Charles Cameron comes to Boise June 7 & 8

We’re so excited to welcome Charles Cameron to Boise in June. Charles will lead a one-day workshop (space is limited) and give a lecture at our BMQG meeting. Both events will be at JUMP, with space provided as part of their Jump it Forward Program.

ONE DAY WORKSHOP Register here!
Friday, June 7 • 10 a.m.— 4 p.m.
Crooked Crosses & Bent Boxes: An introduction to semi-improv quilt design
If you want the look and feel of improv, but you’re not quite ready to give up your ruler, ‘semi-improv’ is for you! Join award-winning quilter and designer Charles Cameron for hands-on instruction at each step of the way, using his original Crooked Crosses and Bent Boxes quilt pattern. We’ll also explore the use of different fabrics, colors and prints, and layout options. And, there’s time for you to work toward making your own 30”x30” wall hanging or 15”x60” runner.

  • Cost: $100 for Boise MQG members / $125 for non-members
  • Includes lunch & pattern! Bring all your favorite tools (sewing machine, rulers, rotary cutter, etc.); we’ll have cutting and pressing stations set up.
  • Workshop Size: Limited to 24 participants. Registration open to Boise MQG members only until March 31. On April 1, registration opens to non-members as space allows.
  • Parking: Once you’re registered, watch for details on what to bring and where to park at JUMP.

PUBLIC LECTURE
Saturday, June 8 • 10:30 a.m.— 1 p.m.
Color! An engineer’s guide to color value & placement in quilts
Join us for an engaging conversation with Charles, an engineer by training who is very methodical about color selection. We’ll briefly discuss color theory basics, and then look at lots of examples to see how colors enhance the overall effect and design. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced quilter, you’ll find ways to become more adventurous with color, and get tips for when you’re stumped deciding on color scheme.

  • Cost: FREE for Boise MQG members / $10 for non-members (cash or check only at the door)
  • Members, please note: this meeting will replace our regularly scheduled meeting
  • Parking is available at the public parking garage adjacent to JUMP (parking fees apply; first hour is free). Whatever your parking plan, please allow a little extra time.

While you’re marking out these June dates, don’t forget to add these upcoming events to your calendar:

  • Saturday, March 23: BMQG Monthly Meeting, 10:30 a.m. at the Bown Library; featuring a panel on Quilt Judging
  • Saturday, May 18: Featherweight Maintenance Class with Mary Simmons – watch for more info soon
  • August 15-18: Quilt Camp at Luther Heights Bible Camp near Stanley
  • September 27-28: Boise Basin Quilt Show
  • October 24-27: Nampa Modern Quilt Guild Retreat at Trinity Pines in Cascade; open to BMQG members; registration information available soon, with optional extra night on Oct. 23

February Open Sew and Lots of Community Giving Quilts!

Our Saturday open sew meeting had lots of community giving show & tell, and plenty of time to sew and visit. Here’s a recap:

Community Giving Quilts: Anna showed several quilts for donation. Just recently, quilts have been distributed to the Women’s and Children’s Alliance (4), MSTI (3), Ada County Victims Services (4), and Children’s Home Society (2). She reported that the best part of donating quilts was talking to the recipients who are very thankful and happy to receive the quilts.

Animal Mats: The Idaho Humane Society uses small mats to set at the base of kennels. You can simply make a quilted mat (fabric on both sides, batting or even an old blanket sandwiched in the middle, zigzag or binding around the edge) that eventually can go to the animal’s new home. Bring yours to the next meeting and Jeri has volunteered to deliver them to the Humane Society. Finished sizes are: (1) Cats: 18“ x 24” (2) Small animals: 24“ x 36” (3) Dogs: 40“ x 25”

Backpacks & Zipper Pouches: Jeri recently took 8 filled backpacks with 8 pouches to the Agency for New Americans. We can use more pouches and backpacks to donate in several places. A backpack tutorial is attached; and a couple of helpful zipper pouch tutorials from Noodlehead are here and here.

Announcements and upcoming items: 

  • The next guild meeting is March 23 at Bown Library. A panel discussion on quilt judging will feature our own Fay, Millissa, Karen F., Linda J. and Carol M.
  • Mary will teach a class about Featherweight sewing machine maintenance; tentatively scheduled for May 15 — stay tuned for details.
  • Cathy R., Pam, Jeri and Darla presented some Modern Quilts to the Nampa Quilt Guild. Pam did a great job running the little quilt show and talking about Modern Quilting.
  • Diane is giving away a complete Hawaiian quilt pattern.
  • Marilyn is looking for batting scraps to make “frankenbatting” — if you have extra, bring to the next meeting

Show and Tell: participants showing quilts included Shelly, with 8 quilt tops made by her niece for donation,; Linda Cooper; Margaret Eastwick with pouches; Faye with a donation quilt; Sarah and Stephanie; Debi with an English Paper Piecing pattern using Tula Pink fabrics; Michelle with her gingham quilted jacket; and Cheryl (first time attending!) with 3 small art quilts from an online class she is taking. Mellissa showed 3 donation quilt tops — fabric is from Shelly; Marylin had donation quilts; Elizabeth showed her Violet Craft elephant quilt; Karen Falvey had some colorful quilts (front and back!). Watch our Facebook and Instagram feeds for photos.

We hope to see you on March 23 for our next meeting!

Sew Party Fun in January!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our after-holiday sew party! Our appreciation to Red Rock Christian Church for hosting us again this year. 

 

 

Some reminders & announcements:
Feb. 6 Nampa Modern Quilt Guild: Several of our members are visiting the Nampa MQG  Feb. 6 meeting for a trunk show of modern quilts. Want to join us to show your modern creations and share your ideas about what’s modern? Members, check your email for contact info.
Community Giving: Holy cow! 18 completed quilts and 8 pouches/backpacks were turned in. Thanks to Anna for delivering quilts around town.
  • Animal Mats: The Idaho Humane Society uses small mats to set at the base of animal kennels. You can simply make a quilted mat (fabric on both sides, batting or even an old blanket sandwiched in the middle, zigzag or binding around the edge) that eventually can go to the animal’s new home. Bring yours to the next meeting and Jeri has volunteered to deliver them to the Humane Society. Finished sizes are: (1) Cats: 18“ x 24” (2) Small animals: 24“ x 36” (3) Dogs: 40“ x 25”
  • For pouches and backpacks: New socks can be added to the list of useful items that go into zipper pouches and backpacks. Thanks to Dawn for a generous donation of travel size toiletries and to Jeri for getting all of this into hands of folks who can use them. CATCH Housing staff told Jeri at her last drop off that they love the BMQG!
Quilts of Valor: Feb 3 is National Quilts Of Valor Sew Day. The Canyon County chapter is asking for folks to help with their goal of making and gifting 100 quilts to veterans by the end of 2024. Right now, there are 47 nominees to receive a Quilt Of Valor in Canyon County alone – and an estimated 300 statewide. If you’d like to make something for QOV, read about their guidelines here. And, read a recent article about them in the Idaho Press here. More questions? Contact Sue Laird at [email protected]
Prizes: Congrats to Dawn and Ginny on winning those terrific raffle prizes! And thank you to Lindsie for her generous donation of a new Quilters Planner set to the prize line-up. Check out everything new here: https://quiltersplanner.com/
Mark your calendars for our February 24 meeting, at the Library at Cole & Ustick (7557 W Ustick Rd, Boise), 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. It’s an open sew! Bring your machine, project tools, handwork and of course, show & tell! To see photos from our sew day, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds!

After-Holiday Sew Party is Jan. 27

Join us for an all-day after-holiday sew party! We’ll sew, show, eat (potluck!) and swap.

When: Saturday, Jan. 27, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (swap happens at 11:30 a.m., followed by potluck lunch, then show & tell at 1:30 p.m. )

Where: Red Rock Christian Church, 1124 S Roosevelt St. (corner of Roosevelt & Kootenai), Boise

Parking: Please park in the lot on the north side of the church for easiest access to our space.

It’s a potluck: Bring your favorite food to share for a potluck lunch.

Tea towel swap: If you want to participate in this swap (purely optional), create something from a tea towel. It could be a bag, an apron, an embellished tea towel, a pin cushion or anything else you come up with! Use a vintage tea towel, a brand-spanking new one, or one from your kitchen drawer. In a pinch, bring one you pick up on the way to the party (because hey, life happens!). Need some inspiration? Check out our Tea Towel Crafts Pinterest board and consider the kind of creation you’d like to get!

  • We’re fortunate to be able to use this space at no charge. A basket will be available if you’d like to throw in a few bucks as a donation to the church — purely optional and no pressure or obligation.
  • Bring your community giving projects in any phase of completion to show and pass along.
  • Door prize and raffle prize not to be missed!
  • We will be at a church facility, so please no alcohol or pets.

Members, check your email for additional details.  Looking forward to seeing you on the 27th!

Annual Meeting Dec. 2 featuring Cheryl Arkison

Join us Saturday, December 2, for our annual meeting and special guest speaker Cheryl Arkison!

