Skill Builder 2017-18 - Rail Fence

Rail Fence is one of the simplest blocks. Made from sewing strips together (known as strip piecing) then cutting them into squares then are sewn back together to create a block.

The traditional layout alternates the stripes horizontally and vertically. Depending on the colour placement this can give either a zigzag, pinwheel or woven appearance.

(Image Source : Generations Quilt Patterns)

Being a simple block, there are loads of ways to modernize!

• Colour choices! Pick bright solids, mix solids with prints, etc.
• Scale! Make bigger, bolder blocks. Pair with smaller blocks. Mix up strip widths. When cutting strip, cut longer rectangles.
• Add negative space!
• Not everything need to by symmetrical!

Some of the sample blocks I created using the charity palette

3 sets of strips became 1 block (pinwheel layout)

 

Playing with the size of the cut strips (squares and rectangles) 

Looking at a variety of layout possibilities

 

  

 

Maybe your background don't need to the the lightest colour...

Some other examples:

Simple yet effective, mostly neutrals (upcycled men's shirts!) with pops of solid colours.

(Source: this & that by Pasqualina)

This table runner plays with varying strip widths and the blocks are rectangles!

(Source Pinterest Paula Woolston)

Varying the strip widths works wonders with this lovely fabric (Allison Glass Handcrafted, in case you were wondering!) Plus keeping the strips in the same direction is a nice change.

(Source: Thick and Thin by Blue Underground Studio)

This Faux-Weave block is quite lovely. Using a bold red and added the negative space is a great way to freshen this block up!

(Source: Faux Weave Block by Mathew Boudreaux)

This last one isn't technically modern, however I often find that some of the older quilts (Amish, Gee's Bend, etc) are often striking and bold and don't read as "traditional" quilts. This one was made circa 1880.

(Source: Pinterest)

While researching (scouring the internet for inspiration) I set up a Pinterest board. Most of the interesting ones, I've shared here, but just in case you want to take a look.

September 2017 Mtl MQG Meeting Minutes

September 12, 2017 at 7pm South West Mission, Verdun, QC

Quick points of business:  Welcome

                                    New Space - honour system for the food pantry.

                                    Donation to the clothing swap at the coming up at the mission

                                    MQG - Exec team

                                                      - Steph - Prez

                                                      - Izzy - Vice Prez

                                                      - Claudia - Treasurer

                                                      - Stacy - Programmer

                                                      - Fiona - Secretary and social media Coordinator
                                                      - Josee - registrar

Raffle at the end of year - based on wearing a tag to meetings. Get your tickets from Izzy. 

                                    - We can set you up with partners to swag name tags if interested. 

We are a bilingual guild, we will help with translations when needed.

Welcome back raffle for everyone

                                    winners - FQ bundle won my Marlise and QuiltCon goodie bag won by Joanna

Registration:

                                    - See Joseé at the break

                                    - Dues are $40 for the year… payments can be cash or cheque (payable to “Montreal Modern Quilt Guild”).

                                    - Electronic payments are possible as well, let us know if you would like to make your payment this way.

Put blog address on the board (mtlmqg.blogspot.ca)

Members Only password: contact mtlmqg@gmail.com

Reminder of Craft de Ville discount code:  contact craftdeville@gmail.com

Reminder of Clinton Modern discount code - Based in Saskatchewan - contact mtlmqg@gmail.com

Workshop this year w/Suzanne!

Subject:  Memory keeping, documenting, perspective, fabric selection from clothing, preparing fabric, fabric types, tips for finishing.

Date: Nov 25th (Sew-In Saturday) - any objections? To be confirmed

Cost:  $30/person

Pattern with similar to deconstructed chevron.

There will be prep/homework prior to the class.

