sew day – Boise Modern Quilt Guild

02
Feb
2024

Sew Party Fun in January!

categories: Community Projects, Monthly Meetings, Sew Days

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!

21
May
2023

May 27 Meeting

categories: Monthly Meetings, Quilt Camp

When: Saturday, May 27 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bown Library in east Boise, 2153 E. Riverwalk Dr.

We’ll start with a short presentation from Susan Elcox of the Treasure Valley Rug Hookers. She’ll bring some rugs and tools, and give a preview of a July travelling show of more than 100 hooked rugs, all with a fairy tale theme.
The rest of the meeting is open sew! Bring your projects, machines, tools and say hello.
Also, it’s last chance to help yourself to free exchange fabrics, books and patterns before they all find new homes. Some donated fabric was recently sorted, and you might want to snag some of the Debbie Mumm collections, or a large chunk of Kaffe Fassett watermelon print, or antique Sun Bonnet Sue squares from a cutter quilt.
Bring your Modern Quilt Bee blocks and leader/ender blocks (don’t worry if these don’t measure 6.5“ exactly, they’ll all work together).
If you’re working on your face collage, here are some tips for finishing:
- Once all the pieces are where you want them, glue everything down, simply using a glue stick.
- Add batting and a backing and then quilt it, using either your domestic machine or a long arm.
- Then, you can use free motion quilting to outline the face, neck, hair, eyes, nose, lips, etc. and anything else that might need outlining. You can use thicker black thread, or any other dark thread you like to create the outline.
- Sew an outline of the face at least two or three times; and just once around the hair, eyes, nose, etc. unless you prefer the outline thicker on these elements. Make it however you like! And don’t worry about making the lines perfect — you can be a little loose on the outlining and get really charming results.
- Bind it and it’s finished! We look forward to seeing your finished face collage at the July meeting.

Thanks to everyone who responded to our survey about a 2024 workshop. Stay tuned for information.
Hope to see you on Saturday!

P.S. Mark your calendars for Quilt Camp, Aug. 17-20 at Luther Heights. Watch for registration information in coming weeks.

26
Apr
2023

April meeting was a hoot!

categories: Community Projects, Events, Monthly Meetings, Sew Days

Our April meeting making face collages was so fun and energetic! A huge thanks to Cathy R. for coaching us through the process and for her design inspiration! And, we’d love to see your face when it’s complete — members, watch your email for a future group show & tell.

July target for Scaled Triangles & Leader/Ender: Turn everything in by the July meeting, and from there we’ll start assembling quilt tops for donation. So far we’ve received 22 of the large Scaled Triangle blocks (wow!), and quite a stack of completed scrappy leader/ender blocks. If you’re working on the leader/ender blocks, you can bring completed, or partially-completed chunks (pairs or half blocks) to the next meeting; you may want to exchange other partially-completed blocks to mix up fabrics. Finished leader-ender blocks should turn out 6.5“ but you might find yours are a little skinny. No worries, they’ll all go together great!!
Community Giving: We’ve already delivered 26 quilts so far this year – that’s so amazing! Thank you Linda J., Jamie H. and Mary S. for some recent long arm quilting, and to everyone who has helped with binding, piecing and delivering. Warm Spring Counseling Center expressed an interest in receiving four “cozy” quilts to use in therapy offices during sessions with children clients — so if you’re inclined to sew with minky or flannel, this might be the project for you.
Drawstring backpacks & zipper pouches: This week we’ve delivered more than 20 finished drawstring backpacks and 30 zipper pouches for sustainable period packs to the Faces of Hope Victim Center. Thank you Pam P. for helping with deliveries!
Spring cleaning: We’ll be clearing out the burgeoning collection of donated fabric, orphan blocks, books and patterns in the coming months. If you’re doing the same, please refrain from bringing your unwanted items to BMQG, and instead find another good home.

To see photos from everyone’s show & tell, check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds (this is thanks to Apryl!). And, the May 27 meeting is open sew! Bring your projects, machines, tools and say hello. We’ll be at the Bown Library in east Boise (2153 E. Riverwalk Dr., 83706), 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

01
Apr
2023

March meeting recap

categories: Community Projects, Member Spotlight, Monthly Meetings, Sew Days

We had a fun and super productive meeting! Thanks to everyone who worked on making drawstring backpacks! Here’s a recap of our day:

Drawstring backpacks & zipper pouches: We had 20 finished drawstring backpacks (wow!) by the end of the meeting. Nicely done all! We still have a few pre-cut packs ready to sew (thanks Anna for cutting and Marilyn for fabric!), and if you’d like one or two of these pre-cuts before the next meeting, please send a note to [email protected]. We’ll bring more cording to the April meeting for those who have backpacks in the works. And, we are looking for some more zipper pouches that will hold sustainable period packs. These items will all be gifted to Faces of Hope Victim Center.

Community Giving: We received a treasure trove of finished quilts for donating (thank you Carol M. and Marilyn for your generosity), plus others ready for quilting — and yahoo! our amazing long arm quilters Linda A. and Jamie volunteered to quilt them. Mary brought a completed whole-cloth quilt, which was snatched up for binding. Thanks everyone for helping out! (notes about backing: if passing a quilt to a long arm quilter, please make your quilt back 3-4 inches bigger than the front on all four sides; this extra fabric allows the quilt to be attached to the long arm rollers)

Scaled Triangles & Leader/Ender: Our Modern Quilt Bee is well underway, with nine blocks already completed. We’re looking for more blocks (see attached instructions). And as Marilyn says, any red, orange, or pink will work! Marilyn also brought pre-cut scrappy fabrics for a simple leader ender quilt. If you took some home to sew, bring them back next month. Ultimately, both quilts will be donated to a local organization.

April 22 Meeting Faces Collage: Our own Cathy R. will lead us in making whimsical collage portrait mini quilts. No sewing machine needed; just bring scraps to share, scissors and glue sticks (watch your email for details). We’ll be at the Library at Cole & Ustick (7557 W Ustick Rd, Boise) 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Thanks to Linda Armstrong for her wonderful show & tell! What a variety of beautiful and charming pieces she shared. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out her member spotlight. And, to see photos from everyone’s show & tell, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.

04
Jul
2022

Announcing our Modern Quilting Bee + June 2022 Meeting Recap

categories: Block of the Month, Community Projects, Monthly Meetings, Sew Days

Modern Quilting Bee

We’re kicking off a Modern Quilting Bee Project! It’s simple to participate, and we think it will be so fun! We’re starting with this 16.5-inch unfinished block.

You’ll need to login as a member of MQG — once logged in, you can follow this path to the pattern: For MQG Members > MQG Journal > Previous Issues > MQG Journal Issue 02 > scroll down the page to find “Issue 02 / Block Study / Barbed” and click on More. If you trouble getting to the pattern, email us for help. (Barbed quilt block by Molly Wardlow; photo by Laura Loewen)

Barbed quilt block by Molly Wardlow (Photos by Laura Loewen)

Millissa is leading our Modern Block of the Month

Millissa (BMQG Secretary) is leading the effort and has chosen a tranquil blue and aqua color theme, you can also throw in a natural off white if you are inspired.

Make your block using these similar colors, using either solids or prints. Don’t worry about finding an exact color match.
You can use the Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers ruler, or something like it for quickly making a batch of Half Square Triangles (HSTs). Or, check out this tutorial if you want to brush up on tips for making HSTs.
Bring your completed block to the July 23 meeting.
Eventually, the completed quilt will be part of our Get ‘er Done quilts and gifted to a community organization.

Zipper Pouches

A giant thanks to everyone who joined us for making zipper pouches! We collected 31 completed pouches by the end of the meeting – and we know there are more out there being stitched up. The pouches will be filled with personal care items, including items from Jill Shelton Wagers, DMD and Hilton Garden Inn at Pioneer Crossing, and donated to two local organizations: Faces of Hope Victim Center and Community Outreach Behavioral Services (COBS). We especially appreciated the tips and tutorial from Apryl and Cathy R.

If you’re working on a pouch, plan to turn it in by the July 23 meeting. You can follow this simple tutorial by Noodelhead (or if you have an equally simple pouch pattern, you’re welcome to make that). If members are interested in continuing the project, we can add it to our ongoing community giving activities.

Show & Tell

Marilyn was in the Member Spotlight, and brought a collection that illustrated her journey as a quilter. She made her first quilt for her doll’s bed, and not knowing any different, she cleverly used dryer lint as batting. After that, there was no stopping Marilyn! She admitted that she “love(s) weird backs” and Elizabeth Hartman designs.
Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Marilyn in the Member Spotlight

Cassie’s quilt top
Cassie showed the quilt top she finished during Friday night Club Mod get togethers. There are so. many. HSTs. She’s also leading girls at her church to make fabric bracelets using this fabric and paper version and this fabric-wrapped cord version.
Darla showed a purse that’s part of the Sew Powerful purse project. The purses are sent to Zambian girls to use for carrying feminine hygiene supplies, thus allowing them to stay in school all month. Find the pattern here. A group of friends will send a package of purses at the end of October, and if you’d like to make a purse, simply get it to Darla, Jeri or Cathy R. by the October meeting.

Get ‘er Done quilts: If you’re helping make quilts to share in our community, Anna Y. reminded us that throw or twin bed sizes would be especially appreciated by some organizations, though smaller baby quilts will also be accepted. Need batting? The Guild recently purchased a supply for this very purpose. Send us a note to let us know what you need!;

22
Jun
2022

Join us in June for Zipper Pouches!

categories: Community Projects, Member Spotlight, Monthly Meetings, Sew Days

When: Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Sewfinity, 800 S Industry Way Ste 360, Meridian
What: The meeting will feature Marilyn Shake in the Member Spotlight and making zipper pouches.

We’ll be making zipper pouches to donate to two local organizations: Faces of Hope Victim Center and Community Outreach Behavioral Services (COBS). We’re asking you to help make the pouches following this simple tutorial by Noodelhead (or if you have an equally simple pouch pattern, you’re welcome to make that), and then we’ll fill the pouches with personal care items, donated by local businesses. The Noodlehead medium pouch (check here for cutting info) is a versatile size and perfect for our inserts. BMQ is supplying zippers and interfacing — and we need you to bring your fabric, sewing machine and your quilty selves to help make it all come together!

What to bring:

your sewing machine & tools (irons, ironing boards and cutting mats are provided by Sewfinity)
fabric (if you want to get a jump start, cut 2 pieces of exterior fabric and 2 pieces of lining to 9“ x 12”)
you can use one piece of fabric for the exterior, or maybe get creative and piece something to a finished size of 9“ x 12”

Apryl Gardner has graciously agreed to lead us in a pouch-making tutorial at the meeting, along with Cathy Rogers’ own bag-making tips. They’ve both made loads of professional-grade pouches, bags and purses, so have first-hand expertise in this area. Our goal is to make 30-40 pouches in this initial effort. If members are interested in continuing the project, we can add it to our ongoing community giving activities.

We hope to see you soon!

03
Mar
2022

February Meeting Recap

categories: Improv Quilting, Modern Quilting, Monthly Meetings

We had a full and fun meeting, with lots of show & tell and swaps. Watch for a separate post soon dedicated to just our Paint Chip Challenge Swap.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Club Mod 2022: This year, we’re using Club Mod to focus on finishing Unfinished Projects (UFOs), and appreciate Cassie for the refresh idea! Join us at 7p.m. on Zoom on the second Friday of each month. Work on the UFO of your choice, or just join us for some socialization to go with your sewing. Want to get serious about it? Complete this optional UFO Challenge Commitment form.
March 26 Meeting: We’ll meet at Sewfinity in Meridian, owned by BMQG member Angela Bowman. Angela recently won a prestigious Judges’ Award at the QuiltCon Quilt show for her quilt “Chloe,” and will share a bit about herself and her work. In addition to Angela’s presentation, we’ll show some of the quilts featured in the show at QuiltCon and then, of course, make time for shopping.
May Yard Sale: While you’re spring cleaning, consider what you might want to sell at a quilty yard sale. Watch for details on location and date. We’ll ask you to contribute a $5 flat fee for space (the proceeds will go to a local non-profit—if you’ve got a suggestion for the board to consider, let us know!), and from there you can sell fabric, notions, completed quilts, craft items, books …. whatever needs to find a new home.
Membership Dues: If you haven’t yet paid your 2022 dues, please do so soon. We’re updating our roster of current members, and renewing your membership means you’ll get emails and updates about events and activities this year.

SHOW & TELL

Linda J. showed a quilt made of her hand-dyed indigo fabrics; she also created a black and white quilt as part of a modern improv class with Carole Lyles Shaw – this started out as 24“ pinwheels that were cut up and put back together
Gwen and Linda J. made transparency quilts by Modern Quilt Studio
Karen F. participated in a MQG Mini-Swap and received this small quilt from England; she also made lots of blue and yellow small quilts from her stash and leftovers from another swap
Elizabeth finished a ByAnnie.com Project Bag from our last retreat, which she said was easier than expected
Carol quilted her large scrappy, striped quilt on her domestic machine
Betsy set a goal of finishing one UFO per month, and a small redwork piece is her latest
Linda A. took some blocks from the Get ‘er Done stack last summer, and brought back the impressive finished product
Fay is working with her church quilt group to make quilts using the Pineapple Quilt Block Foundation Paper blocks we received in last summer’s Sew Day swag bags. If you aren’t using yours, consider passing the pattern along to Fay for this project.
Jeri finished her 2021 temperature quilt, which includes a key about temperature ranges; she also showed a quilt of brights with black frames that she purchased in Minnesota while traveling this winter
Nancy S. made a quilt using adorable fabric with “sweater bears” that her husband loves to use as his TV quilt
Nancy E. finished two quilts using our beloved Birch fabric
Lindsie showed off some hand stitching in progress from a QuiltCon class.

100 DAY PROJECT
Darla and Jeri were inspired by Sarah Ruiz’s presentation at QuiltCon about 100 day projects. Sarah’s approach is to pick your own timeframe (maybe 5 days or 30 days are better for you), and then decide your own rules. Anything goes, whether it’s sewing one seam a day (Darla’s goal toward finishing some UFOs) or putting two pieces together every day (Jeri’s plan for a neglected project) — you get to make the rules and change them if you need to. Marilyn has joined in and if you are interested, you’ll find lots of #100dayproject inspiration on social media.

GIVING BACK / GET ‘ER DONE
Deb and Lindsie completed two small quilt tops that were passed along to Marilyn for quiltiling. There are still plenty of orphan blocks that could be assembled into tops, so please check out the Get ‘er Done table at our next meeting. You can assemble just the top, finish the quilting, or bring your own Get ‘er Done quilt in progress and someone else can pick up the next step.