Category: Sew-in

Trunk show and Expo news

This month’s meeting (Thursday 9/12) is a busy one!

Local quilt artist Lorie McCown will be presenting a trunk show of her art quilts. If you saw her quilt exhibit at the Fredericksburg Library last year, or follow her online, you know we’re in for a treat! Here are just a few pieces to whet your appetites. Her use of color and the way she incorporates recycled fabrics into her pieces make for some powerful work.

The Block of the Month, led by Linda, is due at the meeting. This is our first paper-pieced block. It’s always fun to see the different colorways people use, and one lucky winner will get to take home all the entries.

We have a booth at the Expo at the end of the month, where we will spread the word about our guild, raffle off our lovely quilt (a fundraiser for our guild), and display members’ modern quilts. If you haven’t yet signed up for a shift at the booth, there are still a few openings, and volunteers get free admission to the show! Sign up here.

The raffle quilt is here:

If you’re planning to have a quilt in our exhibit, remember to include an artist’s statement (short and sweet is fine) and a hanging sleeve. We can’t wait to see all the quilts you’ve created over the last year or two. You can drop them off at this week’s meeting or at the sew-in on Saturday, or contact us at fredericksburgmqg@gmail.com to make other arrangements.

Finally, we have reserved the library on Saturday, September 14, from 9:00 to 4:00, for a sew-in. Drop in and out as your schedule allows, bring your sewing machine, handwork, or whatever you’d like to work on, and meet and greet other members. See you there!

Lots of Guild news

A few updates as we look forward to our June meeting on the 13th!

First, did you know that the Guild hosts virtual sew-ins twice a week? They are scheduled for Mondays from 1-3 and Thursdays from 6:30 -8:30. Log on and join the discussion for advice, feedback, quilty news, and anything else that comes to mind. You can work on whatever you like, handwork or machine. Drop in and out as your schedule allows. All members are welcome. Members, check your email for the link.

Second, don’t forget to bring your first Art Block of the month (BOM) to the meeting. This is the project that Carolyn is leading for us, based on Jane Davila’s The Art Quilt Workbook (available at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library). The Art BOM should be 9 x 12 using your choice of theme and color palette. You may make more than one piece if you desire. We would like to display your creations at the quilt expo this September.

Attached are examples made by Carolyn using the theme of flowers and colors found in nature.

Finally, we have plans afoot to create a modern quilt to raffle off at the expo. This is a fundraiser for the guild as well as a fun group project. We are basing it on this design by SwirlyGirl Quilts, but with our own color palette. We plan to start working on it at our in-person sew-in on Saturday, June 22, from 9:00-4:00 at the Salem Church Library. You can work on whatever you’d like at the sew-in, but we would love you to join us in creating it. More details at the meeting and at the sew-in!

Saturday Sew-in

Do join us at our in-person sew-in scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd from 10:00-4:00 at our regular location, the Salem Church Library. Drop in for an hour or two, or stay the whole day! Feel free to bring whatever you are working on. It’s a great way to get some sewing done while chatting with fellow guild members and sharing good ideas.

*If you’re bringing your machine, don’t forget an extension cord.

*Ditto for irons, plus an ironing board or other surface (wool pressing mat, etc.).

*Remember to bring your cutting mat, too, plus all the notions you can’t sew without: wonder clips, sewing machine needles, rotary cutter, scissors, thimbles, etc. etc. etc. Luckily, Straight Stitch is right around the corner if you have a sewing emergency!

Handwork is welcome, too, of course!

You can bring your lunch, or walk over to one of the restaurants right next door and pick up something to go.

ALSO: we have traditionally included a technique or project to share or demonstrate. This time, plans are afoot to demo free motion quilting from the back side of your fabric, using the design of your backing fabric as your sewing guide. This is scheduled for the afternoon, probably around 1:00.

August meeting notes

We had a great show and tell, with lots of challenge quilts among other Works in Progress and new creations.

Four takes on the Maximalist challenge

Challenge from another guild to use “ugly” fabric in a table runner

Page 20 challenges (turn to page 20 in any magazine or catalog and use what you see as inspiration)

Renee’s fabulous star, from a Mid-Appalachian quilter’s workshop at Gettysburg

Wonky star made from 1930’s blocks with Mary Kerr at a workshop at the Stitch Fest in Lancaster

Two sweet little blocks from Lori

Baby quilt with walking foot quilting

Remember that you can register for workshops and lectures at QuiltCon starting at 10:00 on Tuesday, August 15th. Make sure you can sign in ahead of time so that you’ll be all ready on Tuesday. Pro tip from Jan: you can put workshops in your cart and then easily sign up for them right on the dot of 10:00. Sessions fill up fast!

