January 2019 meeting minutes

January 2018 Mtl MQG Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, January 8 at 7pm, SouthWest Mission Verdun

Quick points of business:

• Get your raffle tickets from Izzy at the break
• Call for exec team volunteers
• Need a volunteer for the President and VP positions
• A set of job descriptions will be sent 
• Feb 12 meeting will be 0% planned, so please bring something to work on and/or a topic to discuss!

News from the MQG Ambassador (Izzy)

• QuiltCon Feb. 21–24, 2019 
• Webinar how to design quilts using different tools - on the 17th of January at 14:30. Will be available the day after recording.
• Charity quilt will be ready for QuiltCon, Cinzia will show tonight.

Applique demo by Claudia

Happy new year! Our first meeting of 2019 is coming up on the 8th and Claudia will be treating us to a hand applique demo. If you would like to participate at the meeting, please complete the following in advance:

• Trace the applique image (downloadable PDF here) onto the right side of a piece of fabric. A window or other flat glass surface with a light source behind it is very helpful for tracing. 
• Baste the drawn fabric onto a second piece of background fabric, keeping both pieces right side up. (Not sure how to baste fabric? Check out this tutorial.) 

Along with your traced and basted fabric from the above steps, you will also need to bring:

• Thread the same color as the fabric you drew the picture on
• A needle (Size 12 hand appliqué needles or size 10 Milliners needles are good. You want a thin needle that glides through the edge of a fold smoothly)
• A thimble
• Small pair of sharp scissors

That's it! If you have any questions, let us know... otherwise see you on the 8th!

Sew-In reminder and some FPP resources

Just a quick reminder that our first sew-in of the year is tomorrow, September 22nd from 10am to 4pm. We will be meeting at the CRCS St-Zotique, check the board at the entrance for our room number. There will be some road closures on Saturday due the construction (surprise surprise) and the Montreal Marathon, so check your route before heading out!

Quilt by Adaire Schlatter

We will begin work on the QuiltCon 2019 charity quilt, so if you were interested in helping out with the layout/design, now is your chance. We are still looking for fabric/scraps to use for the negative space in the quilt, so if you have some to donate, please bring them along. Solids and tone-on-tone prints in white or off-white are what we are looking for.

Stephanie will also be doing a Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) demo for those of you who are curious and/or want to try it before the November workshop with Andrea Tsang Jackson. If you would like to sew along, please bring an FPP pattern of your choice, your sewing machine and some fabric scraps to work with.

If you can't make it but still want to try your hand at FPP, here are a few resources for getting started in foundation paper piecing:

Angela Walters tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Kx4Q7JSwQ

Beginner-friendly foundation paper piecing: https://weallsew.com/beginner-friendly-foundation-paper-piecing/

FPP for Beginners: https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/article/free-paper-piecing-patterns-for-beginners/

Sew-In Reminder!

Just a quick reminder, our last sew-in of the 2017-18 year will be this coming Saturday, May 26th from 10am to 4pm at the CRCS St-Zotique. The forecast for Saturday shows warm but rainy, a perfect afternoon to stay inside and do some sewing! Bring your projects along and join us for the last sew-in of the season.

For those that are interested, Izzy will be giving a demonstration on free-motion quilting and sharing some of her tips and tricks. If you would like to learn how to do it, or are just looking for some tips or inspiration, join us for her demo after lunch.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Sew-In this Saturday!

Just a quick reminder... we are having our Sew-In this Saturday, December 2nd from 12pm to 5pm in Verdun.

There will be space to work on handwork as well as space to work on machine sewing (you can bring your own machine or use one of the ones on site). There is a mid-arm quilting machine you can rent time on, as well! Craft de Ville will be open and there is a sewing machine repair service on site too, if your over-worked machine needs a little bit of love.

Come for a quick visit or for the whole afternoon... enjoy a hot drink and some quilty conversation.

In preparation for our December meeting ornament swap, Stacy will be demonstrating the method for making a folded star ornament. Bring along a few fat quarters of your favorite fabric and make a few to give as gifts (or to keep for yourself). See you on Saturday!

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! :) 

March meeting reminder

Our next meeting is coming up next week on Tuesday March 14th at 7pm at the CRCS St-Zotique.

If you have made any quilt blocks or quilt tops for the #QuiltsforQC project, please bring them (or send them with someone) to the meeting... we want to collect up all of the stragglers so we can move on to the next step of getting the quilts finished. Likewise, if you have any supplies to donate (batting, backing fabric, tread, binding, etc) please turn them in so we know what things we still need to purchase.

At the meeting we will be raffling off a 'Spring Forward' FQ bundle from Mad About Patchwork, which was curated by Izzy for the month of March. Each month they will have a bundle curated by a different Canadian Modern Quilt Guild, and this one was inspired by our guild's logo. If you don't want to trust your luck, or you simply can't wait that long to get your hands on some, you can order it directly from Mad About Patchwork... but don't wait too long! They only have a few bundles left (one less now because I just ordered mine!)

Spring Forward bundle available at Mad About Patchwork

We will also be discussing plans for our next social meet-up, so bring your ideas and suggestions! We will post the details once they are finalized.

Our demo this month will be a walking foot demo courtesy of the talented Debby Soll. Many of you have oooh-ed and aaah-ed over her work at Show & Tell, now is your chance to see how she does it! ;)

Hope to see you next week!

Big stitch quilting tutorial by Cinzia

Cinzia's tutorial on big stitch quilting is now available under the Members Only section of the blog!

Photo by Cinzia

For those of you who missed her demo, or for those of you who were bitten by the hand-quilting bug and want to give it a try, go grab your copy now. Happy stitching! :)

February meeting reminder

Just a quick reminder on what's coming up, as we have a lot going on in the last half of February... 

Our next monthly meeting takes place on Tuesday February 14th at 7pm at the CRCS St-Zotique. We will be having our Ugly Fat Quarter Swap, we will be celebrating Hari-Kuyo so remember to bring your worn out and broken pins and needles, and we will be starting to collect blocks for the #QuiltsforQC project. Our demonstration this month will be a handwork demo by Cinzia. If you would like to participate, please bring the following with you:

• quilt sandwich (two fat quarters and batting) 
• quilting/embroidery hoop 
• Perle cotton embroidery thread (size 8) 
• Embroidery needle: size 6, 7 or 8 
• thimble to fit middle finger of dominant hand 
• fabric marking tool (optional) 

Our February Sew-In will be taking place on Saturday February 18th from 10am to 4pm at the Maplewood Presbyterian Church, 215 McLeod, in Chateauguay. We will be having an inter-guild meet-up with the Chateauguay Valley Quilters Guild; we will be working on slab blocks to donate to the CQA's Big Quilt Bee, house blocks for the #QuiltsforQC project, or you can bring your own project to work on. We will be arranging carpools at Tuesday night's meeting, so if you need a ride but can't make it to the meeting, please get in touch via email. The usual sew-in rules apply, please bring anything you need to work on your project of choice (sewing machine, cutting/marking tools, etc), as well as your lunch and a coffee mug (coffee will be available there). 

And finally, on Sunday February 26th from 12 to 5pm we will be hosting a sew-in for the #QuiltsforQC project at AFA. There will be snacks and drinks available, and this event is open to all. We will have sewing machines and materials on hand for anyone who wants to sew some blocks (patterns and assistance are available if you need them), and if you have completed blocks or other materials to donate, you are welcome to drop them by. 

I think that's everything... see you Tuesday evening!

A few new years updates

First of all, happy new year to everyone! I wish you all a wonderful and creative 2017! :)

Our next meeting is this coming Tuesday, January 10th at 7pm at the CRCS St-Zotique. We will be raffling off a few goodies, Francine will be leading a discussion on long-arm quilting and we will be seeing the finished charity challenge quilt before it gets shipped off to QuiltCon.

