GENERAL MEETING NOTES -- 09 Nov 2015

Old Business

1.  Meeting Minutes for Oct 2015
     - Read by Gail Purnell
     - Passed with corrections

2.  December Meeting Change
     - Tuesday, 08 Dec 2015

3.  Wheelchair Quilts

     a.  Reminder to make 2 quilts.  There was some debate on this.

     b.  Bring finished quilts to December Guild Meeting with labels attached.

     c.  Labels were handed out during Sew Day hours.  As of the posting date there were 52 labels handed out.   


New Business

1.  Hill Spring Quilters Quilt Show

     a.  It was announced that the Hill Spring Quilters are once again organizing a quilt show.  It is scheduled for some time in April of 2016.  There will be categories and prizes.

     b.  Last year their quilt show was wonderful!

2.  January Sew Day

     a.  The January Sew Day will not have a specific project to work on.  We encourage everyone to bring their own projects and come out to socialize and sew.

     b.  Dianne will be making the soup and buns for lunch.

3.  Judy Barnett Proposed Class

     a.  The salvage edge bag is put up for our next class.  There were only 4 people interested with another added during the Sew Day hours bringing the numbers to 5.  Judy prefers to have 6 for a class. 
     Judy is available to teach the class on any Monday or Tuesday except for the 3rd Monday of the Month.

4.  Birthday Girls

     a.  Kristy Stewart. She likes to make small projects like pot holders.

     b.  Joan Strang was not in attendance.

     c.  Sharon Pitcher told us she likes to look at quilts and loves fabric.  She says she's more of a collector than a quilter.

     d.  Sylvia Pankhurst was another who liked to look at quilts.

     e.  Alice Sheen was not in attendance.

     I get so caught up with listening to the histories that I forget to write things down.  So sorry ladies.

5.  Early Bird Draw
     - Kristy Stewart was the first to arrive for the meeting.

6.  Donation to Guild

     a.  Zenith from Imagination Unlimited donated a coupon booklet for each of our members. Inside the coupon booklet are several coupons for Imagination Unlimited.  Thank You Zenith! 

7.  Tips -- Inkjet Printer Cloth -- Judy Prince
             -- Fabric Magic -- Sylvia Pankhurst
     See separate posting.

8.  Demo -- 10 Minute Block -- Sylvia Pankhurst
     See separate posting.

See you next month!

TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND DEMOS, 05 Oct 2015

Tips
Gail Purnell provided 3 excellent tips.

Gail described how to make a non-skid foot control pad using shelving or drawer material that keeps items in their place.  Measure your foot control and cut the fabric large enough to cover the base and create a hem on 3 sides (right, left & back)and enough to roll the top edge around a small cardboard tube or some dowling and stitch down.  This roll will stop the foot control from sliding forward off the pad with the pressure of our foot.

For those of us that still hand quilt Gail produced a tool with a magnetic head for tacks providing a larger surface to press the tack into the quilt on the frame.  The lower end is configured to remove the tacks.

Gail has made small bags filled with bird shot to hold down patterns avoiding the pinning process before cutting.  These are small weights, she also has larger weights to hold larger sections of fabric.

Techniques
Half Square Triangle Block (alternate method)
Heidi Sharp showed another method of creating the 1/2 square triangle block.  Cut fabric in strips the width of the finished squares.  In this method two strips of fabric are stitched right sides together on both long sides with quarter inch seams.  Then you place the sewn strip onto your cutting board and using a square ruler you place the diagonal on to one seam and cut along the side of the ruler and then alternate placing the diagonal of the ruler on the other seam, etc.

Demos
1.  Snowball Block
     a.  Cut three strips of fabric.  Two of the same fabric with one contrasting fabric.  Stitch them together with the contrasting fabric in the center.  Strip width determines the size of the cross-cut.  This constitutes the middle of the block.  See the strip and the sample blocks in the photo below.  Two additional strips are cut to attach to either side of the stitched strips.  These two additional strips are of the same fabric.

     b.  Adding the 45 degree corners.  When you are only adding two corners, be sure that your blocks are facing the same direction.

     c.  Cut a square of fabric and fold it diagonally and place it into the corner.  Finger press.  Open the square and stitch on the fold line.  Trim and Press.

     d.  Gail is showing another version of the snowball block using many different fabrics without the center contrasting square.

     e.  This sample quilt shows one of the block arrangements possible when using only two triangles on opposite corners.

This quilt uses two corners as well but the colour placement draws interest into the center of the quilt.

2.  Magic Pillowcase - Tutorial http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/…magic-pillowcase-tutorial
     a.  Pillow Talk is the book Alice used demonstrating how to create a one seam pillowcase.  There are many demonstrations available on U tube.  Type in Magic Pillowcase into your search engine and they'll all come up.  Who is the author of your book Alice?

     b.  Sorry about the fuzzy photo!  Alice shows the lipstick border between the main body of the pillow and the band.  This piece is folded in half with wrong sides together.

     c.  This third piece layered on the top is the pillowcase border or band located at the open end.  All layers are placed right sides together.  Alice says to leave salvage edges on until the pillow has been turned.

     d.  Keeping the yellow band free roll the pillowcase beginning at the bottom in preparation then bring the yellow band over the roll and around to the opposite side matching rough edges.  Sew the single seam.

     e.  Once the pillowcase is stitched you need to turn the pillowcase right side out.  If you're making a small pillowcase this might be a bit of a challenge.

