It's one month until Christmas Eve, which means our Holiday meeting is fast approaching.  This post will have all the information you need if you wished to participate in our make your own ornaments as well as the potluck and gift exchange.  (all are totally optional and nothing is required of you, please feel free to attend and socialize if you wish)   Guests are welcome, come for the fun, don't worry about bringing anything unless you wish to. 

Our meeting is from 12-5 on Saturday December 9th at the Boyle Community Centre.

We will be making Christmas ornaments or a pillow for the program portion.  The 3 options are a folded fabric ball, clear ball filled with fabric snippets and a scrappy appliqué block that could be used as a pillow or a small mini quilt.  The supplies for each are listed below.

Folded Fabric Ball:
(we only have 3 spaces left for this craft so please let us know if you wished to make the fabric ball)
(the pins and foam balls will be provided)
You need to bring- 3 contrasting fabrics that are 2 1/2" squares.  8 squares for the centre and 16 for the other 2 sections. Also bring a strip of fabric to finish the edge maybe 12" x 2" wide and a ribbon for the top. 
And bring your basic sewing kit just in case.

For the Scrappy Appliqué block:
(some fusible is provided)
Bring your fabric scraps, a 12" square of fabric and some fusible web.  We will have fusible webbing to use, but bring your own if you have a specific brand you prefer. ​ Also bring your basic sewing kit. 

We are also collecting a voluntary offering of money to use for our Lear to Quilt Outreach Program at Limberlost so that we can purchase some needed supplies like rotary cutter blades, pins etc. - you know the notions that seem to need to be replaced often.  Please see Veronica for any donations or to answer any questions you might have.  

We hope you come with an empty tummy too as we will have pot luck snacks to share.  Please bring some dish to share, like cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, meatballs- the typical pot luck items.  We have a fridge and stove if needed.  And bring your own beverage.  

One of our members Michaelanne has opened an online shop called Stache Fabrics and Notions and she will be a vendor at the meeting as well.  Lots of beautiful fabrics will be for sale as well as some notions. 

And if you would like to participate, we also like to have a gift exchange.  You can bring a small item that you purchase or make such as a mug rug, pencil case or wide open pouch (as we are all experts on making the pouches from our January meeting) Here are some ideas for you.
​

We hope to see you on December 9th, it's such a fun meeting to attend!  Any questions please let us know. 

​Here is a reminder for our November Meeting that will be held November 11, 2017 12pm-2pm at our new location, Boyle Community Centre, 530 Charlotte St.

Don't forget to wear your newly made personalized name tags!

Here is our agenda:

Policy Updates:

• Library
• Membership

Trunk Show Update

MQG Update
 
Outreach Program:

• Limberlost Student Quilt Raffle - $2 each, 3 for $5 and 12 for $10
• Volunteers needed

Mini Quilt Swap

Upcoming Events:

• Christmas Meeting- pot luck and gift exchange and vendor

Blocks

• If you still have any Guild logo blocks, please bring them to this meeting.

Show and Share
 

When you want to figure out how to make a regular sized quilt block much larger scale- the best way is to have a Secondary School math teacher teach at guild!  And if Sarah teaches her students like this- they are so lucky as she is an amazing teacher!

You can tell when a teacher is doing a demo- there is always a huge piece of paper with steps listed! 

The idea is to take a regular sized quilt block and then make it much larger.  How big do you want the block? Do you want to use the whole block or just a portion of it when enlarged?  Do you want a variety of sized blocks in your design?  We learned it all today at our meeting!  

Sarah brought a bunch of example blocks, and each guild member took a block and then did the "quilty" math to figure out the new larger dimensions.  Here are some of the graph paper calculations, and the possible quilt designs. 

We even have an action shot of Carol colouring her block.

Here are some of Sarah's examples on how to make a quilt top with large blocks.

And these are our show and share quilts.  The maker and pattern name to follow:

And Linda will be demoing how to make a One Block Wonder quilt at our January meeting. 

Here is a reminder for our October Meeting that will be held October 14, 2017 12pm-2pm at our new location, Boyle Community Centre, 530 Charlotte St.

Here is our agenda:
Volunteers Needed:

• Quilts needed for Sarnia Guild trunk show, please bring quilts to Oct meeting. 
• Executive Positions- please sign up
• November lesson- need a presenter

Upcoming Events:

• Hand Sew Happy Hour, November 9th at Anderson Craft Ale
• Canada 150
• Cherrywood
• Christmas Meeting- pot luck and gift exchange and vendor

Blocks

• Please bring in the guild logo quilt blocks and the Michael Miller blocks.

MQG Update

• Swaps sign up
• Member Buzz
• Modern Monthly

Limberlost Student Quilt Raffle:
$2 each, 3 for $5 and 12 for $10
 
Boyle Info
 
Show and Share
 
Large Scale Lesson Supplies Needed:
Pencil, eraser maybe pencil crayons if they have them. We will have some extra pencil crayons if needed.  Do not set up machines until the sewing time at the end as they won't be needed for the lesson.
We will have a open sew-in until 5pm that day.  Bring a project and stay for the afternoon!

After almost a year of anticipation, our guild workshop with Libs Elliott had finally arrived!  25 eager students were up bright and early and ready to start class.  

Libs gave us some of her background about design school, her start into quilting, her quilt commissions and of course her design on the collectable Absolut vodka bottle.  Then we got right to playing a game and coming up with our own unique layout to her Embrace the Chaos quilt design.

We were given a large selection of possible blocks to choose from and once we had picked 5, Libs then started our BINGO style game to come up with the layout for these 5 blocks. 

When we were all happy with the quilt design we took some time to colour in our blocks for reference.  Here are a few of the quilt layouts from the students.

And some students cut out fabric for reference as well as matched the pencil crayons exactly to their fabric selections! 

Mid morning snack break consisted of some wonderful baked goods and home made cookies- thanks to those that knew we would need a sugar fix throughout the day.  Not many left by the end of the day though. 

Here is everyone hard at work making blocks. 

And once we had enough blocks made, it was time to lay out our blocks into our personal quilt top. 

I think this might have been the only quilting class where there was more vodka on the tables than coffee!  Thanks to Libs for autographing all our bottles! 

Thanks again Libs for such a wonderful day!  I can't wait to see 25 finished Embrace The Chaos quilts over the next few months!  

Here are 4 finished quilts at our October meeting Show and Share.  25 students in the class, 4 quilts finished- 21 more to come for Show and Share (but who's counting?)

Cathy from Eagle's Wings Quilts offers English Paper Piecing templates in a variety of patterns.  
Here is a bit of information about Cathy:
As a quilter of more than 30 years, I have constantly looked for ways to push myself creatively. Over the years I have experimented with different patterns, different fabrics and different techniques. I am as excited today by something new as I was 30 years ago.
I started my business, Eagle’s Wings Quilts 12 years ago as a part time long arm machine quilter. It was a wonderful way to express myself creatively, especially when a client told me to do whatever I wanted.
Three years ago I retired from nursing in order to pursue my quilting on a full time basis. Now, I am ready to expand. Eagle’s Wings Quilts has grown into a family business, as I partner with my husband Scott, my daughter Rebecca, son-in-law Matt and son Noel.
We are expanding into a website where I will be able to sell the traditional patterns I have designed over the years. I will also be selling quilting supplies and English Paper Piecing papers and patterns.
Two years ago I joined with three friends to make our own unique versions of Willyne Hammerstein’s La Passacaglia, a challenging but beautiful English Paper Piecing project. I was hooked on the technique, but frustrated by the inability to buy the needed paper piecing shapes at affordable prices on the Canadian market.
Hence “Little Bits”, a line of Canadian made card stock weight English Paper Piecing shapes and co-ordinating acrylic templates was formed. We chose the name Little Bits as representative of the numerous little bits of paper and fabric needed to complete an English Paper Piecing project.

These are few pictures of some of the English Paper pieced projects Cathy has finished in the last few years.  The picture with the quilt draped over the fencing is La Passacaglia, designed by Willyne Hammerstein. 

This quilt with the blue border and the kite shaped stars is Castor and Pollux. The design is a public domain block by Nancy Cabot, but I wrote the instructions in the pattern. ​

If you would like to see more of Cathy's EPP patterns- here is her website:  EAGLE'S WINGS QUILTS 
Thank you Cathy for advertising with our guild. 

Please welcome Linda McLaren as our newest blog sponsor.  Most of you know Linda, she is the one that keeps our show and share going with the many quilts she brings for us to admire.  But if you have ever wondered more about Linda, keep reading!

The Quilting Biker
I'm so excited to be able to offer longarm quilting services and am very happy to sponsor the London Modern Quilt Guild blog!  

My quilting life began in 1994, with a log cabin quilt.  My second quilt was a blazing star for my youngest daughter - she helped decide on the final colour arrangement.  I had learned to sew in the local 4H club, but didn't really enjoy making garments - something often seemed not quite right.  The world of quilting was entirely another matter - I was quickly and completely in love with the colour and design options that were available in quilting.  

For many of my first quilts, I finished them with simple straight line quilting with my walking foot, and some with lines of fun embroidery stitches.  Lots of quilts were completed, but there was also a pile of quilt tops stacking up, waiting for me to be ready to quilt them.  I took classes in free motion quilting on a domestic machine, and a few more tops were compelted, but even more quilt tops were added to my growing pile of tops.

My first adventure in quilting on a frame, began in 2009 with a mid-arm (Pfaff Grand Quilter 12), and I upgraded to a machine with a longer reach (Pfaff Grand Quilter 18.8) two years later.  All that room under the needle was wonderful, and I had great fun developing free motion and ruler work skills.  I also belong to the Chatham Kent Quilters Guild and have enjoyed quilting some of their Comfort Quilts.  My pile of unquilted tops just kept growing.

Along the way, a small library of quilting design books was acquired and loved, and I've also enjoyed taking a number of online classes.  And adding to my pile of unquilted tops.

Over the last two years, I have been researching my next chapter, trying out all the new long-arm machines I could get my hands on.  A decision was finally made, and my new Bernina Q24 is in the house! I added the Bernina QMatic (robotic quilting) component, giving me lots of options.  This beautiful machine also has manual pantograph capability.  Never one to follow a traditional path, I had not done any manual pantographs before this new machine arrived.  

I draw inspration from many famous quilters such as Jamie Wallen, Bethanne Nemesh, Margaret Solomon Gunn, Angela Walters, Judi Madson, Cindy Needham, Deborah Poole, Tracy Russell, Kelly Cline, Karlee Porter, Carla Barrett and so many others.  I have tons of fun trying out new styles and designs.  

My favourite quilting is free-wheeling with free motion quilting, and combining that with ruler work.  My goal for Q4 2017 and all of 2018 is to doodle every day, to build FMQ skills.  

My new business, "The Quilting Biker", is up and running.  I welcome new clients and look forward to working with quilters to respectfully bring their vision for finishing their quilts, to life.  

I also offer Quilter's Dream Batting and a handful of wide backs.  

I would be thrilled to provide a quote for your quilting project.  Check out my Facebook page or BLOG
Or you can Email me at mclaren.linda <@> gmail.com  Thank you!

On Saturday September 16th from 10am to 12pm the Artisans London will have an open house at our new venue.  Come visit us and meet some of our members and see some modern quilts on display.
The open house is at Boyle Memorial Community Centre at 530 Charlotte St.  
Hope to see you there!

This weekend is also DOORS OPEN so while you are out and about, stop in at the other locations on the tour. 

Every wondered what to make with the beautifully coordinated and rolled Jelly Rolls of fabric?  
Well wonder no more, as this Saturday is Sew A Jelly Roll day and we have a few free patterns to inspire you.
​

The fast and easy one is the Jelly Roll Race- Pattern can be found here > wisecrafthandmade.com/2013/02/make-a-jelly-roll-race-quilt/

Another pattern that uses just the jelly roll and no coordinating fabric is the Braid Quilt- pattern here > reannalilydesigns.com/2009/06/the-batik-braid-quilt-tutorial/

And you can even use the solid fabric jelly rolls- this rainbow bargello needs 2 jelly rolls to make- pattern here > letsquiltsomething.blogspot.ca/2014/12/rainbow-bargello-jelly-roll-kona-roll.html#more

Of course you can do your own search for jelly roll patterns, but be warned there are tons online and this will consume a lot of your free time- so get a cup of tea and jump into the world of jelly rolls.
Craftsy has a few right here > www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/04/easy-jelly-roll-quilt-patterns/

Check our guild Facebook page as well and we will post some PDF patterns that use Jelly Rolls- each different than the patterns listed here.
Happy sewing!