We hope you can join us for the April meeting, when we’ll be making Faces Collages!
April 22, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Library at Cole & Ustick (7557 W Ustick Rd, Boise)
faces improv
faces improv
faces improv
faces improv
Cathy Rogers will lead us in making whimsical collage portrait mini quilts, inspired by Jean Impey. No sewing machine needed, but plan on bringing these supplies:
Fabric for the background; you can use just about any kind of fabric you want and any size will work — a good starting place is a fat quarter or larger; you can also come with a pieced background of two or more fabrics to create additional visual interest
Fabric for the skin; again just about anything works; think traditional skin colors, or go wild with colors like purple, green, blue, even prints, stripes, dots or anything else.
Fabric scraps to share; anything works, and novelty fabric is especially good for this purpose! We’ll also bring the guild’s supply of fabric, so there should be an ample amount available.
Scissors rather than rotary cutters; this is an improv approach so no rulers needed either.
Water-soluble glue sticks to attach your pieces to the background; no need for interfacing or fusible web.
You can expect to leave the meeting with a face collage complete (or mostly complete) and ready to finish at home. Use your domestic sewing machine or a long arm machine for quilting. We’ll have a few completed examples and tips for how to finish your face. Some example pictures are attached.
Also, bring zipper pouches (we need about 20 more of the 9×11-ish size to give to Faces of Hope for sustainable period packs) and drawstring backpacks (we’ll have additional cording if you need some to finish up). You can also turn in any completed scrappy leader/ender and scaled triangle blocks.
Linda’s scrappy plus quilt we saw her working on at Quilt Camp one August
Linda Jolly
Linda pressing seams
Linda
Linda J’s improv
Linda
Linda
How did you first get involved with Boise Modern Quilt Guild? Linda: I got involved in the Boise Modern Quilt Guild after some of my friends went to the first QuiltCon. It sounded like so much fun I immediately planned on going the following year so of course I had to join the Boise Modern Quilt Guild first.
What’s your first memory of something related to quilting or sewing? Linda: My Mom taught me how to sew and do other needle crafts. She was always sewing something. I started embroidering first, and then sewing clothes and quilting.
What’s your most memorable, or favorite, quilting project? Linda: My favorite quilting project is whatever I am currently working on. Right now it is improv and I’m having so much fun!
What colors, shapes, fabrics do you gravitate to? What do you use most in your designs? Linda: I love all fabric and colors but green is my fav and I like to make mostly simple designs.
Is there someone or something that has influenced your quilting? Linda: Instagram has had a big influence on me the last couple of years. So many amazing quilters out there. Before that though it was the Sisters quilt show and taking classes from some great teachers there. My daughter lives in Bend so that makes it easy.
What might someone be surprised to know about you? Linda: I would say that half of my stash was/is gifted or thrifted.
What do you do when you aren’t quilting? Linda: When not sewing or long arming you can find me in the garden (flower or veg), walking, attending yoga classes, reading, going to happy hour with friends, cooking, and all the other stuff one must do, but that always comes last!
What’s the longest-lasting UFO in your collection? Linda: I don’t have many UFO’s. Once I start a quilt I have to finish it. I do have some other projects that are mostly done like a couple of bags and small quilts that need special binding that are all patiently waiting for me to get back to them.
Do you have a preferred snack or beverage while you’re sewing? If so, what is it? Linda: I like to drink tea when I am sewing unless it is after 4pm and then I might switch to wine. I mostly like it quiet so no recommendations on watching or listening to something from me. I usually don’t sew for more that a couple of hours at a time unless I go on a quilt retreat.
Marilyn is a prolific quilter and enthusiastic member of our Guild. Be sure to scroll down for photos of Marilyn’s handiwork.
How did you first get involved with Boise Modern Quilt Guild? Marilyn: My good friend Laura Pukstas suggested we attend a meeting and join. I usually do what Laura suggests so I joined. I’m very happy that I did because I have met so many interesting people.
What’s your first memory of something related to quilting or sewing? Marilyn: When I was in the 6th grade, I received a Barbie doll and a canopy bed for her. I decided she needed a new bedspread and canopy topper so I got on the bus in Waterloo, Iowa and rode it to J.C. Penney to buy some fabric. I had never used a sewing machine but how hard could it be. My dad helped me with the threading and away I went. When it was time to add “puffiness” to the quilt I didn’t know what to use so I went downstairs to the dryer and cleaned out the dryer lint for the batting. I still have the quilt the topper, and canopy bed.
What’s your most memorable, or favorite, quilting project? Marilyn: When I was in high school my mother suggested we make a quilt out of the leftover fabric from dresses I had made. My mother sewed up the whole quilt and had the ladies at church tie the quilt. There were a few blocks leftover that I recently made into 2 table runners for my daughters. Both of my daughters love the quilt that my mom made.
How would you describe your quilting design style or aesthetic? Marilyn: Whatever I find interesting at the moment. I do like a challenge, it’s hard for me to make the same block over and over again; sampler quilts are a favorite.
What colors, shapes, fabrics do you gravitate to? What do you use most in your designs? Marilyn: I love bright colors, blues and greens, oranges and reds, nothing drab. Tula Pink and Elizabeth Hartman fabrics are my favorites. I enjoy using Kona when it comes to solids.
Is there someone or something that has influenced your quilting? Marilyn: My dear friend Laura has had a definite impact on my choices – she pushes me to try new things.
What might someone be surprised to know about you? Marilyn: I enjoy putting weird fabric on the back of quilts – skeletons on the back of a floral for example.
What do you do when you aren’t quilting? Marilyn: I might be taking a nap or having a glass of wine.
What are you working on now? Marilyn: Currently I’m working on Moda Blockheads every Wednesday, a row-by-row quilt using Bonnie and Camille patterns, finishing a quilt top that contains hand embroidered blocks from the 1930s, to name a few.
What’s the project that you always intended to do (quilting or otherwise) but haven’t yet? Marilyn: I want to make a double wedding ring using new technology. Still hopeful.
What’s the longest-lasting UFO in your collection? Marilyn: My oldest UFO is about 30 years old. It’s made from mostly JoAnn’s fabrics before I knew about real quilt shops.
Do you have a preferred snack or beverage while you’re sewing? If so, what is it? Marilyn: I always have a mug of water by my side, I snack on something crunchy like pretzels or crackers, Starburst jelly beans, a glass of wine…
What do you listen to or watch while you’re sewing? Do you have any recommendations to share? Marilyn: I have a tv in my studio so I turn it on – HGTV, Lifetime, Hallmark, anything mindless. Sometimes I put on an old movie. I recently had on True Lies, and The Tourist.
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.
One of Marilyn’s get er done quilts
Gwen & Cathy with two hexi quilt tops
Our first Get ‘er Done completed quilt!
quilts delivered to St. Luke’s Foundation
One of Marilyn’s get er done quilts
Millissa showing the leaders & enders project that started at Quilting Day Camp
get er done quilts
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
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
Karen’s blue & yellows
Karen’s MQG swap
Linda J’s transparency quilt
Linda J’s improv
Linda J’s hand dyed fabrics
Elizabeth’s finished bag
Carol’s giant scrappy
Betsy’s UFO countdown
Jeri’s quilt kit from MN
Gwen’s transparency quilt
Nancy S sweater bears quilt
Lindsie’s handwork
Jeri’s temp quilt key
Nancy E’s Birch dogs
Nancy E’s scrappy Birch
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
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 Bagfrom 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.
It’s almost time for our all-day sew fest, featuring the paint chip challenge & mini quilt swap, a community heart quilt project, and a salad bar potluck! Please RSVP hereso we can plan accordingly. And kindly your mask, regardless of vaccination status, unless you’re actively eating or drinking.
When: January 22, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
You’re welcome to come as early as 8:30 a.m.
Come ready to help set up your sewing station when you arrive and put items away before you go.
Paint chip challenge swap will be at 11:00 a.m., lunch at noon.
Bring a topping for our lunch salad bar. We’ll also have a snack table if you want to bring anything else to share with others throughout the day.
Bring your own refillable water bottle or mug, and we’ll cut down on waste.
In the RSVP form, let us know if you can bring things such as your iron, ironing board, etc.
Paint chip challenge: If you’re like some of us and still contemplating what to make for your mini quilt, check out the BMQ Pinterest board or the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild’S board a little inspiration. Let us know in the RSVP form if you’ll be bringing your swap or need to make other arrangements.
New year, new meeting time: Based on feedback, our Saturday meetings will be moved up to 10 a.m. . We’ll plan to meet inside for upcoming meetings, wear masks regardless of vaccination status, and be in locations with space to spread out (this applies for sew days and shorter meetings alike). When the weather is great and we want to meet out in the park, we’ll do that.
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):
Kathy holding her “donuts & coffee” quilt
Ginny holding her Ray Quilt, designed by Carolyn Friedlander
Apryl’s quilted post cards using collage technique.
Jeri’s latest creation
Lynne’s member spotlight show & tell
Fay made this from raffle winnings at Day Camp
Cathy Rogers quilted three quilts from the Sisters of the Hex project.
Delanie designed this from our fav Birch Fabrics
Millissa showing the leaders & enders project that started at Quilting Day Camp
Jeri & Darla’s work on orphan blocks that will go to Artisans for Hope
Apryl’s small Hamilton quilt for her daughter.
Apryl with her collage-style quilted post cards
Nancy’s sweet bee quilt with bear fabrics
Cassie sporting one of the tshirts from Quilt Day Camp
Lynne was in the member spotlight and showed some of her favorite things.
Lynne shared knitting during the member spotlight.
Betsy made this scrap eater of a stunning quilt
Gwen Smith showing her stripes & dots quilt
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).
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
