February Meeting Recap

Whittle down our stashes, keep moving, stay positive, and have fun. Those are a few of our intentions for 2019. After choosing our "Word for the Year" at the January meeting, members showed them off in fabric form at our February meeting.

A particularly important intention for our guild is to keep learning. Fortunately, a couple upcoming webinars from the Modern Quilt Guild can help: on February 7 at 8 p.m. EST, Tim Eads will discuss textile surface design, and on March 14 at 9 p.m. EST Cheryl Arkison will give strategies for conquering the fear of improv. Members can register for both presentations on the Modern Quilt Guild website. All webinars are archived, so you do not have to view the original presentation to take advantage of the information.

Also at our meeting we participated in a timed improve exercise. Diane, Nancy, and Sue gave short lessons on various types of piecing, including......

free form curves

improv circles

and X Blocks.

We encourage members to turn one or more of these blocks into an 18-inch quilt to be displayed at the East Kingston, N.H. library. Bring your quilt to the April meeting if you would like to participate. 

The meeting included a short but enthusiastic Show-and-Tell session. Jane shared several project bags that help keep her projects organized. The pattern is Bridget's Bagettes by Atkinson Design. I bet that Marie Kondo would love Jane's bags.

Suzanne shared a tumbler quilt that she intends to donate to Project Linus. She hopes to make other blankets for this organization and, in the process, sew down her stash. 

Several members brought in "Bright Birch Trees" blocks for the daughter of a member whose home suffered a fire.

Lottery Block is back- 

Next month's lottery block will be a Love Notes Quilt as featured in Missouri Star Quilting. There will be details send out in email and the you tube post is found at https://youtu.be/3hFwmZ8sJT8

Announcements:

* A warm welcome to our new members- Rachel joins us from Haverhill and Hayley joins us form Berwick, Maine. Hayley has her own textile business and is happy to share her skills with us.

* Our March meeting will be held at the public library in Kingston, N.H., where we will share highlights from Quilt Con.

* Our April meeting will be held at the Brentwood, N.H. library and will include a workshop on the Sew Together Bag. If you would like to participate, please purchase the pattern (here) and cut out and interface all pattern pieces before the meeting.

* Retreat is approaching (May 2-5). If you are joining us, it is time to make your first payment. A fee schedule was included on an earlier blog post.

* We're also planning a day trip to Alewives Fabrics in Nobleboro, Maine in the spring.

* If you show your quilts on Instagram, remember to tag us (#SMQG or #seacoastmodernquiltguild).

See you in March!

February SMQG Meeting

Improv Minis !- On February 2nd please bring a fat quarter of a black a solid and a white colored fabric as well as your machine. We will also be collecting the blocks for the Quilt mentioned in last month's minutes and presenting our word of the year quilts. The first retreat payment will also be collected.

February will be here soon 

we will be having a  

Surprise Activity at our February 2nd guild meeting!

 Please bring your sewing machine to the next meeting 

and black, white and a solid color fabric as well as a rotary cutter.

It can be a solid or almost solid like a white on white.

We will have cutting stations and pressing station set up.

It's going to be fun!

We will be meeting at the West Newbury Annex.

Retreat Information

We hope you can join us for our 2019 Retreat on May 2-5 at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunk, Maine. It's a fun-filled weekend that includes dedicated sewing time, group activities, swag/raffle/prizes and lots of laughs.        Below are the room rates, which include breakfast provided by the Franciscan daily. The Retreat Committee will host Friday evening dinner. Lunch is on your own and we are planning an off-site dinner at a local restaurant on Saturday evening for those who would like to attend.

2019 SMQG Franciscan Guest House Retreat Costs

Dates: May 2, 3, 4, & 5, 2019

Single Room

3 Nights         Total: $378.00

3 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $126.00         Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

3 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $129.78         Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

2 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $189.00         Payments Due By: 2/17, 4/17

2 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $194.67        Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

Single Room

2 Nights         Total: $270.00       

3 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·         $90.00                 Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

3 Payment PayPal Schedule

·        $92.70       Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

2 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·       $133.50        Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

2 Payment PayPal Schedule

·        $137.50      Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

Double Room  

3 Nights         Total: 267.00 PP           

3 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $   89.00    Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

3 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $  91.67       Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

2 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $ 133.50        Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

2 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $ 137.50       Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

Double Room

2 Nights         Total: $ 192.00        

3 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $64.00           Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/

3 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $65.92                       Payments Due By: 2/1, 3/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

2 Payment Cash/Check Schedule                                   

·      $96.00         Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

2 Payment PayPal Schedule

·      $98.88         Payments Due By: 2/1, 4/1

·      Includes 3% PayPal Transaction Fee

Checks Payable: Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild

Mail To:    SEACOAST MODERN QUILT GUILD

                 UNIT #1606

                 61 PLEASANT STREET

                 NEWBURYPORT, MA  01950

January Meeting Recap

Our January meeting at the Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham, N.H. drew 24 people. We discussed several upcoming events, including the October show at Strawbery Banke, a display at the Festival of Trees, and workshops with Rebecca Bryan. We voted in favor of acquiring a membership to the New England Quilt Museum and were reminded that our members can take advantage of resources from the Modern Quilt Guild, including webinars. See here for the MQG web site.

In other business, Retreat will be May 2-5 at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunk, Maine. A deposit on the cost is due by Feb. 1. (You may pay in two or three installments.)

As outlined in the previous blog post, we are embarking on a "Word-of-the-Year" project. Diane and Nancy gave us lots of information on how to piece, applique, or embroider our chosen word. We are suggesting that people use a gray or tan background with a final size of 10.5" x 14", but we are also happy to see the different directions that people go with this project.

We will be making a quilt for Colleen's daughter who had a fire at her house. The pattern is Bright Birch Trees by Amanda Jean Nyberg of Crazy Mom Quilts. Block size (before finishing) is 16" x 16" and they will be collected at the February meeting. More information on the specifics of the block construction can be found on the SMQG email list or at this tutorial.

A reminder that we are still collecting Courthouse Steps blocks for Judy D, our past president. She has asked for scrappy prints and solids in all colors (including low volume). The center should be a black square. The example below caught my eye because of the way the corals and greens play off each other.

(CLICK HERE FOR THE BLOCK INSTRUCTIONS.)

Many projects were displayed during Show and Tell.

Jane shared the biggest quilt she has ever made, a queen-size "Swoon" made from a Camille Roskelley pattern that Jane began last February. I love the vibrant colors in this quilt (especially the yellows).

Diane shared two pieces. The first (above) was made as part of a Michael Miller challenge. The second (below) has been juried into a craft show in Exeter. It includes a mix of commercial fabrics and fabrics she dyed herself. 

In November, Kate showed us a quilt she was working on for her son, a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Today, she had the finished version. Apparently her son has wrapped himself into the quilt every morning since Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas, Mary showed us a red-and-green wall hanging that involved a lot of intricate piecing. 

Patty is working on a quilt for a bridal shower next weekend. The couple lives at the beach, so the quilting is done in a seashell motif.

Last but not least, all of us got to see the completed quilt that we'll be sending to Quilt Con, which is February 21-24 in Nashville. It's entitled "Safe Harbor" and its construction was coordinated by Kelly, our charity projects leader. A view of the front of the quilt is at the top of this post. Below is a view of the back. Suzanne (at right in the picture below) did the quilting.

We are still collecting dues. Payments can be made via PayPal or sent to Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild, Unit #1606, 61 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950

Our next meeting will be 10 a.m. on February 2 at the West Newbury Annex.

January's Activity

As you may know, each of us will choose a "word of the year" at the January meeting to quilt in the medium of our choice. We recommend that you bring sketching paper, drawing materials, and a 2019 calendar to the meeting. The directions below give an idea of the scope of the project. 

This is the tutorial for the pennant base that will be done in grey:

https://www.incolororder.com/2017/06/enamel-pin-banner-tutorial.html

Large Banner (10"x14")

- 1/3 yard of fabric

-     5/8 yard of woven interfacing (SF 101)

Cutting:

From fabric:

- Cut (2) 10.5"x14" pieces

- Cut (1) 2"x20" piece

From interfacing:

- Cut (2) 10.5"x14" pieces

To help you consider some different lettering options...Nancy and Diane will share some examples and these sites might be useful too.

https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/article/name-quilts/

And

https://pin.it/o2ar4njvqkxvlt

http://patcherymenagerie.blogspot.com/p/lynne-tyler-word-quilts-2011-2012.html

Extras you might find helpful.

Terial Magic fabric Stabilizer (for appliqué)

Sulky Iron on Transfer Pens (for embroidery)

January Meeting Reminder

As 2018 draws to a close, it's an excellent time to look ahead to 2019 and reflect on our hopes and aspirations. At our January meeting we are asking each of you  to select your "word of the year” -- nothing fancy or hard to remember, but a word that has personal meaning to you or expresses a theme for the Guild in the upcoming year. We will be working toward quilting that in the medium you desire, so bring your sketchbooks and drawing materials.

Members will also have the opportunity to vote on the programs that will be the focus of our creativity during our meetings in 2019. 

The meeting will be held on Saturday, January 5, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham, N.H.

Please note that 2019 dues are due. Payments can be mailed to the Guild's P.O. Box at the address below, submitted via PayPal, or brought to the January meeting.

Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild

61 Pleasant St. Unit 1606

Newburyport, MA 01950