Arnprior & District Quilters' Guild Newsletter - March 2021
President's Message
President's Message
Hello all!
How's everyone doing? I hope you are all well and healthy as we enter our second year of this Covid world.
A big thanks to all who made last month's "Invite A Friend" meeting, our highest attended meeting since we started using Zoom to replace our in-person meetings. It was so great to see you all!
I am grateful that Spring is coming because it means Paulette and I can resume our travels to quilt shops near and far. Since we have started quilting we've been to probably 50 quilt shops in 2 provinces and 7 states. We love to drive around on our days off.
Hats off to Vickie our VP who has picked up the microphone and taken over leading our Zoom meetings (Paulette and I apparently have weird audio issues). I am still at the command of the Zoom console making sure that our speakers get control of the meeting so they can show us their slideshows and all.
That's all for now. Keep quilting and hope to see you soon!
-- Frank McCarron, President
March Meeting
Library Draw Prize
Our March guild meeting is on Wednesday March 24 at 7 PM. We hope you'll join us on Zoom. Watch your email a day or 2 before the meeting for instructions for connecting to this meeting. Here are some great tips on quilt guild Zoom meetings from the Twilight Quilters' Guild of Norfolk County.
This month, we welcome Jackie White to our monthly zoom meeting. Jackie is a member of CQA and has given us several interesting and challenging quilting projects.
She is a writer with CQA and is known as the Queen of Social Media.
One of Jackie’s recent projects was titled “Cov-ercome” and now we are working on the next one, her “Just Breathe" quilt along.
Check out Jackie’s website at jackiewhitequilts.com and follow her on the CQA website.
If you participated in any of Jackie’s quilting projects, please let us know by sending a picture of your efforts to be shown in our March Show and Tell.
The meeting will also feature draws for "door" prizes, and a prize provided by Nancy on behalf of the Library team.
Show and Tell
If you'd like to share your work at the March meeting Show & Tell please send a photo of each item AND indicate if you would like to:
Feel free to send along multiple photos of a quilt if you want to also show the back, or a close up of the quilting, or any area of the quilt.
Please send the photos to the guild email account arnpriorquilters@gmail.com by 12 noon on Tuesday March 23. Any photos received after that date will be shown at the April meeting.
The photos will later be added to the web site Show & Tell page (just like after an in person-meeting), unless you specifically request in the email message that the photo not be.
If you'd like to share your work at the March meeting Show & Tell please send a photo of each item AND indicate if you would like to:
- Tell us about it during the meeting (this is the best!) OR
- Submit a written description that we will read during the meeting - if you go for this option please include the description with the photo(s).
Feel free to send along multiple photos of a quilt if you want to also show the back, or a close up of the quilting, or any area of the quilt.
Please send the photos to the guild email account arnpriorquilters@gmail.com by 12 noon on Tuesday March 23. Any photos received after that date will be shown at the April meeting.
The photos will later be added to the web site Show & Tell page (just like after an in person-meeting), unless you specifically request in the email message that the photo not be.
Upcoming Meetings
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At April’s meeting, we will hear from Elizabeth DeCroos. Elizabeth will tell us about her techniques with Korean textile art. Her website is epidastudio.com where you can view what she has been working on. Our May guest speaker is Patti Carey. Patti is a quilt designer with Northcott Fabrics. She lives in Vaughan, Ontario and has visited us twice and each visit has been very enjoyable and informative. -- Sue Hodgins, Program Upcoming Meeting Dates
April 28, May 26, June 16 2020-2021 Meeting Dates and more information about the meetings is always available on the Schedule page. |
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Program Notes
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Hi everybody. Wow, isn’t it amazing how fast time passes. I actually missed the executive meeting by a week this month. At least I have been getting some quilting done. It is very challenging to be on the Program committee with this unknown future. When will we be able to meet in person? I recently met one of our members and we discussed the worry of putting folks at risk. Did I mention last month how I have “wasting my time stations” set up all over my house? I have finally finished the 1500 piece puzzle (half of which was green) so I now can start a new book. I have/had a jigsaw on the dining room table, sudokus on the kitchen table, and at least 3 places for sewing. The one that gets used most is situated in front of the TV. Isn’t Netflix great. Hope lots of you are participating in our “mystery” challenge. I am a little behind but having seen it completed feel inspired to get on the ball. Jackie has made hers into a table topper. She always has a wonderful little quilt on her kitchen table. It is very inspiring. Our sisters/daughter group is now very into our layer cake month. I had forgotten that I had so many layer cakes and after looking for a different pattern to make (I had previously done one called Cake Walk), am now determined to do two other patterns and have even purchased another layer cake. And so the stash grows. Thanks to Gwen and her wonderful quilt from our last Show and Tell I changed my mind from my original one. It has been suggested to do something for some form of charity for next month. We are all able to do something. One of my sisters makes quilts for survivors of abuse aged 3 to 7. Marilyn & I will stick with preemies. We know that many of you are finishing UFOs for our second challenge. We will really be ready for a quilt show once we are safe to do so. -- Joyce Murray, Program Check out the Blog for highlights and photos from our February meeting when Karen Brown was our very interesting guest.
