilting book and a quilt she made that was also shown at the May meeting. It was her entry in the make-a-quilt-using-your-initials challenge. 

Following our meeting, some of our members stuck around for a group picture that's been requested -  and now submitted - to JOANN's for publicity purposes. We'll keep you posted if/when the photo is used someplace!

Lookin' good!

(A word from the photo-arranger: Thank you for putting up with my demands! A very special thank you to Flo, our shy member who's holding up the white/red rings quilt in the back that was made by Susan.)

Upcoming Activities

Saturday, July 8
Sew- In
10 am to 6 pm
Belleview Public Library

Monday, July 10
Regular meeting
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Program: Block Remix by members Debbie and Beth (More information to come.)

Saturday, July 15 - "Leftovers Workshop" from 9 am to 4 pm, with Debra Jalbert (MadeofHonorQuilts) in Clermont at Citrus Heights Academy.
Pre-registration required. Fee: $15 and one fat quarter

For all Central Florida MQG meetings and activities, refer to the calendar at the top right of this page. Click on each activity for detailed information.

Announcements!

We've recently received several important announcements and news relevant to members of the MQG. We hope you'll take advantage of one or all these opportunities to further engage in modern quiltmaking.

The MQG has announced three different challenges related to 2018 QuiltCon in Pasadena, California from February 22-25.

2018 QuiltCon Charity Quilt Challenge
While our chapter has decided not to participate, MQG members may form small groups of four or more quilters to make a quilt. The challenge theme is "Modern Traditionalism" and these are the challenge colors in Painter's Palette Solids, made by Paintbrush Studios.

Colors from L-R: Purple, Fuchsia, Tomato, Tangerine, and Daisy. Rice Paper and White may also be used.

As few as two to as many as all colors, in solids or tone-on-tone prints, may be used to make a twin-size quilt that will be donated to charity after the February 22-25 QuiltCon in Pasadena, California. Challenge details are here.

Flying Geese Challenge

Sponsored by American Patchwork and Quilting magazine

Michael Miller Fabrics Challenge
Sponsored by Michael Miller using fabrics from "Our Yard Collection"

Details about the Flying Geese and Michael Miller challenges are here.

In December, the MQG is releasing this coffee table book of modern quilts. It's a compilation of quilts from 236 quilters, including a quilt made by a member of our chapter, Linda Hungerford. Pre-order your book here.

And last - but definitely not least! - mark your calendar on Monday, October 2 as the date that Amanda Jean Nyberg - CrazyMomQuilts - is coming to Central Florida MQG! Amanda Jean is the author of 

Her program at our Monday, October 2 meeting at 6:30 pm promises to be good, as she shows us some of her scrap-crazyness in a trunk show of quilts from her book.

Central Florida MQGers will also have the opportunity to take Amanda Jean's Spin: Make Your Quilts Your Own workshop on Monday from 8:30 am to 3 pm with a one-hour lunch. Cost to members: $75 $60. Updated 6.22.17 to reflect lower price. You must also have a copy of the book. Registration information coming soon!

Don't forget!

Our Sew-In is this Saturday, June 10 at the Belleview Public Library from 10 am to 6 pm. Come for all or part of the day to sew and socialize. It's lots of fun!

Our regular monthly meeting is Monday, June 12 at North Lake Presbyterian Church beginning at 6:30 pm. The program is "Modern Quilt Book Reviews" by several members who will share favorite modern quilting books, and projects and lessons-learned from those books. We'll also learn "8 Tips for Creative Experimentation."

Bring your show and tell, and wear your made-modern, self-made name tag!