Quick introduction for skill builder in Modern quilting

                  - traditional quilt block

                  - modern quilting - fabric batting fabric thread what distinguishes us from tradition, fabric choice and colour, design aspects

                  - no quilt police

Skill builder Stacy - Rail Fence

- to avoid the show and tell becoming skill builder only, please post finished blocks to Instagram and Facebook.  Feel free to bring your blocks we can look at them during the breaks and we welcome the the blocks for charity at any meeting.

http://mtlmqg.blogspot.ca/2017/09/skill-builder-2017-18-rail-fence.html

                  - Charity project - paliaco donation. Whole quilts, blocks,

                  - traditional strip block - play with colour, size, shape, scale of the strips

                  - Pinterest page added

                  - repetition

                  - improve

                  - play with layout

                  - More explanation of negative space

                  - link to the blog, and photos

                  - When you have made the blocks post them to instagram with the following hashtags;

                  #mtlmqgskills

                  #mtlmqgskillbuilder

                  #mtlmqgsb

Suggestions: 

                  - Play and cut

                  - Quilt math discussion

Club Tissue - membership card for free if you are here tonight.

Show and Tell

FIRST: does anyone object to photos taken at meetings being posted to the guild’s social media accounts? If you do not want photos taken of your work, inform Stacy in advance.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GLrl7Cacfb3XQt993

https://www.instagram.com/mtlmqg/

Show and Tell

1. Dawn

                  - Mamma Lucy - From Missouri, USA  star quilts pattern fast quilt with stripes

2.     Lily

                  - took up a challenge of packing up her studio space

                  - found many books on rail fence 

                 

3.  Melanie

                  - wedding quilts, post after wedding

                  - First; Angela Walters midnight quilt show. Free motion on a domestic machine. Photos after wedding

                  - Second; quilt around the world pattern g (alternate grid, asymmetry and negative space) photos after wedding

4.  Tamara

                  - quilt market quilt 

                  - Libs Elliott machine quilted on the line

5.  Isabelle

                  - In the Mirror from Joseé’s pattern.

6.  Joseé

                  - Les Temps des sucre Libs Elliott

7.  Francine

                  - Blue triangles

8.  Joanna

                  - fabricville F done out of foundation paper piecing.

9.  Stacy

                  - Baby Margo - baby quilt with triangles and half hexies

10.  Marie Eve

                  - owlly owls from Elizabeth Hartman

11. Cinza

 - Changes - Hand quilted boxes navy blue with green. Used quilters dream batting

Coming up:

Next sew-in - Saturday September 23rd, SouthWest Mission, Verdun, QC.

Next meeting - Tuesday October 10th 

Meeting reminder!

Tomorrow, September 12th, is our first meeting of the 2017-18 year! Come join us at 7pm as we kick off a new year full of modern quilty goodness! Remember, we are meeting at our *new* location in the basement of the Verdun Elementary school. The entrance is on the corner of Verdun and Melrose.

We will be kicking off the Skillbuilder Challenge with a presentation by Stacy, catching up on what everyone has been doing over the summer, going over what is in store for us in the coming year, and we might even have a surprise or two to raffle off.

Also, for anyone who was interested in donating some fabric for Michele's fidget quilt project (you can read the full details in her forum post), she will be collecting fabric at the meeting.

Looking forward to seeing both old and new faces... see you tomorrow!

Curated skillbuilder bundle from Clinton Modern Creative

Hey skillbuilder participants! Solids not really your thing? Is your stash sadly lacking in fun patterns in the right shades for the skillbuilder project starting in September?

Clinton Modern Creative has you covered... they have curated a bundle of print fabrics especially for our challenge! A huge thank you to Darla at Clinton Modern Creative... this bundle is fantastic!

They are offering both fat quarter bundles and half yard bundles ...*and* they're 15% off! Mtl MQG members - be sure to use the guild discount code we emailed you last month for an extra 10% off your order (25% total)! Supplies are limited so if this bundle tickles your fancy, make sure you get yours now.

Remember, the skillbuilder challenge is open to members and non-members alike... even if you're not local. We will be posting the blocks here on the blog, Facebook and Instagram each month so you are welcome to sew along with us, wherever you are. You just have to promise to share your creations with us on social media! :)

#QuiltsforQC wrap-up

Thanks to a lot of hard work from our various members and contributors, the #QuiltsforQC project is finally complete! We will be delivering 50 quilts to the Ste-Foy mosque at the end of the month and they will be distributed to the members and families that were impacted by the shooting in January. We hope that these quilts provide them with some comfort and let them know that we love and support them. 

All in all, we received contributions from 3 continents, 5 different countries, all 10 Canadian provinces and 25 States. We received blocks from modern quilters, traditional quilters and every shade in between... we received intricately appliqued blocks from expert quilters and simple but heart-felt blocks from brand new quilters. A very sincere thank you to each and every one of you who helped us out in some way... whether you sent us a completed quilt, a few house blocks, donated time or money, or simply passed along our blog post to a friend who you thought might like to help, you helped make these 50 beautiful quilts. 

It was wonderful to see the response to this project, and many of you included notes of love and support with your blocks that we will be passing on to the mosque. Our hope in taking on this project was to express our love and support to our neighbours following the attack, and also to hopefully spark an important conversation about diversity and inclusion around the dinner table or in the work place of those who participated. Seeing quilt labels like the one below on a quilt sent in by the teachers of the Peel district school board in Ontario makes us very happy indeed! :) 

We have photographed all 50 of the quilts, and rather than try to cram them all into an image-heavy blog post, you are welcome to browse them on Google Drive, or on our Facebook page (if see your block, feel free to tag yourself!). It has been a privilege to work on such a project with you all... thank you for making our quilting community such a wonderful community, and continue showing the world your love and inclusiveness! 

2017-18 Skillbuilder Challenge

Starting in September, we will present a traditional quilt block, demonstrate its construction and offer examples of modern variations of it at each meeting. Along with the 15-20 minute meeting demo/discussion, we will also post tutorials and inspiration for each block on the blog and our social media accounts. Members will then be challenged to make their own modern version of the traditional quilt blocks at home and to share their results on social media. The goal of the project is to explore aspects of modern quilt design and creative expression while also improving basic techniques and skills.

We will also be collecting extra blocks to make into charity quilts as the year progresses. As discussed in the spring, the recipient of our charity quilts for the 2017-18 year will be the Palliacco palliative care centre in the Laurentians. Members are invited to contribute blocks or completed quilts to be donated (charity guidelines below).

During this project, we will be touching on three different groups of blocks:

• Square/strip-based blocks (Sept, Oct, Nov)
• Presenters: Stacy, Cinzia, and Izzy

• Half-square triangle-based blocks (Dec, Jan, Feb)
• Presenters: Stephanie, Nathalie, and Josee

• Curve-based blocks (Mar, Apr, May)
• Presenters: Fiona, Shannon F, and Isabelle D.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but the emphasis for this project will be modern quilting. We are, after all, a modern quilt guild and our whole purpose is to explore and encourage modern quilting. If you plan to participate in this project, be prepared to push your boundaries a bit and experiment with some of the aspects that define modern quilting, such as asymmetry, negative space, alternate gridwork, improvisation, minimalism and scale. If you don’t feel you have a good grasp on what is considered modern, or simply want to brush up a bit, we recommend browsing some of the below resources over the summer:

• Gallery of QuiltCon quilts (filterable by category)
• MQG article: What is modern quilting?
• Webinar: Definition: Modern quilt
• Webinar: Making traditional modern
• Fresh Quilting: Season 1, Episode 2 - segment with Heather Grant
• Gee's Bend Quiltmakers
• Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration by Denyse Schmidt
• The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson

For those planning to contribute to the charity project, please follow these guidelines: 

• For members wishing to donate a completed quilt, you are welcome to use any pattern or color palette you wish. Finished quilts should be a minimum of 54"x54" (lap quilt size) and be able to withstand normal laundering. The deadline for completed quilts is the June 2018 meeting.
• For members wishing to donate quilt blocks, we ask that all blocks be 12.5" square and only use colors from the below color palette, based on the guild's logo:  

Kona solids -

• White (1387)
• School bus orange (1482)
• Bubble gum pink (261)
• Sprout green (254)
• Teal blue (1373)
• Jade green (1183)
• Pale blue (1028)
• Ash grey (1007) (this isn’t technically part of our logo, but an extra neutral is nice to have)

Craft de Ville is stocking all of these colors specifically for this project. Don't forget to use your MMQG member discount!

You are not, however, required to purchase the Kona solids for the charity blocks. If you prefer to shop from your stash, or want to use prints instead of solids, you are welcome to do so. You simply need to keep in the same general color palette as above. For example you could use:

1. Carolyn Friedlander Architextures Crosshatch in White
2. Ann Kelle Remix Summer Plus
3. Maywood Classic Dot in Soft Pink
4. Grunge Hits the Spot in Decadent
5. Batik teal mustard plus
6. Dowry Cracking Codes in Jade
7. Dear Stella Chroma in Lagoon
8. Cotton + Steel Basics Sprinkle in Stardust

Blocks will be collected at each meeting (October-May) so that the quilts can be worked on throughout the year. If you would like to help with the construction or quilting of the charity quilts, please let us know.

Have a wonderful summer, hope you squeeze in a little quilting between all the sun (if we ever get any) and fun, and we look forward to seeing everyone in September! :) 

#QuiltsforQC delivery

We have been in touch with the Ste-Foy mosque and we will be delivering the finished quilts to them at the end of the month. If you are a guild member and were interested in coming with us to deliver them (and did not already receive an email from me about it), please send us an email (mtlmqg@gmail.com) right away. We will be organizing the carpool and finalizing details soon.

I have also had a number of inquiries about pictures of the finished quilts. I was hoping for a sunny weekend day to get them out on the clothesline and photographed, but as the weather has not been cooperative, I will have to move to Plan B and do it indoors. I will have all 50 of the quilts documented and posted here to the blog by the end of the month, so watch this space (and thank you for your patience!). :)

June Meeting minute

June 2017 Montreal MQG Meeting Minutes

Tuesday June 13, 2017 at 7pm at CRCS St-Zotique

Points of business:

·         Welcome to all members

·         Reminder about raffle tickets

·         Plans for next year

·         Executive for 2017/2018

§  President – Stephanie Baldwin

§  Vice President – Izzy Jean

§  Treasurer – Claudia Pedroso

§  Programming Coordinator – Stacy Pomerleau

§  assisted by Joanna Lemon

§  Social Media and Secretary – Fiona Nanson

·         Discussion on location for 2017/2018:

§  Issues

§  CRCS - will continue to get the smaller rooms, hot in fall and spring, free, room varies and maybe upstairs.

§  Verdun Mission - larger space, will include coffee cart, basement so cooler, has a cost of $250 per year, will necessitate an increase in fees from $35 to $40

§  Three options presented

§  Stay as is

§  Move to Verdun and increase fees

§  Have a combo, Verdun for meetings and St. Zotique for sew-ins.  -concern about confusion over where to go when.

§  Discussion about the fee increase.

§  Cover new costs

§  Create a reserve for future workshops, cover the exchange rate when paying for MQG fees or other expenses in the future. 

§  Vote taken on location

§  Majority decision move to Verdun for all events for the 2017/1028 year

§  Majority decision to increase fees to $40.

§  Stephanie will make arrangements and send a membership email out with the details.

·         Skillbuilder/charity challenge:

§  Each month we will be presented with the instructions for a traditional block and examples of how it could be modernized. 

§  Participants may choose to compete blocks for them selves or for the charity quilts. 

§  The charity quilts will go Palliacco, the hospice up in the Laurentians - participants can contribute blocks or completed quilts.

§  Palette for charity blocks: guild’s colors (Craftdeville (Stacy) has the Kona solids in stock), details will be posted on blog for solids or prints options.  Colours are:

·         School Bus (1482)

·         Bubble Gum (261)

·         Sprout (254)

·         Teal (1373)

·         Jade Green (1183)

·         White (1387)

·         Blue (1028)

§  Over the summer: recommend people go through past MQG webinars on “what is modern quilting”, brush up on alternative gridwork, asymmetry, negative space, scale, etc.

§  https://community.themodernquiltguild.com/resources

·         Quits for QC project:

§  Total number of quilts is about 50. WOW!

§  Thank you to everyone who helped out!

§  Next steps: Fiona will contact the Mosque to arrange delivery of the quilts in July. Will email information as soon as it is available. 

§  We will be driving to Ste-Foy to deliver the quilts in person, if anyone is interested in going with email the guild at mtlmqg@gmail.com

§  We have a database for all the names and addresses of those who donated.  We will look at sending some thank you notes either by email of by post.  Although, not everyone by mail as the cost is prohibitive.

§  A round-up blog post will also be done with photos of all the quilts.

·         Annual report from treasurer

o    Accounts have a balance going forward for Next year. 

o    Detailed accounting can be requested via email

·         Show and Tell

·         Raffle Six prize packages given out

·         Potluck – wow what great food.

·         Next meeting: September! Everyone have a great summer!