April 2023 Meeting Recap

 

It was a full house for the April meeting, with lots of new and old faces!  We had lots to cover, so let's dive right in!

March 2023 Meeting Recap

 

Here's to keeping this recap short & sweet!  

February 2023 Meeting Recap

         

        Hello, guildies!  Welcome to the first meeting recap of the new officers and programming.  This meeting was packed with information, and some of it warranted its own blog post.  Links to those topics will be provided. Show & Tell is sprinkled throughout.  Let's jump in!

  January 2023 Meeting Recap

January meeting is a business meeting - recapping the previous year, giving a financial overview and electing a new leadership team.

Please congratulate our 2023 Leadership team:

- President - Mary Gregg

- Vice President, Programs - OPEN

- Vice President, Social Media - Cheralee Stover

- Vice President, Membership - Gail Gausman

- Treasurer - Jen Laverty

Mary's election as President leaves the Program position open. Leadership has decided to hold a special election at the February meeting to fill the position. Any members interested in running for the position, please submit your name and short bio to Judy Kay, Elections Officiate, by January 21st.

Quilt Workshops and Opportunities:

Quilt North is hosting a workshop with Maria Shell, Riffing on Tradition.  This two-part virtual workshop will be held Thursday, January 26 5:30-8:30 pm and Sunday January 29 2-5 pm. Cost for non-members  $70. registration or email quiltnprogram@gmail.com

Three Rivers Quilt Guild is accepting entries for their 2023 show March 30-April 1 at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, Washington PA.  This year's theme is Drunkard's Path.  The entry deadline is Tuesday, February 21 by mail only.  entry rules    entry form or email threeriversquiltshow@gmail.com

A CMU research team invites marginalized Pittsburgh artists to participate in a virtual immersive gallery research study at the Andy Warhol Museum Pop District.  CMU information

Our next meeting is on Sunday, February 5th in Millvale. We hope to see you there.

April 2018 Meeting Recap

April Meeting Recap

We had a low turnout for our April meeting, but still had a great time! Michele put together a fun presentation on EPP (English Paper Piecing).

1. Thanks to volunteers who worked our table at the festival! We made lots of hexie pins and met with a few quilters/fiber artists who were interested in our group.
2. We raised money to benefit our guild. You can still buy tickets for the inchie quilt.Funds raised will benefit educational programming for the guild.The prize drawing will happen at our May meeting.
3. Our May meeting will be at 1pm during the Sew Day at St. John’s Church. The sew day is from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. We will not have a presentation but we will be voting on the cost of dues, which are going to remain at $40. (Our fiscal year is July-June.)
4. Our QuiltCon Charity Quilt was accepted into the Three Rivers Quilt Show, which will be Thursday, April 26 through Saturday, April 28 at the The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, PA.
5. Salvation Army Fabric Fair is next Saturday, April 14th from 8:30am - 2pm at Salvation Army Pittsburgh Temple Worship & Service Center, 1060 McNeilly Road.
6. We’re going to be starting a new challenge next month - members who sew themselves nametags to bring and wear at meetings will be entered into a drawing to win a prize. This challenge will go on through the fall. So feel free to start brainstorming some fun nametag ideas!

Inchies Quilt

 

Upcoming Programs

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- block printing workshop is set for Saturday, June 16th

- improv piecing workshop in the fall

  Continue to send meeting topic ideas and workshop ideas to us - if you’re new, let us know what you’d like to get out of the guild!

Show and Tell:

 EPP presentation:

Our May meeting is a sew day at St. John's Church. I hope I see you there.

January Meeting Recap

One of the two quilts Gerry will be teaching at the Pgh Knit and Crochet Festival

January meetings are always a little different from the rest of the year.  We are looking at by-law changes, electing new officers and trying to both assess the past year's programming while looking ahead to the new year.  We opened introductions (and welcome to all of those new faces!) with the question of what we enjoyed most in 2016 and what we were looking forward to in 2017 for the guild.

January 2017 Meeting : General Meeting

If you only make it to one meeting this year, this is a good one to shoot for.  We will be voting on the by-laws, swapping scraps, electing officers

and getting member feedback for programming this year.

Cross your fingers that the QuiltCon quilt will also be ready for its big reveal!

*Members bringing scraps get first choice, of course.

*Don't forget that we will also be having a January sew day independent of the general meeting.