When: Saturday, Dec. 2, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Sewfinity, 800 S Industry Way, Suite 360, Meridian (please, no children at this location due to safety precautions)
  • Annual business meeting: We’ll be electing officers (members, check your email for details on elections), looking back at 2023, and getting a sneak peek of what’s in store for 2024.
  • Dues: Every membership is based on the calendar year, and beginning January 1, 2024 annual dues will change to $30. Renew now and pay our current $25 rate! You have two payment options: 1) pay online with PayPal at the Boise Modern Quilt Guild Membership page (small service fee added), or 2) mail a check payable to Boise Modern Quilt Guild to Shelly Harshman, 1196 W Bear Track Drive, Meridian, ID 83642. (You can also bring a check to our Dec. 2 meeting).
  • Show & Tell: As time allows, we’ll fit in a little show & tell.
  • Guest Zoom lecture: Then at 11:30 a.m., we’ll be joined by Cheryl Arkison, who believes life is too short not to play with fabric. Cheryl believes that no piece is too small or too loud, and that fabric is meant to be used. “IMPROV IS MY LOVE LANGUAGE: Loosely inspired by the idea of the five love languages for showing and feeling love, this presentation shares my theories on the love languages of quilters. Mine just happens to be Improv. Want to find out yours? Join this fun presentation. Illustrated with quilts and stories. Knowing your love language will help you understand your quilting joys and frustrations.”

It’s going to be a fun, jam-packed meeting, so we hope you can attend! (Please note that we are combining our November and December meetings. Stay tuned for our annual after-holiday party on January 27.)

Oct. meeting recap, events, tips!

Wow, show & tell at Saturday’s meeting was a doozy! A big big thanks to everyone who brought finished community giving quilts (we had a lot!) or took some home to move toward completion. If you need a BMQG label to sew onto your donation quilt, pick up one of the new labels at our next meeting. And, watch the BMQG Instagram and Facebook feeds for photos from our meeting.

Tips and conversation:

  • Marilyn has lots of sheets for use as backing on donation quilts
  • Modernquiltstudio.com – Carol M. recommends the mystery quilts by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr
  • Cascade Life Alliance takes blankets for Organ Donors – lap size is perfect and these become family heirlooms
  • Coveyquilts.com – member Denise C. jumped in and started her own quilty business
  • Eclectic Curio at Glenwood & Chinden – Pam P. shared some of her great finds from there!
  • Appreciation to our friend Pat C. who brought another generous amount of fabric, and Barbara M. who shared rulers and books. So many things found new homes!
  • A former is selling her Bernina Q20 Longarm, purchased October 2022; used minimally and being sold due to downsizing; $11,000 as is. Interested? Contact us at [email protected]
  • Marilyn spoke about why willing to be a volunteer for this group is advantageous. She noted that a volunteer might get chicken socks from Kathy (Treasurer), how Shelly (Membership) keeps us on track, and that you get to choose the best cabin at Quilt Camp! Thanks to these board members and to others who have volunteered to participate in next year’s board!!

Be sure to mark your calendar for these upcoming events:
PEO’s Holiday Bazaars: Several of our members are also PEO members, and mentioned these upcoming events:

  • Nov. 4, 9:30am-2:30pm, St. Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral (512 N. Eighth St. Downtown Boise)
  • Nov. 18, 9am-3pm, 824 E. Logan in Caldwell

Surprise Valley Neighborhood Holiday Pop-up: Nov. 18, 10am-3pm, 6105 S. Schooner Place, East Boise; featuring items from some of our own members!

Annual Meeting: Dec. 2, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Sewfinity, 800 S Industry Way, Suite 360, Meridian (please, no children at this location due to safety precautions) (no meeting in November) Our appreciation to Angela Bowman for hosting us again! We’ll take care of required annual meeting business (year in review, elections, etc) and then hear from Cheryl Arkison, who believes life is too short not to play with fabric. Cheryl will talk about how “Improv is My Love Language,” loosely inspired on the idea of the five love languages for showing and feeling love, this presentation shares her theories on the love languages of quilters.

After-Holiday Sew Party: Jan. 27 – We’ll sew, show, eat (potluck!) and swap (stay tuned for details). We’ll swap something made out of a tea towel. It could be a bag, an apron, an embellished tea towel, a pin cushion or anything else you come up with! Use a vintage tea towel, a brand-spanking new one, or one from your kitchen drawer. In a pinch, bring one you pick up on the way to the party (because hey, life happens!). We’ll trade by drawing names (like we did at Camp). Need some inspiration? Check out our Tea Towel Crafts Pinterest board.

October meeting is open sew!

It’s time for some fall sewing!

