there are a surprising number of unused hexi forms
If you happen to have hexis for the Sisters of the Hex project, please turn them in at our June 26 guild meeting (or by June 30 if you can’t make it that day). After we get your hexi flowers, those will be sewn to gray background squares (we already have nearly 200!!) and then plan to assemble blocks at the July 24 Quilting Day Camp. If you have extra hexis or can’t get them turned in by then, no worries! We can easily use them for future community donation quilts.
Thank you everyone who’s had a part in this. Here’s what is next for Sisters of the Hex:
Two quilts – We have enough blocks to make 2 quilts.
Assemble tops – we’ll plan to sew blocks together at the July 24 Boise Modern Quilt Guild Day Camp. A few of us plan to devote the day to sew blocks together, and if you’re there, you’re invited to chip in!
Finishing – Cathy Rogers has volunteered for quilting, Betsy Johnson volunteered to bind, Sewfinity donated a bolt (a bolt!) of fabric for backing, and Jeri Wood has volunteered to make a label. And, we’ll have a card available that anyone who contributed can sign, and these will be given with the quilts.
You’re invited to help make a quilt in memory of our friend Denise Arellano. We were devastated when Denise took her life in August 2020, but we treasure the bonds created over good food, conversation, and of course, quilting! Denise was drawn to making hexies, jump started after seeing the amazing giant quilt made by BMQG member Shelly Harshman and her sisters … who Denise dubbed “Sisters of the Hex.” From there, Denise made hundreds of hexi forms and collected the fabric to cover them. Now we’re inviting you to join the sisterhood in making Denise’s hexi collection complete. The final product will be gifted to her beloved and any leftover hexi blocks will be sewn together into additional quilt tops which we’ll finish and donate to a local charity.
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
Pick up your packet of hexi-making supplies. (email us at [email protected] for location details)
March 28 (Sunday), 2-3 pm. or March 30 (Tuesday), 7-8 pm.
Hexi-making supply kit: Your packet includes English Paper Piecing (EPP) forms and fabric supplies to make 4 hexi flowers. Feel free to swap out fabric of your own choosing if you like! There are also 1-2 pre-made hexies in your kit, which you can use as an example and to incorporate into your flowers.
Make the hexi flowers: each flower is made up of 6 hexi petals + 1 hexi center in a contrasting color. Stitch the individual hexi first, then stitch them to each other. (Below, examples of completed hexi flowers and what completed blocks might look like. Photo credit: SameliasMum.com used by permission.)
Examples of completed hexi flowers. Photo credit: SameliasMum.com
What the completed blocks might look like. Photo credit: SameliasMum.com
Return: Please remove the papers from the hexies and press the flowers well; or, if you prefer, leave the papers in and we’ll remove them later. (Please feel free to keep the papers for future EPP projects or recycle them!) Bring your completed hexi flowers to the May BMQG meeting. The flowers will be handed off for machine stitching to background fabric, making 6.5-inch unfinished squares. Depending on how the project progresses, there may be an opportunity to help machine sew blocks together at the August BMQ Quilting Day Camp.
As part of our mission, the Boise Modern Quilt Guild provides opportunities for giving back to the community through the use of modern quilting skills. And as usual, our members jump in to help, and participate in making Get ‘er Done quilts — so named because the seeds of these quilts are often extra blocks or neglected projects that simply need a little attention and TLC to get done.
The Get ‘er Done project is a continuation of other community efforts. Since 2021, at least 10 BMQG quilts have found homes with local families and organizations. A huge thanks to everyone who’s helped stitch these together, and for folks who help deliver the quilts! Here’s a recap of where the quilts have gone.
quilts delivered to St. Luke’s Foundation
get er done quilts
Gwen & Cathy with two hexi quilt tops
Our first Get ‘er Done completed quilt!
One of Marilyn’s get er done quilts
One of Marilyn’s get er done quilts
Millissa showing the leaders & enders project that started at Quilting Day Camp
Where Quilts Went
Blue/red/yellow improv blocks: St. Luke’s Foundation
Three Sisters of the Hex quilts (Denise Arellano memorial): Dave Arellano, Arellano family friend & daughter, and Denise’s sibling
Gray/multi leader-ender project from 2021 day camp: Christmas gifts for seniors
Pink/green from Gwen-Darla-Jeri-Cathy R.: Christmas gifts for seniors
Second gray/multi leader-ender from 2021 day camp: St. Lukes Foundation
Three kid quilts from Marilyn: St. Lukes Foundation
Our resident Sister of the Hex Shelly Harshman is in the Member Spotlight. She’s a long-serving member of the BMQG board, where she oversees all things Membership related. Shelly is quick-humored, and an accomplished quilter with a terrific eye for color.