Since it's a fresh, new year - a blank slate - why not assess those UFOs you have and bring them to the meeting?  Get some input from your quilty friends and find some motivation to get it done or get rid of it!  (Sometimes, finished IS better than perfect.) We will be running a UFO Finish Along in 2017 to keep you motivated. We will log your UFOs at this next meeting and as you finish them throughout the year you will get a ticket for each one to enter in an end of year prize drawing. UFOs must be at least partially started for this event. 

See you January 8th at 1pm at the Pittsburgh Project!

December 2016 Meeting : Sew Day at The Quilt Company

This meeting announcement is a quickie so you can get back to perusing the internet for sales all while sitting on your couch in your jammies.

First, the December meeting is this Saturday (12/3) form 9am-4pm at The Quilt Company in Allison Park.  An eVite went out in November with the details and you can RSVP straight from there.  Check you trash and spam folders, just in case.  The December meeting will be held at 1pm if you want to stop by for that.   

Second, because the Quilt Company is on the smallish side, we are holding the vote for the by-law changes until the January General Meeting.  We usually have a great turn out for that meeting and we'll be back at the Pittsburgh Project where we can accommodate everyone.

Third, don't forget about our newest thing- the Upcycled Clothing Challenge!  Those mini quilts will be due in February.  You can get more info on the challenge here.

Four, if you have been consistently making your Inspiration Challenge blocks from the beginning, you should be half done!  Congratulations!  Take a minute to reflect n where you began, where you thought you would be and where you are.  Here is the original post.

Five, we are going to be voting on new officers in January.  Consider taking on a bigger role within the guild.  Talk to any current officer or Pam.

November 2016 Meeting Recap

Let's get right to it, shall we?  Lots of ground to cover this month!  

November 2016 Meeting: Quilt As You Go

Quilt as you go... There are several reasons why you might want to give this a try.  Maybe you don't have a long arm machine.  Perhaps you want to control every aspect of your quilting.  Rounding up orphan blocks and creating something is both useful as well as psychologically beneficial.  It could also be that you just want to add an additional skill to your quilting bag of tricks.

At the November meeting you'll be experimenting with two methods for QAYG - joining pre-quilted blocks and quilting while you also piece.  There are MANY methods to QAYG.  We are just going to cover these techniques with a few tricks to customize them for yourself.  I am linking the handout in case you would like to get creative!  Click here for the November handout.

We WILL need our machines and notions!  Don't bring irons, the guild will set up a few stations.


For QAYG, you will need the following supplies.

Joining Pre-Quilted Blocks:

At least 2 pre-quilted blocks (do not trim them!)
Strips at least 1" wide and the length of your blocks to use as sashing


Ticker Tape Method:

Square piece of muslin or background fabric
Square pieces of batting larger than the muslin
Square piece of backing larger than the batting
Assorted scraps


Here is the handout for the seasonal table runner and templates:

Tutorial
Templates

October 2016 Meeting Recap

This month's Inspiration Challenge winner -  Congratulations Amanda!

The QuiltCon Charity quilt top is almost done!  Zsofia handed it off to Lauren at the meeting.  Thank you to everyone who created blocks and/or participated in the sew day.  We're going to be right on target for the QuiltCon submission deadline!

Don't forget the FMQ workshop at the Quilt Company with Nikki is October 22nd.  Click here for the details.

We are proceeding with the planning for the March 2017 retreat.  You should have recently received an email survey asking about your interest.  Please respond so we can get a clear picture of numbers.  The retreat will be March 24-26, 2017.

September's #pghmqgic

The December sew day will not be at the Pittsburgh Project this year.  We are finalizing the location and date.  Stay tuned for updates!

The January 2017 meeting will be our annual General Meeting as well as elections for new officers.  If you are interested in being an officer, speak to any of the current members in those positions to get an idea of the duties.  Also, if you aren't able to attend regularly, try to make the January meeting.  The 2017 focus will be discussed and we value all input.

The Inspiration Challenge blocks keep getting better and better!  This month included a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Liberty Bridge woes, solving a kimono conundrum and recent trips.  Sound intriguing?  Well, come out to the November meeting and take a look for yourself!  You can find all of the info on the Inspiration Challenge by clicking here.

Show and Tell

The MQG (Modern Quilt Guild) held a town hall webinar and is also inaugurating a MQG mini swap.    There is so much going on over there!  Click here to get more information on the upcoming television show, QuiltCon 2017, a new book and how to submit your own ideas!

Trapunto applique

The topic in October was applique.  Discussions included machine versus hand applique, raw edge versus turned under, and the new style of reverse-applique of Alabama Chanin and Alison Glass.  There were samples of different decorative stitches that could be used on your basic machine.  In addition to the handout and points covered, members were asked to air their own problems, and victories to help everyone in the group.  Solutions for sticky needles, using water-soluble thread for trapunto applique and a few throwbacks to previous meetings were shared.  A great number of JoAnn fabrics' handouts on interfacing weights were shared to the delight of some.  Templates for using in a holiday table runner were forgotten at the copier store, but WILL make it into the November announcement . :)  Some of the tips shared by the group were added to the handout and appear in a separate color.  Thank you to everyone for sharing!

Click here for the Applique handout.

The notes on the measurements for the QAYG blocks were also removed from the handout and will be in the November meeting announcement.

September 2016 Meeting Recap

This month, we were sharing the mini quilts we received in the Pennsylvania MQG Mini Swap with the Capital Area MQG (Harrisburg) and also our August blocks for our monthly inspiration challenge.  Members who missed the July meeting brought their earlier blocks, too!

Mini quilts received though #pamqgminiswap

In addition to those projects, the guild was busy prepping for the construction of the 2017 QuiltCon Charity quilt.  You may recall that we were back and forth between ideas based on an Italian artist's works and honoring the characters from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and the Land of Make Believe.  The workshop where the majority of that construction will take place will be this Saturday, September 24, 2016 at The Quilt Company in Alison Park. Details were provided via Evite.  Please make sure to RSVP and choose which tools you can bring when you respond to the Evite.  Thanks for that!

Inspiration Challenges!

We have had some amazing ice-breaker discussions in the past two months from how do you stay organized to what features you look for in an iron.  They have been super informative and it's always fascinating to hear how our fellow guild members sort their fabric and whether they are steamers or sprayers. ;)

The workshop with Nikki on FMQ is sold out!  Yay!  That workshop is also at the Quilt Company on October 22nd.  Lunch (provided by Sally) will have vegetarian options.

The MQG has been busy with webinars on "no tails binding", a town hall meeting that will be available to listen to if you didn't catch it, sending out requests for quilts, patterns, webinar ideas and potential book projects.  Watch your Inbox for those emails and take a second to check out the free monthly quilt patterns when you log in to their site.  Cheryl likes to make mini versions of them and they look dynamite!

Nikki and Gerry ran the education portion of the meeting, reminding us that the basics of quilting leads to less headaches when it comes to construction, pressing and longarm quilting.  

A few of Gerry's tips:

• Read the directions! 
• Make sure your machine is clean, is calibrated for your project and has fresh needles, etc.
• Have good block hygiene: choose the proper thread, press correctly, measure constantly and keep your thread tails under control.
• You can always use a refresher.  Check out a book or online class for beginners once in awhile to ensure you don't have any bad habits.  

A few of Nikki's tips:

• Do your best.  Providing straight, flat and accurate quilt tops will ensure that your quilt looks its best after quilting.  Longarm quilters can fix lots, but they can't perform miracles.
• Keep your quilts tidy: no loose threads, pet hairs, or wavy/puckered areas.
• Choose batting carefully, discuss it with your longarmer - they may insist on a certain kind.
• Be clear about your expectations regarding budget, designs, time frame, etc.  Work out the details BEFORE shipping the quilt top.
• Each longarmer is different; you are giving them your work.  Before choosing a quilter, get recommendations, look at their work (front AND back) and be certain you are a good fit.

August 2016 Meeting Recap

There was SO much going on in July!  We had QuiltCon charity blocks, Inspiration Challenge blocks, our mini swap with the Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild and more.  Let's start with some updates, shall we?

August 2016 Meeting: Pattern Design and Manual Drafting

It's time for the August meeting!  Before we leap into the details of another great talk given by B, here are some reminders...

~The meeting will take place August 14 (the second Sunday).

~Bring your #pamqgminiswap projects so we can see them before they are sent off. They should be mailed and received by Labor Day!

~If you have the QuiltCon charity block done, go ahead and bring it back.  Maybe pick up another?  They aren't due until September.