BMQG Guild Meeting / Open Sew
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Library! at Cole & Ustick, 7557 W. Ustick Rd., Boise
If you plan to sew, bring your machine, tools and projects. We’ll have a small ironing board and an iron available.

There will be more fabric for the taking (due to the generosity of our new friend Pat!) so prepare to browse. And, don’t forget to bring your solid creations from the fun snip-rip-drop-pass game (thanks, Mary Simmons!) to our October meeting.

Bring your show & tell and community giving quilts. We want to see what you’ve been working on! And, if you have any community giving quilts (in any phase) to pass along to a new home, or for a next step toward completion, bring those, too! Marilyn Shake has some spiffy new labels to sew into the binding, and if you need batting for a donation quilt, please contact Millissa Masters (members, check your email for contact info).

Finally, we are looking for two folks to join our board. We so appreciate the service of Marilyn Shake and Millissa Masters, and we’re happy that both continue to actively participate in guild projects. Here’s a snapshot of the open board positions, and what is involved:

    • Vice President: You’ll reserve monthly meeting spaces, and arrive early to arrange tables and chairs as needed; set out routine meeting items as needed, which may include: nametags/pens, directional signs, fabric exchange, community giving project collection items and other items related to the meeting agenda. We’ll ask you to participate in board discussions and planning; act as the president in her absence; and assist the president as needed.
    • Secretary: You’ll take notes at monthly meetings (announcements, group projects, donation info, etc.) and at board meetings (a basic meeting summary, decisions made, action items); if needed, coordinate with Apryl for social media posting; and participate in board planning, discussions and decisions.
    • General info: Our board generally meets monthly for 1 hour; about half the time we meet in person, and when appropriate, we skip an in-person meeting and communicate electronically instead. Your ability and willingness to communicate electronically and familiarity (or willingness to learn) with Google Drive/Gmail is extremely helpful; we’ll introduce you to Quip, our online collaboration tool document editing (e.g., agendas, meeting notes, camp planning) and group communication.

If you’re interested in board service, we’d love to talk to you! Drop us a line at [email protected]

BMQG quilts go to organ donors’ families

Thanks to Matt Coffin, RN of Cascade Life Alliance for passing these quilts to local families of deceased organ donors.  Matt and his colleague from the St. Alphonsus Chaplain’s office expressed gratitude and appreciation on behalf of families — these quilts become family heirlooms and tangible reminders of the deceased donor.
Do you have a quilt to share with a donor family?  Here are some helpful guidelines:
  • size: lap size quilts are best; this size ensures that the quilts are never too big to interfere with patient management while in the hospital; a suggested size range might be 36″-40″ wide x 45″-50″ long
  • colors & themes: there are considerably more male donors in our area, so consider gender-neutral designs and colors (green, blue, red, brown, orange, low-volume), and red-white-blue for veterans; there is less need for pinks and florals
  • wash and label: please wash your finished quilt and add a BMQG label (available at meetings)
  • a few other things: please no religious symbols, logos, political references, etc.;no need for children’s fabrics or designs

Bring completed quilts to monthly meetings, and if you need batting for any community giving quilts, please let Millissa Masters know.

Finally, if you haven’t already, please consider becoming an organ donor yourself.

Sept. 23 Meeting is Open Sew!

Where did August go? We’re already looking forward to seeing you at the September meeting and mini sew day.

BMQG Guild Meeting / Open Sew
When: Saturday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Library! at Cole & Ustick, 7557 W. Ustick Rd., Boise

If you plan to sew, bring your machine, tools and projects. We’ll have a small ironing board and an iron available.

Bring your face collage: Saturday is the Very Last Day to turn in your collage for the quilt show group entry. If you signed up to participate, bring yours to Pam at Saturday’s meeting (and don’t forget to include your label on the back). If you can’t attend, contact Pam directly to arrange pickup (members, check your email for Pam’s contact info). Did we mention that Saturday is the absolute deadline?

Bring your show & tell and community giving quilts: We want to see what you’ve been working on! And, if you have any community giving quilts (in any phase) to pass along to a new home, or for a next step toward completion, bring those, too! If you need batting for a donation quilt, please contact Millissa (members check your email for Millissa’s contact info).

See you Saturday!

Quilt Camp is Almost Here! (no August meeting)

Just a reminder that we will not be having our normal guild meeting in August. Instead we are excited to be hosting our annual summer retreat at Luther Heights outside of Stanley, near Alturas Lake. If you can’t join us for camp, we will miss you, but hope to see you next time.

See you at the September 23 meeting, when we’ll have an open sew day and show & tell!