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.



The stitches that joins the millions of EPP hexagons featured on social media are the same stitches used to create the samplers of the hundreds of years ago.  Kori Turner Goodhart, shop owner and designer of Olive Grace Studios, visited the July meeting with custom modern samplers exclusively for the Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild.  Below you'll find tutorials to the stitches used in the sampler.  (Keep in mind that subtle variations in stitches can give it a new name, but ultimately how you embroider is 100% up to you.  Many stitches have more than one name, too.  For example the Big Stitch is an enlarged version of the running stitch aka the straight stitch.)  There are volumes of stitches out there.  Experiment and have fun!

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Here's a great link for the Back Stitch.

Here's a great link for the Stem Stitch.

Here is a great link for the Straight Stitch (aka the Running Stitch).

Here is a great link to the Cross Stitch.

Here's a great link to the Fly Stitch.

Here's a great link to the Feather Stitch 

Here's a great link for French Knots.

Kori also offered 15% off at her store when your sampler is done and you show it to her!  Contact missolivegrace@gmail.com for details.


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A set of blocks inspired by our charity improv branches and a grandson. - given seasonal settings and birdhouses

The zebra makes its "completed" appearance!

Happy scrappy HSTs.  :)

Lauren's #pamqgminiswap project

Cheryl has been making the MQG free patterns as mini quilts.  This looks amazing!

The unicorn is complete!  Maybe Amanda will end up keeping it? ;)

Barb's wayward quilt luckily found its way home.  Thank you to the hard workers who kept investigating it and made it sure it came home safe!

Gerry found these pre-printed panels and scooped up every one she saw.  They are perfect for shortcuts, she says.

This quilt is several years old, but was an experiment in scale and using blocks within blocks.  Everything DOES come back in to style.

Pretty example of "big stitch" quilting.

Handwork that can be worked on when the day's tasks are done.

A baby quilt is ready to be gifted!  (Ask Gerry about the nifty batting/binding trick.)

Stitching away...

A little retail therapy.

Have fun with your supplies!  These are cute embroidery scissors. 

A couple last things!

1. The QuiltCon Charity background blocks were available to take.  You can see this post for more information.
2. The #PAMQGminiswap projects need to be received by your partner by Labor Day!  Please bring them to the August meeting so we can see them before they go!  Here is the post with more info on the swap.
3. August is also the first month for our PghMQG Inspiration Challenge!  Bring your blocks for the first drawing!  Here's the 4-1-1 on the Inspiration Challenge.
4. The August meeting is NOT the first Sunday.  The meeting is on August 14th, so note it on your calendar.
5. Barb will be speaking in August about drafting your own patterns!  A supply list will be going out in the announcement post!
6. I just want to throw in some more exclamation points!!! ;)