Patchwork Gazette June 2018

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1 Patchwork Gazette June 2018 The Newsletter of the Santa Rosa Quilters Guild Volume 6 Issue 6 President s Notes Janie Klipstein Over the summer I will be talking to some of you about possibly being the Nominating Chair. Elections for President and Treasurer are this year. The slate of officers needs to be presented to the membership in October and voted on in November. If, by any chance, you would like to volunteer for this position I am only a phone call away and you can reach me at or The chairperson picks two (2) others to make calls to the membership. The great part is this position only lasts for three months. Pat Clark, Donna Lacy, Linda Ness, Carolyn Mercer and Laura Phillips have been part of this committee if you have any questions or need tips. C U at Guild! June s Program Gail Matuskey Kim Brackett will be sharing her journey into the world of publishing. She will be sharing quilts from her many books, and we will be treated to a beautiful trunk show. I have enjoyed making quilts from her Scrap Basket book, and I look forward to being inspired to make more! Workshops Stacey Hieb Come by the Workshop table at Guild to see samples of two fabulous classes coming up in July. Sweatshirt Jacket after Guild on July 11 and taught by Nina White. Cost $5. A supply list will be given when signing up and further instructions about pre-prep will be ed. Swoon Block taught by Marcy Gallagher on Monday, July 23 at the CLC. This is an all-day call and the cost is $35. Community Quilts Linda Ness & Linda recently received a call from the Navarre Pregnancy Resource Center asking for more quilts and burp cloths. Those we supplied them with in December have all been handed out and are so appreciated and loved by the new moms. If you are looking for some sewing to do this summer as you dodge the heat and stay indoors we will have kits available at Guild and some completed kits that need quilting. Catch us at the table! Quilters know when they have had enough coffee when they can thread a machine while it is still running.

2 2 Our Friend Math I stopped understanding math when the alphabet got involved. Shopping For Fabric A guild member recently went shopping at a local quilt store to celebrate her birthday and told me of the beautiful fabric she found. That got me thinking about how we quilters shop for fabric. I surveyed 12 within our group with two simple questions and here are their responses. How would you answer? When you shop for fabric do you have a pattern in mind or do you buy what inspires your and figure it out later? Do you always follow a pattern? Gail M. A little of both but buying what inspires me is way more fun! I wait for the fabric to talk to me and then let the magic happen. Sharlene A. I shop once I start a project and do not always follow a pattern as I like to string piece. Rita L. I buy what inspires me. I start with a pattern and then adjust it to my liking. Julie L. I buy what inspires me. I don t always follow a pattern because I like to design my own. Sherry B. Usually I buy for a pattern or a project in mind. If I buy fabric with no pattern in mind I always get a coordinate. I like to design crib size quilts but use a pattern for larger quilts. Lisa G. I buy what I like then figure how to use it and I usually follow a pattern. Stacey H. I usually buy for a project but also like to pick up jelly rolls and charm packs. I mostly follow a pattern. Lynda K. I buy for a pattern mind. I follow a pattern 75% of the time but when using my stash or scraps I like to design my own. Debbie M. I buy for a project and what inspires me. I also pick up a color or two that is missing from my stash. I don t always use a pattern. Donna L. I buy for both reasons but I usually have a pattern in mind. I see a quilt and figure it out and sometimes buy a pattern but often I modify it. Claire T. I usually buy for a pattern in mind. But the shopping I like best is just to wander the aisles and find fabrics that speak to me. They may sit on my shelves for a while, but then inspiration will hit and I know that I have just the perfect fabric for a project. Sandy T. I buy what inspires me but how much to get is the big question. I follow a pattern but sometimes I change it up. My quilts are eventually finished. But the fabric just keeps accumulating. Cool, huh?

3 3 Quilt Challenge Gail Matuskey Calling all lovers of birds and words! Whether it be bird fabric, pieced birds, applique or painted birds throw in some script fabric, pieced, appliqued, embroidered, or any other style of words and you will have completed this year s Quilt Challenge. Quilt it, bind it, and have it ready for our November meeting. Time is counting down, but there s still plenty of it even if you haven t started. Quilt Shop Road Trip Janie Klipstein I went to Baton Rouge for my grandson s high school graduation and the lady I stayed with played tourist with me for a couple of days. Lee took me to a quilt shop in the bayou. Let me tell you it was in the bayou with gators on the roadside on the way to Cottage Creations Quilts in St. Gabriel, LA. I liked the very rustic shop and what quilter would not like a shop that had fabrics we do not have in our area! This was the only quilt shop I set foot in on my travels. I bought a log cabin kit and a small book called Pocket Tips for Quilters by Jodi and Jayne Davis. In this book are tips and tricks from Patrick Loose, Marianne Fons, Kaffe Fassett and Mark Lipinski and many others. Mark Lipinski admitted being a pack rat with fabrics. WOW! I was really surprised to read that he was like many quilters. Then in the next statement he tells about hiring someone to help him get organized and got rid of his stash. He only shops online and gets fabrics for the next project and plans projects two years out and puts them on his calendar. What fun is that not being lured into a quilt shop by the pheromones fabrics give off and the voices in our heads making us fondle and of course make us buy more than we went in the shop to buy. If you had a chance to start all over again what would you do?? Shop for what the pattern calls for or buy what you want and make something in the future?? The next tip I really liked was to cut ALL parts for the entire quilt over a couple of days and then when you have a spare ten minutes sit and sew a block together. I love hints, tips and tricks to make life better with getting quilts put together or a new shortcut. Information keeps my filing cabinet folders active and full (i.e. my brain). Sewing Machine Blues Has this ever happened to you: you are sewing up a storm one day and the next day your machine is jamming and not sewing very nicely. You re-thread the machine and even take the bobbin out and put it back in and still no improvement. Here are a few things to try: 1) Is the needle inserted all the way and screwed on tightly? Use a screw driver. A loose need can cause all sorts of problems. 2) B sure the thread is not wrapped around the needle. Sometimes thread has a mind of its own and will loop around the needle when you thread it and will only go a few stitches before jamming. 3) Check the foot and make sure it is tight. Use a screw driver. The action of sewing can cause the foot to loosen and even fall off. A wobbly foot will make messy stitches. 4) Check the bobbin area for loose thread. I am grateful for you because you don t roll your eyes when I talk about quilting.

4 4 Crafters Sale At our October meeting we have a Crafters Sale where members are welcome to bring their handmade crafts to sell to one another. The crafts do not have to be quilt related. In past years we have had holiday decorations, art work, preserves, purses, quilts, jewelry and many other items. You get the idea. If you would like to participate now is the time to start planning and making. There will be more information on this event as the time draws near. Clutter is the evidence of life Scrap Solutions Update: Last month I wrote about using scraps in a crazy quilt and today s method uses paper foundation for the blocks and there are even templates available to start the center off with the same shape. In a recent visit with Agnes she shared that traditionally crazy quilts were just that - crazy. Paper foundation was not used and scraps of various sizes were sewn together with no rhyme or reason till the desired size was accomplished and one did not make a quilt block with the same shape in the center. Several of you have been sharing with me how you are using up your scraps. Sandy is using her scraps to make a Bonnie Hunter design call the garlic knot. Using our scraps is definitely a creative outlet and will force the quilter out of their comfort zone. Lots of decisions to make such as: do I use a pattern or do I free-form it, do I segregate scraps by color, do I use a unifying color such as white and so on. As they say in the fitness world no pain, no gain. The decisions can be frustrating but the results are pleasing and fun well, usually. If you are not sure you are ready to free-form it there are a number of patterns and books on the subject. A simple fourpatch that is divided by a solid square is a good place to start and another traditional pattern is the Irish Chain. These two patterns never seem to go out of style. Quite often white is used as the solid with these but try using another color or even black to make the scraps pop. I have several larger scraps that I am not sure I want to cut up and have been on the look-out on what to do with them. A while back (as in a few years ago) I purchased some Heat N Bond clear iron-on vinyl at Margie s intending to make a raincoat for a grand-daughter which never got made. That doesn t ever happen to you, does it? Inspiration struck and I decided to make a folder with inside pickets that would be perfect for the autumn floral I ve been holding on to. I chose a medium weight fusible interfacing to give the folder some body and used the vinyl on the outside to make it water and dirt proof. I ve only made one but li like it so much I think I ll make more. Two different fat quarters is all that is needed. I look forward to hearing about your scrap projects and seeing them at guild! I ve expanded my skills. I can now forget what I m doing while I m actually doing it.

5 5 Calendar of Events June 7 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Kim Brackett Shares Quilts From Her Published Books June 28 Bee at St. Paul s UMC 9:00 3:00 July 12 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Re-visit the January Quilters Resolutions and Discover What Progress Has Been Made. Workshop Sweatshirt Jacket following meeting July 26 Bee at St. Paul s UMC 9:00 3:00 August 9 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Happy Birthday Guild Party August 23 Bee at St. Paul s UMC 9:00 3:00 September 13 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Linda Devins and Her Fabric Dolls September 27 Bee at St. Paul s UMC 9:00-3:00 October 11 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Crafters Sale October 25 Bee at St. Paul s UMC 9:00-3:00 November 8 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Quilt Challenge Reveal November 15 Bee at the St. Paul s UMC 9:00-3:00 December 13 Guild Meeting at the CLC at 9:00. Program Guild Christmas Party No Bee in December Our Bee s are free sew days. Community Quilts does have an on-going project if you would like to join in. It is string piecing and all fabric and papers are provided. The blocks you make will be used in quilts for Kids House and Pregnancy Resources. You will need to bring your machine, thread and notions. Irons and boards are provided. We sit down to lunch at 12:00. Bring a dish to share or your own sack lunch. Officers: President: Janie Klipstein Treasurer Fran Brewer Vice-President: Gail Matuskey Secretary Sherry Blais Instead of cleaning house I just watch an episode of Hoarders and think Wow, my house looks great!

Patchwork Gazette July 2018

Patchwork Gazette July 2018 Volume 6 Issue 7 President s Notes Janie Klipstein Our guild will be sweet 16 this year. As with any birthday/anniversary it includes a theme and this year the birthday party