Shelly Harshman
Shelly
by Shelly
Shelly
Shelly
Shelly EPP
Shelly’s rainbow quilt
Piper, Shelly and Amy
How did you first get involved with Boise Modern Quilt Guild? Shelly: I was looking for a smaller, more modern group to join. When I did a Google search, I was impressed with the colorful logo and the information about this group. I came to a meeting, and felt really welcome.
What’s your first memory of something related to quilting or sewing? Shelly: My mom paid me to make summer shorts for my little sisters when I was around 12. I sewed all my skirts and blouses and dresses while I was in school. My mom was always sewing, and it’s been a part of my life as long as I can remember.
What’s your most memorable, or favorite, quilting project? Shelly: My sisters and I made hexi quilts together. That will probably always be my favorite project. Sisters of the Hex rule!!
How would you describe your quilting design style or aesthetic? Shelly: I love color, and trying something new. A pattern is just a place to start.
What colors, shapes, fabrics do you gravitate to? What do you use most in your designs? Shelly: I love bright jewel tones, and super scrappy quilts – loads of surprising details to find. Curved blocks are a current favorite. I love a quilt pattern that you have to look at for a while to figure out how they put it together. I’m always up for a challenge.
Is there someone or something that has influenced your quilting? Shelly: My mom was always sewing, but she’s not a quilter. I thought everybody had matching clothes and pajamas for their dolls. I learned my sewing skills from her. My Grandma Spencer was a quilter and I have wonderful memories of her hand quilting on wooden frames on the covered back patio at her home. Sadly, she passed away before I caught the quilting bug.
What might someone be surprised to know about you? Shelly: Hmmm…. I’ve kissed the Blarney Stone and I drive a Mini Cooper.
What do you do when you aren’t quilting? Shelly: I don’t understand the question.
What are you working on now? Shelly: I’m free motion quilting the backlog of quilt tops that are hanging in my closet. I use my home machine to quilt them. I try to always have something to plan, something to piece, and something to quilt, and some handwork. I received a Featherweight for Christmas this year, and I’ve been loving piecing on it!
What’s the project that you always intended to do (quilting or otherwise) but haven’t yet? Shelly: I want to make the La Passacaglia quilt. So far, I have a nice big pinterest board with ideas, and have ordered the book and papers.
What’s the longest-lasting UFO in your collection? Shelly: I’m currently pretty caught up – I have quilt tops that need to be quilted, but the oldest is probably only a couple of years old. Covid has given me more time to work on projects.
Do you have a preferred snack or beverage while you’re sewing? If so, what is it? Shelly: Dr. Pepper and peanut m&m’s.
What do you listen to or watch while you’re sewing? Do you have any recommendations to share? Shelly: I love audiobooks and music. Movies on the iPad distract me unless it’s something I’ve seen a bunch of times. Mysteries and Clive Cussler adventures are favorites.
The Rose Garden at Juila Davis Park was a perfect backdrop for our September meeting, and Halloween fabric (and candy!) put us in the fall mood.
Fall-Winter Schedule
We spent some time discussing meeting format in the coming months. Based on comments at the meeting, we’ll plan for a combination of in-person meetings, held outside (weather permitting), indoors in a large room with space to socially distance (think a large meeting room at the library, or a church multi-purpose room), and likely some virtual meetings on Zoom. Here’s the schedule for the next few months:
October 8: Club Mod on Zoom (7-9 p.m.)
October 23: Monthly Meeting in Person (1-3 p.m.)
November 12: Club Mod on Zoom (7-9 p.m.)
December 4: Annual Meeting on Zoom(1-3 p.m.)
December 10: Club Mod on Zoom (7-9 p.m.)
January 22: After-Holiday Swap (1-3 p.m.)
Show and tell
Possibly the favorite part of our meeting….? Here’s a sampling of what we shared (see details below photos):
Karen’s hexis
The back of Marilyn’s quilt
Marilyn’s whimsical Halloween quilt
Nancy E and her cheery scrappy quilt
Elizabeth’s Unity Quilt
Cathy shows the Tula Pink fabrics adorn her couch
One of Cathy R’s favorites
Marilyn and Lindsie sporting the BMQG shirts
Robin’s KF
Nancy E’s scrappy blocks
Linda’s Bats and Boos
Cathy’s Christmas Pickle in her signature color purple
Marilyn’s quilt inspired by Denyse Schmidt
Nice bag to look at while knitting
Marilyn’s jelly roll quilt
Marilyn’s skull
the back of Marilyn’s whimsical Halloween quilt
Elizabeth’s Appalachian Autumn
Marilyn’s quilt
Cathy with her modern scrappy quilt
As the feature of our Member Spotlight, Cathy Rogers kicked things off. Her love of all things Tula showed up in the quilt that graces her living room couch, where we suspect she reads some of the 34 books she’s working towards reading this year. (So far she’s at 30!).
Nancy E. showed a hexi ornament she made based on what she saw in McCall’s Quilting magazine November/December 2021 issue, and a scrappy pattern she bought on a road trip to the Stitch n’ Snip in Crouch.
Robin joined us for the first time and showed the quilt she made from a kit, featuring Kaffe Fasset wovens
Terri worked on knitting socks, while Kathy S. couldn’t help but show off her designer orange bag
Karen decided to make some really small hexis, and then wondered what to do with them… here’s what she ended up with!
Marilyn got serious about finishing projects this year, and it shows! She showed a jelly roll quilt; an orange quilt that started as a kit purchased in 2010 with Kaffe Fasset prints; a Halloween wall hanging started in 2009; and a skull quilt using Tim Holtz fabric purchased years ago at Salli’s Back Porch Fabric Store in Shoshone. And then! she stunned us with a quilt commissioned by a family member, using a photo of a landscape for color inspiration, and design inspired by Denyse Schmidt.
Elizabeth completed two Bonnie Hunter quilts: Appalachian Autumn and a round-robin style Unity quilt (which was sewn mostly from Elizabeth’s stash! Impressive)
Linda brought candy (!!) and her completed Bats and Boos mystery quilt from FatQuarter Shop.
It was great being in the park for our August meeting and thanks to everyone for finding their way to a new location. A special welcome to new members, and thanks to Lynne Crawford for stepping into the Member Spotlight! We loved seeing Lynne’s quilts and other handiwork.
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Sept. 11 Quilt Walk: Gather up those quilts you’ve been making and get ready to show them off at our inaugural Modern Quilt Walk in the park on Sept. 11. The Quilt Walk is an informal way to share the art of modern quilting in an easily accessible location — and to capitalize on greenbelt foot traffic expected at Art in the Park that same weekend.
If you’re thinking about participating, let us know by completing this form.
We’re celebrating modern quilting — and other handiwork (whatever you’re making and proud of!). Our quilts will be front and center, but you’re also welcome to bring other items (e.g., bags, works in progress) that show the range of things we all make.
Read more hereand watch your email for additional details as we get closer.
Club Mod: We’ll take a break for September as we’ll be on the eve of the Quilt Walk (see more below), and then you’re invited to join the Friday night sew party at Club Mod, October 8, 7-9 p.m. on Zoom. Sew on your projects, chair dance at your machine, and maybe win a prize!
Show and tell
Possibly the favorite part of our meeting….? Here’s a sampling of what we shared (scroll down for details):
Lynne’s member spotlight show & tell
Fay made this from raffle winnings at Day Camp
Gwen Smith showing her stripes & dots quilt
Lynne was in the member spotlight and showed some of her favorite things.
Jeri’s latest creation
Cassie sporting one of the tshirts from Quilt Day Camp
Betsy made this scrap eater of a stunning quilt
Lynne shared knitting during the member spotlight.
Apryl’s quilted post cards using collage technique.
Apryl’s small Hamilton quilt for her daughter.
Millissa showing the leaders & enders project that started at Quilting Day Camp
Kathy holding her “donuts & coffee” quilt
Cathy Rogers quilted three quilts from the Sisters of the Hex project.
Nancy’s sweet bee quilt with bear fabrics
Ginny holding her Ray Quilt, designed by Carolyn Friedlander
Apryl with her collage-style quilted post cards
Jeri & Darla’s work on orphan blocks that will go to Artisans for Hope
Delanie designed this from our fav Birch Fabrics
Delanie designed and worked on this Baby Birch Quilt at the July Quilting Day Camp.
Millissa spearheaded a leader-ender project that we could all sew on during the Day Camp. She created a design that uses scraps to make a modern, vibrant quilt.
Jeri showed her Center Point quilt by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman. She also assembled orphan blocks from Artisans for Hope and Darla pieced the back. It’s off to Gwen for quilting and will eventually be returned to Artisans to sell.
Apryl is in a mood for minis! She’s making fabric collage postcards (aiming for 100) and the Hamilton mini is for her daughter.
Gwen had a few bits of stripes and polka dot fabrics that she’s turned into a bright and cheery quilt.
Cathy R. quilted the three (three!) Sisters of the Hex quilts. Thanks in advance to Betsy, Cassie and Lindsie for finishing the binding.
Kathy S. made this donuts-and-coffee themed quilt for her husband.
Betsy showed off her very scrappy, very beautiful Japanese X block. You can find tutorials and patterns on Pinterest, and here’s just one example of what you’ll find.
Nancy S. showed her Bee Sweet pattern with bear fabric from Hobby Lobby
Fay made a Christmas quilt with the bundle of winnings from July’s Day Camp raffle
Linda is getting ready for fall with Bats and Boos, a mystery quilt from the FatQuarter Shop.
Lindsie shared the 2022 Quilter’s Planner that she helped design again this year. You can check out the customizable planner made just for quilters at QuiltersPlanner.com (and a tip from Lindsie: pre-sales end Tuesday, Aug. 31, so if you get your order in today, you’ll get the clip-in bookmarks bundle for free).
We are getting so excited for our upcoming Quilt Day Camp next month! We’ve now closed our registration, and are making final preparations for our event!
Here are some photos from last year’s retreat in Stanley, to give you a flavor of what to expect this year. We’re also doing a countdown sponsor spotlight on our Instagram and Facebook pages, where you can see some sneak peeks of the swag and raffle items that were donated this year.
Linda at Quilt Camp
Quilt Camp Prizes
Banner
Community quilts featuring Birch fabrics
Day camp details
When: July 24, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (We’re starting early! You’re welcome to arrive as early as 7:30 a.m.)
Where: LDS church at 3200 Cassia St., Boise 83705 (Because of the hot weather, we’re moving inside to the spacious gym space inside the church building.)
Cost: $40 per Boise MQG member | $65 non-members
Morning treats (baked goods, coffee, juice) and catered lunch is provided.
Those fabulous collections of swag are back! Plus, an expanded raffle ($1/ticket), so bring your cash and hope to win. Contributions to the swag and raffle come from the likes of Sewfinity, Quilt Crossing, Roost Books, Kitchen Table Quilting, QuiltCon, Cotton and Joy, Alison Glass, Pen and Paper Patterns, Aurifil, FreeSpirit Fabrics and more!
We will bring some extension/power cords, but you may want to bring your own just in case.
Ironing boards with irons, cutting tables with mats, and a couple design walls will be provided for your use.
This will be a “no-host” retreat, meaning that everyone brings their own sewing machines, necessary tools and projects to work on.
We’ll bring Sisters of the Hex supplies and see where the project stands.
The Get ‘er Done table (for donation quilts at any stage) and Free table will be set up. Find or bring fabric and scraps, orphan blocks and unfinished projects (at any stage).
Some things to note:
Masks are optional; we’ll supply hand sanitizer.
We will be at a church facility, so please no alcohol.
Restrooms and water available.
Feel free to bring your own snacks/food.
Sorry, no pets.
Thank you! Please contact us if you have any questions!
Our first in-person meeting in more than a year was a welcome change to Zoom! Here’s a look at what happened:
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Summer Club Mod: We’ll take a break for July, and then you’re invited to join the Friday night sew party at Club Mod, August 13, 7-9 p.m. on Zoom. Sew on your projects, chair dance at your machine, and maybe win a prize!
July 24 Summer Quilting Day Camp: Fewer than 10 spots remain open for our all-day Quilting Camp. We’ll start with morning treats (first things first!) and then a few fun activities throughout the day and lots of raffle prizes. Plus, an impressive collection of quilting swag for each registrant, and a few surprises. Lunch included, and feel free to bring something for the snack table. Sign up by filling outthis form.
Sisters of the Hex: We’ll sew hexi blocks together at the July 24 day camp to make two quilts. A few folks will plan to dedicate their time to sewing on this project and you’re invited to help out as the quilt tops take shape.
Get ‘Er Done: Our first project is complete (a big THANK YOU to Millissa, Cathy R., Gwen and Darla for working on this quilt). More scraps and orphan blocks were shared at the meeting, so stay tuned for more ways to participate in our effort to get quilts from start to finish before giving them to community organizations. So, if you’re only interested in making quilt tops, this is the place to let others know, and they can take it to the next step or to the finish. Check out this list on our website for local organizations you can donate them to.
MQG Challenges: If you’re up for a July project to benefit a good cause, check out this MQG Make-a-Difference challenge. The theme is TREES, the submission deadline is July 21, and quilt entry fees will benefit Trees for the Future, whose mission is to end hunger and poverty by training farmers to regenerate their land. Are you interested in organizing this (or future efforts) for BMQG to participate in a national MQG challenge? Let us know! send a note to [email protected] . Here are a few other challenges you might want to check out:
QuiltCon2022: Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Each year, thousands of attendees come to see hundreds of modern quilts on display, including a juried quilt show with entries from MQG members around the world. The five-day event includes live lectures, panels, tours, workshops, and a vendor hall filled with the latest and greatest tools and supplies, and social events. The QuiltCon catalog is out now, and registration opens Aug. 4.
Show and tell
Possibly the favorite part of our meeting….? Here’s a sampling of what we shared:
Lynne showed her Gees Bend quilts, both from kits
Elizabeth brought a Halloween-themed quilt and another from a Quilt Crossing kit
Delanie might be new to quilting but she knocked it out of the ballpark with a modern take on a t-shirt quilt
Kathy showed gingham quilts pieced from an assortment of fabric types, all provided by a friend
Linda made the Ray Quilt, an oversized log cabin with big stitch handwork as part of a Quilt-Along with Carolyn Friedlander; and finished a small quilt in neutrals and earth colors
Join us for our annual summer gathering of no-host modern quilting. We’re going al fresco and sewing outdoors! Members, sign up by submitting the form you received by email. The retreat is limited to 40 attendees. Member registration ends June 18; non-member registration begins June 19
When: July 24, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (We’re starting early to beat the heat! You’re welcome to arrive as early as 7:30 a.m.)
Where: LDS church at 3200 Cassia St., Boise 83705 (We’ll meet at the picnic shelter at the rear of the church lot, so drive around back for parking and meeting.)
Cost: $40 per Boise MQG member | $65 non-members
Morning treats (baked goods, coffee, juice) and catered lunch is provided.
June 11 Club Mod: Join us for the next Friday night sew party at Club Mod, June 11, 7-9 p.m. on Zoom. Sew on your projects, chair dance at your machine, and maybe win a prize!
June 26 In-Person Meeting: We’re planning on meeting outdoors and in person.
Want to join the fun? Send us a note at [email protected] and we’ll make sure you have the details. We have more fun events planned for this year. Be sure to join our guild so you can participate in our upcoming activities and be the first to know about them!
Giving back
Get ‘Er Done: Our first project is nearly complete! Let us know if you are willing to make and sew binding — the quilt is 64“ x 64“ (and a big THANK YOU to Millissa, Cathy R. and Darla for working on this quilt). Get ’er Done is our clearinghouse to facilitate quilts going from start to finish before giving them to community organizations that can use the quilts. So, if you’re only interested in making quilt tops, this is the place to let others know, and they can take it to the next step or to the finish. Check out this list on our website for local organizations you can donate them to.
Sisters of the Hex: If you have completed hexi flowers, send us a note at [email protected] . We’ve started sewing them to the background squares and can’t wait to add yours.
Show and tell + Quilt label discussion
Deb Stoner’s Tetons quilt
Deb’s custom label
Fay Hikida’s birthday blocks
Possibly the favorite part of our meeting….? Here’s a sampling of what we shared and discussed:
Deb Stoner finished her Tetons Quilt, which will be a lovely wedding gift. She used the Mod Mountains Pattern ; and, Deb made her own custom label to match the quilt design
Fay Hikida finished her red and white Creatin’ in the Sticks quilt from a birthday block exchange
