TWILIGHT QUILTER'S GUILD MEETING

TWILIGHT QUILTER'S GUILD February 2007

FUTURE MEETINGS

The Twilight Quilter's Guild meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday night of every month. Meetings are held at the Warner Park Community Center, 1625 Northport Drive, Madison, Wisconsin. Guests and new members are welcome.

If a meeting has to be cancelled due to weather conditions, an email will be sent to members by late afternoon on the day of the meeting. Members should check their email before coming to the meeting. If anyone does not have access to her email, call one of the Presidents (Katie, Rose or Ginny) or the Newsletter Editor (Donna) before coming to the meeting.

February 5, 2007

The program for the February meeting will be a discussion of Quilt Settings and Sashing facilitated by Helen:

When I first learned about quilting (back in 1975 when the earth was cooling), I was intimidated by the idea of making a full-size quilt, so I started out just making quilt blocks to get comfortable with that part of the process. These many years later, I’m extremely efficient at chain piecing and SO mellow with block-making. As a result, the house is overflowing with UFOs (unfinished objects). Sometimes it’s fun to combine different fabrics and to see each block as a little art project of its own. Or I just start making blocks, get in some kind of zone and wind up with enough finished blocks for 2, 3 or more full-size quilts.

What to do with all these blocks? Somewhere along the line, I decided to explore different types of settings for quilt blocks. Set them straight? Or on point? Add sashing between blocks? How many alternatives are there? What happens if you just use fabric squares instead of pieced blocks? What works? What doesn’t? So many quilt possibilities, so little time.

Come to the February 5th meeting and let’s look at quilt settings and sashings together. I’ll bring along LOTS of projects, finished and unfinished, to illustrate alternative ways to set your quilts. In addition to your normal “Show and Tell” projects, please look through your projects for a quilt setting that you can share with the group. It may be one you particularly like – or one that you think just didn’t work. Or bring your own stack of blocks that are waiting to be set into a quilt. They won’t be lonely.

This will be the last opportunity to sign up for our "Country" fabric exchange in March. Donna will go over the directions for cutting the fabric for the exchange packets.

Helen and Donna are bringing treats to the meeting.

And, of course, we will have show and tell.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

January 8, 2007

Business and Announcements:

The meeting was facilitated by President Rose.

We discussed programs for upcoming meetings. We agreed that outside speakers that cost more than $50 should have approval by the membership. In February, Helen will lead a discussion of interesting settings, sashings and borders for quilts. In March we will have the fabric exchange and Cindy Imhoff from the Cambridge Quilt Shop will be our speaker. Sam will give a trunk show in May and Brenda will talk about making Blended Quilts in June. In September, Ginny will lead a discussion on ideas for gifts that quilters can make. We discussed having meetings at Mill House and at Walcotts in July and August when the Warner Park facility has shorter hours. Rose will investigate. October will again be our annual business meeting.

We wished a happy birthday to members present who have birthdays in January: Ginny, Helen, and Rita. Members present asked Rose to send a sympathy card from the guild to the family of Darlene who lost her battle with cancer. Rose will also send a get-well card to Vonnie who is also undergoing treatment for cancer. The treat list was passed around since we still have a few months in which we need people to sign-up. Sharon announced that we have $1109.08 in the treasury. Donna announced that we have thirty-four paid members. Ten members did not renew. Since she didn't receive responses to her emails that they were going to renew, she dropped them from the Members List and from the email list. Donna also informed members about three upcoming events. On Saturday, January 20th, Joanie Zeier Poole, author of "Elegant Machine Quilting," will be presenting an all day program at Walcotts. Mill House Quilts is having Liz Lois, author of "Nearly Insane," on Thursday, March 15th at 6:30. She will talk about her experience in reproducing this 1870's quilt of ninety-eight 6" blocks. Mill house then plans to have a block of the month club to make all the blocks. Walcotts is accepting reservations for its annual bus trip to the Chicago International Quilt Festival on Friday, April 13th.

Projects:

Donna updated members on the fabric exchange that we will have at the March meeting and distributed the sign-up list. As of the end of the meeting, 21 members had signed up. This means that members who are purchasing fabric should buy 1 ½ yards each of three fabrics. Donna will go over the directions for cutting the fabric for the exchange at the February meeting and answer any questions. As with the previous exchanges, participants will be making packets with three fabrics in each packet and their name on/in the packet. At the March meeting, Donna will go over the directions for cutting the exchange fabric for the blocks. Judy will go through the sewing instructions again and answer any questions. Donna will also distribute a handout with layout options (in black-and-white).

Show and Tell:

Sharon showed a wall-hanging with pinwheels in brown and beige. She also made a doll quilt in red and gold that was part of a fabric challenge at Stitchers Crossing. Helen showed a doll bed set that she made for her grand-daughter that had a fitted bed sheet, a flat sheet, and matching pillow cases in a purple fabric with dancing ballerinas. She also showed outfits she made for her grand-daughter with matching outfits for her doll. Donna showed a quilt she made that gives the illusion of 3-dimensional boxes. Ginny showed one set of the hot pads and aprons that she made for her children as Christmas presents.

Program:

The program for January was sponsored by Rita and Sharon. Sharon introduced Patti Hellenbrand, from the Village Creek Quilting Fabrics and Home Decor in Lodi, who showed us how to make Fiber Lace Scarves. This is a sewing project; not a knitting or crocheting project. Fibers and yarns are sandwiched between two layers of a water-soluble material (such as Solvy). The layers are stitched together on a sewing machine and then the water-soluble material is washed out. The scarf can be embellished with beads. This technique can also be used to make belts, table runners and wall-hangings. The results are absolutely lovely. Patti also showed several items made from patterns that she has developed and published, including table runners, wall-hangings, and quilt blocks from her block-of-the-month club. After her presentation, members took advantage of the opportunity to purchase kits for the Fiber Lace Scarves, fabric bundles, and books and patterns.

Door Prizes and Treats

Rita and Sharon also brought mini-muffins, nuts and drinks as treats for the meeting. Donna was the lucky winner of a door prize donated by Patt Hellenbrand. It is a kit including "Four Seasons" country fabrics by Brannock & Patek, coordinating fabrics, and a pattern for a Twin Star table runner.