Tip: You can find a Blog post from a previous meeting from the Links page, or you can browse them from the Blog by choosing the "Guild Meetings" Category. |
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Charity
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It certainly seems like spring is around the corner! I have started painting, spring cleaning, and even a bit of de-cluttering! I try to go to my quilt room for at least a half hour a day, so I can feel like I am still accomplishing something. (Thanks to Karen Brown for the timed quilting idea!) Here is an update on our guild's charity quilting endeavors. We have picked up (from Sew Inspired, our drop-off spot): 22 placemats, 28 Pick Up Stick blocks, 2 touch quilts, and 21 preemie quilts! Thanks to all who have completed these great donations. Anyone who hasn't quite completed their charity items yet, keep them coming! For more information on any of these projects, visit our Charity page. We should be proud of our guild, we are a great community of generous sewers! Here are a few pictures of our donations this month. 
Placemats for the new Grove nursing home
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Pick Up Sticks blocks
Touch quilts
Premie quilts
Thanks again.
Your Charity team,
Vickie MacNabb & Jane Wickware
Your Charity team,
Vickie MacNabb & Jane Wickware
Library News
I cannot believe my machine has been humming along for another month! Some projects are now finished, some are now UFO’s and a new quilt is underway! A friend loaned me her book, Endless Stars by Jean M. Potetz, and I was hooked. I read the instructions carefully, chose fabric from my stash, cut strips, sewed and then cut diagonally as shown and then began putting the strips together.
Of course, I didn’t choose one of the pictured quilts – I didn’t have the right number of different fabrics, so I struck out on my own. What could happen when I had studied the instructions? Well, thank heavens I have a design board! As the quilt grew, I saw that the some stars moved over slightly in the pattern. It took a few tries to get my brain to understand what was happening before I was satisfied with the resulting repeat.
The experience showed me (maybe) that I need to read further than the basic instructions. BUT, I know I’ll “go it alone” again because it’s fun to play with the fabrics and see what you get!
Nancy's Endless Star block
Last week, I saw a Zoom presentation by Brigitte Heitland, a fabric designer for Moda, who was coming in from Germany. Her latest design line is called Dance in Paris which is group of soft colours and delicate, geometric designs. She also designs quilt patterns and you can download some free patterns from her website. Our Library prize this month includes a Kaffe Fassett fabric fat quarter, a new issue of “American Patchwork & Quilting", and a copy of “Trouble Free Triangles” by Gayle Bong. Good Luck ! We hope you are staying in and quilting the days away! -- Nancy (and Lucy), Your Librarians |
Nancy's Endless Stars
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A YouTube Demonstration
Submitted by Vickie MacNabb
This video is by Shannon Brinkley. Video: Introduction to Scrappy Applique Trunk Show This isn't a short video but Shannonis very interesting and her technique is very neat! This video will only be available for a limited time so plan on watching it soon. |
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We are introducing a new "Get to Know Your Guild Members" feature in our newsletter to help us better connect with each other, especially while we are not meeting in person. We're starting out with long time guild member, and currently our guild treasurer, Rennie Hickey, who is answering questions submitted to her by our VP Vickie MacNabb.
Get to Know Your Guild Member - Rennie Hickey
Rennie with one of her art quilts
Q: How long have you been making quilts? Would you describe your learning process?
