The Pennsylvania MQG mini swap is here!

Hi!  Thank you for your interest in the Pennsylvania Modern Quilt Guilds Mini Swap!  (We’re going to use #PAMQGminiswap from here on out.)  This swap was created in the hopes that modern quilt guilds across our state could interact with, influence, and introduce each other.  If you haven’t ever taken part in a mini swap, that’s OKAY. It’s easy, and fun. We are honored to have the Capital Area Modern Quilt Guild from Harrisburg participating with us!

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.

May 2016 Meeting Recap

If you missed the sew-in day at St. John's last week, you might want to put next year's on your calendar now.  There was homemade gnocchi, lots of sewing and a really funny gadget discussion.  :)

Our members are amazing! Here's what @ljonkman was making at our #pghmqgsewin Woot! #pghmqg

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:20am PDT

Does this one fabric remind you of Tony the Tiger and Alex from Madagascar?  Anybody?  Bueller?

How about this #swoonpatternbag #stellaweekender that @atwirlyskirt was rocking?! And member Gerri has the start of @themqg May 2015 free pattern Sunshowers by @staceyinstitches #pghmqgsewin #pghmqg

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:27am PDT

A monocled cupcake tee?! @dreamingstardust Too cute! And those teeny tiny pandas are so cute! The piecing and blocks were both member @mrs.barley Nice! #pghmqg #pghmqgpcc #pghmqgsewin

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:32am PDT

Member @somethinglikelaughter couldn't resist and found this soft flannel online. @schottsandra8235 went to a last minute Judy Niemeyer retreat and made the gorgeous star pattern. The lower left was made by a member and quilted by @thegirlwhoquilts!

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:43am PDT

The top 2 pics are the front and back of an applique quilt done by a member's friend, Barb. *swoon* Member @nanacherylhayes made the two lower pics. Loving that mini with the @rileyblakedesigns border! Plus she made a darling smaller version of the @themqg March 2016 pattern City Lights by @playcrafts Great work!

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:50am PDT

Oh, @sewsmall_by_zsofia ... What a month! 😍 She was a pattern tester for @tartankiwi, finished her #mqgfabricchallenge @rileyblakedesigns quilt (AND was featured in the @themqg newsletter!) Plus she finished her #pghmqgpcc mini. She needs to give a guild talk on time management. 😘

A photo posted by Pittsburgh MQG (@pghmqg) on May 11, 2016 at 9:58am PDT

Congratulations to all of the members who have won in the spring quilt shows!  We are so proud to have such accomplished members!

For the favorite gadget portion of the meeting, there were alot of "AHA" moments when a member described their favorite tool and others agreed that they needed one of those.  There were also several instances where members didn't know exactly what to call their tool, but announced it was their favorite and they couldn't live without it! :)  The Purple Thang, a Hera Marker, a needle threader, a seam ripper, a binding tool, a chalk marking tool, a cup holder that clamps to the table and specific rulers were among the tools mentioned.  (The links for each item are not affiliate links or even the least expensive option if you are considering buying these items.  They are just the first one that had a decent picture that could be found.)  If your favorite gadget isn't listed, leave a message in the comments and it will be added!

Things to remember:

• The Paint Chip Challenge mini quilts are due at the June meeting!
• If you want to sign up for the PA MQG mini swap with the Capital Area MQG, Friday (05/20) afternoon is your last chance!
• The Bridge Quilt is hanging at Spool for the next few weeks.  We were featured again on the MQG Facebook and Instagram accounts, too!
• There wasn't alot of interest in the Fat Quarter Club, so we will review it for the new members in June and decided if we want to continue it or take a break for a bit.
• If you took fabric to complete a charity block, please bring it to the June meeting. 

All in all, it looked like a really relaxing day, full of proud moments as progress was made on all kinds of WIPs.  Thanks to everyone who helped to set up and break down!  Your help was greatly appreciated!

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!

April 2016 Meeting Recap

Where to begin???  This month's talk was about Color Theory, choosing colors based on relationships and identifying colors that don't quite 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?

April Meeting Recap

First, a little business. We had another fun meeting. PGHMQG now has 55 members! 

We will be participating in the PA National Quilt Extravaganza, which is a Mancuso Show, September 14-17 2017. Guild members are encouraged to enter quilts into our exhibit at the show. Members also have the opportunity to make a mini quilt using all solids in the colors of our logo. You should have received info about both of these things through e-mail (check your junk mail folder if you didn't get it!).

April 29th will be a sew day at the Hill District Library from 12-5pm. 

Our next meeting will be Saturday May 6th. This will also be a sew day with a break for our meeting in the afternoon. 

Watch for e-vites for both sewing days!

Mark your calendars for March 23-25 2018 and plan to join us for another sewing retreat. It was such a great weekend!

Now, some quilts! Our members are going strong with their monthly inspiration challenge blocks.

Gerry

Amanda's Daffodil Block

Ailish's block inspired by walks in the park as spring begins

Sandy

Karen's February and March blocks

 Show and Tell:

Gerry with her first improv piece inspired by our Sherri Lynn Wood class

B with a quilt she made from her 100dayproject designs

Amanda with her Christmas tree skirt

Ailish finished this quilt top on our retreat

Zsofia with her awesome swap mini

Melissa

Julie

Karen received this mini from the MQG swap

Stacy led our program for the month on the topic of judging quilt shows. Quilt judges are trained to look at all aspects of the quilt from the design and color to the construction. Something that stuck out to me as an important was to consider the longevity of your quilt. Your quilt will be around for a long time, maybe longer than you think! So make a quilt that is well constructed. Make sure that your quilting is close enough together to prevent batting shifting around in the wash and make sure your binding is made to last. If it's going to be in a show these are things that a judge will be looking for, but even more important, preserve your beautiful work.

Thank you to Stacy for leading this month's program!

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.

July Meeting Recap

We met in July to discuss several methods to hand applique as led by the always informative, Barbara Cain. After the presentation, which can be found here, we split into small groups and moved around the room to try out the different methods outlined. 

Here is Nikki showing a modern block she created using hand applique

Some other takeaways from the meeting were:

• It's time to pay your annual dues! Please head over to the membership info page on this blog for details on how to pay. Payment is due by August 1st.
• We saw the last of our Inspiration Challenge blocks this month. Bring your completed quilt using your blocks to the September meeting for a chance to win a basket full of great prizes!
• We will be kicking off a new challenge and swap all in one next month. To participate, bring to the August meeting a sandwich bag full of scraps that you would like a fellow guild member to make you a mini from. Check out all the details of the Make Me a Mini challenge on the Guild Challenges and Swaps tab of this blog. 
• Don't forget to register for the members only Shibori workshop at Workshop PGH on 07/29. You can find the registration link on Workshop PGH's website. The cost is $38 for a 3.5 hour workshop. You can bring your own fabric or purchase napkins on site to dye. 
• The next meeting is Sunday August 6th at the Stephen Foster Community Center, 286 Main St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 from 1:00-4:00 pm (please note that this is a different location than in the past). Look for more details about this meeting to be on the blog soon!

The next free monthly sew day is at Quilter's Depot, 4160 Library Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15234, on Saturday August 19th. We will be sending out an eVite for this event in a few weeks.


Check out some photos from show and tell:

Cheryl is killing the UFO challenge, guys!

TaMara and her icy cool block for a bee she is in

Stacy's bubbly mini for the Modern Solids Challenge

See you in August!
PghMQG 

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.  :)

October Meeting Recap

Diane Denardo spoke to us this month. She led us through a series of prompts designed to help us a design our own quilt block based off a story from our childhood. Please share your blocks if you end up sewing one of your designs! It was a fun exercise to get some creative ideas going.

Leadership elections are coming up! If you are interested in running let our elections chair, Pam, know. An email will be sent out soon detailing the responsibilities of each position and Pam's contact info.

We'll be doing an ornament swap for our meeting in December. This is an optional swap and the rules are simple: make a holiday ornament and bring it to the meeting. Anything handmade is fine, it does not have to be quilted! We'll do a swap at the meeting and if you participate you'll walk away with a handmade ornament. Check out our Instagram feed for links to an ornament-along if you want some inspiration.

B shared with us some information about the hohl challenge. Further instructions can be found here: hohl challenge.

Our next meeting will be November 5th 1-4pm at the Stephen Foster Community Center. Melissa Jennings will discuss quilt inspiration.

Don't forget to work on your UFO challenge quilts for a chance to win FREE registration to the Spring sewing retreat! That challenge runs through the rest of 2017. You've still got time to finish some things (UFOs must have been previously registered with the guild to be eligible for this challenge, see the Guild Challenges and Swaps page of this blog for all the details)! 

The #makemeamini challenge was so much fun! We gave our partners their quilts this month and saw some beautiful completed projects. If you have any photos of your mini to share please do so! I had a bit of camera trouble at the last meeting.

Show and Tell: