May Meeting

The May 6 meeting of the Central Florida MQG saw a good turnout of 23 attendees, six of whom were first-time visitors. We're thrilled that regular attenders are expressing their desire to be involved in the modern quilting movement by becoming dues-paying members (only $15 dues from now through December 2013.)

This new meeting arrangement, at Sharky's Vac 'n Sew, proved helpful for everyone to get better acquainted and share in our program discussion called "Make it Modern."

This month we talked about Modern Style and Design, looking for and finding in various pictures and patterns of modern quilts, these elements:

• inspired by modern art or architecture

• simplicity, minimalism

• reinterpreted traditional blocks, called “Modern Traditionalism”

• alternative block structures, lack of visible structures

• negative space

• asymmetry

Thursday evening, May 16 at 7:00 p.m., Lora Douglas (Gainesville MQG) and Linda Hungerford (Central Florida MQG) will present a program - "What is Modern Quilting?"- to Country Road Quilters of Ocala (FL), and others who wish to attend. The meeting is at St. Mark's Methodist Church, 1839 NE 8th Road, Ocala

Show and Tell

Gae and one of the three Moda Bake Shop quilt tops she brought to show.

Carly shared the flags she made to send to the Vancouver MQG who hopes to collected 500 of them during their "To Boston With Love" project. A special exhibit of the flags will be displayed in Boston on Memorial Day Weekend to remember those people involved in the recent Boston Marathon bombing. If you'd like to make a banner, get sewing! Flags are due May 21. More information can be found here.

Carly made this quilt for a girlfriend's birthday.

Denise and her HST quilt.

Linda T. shared this quilt top made with 16 fat quarters of fabrics by Weeks and Ringle.

Carol brought three completed projects that will be given this summer as graduation and wedding gifts. The first two are Yellow Brick Road pattern, by Atkinson Designs, the last is a laundry bag.

Jill showed her finished Trip-Around-the-World quilt, made according to instructions shared by Sheddy at our March MQG program.

Jill also made a nurse quilt for a family member.

Sandy and Jill show their "Pinafore" bags, by Three Sisters... and how nicely they coordinate with their attire.

Betty shared her FPP quilt top, sewn with batiks.

We appreciate everyone's participation in our lively program discussion, and for sharing their unfinished and finished projects during show and tell. The June 3 meeting will see us continue to focus on "Make it Modern" as we discussion modern quilting techniques such as improvisational piecing and pixellated quilts.

The June 3 meeting will also be our Apron Runway Challenge. Everyone is invited to make their own modern apron, using a pattern you may already have, a pattern you wish to purchase, or a free pattern from one of these many options.

Happy sewing!

Modern Quilt Challenge

The American Quilter's Society is sponsoring a modern quilt challenge with $6,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs!

This is your opportunity to try out that modern design you've had tumbling through your head. Make it a reality, then take a chance. It's an exciting experience!

"Jewel Box" by Modern Quilt Studio

Prizes will be awarded in the follow categories:

• Best Modern Quilting
• Original Design
• Improvisation
• Creative Use of Color
• Appliqué
• Piecing
• Quilt Top and Quilting by a Single Quiltmaker
• Creative Use of Neutral Fabrics
• Viewer's Choice

Entries for the Modern Quilt Challenge are due by August 2, 2013, so start designing and sewing now!

Quilts must be available for display in a traveling exhibit at AQS QuiltWeek events from September 13, 2013 through September 5, 2014.

Learn more at AmericanQuilter.com/MQC

April 1 Meeting

Twenty-four people attended the April 1 meeting, with 11 first-time visitors! We're glad to know quilters are interested in learning about modern quilting!

Carla shared information about changes at the national level of The Modern Quilt Guild, how our newly-organizing chapter will be impacted, and affects on individual members. We expect our chapter to join the national MQG by July 2013. Those wishing to be members of our Central Florida chapter are asked to pay 2013 dues of $15 by the July 8 meeting.

Karen gave an update on the BAM-BOM (See links to blocks on right menu bar.)

February's feather block

Debbie's 12-Minute Tip was to share the CutRite Bind Up tool.

Five quilters participated in the make-a-name-tag challenge. The winning name tag was made by Carly who won a fat quarter bundle of Bella solids for her effort.

Worthy of special attention is Karen's name tag, modeled after our chapter logo! Well done, gals!

During the "Make it Modern" portion of the meeting, we focused on differences between traditional fabrics and modern fabrics.

Is this modern?

We determined that many fabrics are subject to interpretation, but these are a few fabric features we identified:

1. brights
2. graphics
3. low volume
4. gray or white as neutrals
5. solids

How about this?

