Tag: BAMQG

I am just back from the meeting and it was a crazy meeting! Crazy in a good, packed and exciting sort of way. Julie of Intrepid Thread brought me a giant (did I really buy that much??) package of fabric. At this writing I haven’t opened it yet. I know the Vintage Modern is in there. I’ll have to get started on that second Stepping Stones quilt soon.

A-B-C Challenge Blocks

These are my A-B-C Challenge blocks. Both blocks are from the Around the Block series. There was only one block that started with ‘Q’ in the whole series (that I could find). In EQ7, there isn’t really a way that I found to search successfully by the first letter of a block name. Later I went to Quilter’s Cache and the owner has several blocks there as well. None of them are 6″, though, so I would have had to resize one.

I like this block well enough, especially in the 6″ size, so it worked out. Kathleen did the same block in the 12″ size so you can see the difference. It would make a great exercise in negative space. I will think about making several to demonstrate negative space for the upcoming design series podcast on that topic.

I am having a very hard time with the Pure Elements Empire Yellow. I used it in the above ‘Q’ block as the background. Pat Bravo says that it goes with everything. I am not so sure. I am using it, because I have a limited number of fabrics to use and it does add an element of interest. Still, I am just not sure I would use it in another project.

I also brought my blocks for May, which I talked about in the last BAMQG post. There were only a few blocks this time – Leslie, Kathleen, Rhonda and I. Rhonda is catching up so she included her C & D blocks as well.

QuiltCon/BAMQG Block Challenge

Blocks for both challenges are due in July. There was just a brief mention at the meeting. I thought they were due in July (BAMQG) and August (QuiltCon). Something must have changed. I have a block or two for the BAMQG challenge done. I think I will just send in my QuiltCon blocks myself. We’ll see. Perhaps I’ll just do them and move on. If you are interested in participating the QuiltCon blocks have to arrive by August 15, 2012. See the QuiltCon Directions/information to get all the info.

Workshop!!!!

I was excited to hear that BAMQG’s first workshop ever is coming up!!! It is a dyeing workshop with Joy-Lily. As you know, I don’t dye, but if you want to participate, check out the BAMQG blog for contact info. Space is limited.

QuiltMarket Report

Julie and Adrianne spent 3 bliss-filled days at Quilt Market in Kansas City. They brought back stories, catalogs, fabric to fondle (not for us to buy or take!) and their enthusiasm. Someone asked if they ate BBQ and they said they did.

I didn’t have much of a chance to look at the stuff they brought back, but what I did see what interesting. Not sure what I’ll buy in terms of new fabrics, but we will see.

They talked a little about what was coming and what they saw:

Trends:

• nautical themes
• butterflies
• magazines: GenQ’s new issue came out in a small format (think Ellery Queen Mystery magazine size), because they said they had printing problems. The content reflects what has been showing up on their Facebook page. Amy and David Butler are coming out with a new magazine called Blossom, which will pull in many of their creative friends and include non-quilt related artwork.

Fabric:

• Michael Miller has new fabric laminated on the inside. I can’t quite picture this, but Julie said it would be good for diaper covers and shopping bags.
• Amy Butler’s new Cameo line looked amazing to Adrianne and Julie
• FreeSpirit’s new lines have a very sophisticated look
• Robert Kaufman had adjunct color cards which have their new colors
• Moda has Brigitte’s ZenChic

Demos

Today’s demo is the beginning of a 4 part series loosely around the idea of making a quilt. The series includes:

• Design (June 2012 meeting)
• Piecing (August 2012 meeting)
• Quilting (September 2012 meeting)
• Binding (November 2012 meeting)

I gave a short demo on design. You can see the Design Overview from when Sandy and I did our podcast, but I will post some new notes with some changes on the BAMQG blog soon.

Swap

“A Stud & a Dud” went forth with much hilarity.  I did not participate. I didn’t know that there would be stealing going on and I don’t really like activities where that happens. The reality was that I just didn’t have time to organize myself and get some books together. There was choosing and swapping and stealing that all went on. I think the library where we meet benefited from some donations as well. Thanks to Amanda for organizing the swap. She is really a creative swap organizer.

Show & Tell

As usual, Show & Tell was great. There is so much good work happening in this area!

Right is Sheetal’s quilt. I encouraged her to finish out the pluses into the border. I think this is a great pattern for large prints. The question was about the fabrics. They are flannel and she hasn’t washed them. She wasn’t sure if she could get more of the same fabrics again (they are old Anna Maria Horner fabrics), but she liked the idea of continuing the motifs out to the border and will try.

We talked about another quilt of hers that she made from old shirts. I really liked it as it was and she did, too, but her husband complained that it wasn’t large enough. I think we decided that not all of her quilts had to keep his 6’4″ frame warm and toasty.

Jennifer made this quilt (left) with 10 fat quarters.  It isn’t very large (large lap or nap quilt, definitely bigger than a baby quilt), but it isn’t tiny either. It makes me think of how much fabric is really in a fat quarter, a half yard, a yard and…. I don’t think I want to go there.

Jennifer’s quilt is really effective. I like the movement, which I think is partly the fabric choices. There is something about the pieces interlocking with each other that I think would be fun to play with.

Jennifer does so much for the Charity project that I was really glad to see that she is able to do her own work as well.

Kathleen’s Liberated top is somewhat of a departure for her. She said it was the first piece in this style that she has made.

It is wall sized. She explained the exercise (online) and it sounded like a lot of fun, but also lot of frustration, too. She didn’t know what was coming, so it was hard to make design decisions about the part on which she was working. I think it sounds like a good exercise, but you have to be willing to go back and change elements that would make the design better. It sounds like she is going to do that for a couple of the parts and I look forward to seeing how this turns out.

I didn’t make a note of who made this quilt (so sorry!), but I really like the design. I can imagine it with fabrics placed a little differently so it would look even more woven than it already does.

I definitely get the feeling that I am looking through some kind of lattice or bamboo screen.

Notice the equilateral triangles? I love those, as you know. 😉

Door Prizes

WOW! There were a ton of door prizes! I won a book, but there were charm packs, fabric, patterns – all kinds of things. Thanks to Angela for her hard work.

Charity Quilts

Jennifer was there with her well prepared table of packets and prepared fabric. There were at least 5 tops and one finished quilt handed in. The guild members are amazingly generous with their time, materials and enthusiasm. These quilts will be filled with good energy when the children receive them.

Amanda made the top with the circles. It is fabulous. One of the things I like about it is the 4 rows of squares in the middle. There are a lot of possibilities using that element. My mind is swirling around that element.

 

The Bay Area Modern Meeting was yesterday and fun as usual. There is much talk of the upcoming retreat and also of the recent Sew Day. 46 people, the most EVER!, attended the meeting and the group had its first ever speaker. Lots of firsts.

A-B-C (A-Z) Challenge

We displayed our A-B-C Challenge blocks. Mine are Jewel Box and Indian.

There are about 7-8 participants. Diana just joined by doing one block and Jennifer joined, doing a-J (minus I). I really like this challenge. It is great that I have a  reason to make a block every month (not that I really need an excuse).

Angela brought two Hawaiian blocks (far left). I love it that she is doing these blocks in Hawaiian fabrics. Most people don’t use Hawaiian fabrics as regular fabrics for regular blocks.

Michelle is doing her blue and white blocks (also far left). We are getting so far along in the project that not all of us were able to put up all of our blocks and Michelle was one of them. It occurred to me that she might have the hardest job of all since not all possible blocks are suitable for two colors.

Kathleen’s blocks are still the black, white and red ones. She is doing a good job choosing how much print to put into each block.

Jennifer is using the Lazy Girl ruler for her blocks (middle with all the points). She has just started the challenge and is catching up.

My blocks are on the top right. Lynette’s are the grey and green on the bottom right. I like the way Lynnette’s blocks have an on point sort of look. Many of them have half square triangles in the corners. She made a Glacier Bay block as well and it is really great to see how different it looks from mine. She uses fussy cutting in her blocks and the technique in Glacier Bay is particularly effective.

Speaker

Joy-Lily brought books, Carefree Quilts, and quilts to her talk. The quilts she brought were all from her book, so we didn’t get a sense of the evolution of her work. She organized the talk to coincide with sections of the book, which was a good idea, especially if one had the book and could follow along. A clever portion of the book is that if you make all the blocks you end up with an extra block from each of the projects with which  you can make a sampler quilt. Joy-Lily had someone else make the sampler quilt and the maker did a great job. I really like the colors.

All the quilts from the book are all kind of wonky. Joy-Lily doesn’t think that people can do perfect matching seams and has written her book to that end.

The Leaf quilts are very inspired and I think that that block is one of my favorites from the book.

Sewing Time
Adrianne was a madwoman (in a good way!) on getting us to our sewing time. We were done with show and tell at 3:05 and everyone started moving tables, setting up machines and working away. I sat with Chris and TFQ and worked on the border test I have been wanting to do for a long time. Chris and TFQ were both working on hand projects. TFQ is handquilting a lovely quilt (which I forgot to photograph) with Perl cotton. Chris is working on an art piece where she is couching down some threads that have, what look like, little flowers on them. Again, I was so wrapped in my own project that I didn’t take a photo. Perhaps she will post to her blog.

I wish I had gotten a photo of the little sewing pod in the middle of the room. Ruth, Adrianne, Kathleen and bunches of other people were set up there. Such a buzz of activity! It was wonderful.

Charity Quiltmaking

Deborah and Jennifer collected bunches of more fabric and quilts and other necessities for the charity quilts the group is making for the NICU at Stanford. I can’t be too upset about the lack of a Cal connection, because it feels good to be helping children and their families in need. I posted the 16 patch blocks I made yesterday. The selection of fabric packets wasn’t stellar, but I retrieved 4 more batches of fabric, but I also spoke to Jennifer about the background. She said any white is fine. I have some white-on-whites that I will use with some of my scraps to make my own blocks. I gave them most of the Pineapple blocks that were the wrong size, so I can, now, cross that off the 26 Projects list.

I realized that one reason I enjoy working on this project with the BAMQG people is that Deborah and Jennifer are so kind and serene about the whole endeavor. I am not sure if those are the right words, but I know that they express genuine gratitude with donations and they do not harangue or guilt people into participating. They are also really well organized and the 16 patch block they selected, as I am sure I have said before is a stroke of genius. I have never felt like I am really contributing to a charity project as I do with this one. I also feel like it is fun. All in all a very good experience.

Jennifer and Deborah have a goal of 24 quilts in mind for this year, but they think they will surpass that. They already have 6 quilts, including one that I donated, the Crazy Quilt Test. I meant to send it to Japan after the earthquake, but somehow it never made it.

More on Show and Tell later