November meeting announcement!

The November meeting is coming up on Sunday, Nov. 1st, 1:00-4:00pm, at the usual location (The Pittsburgh Project, 2801 North Charles Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15214). 

This meeting will feature a New Member Open House! What fun! We have recently welcomed a lot of new members, and this is a good chance for everybody to schmooze a little. Also, hey, if maybe YOU or someone you know has been toying with the idea of checking out the PghMQG, this is a great time to do that! Bring yourself! Bring your friend(s)! Bring a neighbor! There is no obligation to join, and if you decide to come you can attend your first TWO meetings for free. Woah. (After that you will be asked to pay $5 a meeting or $40/year for full membership). So, please, come take advantage of this opportunity to find out what the heck this guild thing is all about. Feel free to bring some of your completed or in progress quilty projects to show off at Show and Tell!

Some other things happening at the November meeting:

• QuiltCon blocks are due! This project is really coming along, guys! Amanda will have the currently completed blocks on hand so we can get a sneak peek.  
• Fat Quarter Club payment ($12) is due for December if you are participating this go 'round. Michele will be picking the fabric this time.
• We will be discussing proposed By-Law changes that will be voted on in December. A copy of the propose changes will be posted on the blog after the meeting.
• Raffle tickets are available! The raffle quilt will be moved to Spool in November, and we also have tickets if you want to sell any yourself ($1 each or 6 for $5). Remember, the funds we raise will be used to provide interesting content for the guild. So every dollar raised helps.
• And, finally, Melissa will be discussing machine quilting as our skill builder this month. 

Melissa says:

This skill builder will be appropriate for quilters of all skill levels.  We will practice using the walking foot (which is a great starting point if you’ve never quilted anything on your own) and also the quilting foot which allows you more freedom but will take some practice if you have never quilted before.  We’ll work through a few simple patterns, discuss tips and tricks, and spend some time honing our skills.

If you are an advanced machine quilter, feel free to bring an actual quilt top to quilt during the session.  If you want to try something a little more advanced but don’t want to take a chance “ruining” your quilt top, you could bring a panel to quilt (Angela Walters came out with a few good “modern” ones).  Regardless of your skill level, a quilt sandwich made with scrap fabric and batting will be appropriate for this class.  I recommend at least a 12”x12” square so you have some room to work.

Supplies if you want to try it out:

Required: 

• Sewing Machine
• Walking Foot
• Quilting (Darning) Foot
• Practice Quilt Sandwiches (about 12”x12” or larger should suffice)
• Contrasting Thread
• Sewing Tools (as needed, screwdriver for swapping out feet, etc)

Optional (the only one I strongly recommend is a pair of gloves)

• Quilting Gloves (Machingers, Steady Betty Bands, Latex/Nitrile Gloves - this will help you grip the quilt as you move it)
• Supreme Sliders/Silicone Spray
• Quilt Halo
• Magic Bobbin Washers

See you next Sunday!
PghMQG