Denyse Schmidt fabrics from the DS Collection

 Show and Tell - Sorry we didn't get everyones' names. We'll do better next time.

Scrappy Trip-Along quilt top made by Janice

"Northern Lights" quilt top

a Jaybird Quilts design

Future Meetings

May 6 - Since the "Make it Modern" portion of the April meeting was such a success, we'll do that again in May. This time around, we'll look at modern patterns and designs, and discuss the elements that make a quilt modern. Bring one or two patterns or pictures of modern quilts you like.

June 3 - Put your kitchen style on! Take our Runway Apron challenge. Make an apron, bring it to the meeting, model it, and tell us about it. Choose any apron pattern you wish - one you already have, or find online - and make it modern. If you're looking for ideas, check out this link to many free apron patterns and tutorials.

April Activities and More!

Big changes are occurring at the national level of The Modern Quilt Guild level. For those of you who already keep tabs of the national organization, we're sure you've noticed the new website, and the new logo.

Since our Central Florida chapter is relatively new too, and we've been functioning without a formal organization, it will be a simple transition for us to join in on the benefits, to both our chapter and individual members, from belonging to MQG. Specific details of these benefits will be shared at our April 1 meeting. Until then, please note the following:

• Beginning at the April meeting through June, dues of $15 per person will be initiated. This will give you membership at both the chapter and national levels through December, 2013. Beginning January, 2014, annual membership dues will be $30.
• In July/August, 2013, we will adopt bylaws and elect officers.

Reviewing "Modern"

As we're learning more about modern quilting - what it looks like and how to achieve it - the perspectives of quilters who are in the business go a long way in helping us understand it. Several articles have recently become available that shed interesting light onto the evolving modern movement.

From Luana Rubin, owner of Equilter.com: Creative Nudge - The Yin and Yang of Quilting

From Weeks Ringle, owner of Modern Quilt Studio: QuiltCon Homework

Look up this article, if you can get your hands on a print copy of:

McCall's Quilting - September/October 2012 issue: "The Birth of Modern Quilting" by Heather Grant.

And one last educational item to mention... If you didn't get to attend QuiltCon, Craftsy has graciously videotaped and made available some of the programs presented by leaders in the modern quilting movement. Here's where to go to see these free and informative lectures!

April 1 Meeting Activities

At the next meeting, we'll introduce a new monthly meeting segment called Make it Modern.

In April, Make it Modern will focus on fabric. We'll review fabric designs, styles, and colors that make it modern. Bring to the meeting one fabric you consider modern and another fabric you consider not modern so we can discuss what makes it so.

For the next meeting, we're challenging each member to create her/his own modern name tag. The winner will receive a prize!

Here's a link to just one of many online name tag tutorials. Flickr has a whole bunch more name tag pictures too, so you should find plenty of ideas.

Swap good quality modern fabric strips (3 strips cut 2-1/2" X fabric width). Visit online quilt shops (see right menu bar) to view acceptable fabrics.

A Chinese Auction - bring some cash and take your chance on various products donated by The Warm Company.

Get a 12-Minute Tip offered by Debbie

Show and Tell - of new BAM-BOM blocks (see links at right) and modern quilts.

Now if this isn't enough to look forward to, we don't know how to have fun!

But we do!

March 4 Meeting That Was

Twenty-five quilters turned out for the March meeting, six of whom were first-time visitors! We hope to see you again!

Among Show and Tell, the mug rug swap, and the Bay Area Modern BOM (no photos), we saw some very nice projects.

Lynda, visiting from Canada, shared this selvages quilt. She's actually used it here in Florida, on a couple of our cold nights.

Doris shares a baby quilt (left) and an art wall hanging quilt.

 This is the first quilt Debbie has ever made!

After learning at the February meeting how to sew Scrappy Trip-Along blocks, Andy went home to make a couple blocks and is working on 72 more for his quilt!

Working with her mother on this project, Mel showed how she made a smaller version of the Scrappy Trip-Along block as a background for this wall hanging.

Sharon is making a king-sized quilt for newly-weds, using Jansdotter fabrics.

Sheddy, and another of her bright quilts using a cheddar solid and scraps.

First-timer, Carly showed a quilt on which she did her first free motion quilting.

Sue showed us her spray-basted quilt, asking for input on quilting ideas. We all agreed she should quilt bubbles.

 Sixteen mug rugs were submitted for the mug rug swap, and swapped!

At the next meeting, Monday, April 1 at Sharky's Vac 'n Sew, we'll continue the monthly:

• Bay Area Modern BOM
• Strip Swap (three, 2-1/2"-wide modern fabric strips)
• Chinese auction

April's challenge is to make a name tag. Program information will be posted as soon as it's available.

BOM, Swaps and Other Goodies

We received an enthusiastic response to our February 4 meeting! Several new activities were introduced to guide you as you explore modern quilting. With so many wonderful, new fabrics available, and an abundance of well-written on-line tutorials, there are plenty of reasons to sew!

Thank you, Sheddy, for presenting an interesting and informative program about how to make Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks - the current viral quilting rage called The Scrappy Trip-Along.

Sheddy, and 16 blocks of her Scrappy Trip Around the World

If you're interested in making your own Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks, click this link to go to Bonnie Hunter's tutorial.

On-Going Monthly Activities

Participation in the following activities is optional, and will be available every month during 2013. Information about these can also be found on the above menu tab: "Monthly Meeting Activities."

1.  A strip swap.* To each month's meeting, bring three fabric strips of quality, modern quilting cotton to trade with others. Strips should be 2-1/2" X the width of fabric (40"-44"). In lieu of a width-of-fabric strip, you may bring two strips from a fat quarter.

*Note: Strips may be used as you desire - to make Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks, or something else. Please bring creations for show and tell!

2.  A new, modern block-of-the-month (BOM)

About the BOM

One of our 2013 projects is the BAM-BOM, sponsored by the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild (California). The first block is a 12-1/2" (unfinished) film strip block. The tutorial is here. Steering committee members, Karen and Linda made their filmstrip blocks to offer you their interpretations.

Karen recommends choosing a theme for fabrics that go into the filmstrip. She used I-Spy squares from her stash to create this block she calls "A Summer Day at the Zoo."

Linda's block has a Florida theme. After searching on Google for "Florida icons," she chose ten pictures to import into her documents (Pages, in Mac) software program. Then, she manipulated each icon to make it fit the 2-3/4" X 2-3/4" dimension of each patch. After "futzing" with the layout, she printed the designs on two pages of Printed Treasures, a paper-backed fabric cut in 8-1/2" X 11" sheets for inkjet printers. Each design was fussy-cut for sewing into the film strip block, according to the tutorial. Linda's background fabric is Moda "Simply Color" by Vanessa Christenson.

Bring your filmstrip block to our March meeting, so we can see what you created!

March 4 Meeting Activities

1. A swap;
2. Chinese auction;
3. 12-Minute Tip;
4. Program

Keep reading to learn more!

Mug rug from HappyZombie

Swap
For our March 4 meeting we're offering an optional mug-rug swap. You're asked to sew a mug rug approximately 6" X 8" or 6" X 9" or even 7" X 8". Visit the Flickr Mug Rug Madness site to get lots of inspiration. Make one or two, or more! We'll swap mug rugs at the meeting.

Note: Use the thinnest batting, or pre-washed flannel between fabric layers so glasses or mugs set on the little quilt will not be tippy.





Chinese Auction
Bring to the March meeting a dollar or two so you can join in the batting chinese auction. A variety of Warm 'n Natural products - batting, fusibles, interfacings and such - all donated by The Warm Company, will be used to begin a small fund for our chapter. Monies will be used for items such as name tags and incidental needs, until such time as dues are collected.


12-Minute Tips
At each meeting, we're sharing "12-Minute Tips." It's simply a brief educational time for members to share a favorite quilting product or notion.

Have a favorite thread? Bring it in and tell us all why you like it. Have a couple preferred ways of marking fabric? Bring those in and show us how they work. Have a favorite seam ripper? Tell us all about it. Really, it's just that easy. Sign-ups are being taken now.




March Program
"Navigating the Online Quilting Community"

By request, Linda will offer a program on technology, exploring how to:

• comment on a blog
• start a blog of your own
• create a Flickr account and upload photos

Bring your quilting/technology-related questions and we'll try to answer them.

Bring Show and Tell quilts to meetings! We love seeing them!

Karen and her foundation paper pieced quilt

See Our Logo!
We hope you've noticed our beautiful new blog header/logo. It was designed by Emma Thomas-McGinnis of Des Moines, Iowa. Emma is a professional graphic designer at ETM Creative, member of the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild, and shares her quilted creations at Quilties. So much talent! And she generously created this for us! We love it! Thank you Emma! We're thinking that someday this logo will be a quilt. Can't you just see it?!

Free Modern Patterns
And if all this isn't enough fun for you, here's a link to a Pinterest board where you can see/find oodles of free modern quilt patterns and tutorials. Are you having a good time yet?!

See you Monday, March 4, 6:30 p.m. at Sharky's Vac 'n Sew!