 

     f.  Serge seams or use a French seam to create a finished look on the sides and bottom. 

     g.  Here are some examples.  Alice says that each pillowcase takes about 15 minutes to make.

SHOW & SHINE -- April 2006

There were 7 quilters showing 9 projects.

1. Celia Harker 
     a.  Japanese styled fabric stars.  This is gorgeous.

     b.  Square yo yo quilt.

2.  Alice Sheen
     a. & b.  Log Cabin variation quilt and pillow sham.

3.  Joan Smith
     a.  Boys Crib Quilt.  Lots of tractors!

 4.  Ruby Quinton
     a. Log Cabin Quilt 

5.  Marylou Nelson
     a.  Girl's Crib Quilt.

6.  Shirley Gibb
     a.  Star quilt.

7.  Duraine Leavitt
     a.  Kaleidoscope quilt.

Keep on Quilting...

TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND DEMOS - 8 June 2015

Alice Sheen - Tip

All quilters aim for getting exact seam allowances.  Garment makers strive to be just as precise.  Alice came up with a wonderful way to measure  5/8" seams and 1/4" seams.  Using these pencils to mark fabric would be an excellent start of young quilters or garment makers.

1.  Take three round pencils, tape them together with the

     outside two pencils longest (on the lead end).  See the

     photo.  If you keep the pencils upright you can draw

     two lines, 5/8" apart. 

2.  Take two octagonal pencils and tape them together. 

     When you draw the lines they will be 1/4" apart.

 

Sharon Quinton Tips 

1.  This ironing pad is easy to make and easy to carry

     to sew days.  The materials required are...

          -3 cardboard fabric-bolt centers,

          -1 towel

     a.  Wrap the towel around the 3 stacked cardboard

          fabric-bolt centers. 

     b.  Stitch or pin the towel in place.

2.  This little strap will keep the cord of your iron neat

     and tidy and attached to the handle of the iron. 

     The materials required are...

          -A strip of fabric long enough to surround the folded

           cord and the iron handle with an overlap long enough

           to use a button or Velcro closure.

          -1 large button or strip of Velcro.

     a.  Stitch the strip, right sides together leaving a small

          section open to turn the fabric right side out. 

     b.  Hand stitch the opening closed. 

     c.  Sew the button on one end and make the button

          hole on the other.

          If using Velcro, stitch each section on the opposite

          ends of the strip.





Sharon Quinton's Demonstration
     Sharon took more than a month preparing this demonstration. She did such a good job we were all listening and watching very carefully.

     All about the 1/2 square triangle.  Sharon showed us how we can save money by making eight 1/2 square triangles at once rather than purchasing the 1/2 square triangle paper.  See the photo below.

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     Once you have your 1/2 square triangles and can begin moving the 2-tone squares around and see what patterns you can create.

This single square can create a vast number of different blocks and many delightful projects. 

     Sharon had sewn up many of the blocks which have already been designed.  Some blocks were shown in patterns and in a 2 page handout which is included at the end of this demonstration.

     Here are some of the blocks Sharon had sewn for this demonstration.

Sharon gave the names of the blocks but there was so much going on I couldn't take them down.  If anyone can supply the names I'll edit this post accordingly.

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This is a block in two sizes. 

This is always an option with whatever block you choose.

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This block is called "Lipstick".

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A strip of small pinwheels.

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These blocks make up the quilt pattern attached.

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Sharon is holding a strip of 3 Fascination Blocks.  The two outside blocks are laid out horizontally with the middle block in the vertical position. 

A framed quote on the table next to Sharon reads:

Quilters

Cut with hope.

Stitch with grace.

Quilt with dreams. 

Bend with laughter.  

Share with love.

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Chevrons are interesting whether they are set vertically or horizontally.

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If chevrons are not exactly your cup of tea, this option with broken chevrons is really interesting.  This makes quite a large block.

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One of the tools you can't do without are square rulers.  You'll need different sizes depending on the size of the 1/2 square triangles.

There are square rulers with a small groove going from one corner to the opposite corner which locks the diagonal seam line of the 1/2 square triangles.

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Sharon had patterns all over the demonstration display table.  It boggles the mind just how many designs can be created.

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Chevron Table Runner

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The demonstration table looked especially nice.  The fat quarter flower arrangement was a lovely surprise to everyone at our last meeting of the 2014/2015 year.  We each received one of these fat quarters. 

Thank you Sharon!

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These are some of the quilts Sharon made using 1/2 square triangles.  These stars are set in a circle.  Sharon points out where each star meets the next.

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This quilt is elegantly simple.  A strip on the back uses up the remaining fabric.

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This quilt uses a chenille technique to make the delightfully fuzzy look to the quilt.  The back of the quilt remains smooth and neat and much easier to see the construction.  Blocks with flowers are appliqued and the alternating blocks are made from 1/2 square triangles.

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Sharon appears to be singing the praises of 1/2 square triangles.  This pillow is another example of construction with 1/2 square triangles.

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Sharon borrowed Helen Wilde's quilt, another that uses 1/2 square triangles for its construction.

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Handouts

These are the handouts that Sharon supplied for us.  Just look at all the patterns made with 1/2 square triangles.

 

 

This was an amazing demonstration.

Sharon, a HUGE thank you!