~Have you paid your dues yet?  They were due in July.

~This is the first month for the PghMQG Inspiration Challenge.  Bring your block to be entered into the first drawing.
~Also, Pole2Polls will be having a workshop on Aug 20th from 10-2pm if you want to check it out! 

~Are you making pillowcases for Quilters Corner?  They will be collected at the August meeting.  Don't forget!

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Have you ever wanted to…

         …make a particular quilt but couldn’t find a pattern for it?

         …translate a quilt image from a magazine, an online resource or even from your 
            brain into a usable sewing pattern?

         …enlarge or reduce a quilt pattern to suit your preferences?

If your answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, then this lesson is for you! Now let’s learn how to identify the underlying composition of common quilt patterns and how to confidently draft them with ease and accuracy.

Topics we will cover include:

Drafting tools – An explanation of common drafting tools and how to use them

Pattern Formation – A study of the geometry behind various patchwork patterns

Pattern Drafting – A lesson on drafting patterns at a variety of scales to suit our requirements

Template Making – A guide for making fabric cutting templates

 Tools that would be good to bring to the meeting if you have them include:

• Calculator
• Colored pencils, markers or crayons
• Compass                                                
• Eraser
• Mechanical Pencil
• Ruler
• Transparent tape
• Paper-cutting scissors

July 2016 Meeting Recap

During the lazy hot days of summer, everything tends to slow down.  That can include quilting.  Whether it's because you don't want to wrestle a huge amount of batting, cotton or flannel when it's 100 degrees outside or it's because you don't want to be tied to your machine when the great outdoors beckon - you may find yourself wanting a quick, portable and low-pressure form of making come summertime.  That's where embroidery or hand piecing comes in.

Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild Inspiration Challenge

Here at the PghMQG, we aren't afraid to throw around a hashtag.  This latest one, though, might be the one for you.

The inspiration challenge is a new monthly series of opportunities for you to stretch outside of your comfort zone.  Each month you create a block inspired by the season unfolding around you.  There are no rules, no guidelines, no limits.  Whatever you make is your own masterpiece.  Try a fabric or color that you have never dared to use.  Make a tiny block or make it oversized.  It is truly up to you.  It's okay to stay within your skill set, but you are encouraged to try a new technique here and there.  Loosen up and let the passing months be your compass...

Not only will these 12 blocks combine to make a potential quilt top, we have lined up some prizes along the way.  Each month when you show your block at show and tell, you will be entered in a drawing for goodies.  For those intrepid souls who make a finished quilt from all twelve blocks, a grand prize drawing will take place with a really special reward at the end.

Here is the link to a worksheet to help you narrow down your options...

Ask yourself these questions:

What are some of my favorite things about the month of _____________?

What is my inspiration point for this month?

What are the color combinations/design elements that I want to explore this month?

Do I want to place any restrictions on myself this month?

 

What are some techniques I want to explore this month?

Of course, if you post a photo on Instagram, use the #pghmqgic tag.  You don't have to just use it on IG, though.  Add it to a Twitter post or throw that baby onto a Facebook picture.  We'll find it.  :)

July 2016 Meeting: Handwork

Because of the holiday weekend, don't forget that the July meeting is on 07/10/2016.  We will be joined by Kori Turner Goodhart from Olive Grace Studios.  The topic is handwork.  In addition to discussing hand quilting and current trends in hand stitching, Kori has created a sampler just for PghMQG members!  Here is the message she sent to share with you.

Hello PghMQG, I just want to start by saying I am so excited to meet you all and want to give you a big THANK YOU for having me come to your home and teach you some embroidery!  Embroidery is my passion.  When Cheralee gave me the idea of an embroidery sampler I was SO excited.  Honestly I have wanted to do this for so long.  I have been stitching since I was a little girl and many summers I was laid up with hip issues and my mom would encourage me to make an alphabet sampler with my name, age and date on it.  I thought wow how cool I get to make a sampler at age 34!  What a way to record our summer.  I don’t know about you but I love to pick flowers out of the garden and use my recycling to house my pretty flowers. Anyway, if you google of Pinterest Embroidery Sampler a lot of images will come up of cross stitch and embroidery samplers from the 1800’s.  I designed this to be up to date and modern but in my sketching style!  I hope you love it as much as I do.  This is what I will be working on over the holiday weekend! I wish you all a Happy 4th of July and I hope you enjoy your family and friends. Look forward to meeting you! Fondly, Kori

Here are some examples of Kori's work.  She has been featured internationally, too!