Later this month we will be hosting a 5 à 7 at Benelux on Wellington in Verdun on Saturday January 28th from 5pm onwards. You can bring handwork to work on if you wish, but really it's just an excuse to get together over a few drinks and socialize! :)

Also, be advised that the February Sew-In will be taking place on Saturday February 18th at the Maplewood Presbyterian Church, 215 McLeod, in Chateauguay. We are being hosted by the Chateauguay Valley Quilters Guild for an inter-guild sew-in. We will be giving a demonstration of Cheryl Arkison's slab block technique and making up some blocks to send to the CQA's Big Quilt Bee in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary. We will provide some charm squares to get the blocks started, we just need you to bring along some scraps to finish the 12 1/2" blocks.

Scraps in black, cream, grey, red or turquoise are preferred as that is the palette of the charm squares, but honestly any fabric is welcome to finish the blocks. This is, of course, 100% voluntary and you are absolutely welcome to bring along any other projects you wish to work on.

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

Josée's block tutorial

As promised, Josée has provided the written tutorial for the block from her "A Sprinkling of Stars" quilt.

"A Sprinkling of Stars" by Josée Carrier

You can find the downloadable tutorial in the Members Only/Membres Seulement section of the blog! Thank you again to Josée for sharing her beautiful work with us :)

Workshop: Quilt playing games with my heart

Our intrepid members Stacy and Jessica will be leading an intro to quilting course, Quilt Playing Games with my Heart, at La Société Textile on December 4th. If you've been wanting to learn to quilt but didn't know where to start, or if you're looking for some cute holiday gifts to make, this is for you. :) 

The course costs $30 and includes a kit with the supplies for a winter or Christmas themed potholder (pictured above), and all of the instruction and assistance you need to make it! Craft de Ville will also have a pop-up shop onsite stocked with lots of other supplies and goodies. 

Spaces are limited, so get in touch with La Société Textile directly today to book your spot.

October meeting reminder

Our October meeting is tonight at the CRCS St-Zotique from 7pm to 9pm! Check the board at the entrance for our room number, we may not always be in the same room this year. You can view the agenda for the evening here. Volunteers for set-up and snacks take note!

Photo credit: My Name is Snickerdoodle

Remember we will be having an English Paper Piecing demonstration presented by Agnes, so bring your sewing kit (needle and thread, scissors, pins or clips) and some fabric scraps (3" square or larger) to practice on. See you tonight!

(and marvel at the fact that almost every single sentence in the post ends with an exclamation point! I'm way too excited!)

Curves tutorial by Lily

Tomorrow we are meeting for our October Sew-In to start work on the QuiltCon charity challenge quilt. If you aren't able to make it to the meeting for the demonstration but still want to help out and try your hand at sewing curves, Lily has kindly put together a detailed tutorial on how to create the blocks that will make up our finished quilt.

You can find both parts of the tutorial in the Members Only / Membres Seulement section of this blog (password required, see your Welcome Packet email for the current members' password), under the section: 2016-17 Challenges and Swaps / Défis et échanges 2016-17.

Remember we are using specific fabrics donated for this project and each participant will choose a specific block to make, so if you have to miss the Sew-In, please speak with Michele at the October meeting for more info.

Reminder - October Sew-In

Our first Sew-In of the year will be taking place on Saturday October 1st! We meet between 10am and 4pm at the CRCS St-Zotique... please bring along a project to work on, your sewing machine (if necessary), and a snack or lunch of your choice. We will have hot drinks available, just bring your travel mug!

Quilting bee in Central Park in June of 1973.

This month we will be starting work on the QuiltCon 2017 charity challenge quilt (presented by Michele and Lily at the September meeting). This challenge is a collaboration by the whole guild, so if you would like to participate please join us on the 1st for a demo of the techniques involved and to get started on making a block!