Note our upcoming meetings: Monthly meeting on September 14, and our in-person sew-in on Saturday, September 23.

Sew-in news

At our upcoming sew-in (Saturday, June 24, from 10-5 at the Salem Church Library), you can bring whatever you want to work on BUT we also have two opportunities to think about:

  • We are planning to enter a group/bee modern quilt at QuiltCon next year! If you’re interested in this project, please join us at the sew-in at 11:00 to discuss how we’ll proceed. We’ll need to talk about design, a color palette, and how to divvy up the creation of blocks or other elements of the quilt. Lots to chew on, so we may not nail it all down right away! Quilts can be entered between September 1 and October 31. This year’s winner is posted above, or see all the winners of the group/bee quilts at QuiltCon 2023 here (scroll down) for inspiration.
  • Get a jump start on holiday (or any day) gifts! At 1:00 p.m. Linda will be walking us through a cool technique for making fabric origami flowers, as presented in Flower Origami by Kumiko Sudo. You can create gift boxes, needle cases, holiday ornaments, and much more. If you’d like to participate, please bring:
    • 2 different sets of 2 coordinated light and dark 7.5” squares (total of 4 squares)
    • 2 different pairs of 2 coordinated light and dark 9” squares (total of 4 squares)
    • Thread and needle for hand sewing
    • Scissors
    • Fabric marker
    • Small ruler
    • Buttons for centers (optional)
    • Templates will be provided, along with a limited selection of fabrics (if you don’t want to bring your own and are willing to take “potluck.”)
    • Finished origami pieces can be used as holiday ornaments (just add a string) or turned into more ambitious projects such as wall art, cell phone cases, bags, napkin rings, etc.

Questions or suggestions? Post to our Facebook page or email us at fredericksburgmodernquiltguild@gmail.com.

Credit for the photo above:

1st Place: Sashes
64” x 83”
By Elizabeth Ray
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Northwest Arkansas MQG

Contributing Quilters: Carole Lyles Shaw, Chris Davies, Chris Simon, E. A. Cox, Ellyn Zinsmeister, Emily Lang, Isabelle Selak, Loide Wasmund, Sarah Goer, & Sarah Ruiz

In-person sew-in coming up

Our regular meeting will be held on Thursday, June 8th. BUT we also have an in-person sew-in scheduled for Saturday, June 24th, from 10:00-5:00 at our regular location, the Salem Church Library. Drop in for an hour or two, or stay the whole day! Feel free to bring whatever you are working on. It’s a great way to get some sewing done while chatting with fellow guild members and sharing good ideas.

*If you’re bringing your machine, don’t forget an extension cord.

*Ditto for irons, plus an ironing board or other surface (wool pressing mat, etc.).

*Remember to bring your cutting mat, too, plus all the notions you can’t sew without: wonder clips, sewing machine needles, rotary cutter, scissors, thimbles, etc. etc. etc.

You can bring your lunch, or walk over to one of the restaurants right next door and pick up something to go.

ALSO: we have traditionally included a technique or project to share or demonstrate. Previous projects include an origami bag, a soup bowl cozy, and how to make eight half-square triangles at a time. If you have a favorite technique to share, or a simple project that can be completed (or at least well started!) in a few hours, please let us know. Email fredericksburgmodernquiltguild@gmail.com or tell us about your idea at our upcoming meeting.

Save the dates

A quick reminder that we are meeting this evening, Thursday, May 11. The room will open at 5:00, and the business meeting starts at 6:00. Bring your challenges if you have them, and don’t forget your show and tells!

Note that we have two upcoming sew-in dates at the Salem Church Library: June 24 and September 23. Both days are Saturdays. You can bring anything you want to work on to our sew-ins, and we might have a new technique to share. Stay tuned!

Remember that our meetings are always on the second Thursday of the month. You can see our complete schedule here.

Sew-in this Saturday

Just a reminder that we will hold an in-person sew-in on Saturday, January 28, at Salem Church Library from 10 am-5 pm. Please bring your sewing machine, basic sewing supplies, and any orphan blocks you want to contribute toward making one or more quilts to donate to Project Linus. Both Linda B and Jan F are active in Project Linus, so feel free to ask them if you have any questions about this worthy organization!

Of course, you can also work on your own projects if you want to.

Bring a lunch or pick up something at Pho Saigon, a Vietnamese place, or Tito & Teresa Restaurant, a Honduran place, just a few steps beyond the library parking lot.