In addition to the presentation, we are collecting blocks.  Please bring any #quiltsforpulse blocks you have and the charity branch blocks that were first available at the May sew-in.


Now to the exciting part!

The kits are $15 each and included a pre-traced design and the supplies listed.  Cash or card is accepted.  If you will be purchasing a kit, email Kori or Cheralee to make sure enough are brought.  The design is only available as part of the kit.  Micron pens will be available to purchase from Kori and she will have a selection of hoops to purchase as well.  A limited number of pens and hoops will be available through the guild to borrow for the meeting, too.  If you would like your name and city to be traced by Kori so the font matches, please let her know to have that done prior to the meeting.

Kori will also have a small retail collection with her patterns and other goodies.  Feel free to shop and support her!

June 2016 Meeting Recap

It's been an eventful couple of weeks.  In an effort to make sure that this recap didn't end up as long as a George R R Martin novel, a few things were given their own posts.

The guild is participating in #quiltsforpulse.  The Orlando Modern Quilt Guild put out a call for blocks or finished quilts.  You can find that post and all of the information needed here.  Bring blocks to the July meeting or send them to us by mid-July at the latest.

QuiltConEast registration is right around the corner.  If you are thinking of going, don't hesitate.  It sounds like there will be several members going this year and we even have a member who will be volunteering behind-the-scenes.  Get the 411 on that right here.  Member pre-registration starts June 25th.

Okay!  Onto the meeting recap!

June 2016 Meeting: Making Traditional Designs Modern

It's that time again... Meeting announcement time!  June's meeting is all about taking traditional blocks or designs and tweaking them until they feel modern.  The best part is that decision is solely yours.  Everyone has a different threshold for "modern".  Sally is going to walk us through several traditional blocks and cover the different ways that you can alter them until they feel right to you and still honor the original intent.  On the other hand, you might want to steer away from traditional piecing, but you need a starting point.  Using an orphan block or traditional design in an entirely new way might help you get there.  Feel free to bring paper, crayons, pencils, etc to play around with designs. Sometimes the input from the quilter next to you is exactly what you need. :)  

PLUS, it's Paint Chip Challenge Time!  Bring your mini quilts and your entrance card (if you are entering) to the June meeting.  Amanda's last email covered adding the colors to the card and labeling the mini to ensure that you get it back.  They will be hanging at Spool and judged by the public.

All partner emails for the PAMQG Mini Swap have gone out.  Remember, the information you received is for the person you are creating FOR.  If you have any questions, ask Cheralee.  

2017 QuiltCon Charity palette

Last, but not least... The latest QuiltCon Charity Quilt Challenge has been released.  Bring your ideas (drawings if you have them) and your enthusiasm.  We are going to be voting on the coolest one!

May 2016 Meeting Announcement: Sew-In Time!

Hopefully you remembered to get your RSVP for the May 7, 2016 Sew-In on time.  If not, you can always drop by just for the meeting portion of the day at 1:00pm. 

Here are the details about the Sew-In...

The Sew-In will be at St. John's Lutheran Church (the same location as last year).  It will run from 9am-9pm.  Sally will be in contact with those people who responded to the poll about helping to set up and break down the tables.  Side note:  it might seem like a great idea to bring your own iron, but last year we had breaker overload problems. There will be irons and ironing boards available.  Please leave your own at home. Thanks!  Lunch is a potluck affair at noon, and the general May meeting will be at 1pm. Bring some cash if you want to chip in for dinner.  Last I heard, pizza was on the menu. The Sew-In is free for PGHMQG members and $20 for non-members.

Aside from a great day spent sewing (duh), here's what you can expect at the meeting...

• Money for the June Fat Quarter Club will be collected. I (Cheralee) will be choosing the fabrics.  Suggestions or requests are welcome. The cost is $12. 
• Any questions that might need answered about the Paint Chip Challenge introduced last month can be addressed at this meeting.  Here's a link to the info - Click here...
• We are kicking off the Pennsylvania Modern Quilt Guilds Mini Swap!  We are partnering with the Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild and the sign up link is live now.  Click here...
• We will be discussing our favorite sewing gadget.  You'll come away with a ton of new ideas and more reasons to go shopping.  :)