I have been quilting since 2003 but have worked with textiles since I was a teenager. I attended The Sheridan School of Crafts and Design after High School for 3 years where I took courses in Weaving and Fabric Printing. We also had drawing, photography, colour theory, and design courses complimentary to our major textile courses. Since starting quilting I have taken many workshops with our Guild as well as at Quilt Canada conferences. I also feel grateful that I belong to a small hand applique group where we share ideas, solutions to problems and have fantastic show and tells!
Q: Were there special people or circumstances that encouraged you to begin to quilt?
A: I have always loved quilts and wanted to own one. I entered every Quilt Raffle I saw but never won. Then when "My Country Quilt Shop" opened in Arnprior and I found out they were offering a Learn to Quilt course I signed up immediately! Our teacher was Barb Robinson who was an excellent teacher!
Q: What are your feelings about quilt making compared with other household activities?
A: Oh, quilting wins hands down! I have to force myself sometimes to clean before I go up to my quilt room as once I am there I forget about the other household chores.
Q: How do you decide on the colors and fabrics that go into your quilts? Do you ever use the colors recommended on patterns that you buy or see in books?
A: One of the main things I love about quilting is COLOUR! There are so many colour combinations and fabrics that I love. I might start with one or two fabrics that really attract me and then pick other colours that go with them. I really enjoy making scrappy quilts because of the challenge in picking scraps that still look well together. I rarely pick colours that are part of a pattern. I like to choose my own colours to make a project uniquely mine.
Q: Would you rather create your own pattern and color combinations or have a pattern to go by?
A: I prefer to make my own patterns for pieced quilts but for my applique quilts I use patterns. I use a computer program called EQ8 to design pieced quilts. There are so many beautiful applique quilt patterns available and I haven’t mastered designing applique quilts on EQ8 yet.
Q: What part of the quilting process do you like the best? For example, piecing, appliqueing, hand quilting, machine quilting, etc.
A: I like coming up with an idea and then seeing it come to life. Every part of the process has it’s exciting parts and then more tedious parts but getting through a more tedious part and knowing that the end process is going to be what I envisioned is the best for me.
Q: Do you put quilt labels on all of your quilts?
A: I put labels on all of my big quilts, all of my “Art” Quilts and any I give away. I often will design a label in Word on the computer and then print it on printable fabric. Smaller projects like runners often don’t get a label :(
Q: Do you keep all your quilts? If so, how do you use quilts in your home?
A: I have given many quilts away as wedding presents, new baby gifts and for Christmas. I have run out of wall space in my house now so sadly many of my big quilts sit in a closet. I change the quilts around a bit and I do have 2 quilt racks that are loaded with quilts.
Quilt Canada
The CQA has announced a virtual event on June 16-19 to replace their in-person Quilt Canada 2021 conference.
And what better way to celebrate 40 years than to invite quilters from across the country to join in the online party.
More details will be available in the coming months, with registration taking place in the spring of 2021.
Watch this page for more information.
And what better way to celebrate 40 years than to invite quilters from across the country to join in the online party.
More details will be available in the coming months, with registration taking place in the spring of 2021.
Watch this page for more information.
International Quilting Day
This year International Quilting Day is Saturday, March 20. Here's a little history of this day.
Last year our guild members celebrated the day by hanging out our quilts in a Canada wide initiative. You can see all of the photos of our hung out quilts in the Blog.
International Quilting Day 2020
QuiltCon
Take a look at the stunning winning quilts at QuiltCon 2021, the annual show of the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG)! You can now see the top prizes which were awarded during the past month.
Advertisers
Thank you to our 2020-2021 advertisers! Your support funds our Communications budget which includes the hosting of this web site. We are very grateful for this financial support.
To our guild members, please support our advertisers. You can click/tap on any of the advertisements in this newsletter to access the vendor's web site. These vendors are also listed on the Links page.
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
An invitation...
Do you have a story or a tip you'd like to share with us? Just send it along and I'll be delighted to include it in a future newsletter.
And a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Rennie for participating in our first edition of "Get to Know Your Guild Members", to Frank, Sue, Joyce, Vickie, and Nancy for their guild updates and other news this month.
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor