March Meeting

A lively group filled the classroom at Strawberry Patches for our monthly meeting. President Christy announced the dates for several events and quilt shows:

• Best of the Valley quilt show, April 12-14 in Lindsay: http://www.botvquilts.com/
• Home Machine Quilting Show, May 8-13 (deadline for entries April 13), and there is a new modern quilting category: http://www.hmqs.org/
• Hoffman Challenge (projects made with specific Hoffman fabrics), deadline July 19: http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/
• Long Beach International Quilt Festival, August 2-4, Long Beach Convention Center: http://www.quilts.com/home/shows/viewer.php?page=SummerFestival
• International Quilt Market and Festival, October 31-November 3 (deadline for entries April 26, and a modern quilting category is included). Details at http://callforentriesmodernquilts.com/
• Bolts to Bindings All-Day Sew, Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m.-midnight; potluck; limited to 20 participants; call the shop for sign-ups, 873-4691.
• Heart of the Valley Shop Hop, May 3-5; 11 shops are participating from Bakersfield to Turlock: http://heartofthevalleyshophop.com/

Don't forget our sew-in on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bolts to Binding. Come for a little while or for the whole time! Bring whatever sewing project you'd like to work on, and a snack to share if you'd like.

Also next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., BMQG Program Chair Pam Gavin is teaching the Science Fair quilt, from the pattern by Julie Herman (Jaybird Quilts) at Strawberry Patches. Call or visit the shop to sign up; 835-1738.

Laura led a game called, "What's in the Bag?" Twelve sewing-related items were placed in a tote bag, and players had to guess what they were by feeling the shapes inside the bag. Many creative techniques were demonstrated in trying to determine the answers.  :-)

We had an awesome show-and-tell session (see lovely projects and their lovely makers below).

Pouch-a-Palooza: Nicci demonstrated the making of a zippered pouch, offering lots of helpful hints and tricks to guide us to success. We'll have a pouch swap at the April meeting, along with a recap of QuiltCon, the inaugural conference of the Modern Quilt Guild, from our members who attended.

Wrap-Up:
Check out the free zone - sewing/quilting items that are no longer needed/wanted by their original owners may be claimed by whoever would like to adopt them. Unclaimed items should be taken home by the person who brought them.
We're accepting donations for our prize basket - sewing tools, fat quarters, etc.
Bring your finished zippered pouch in a brown paper bag to the April meeting for the swap.

Submitted by:
Laura Haywood
BMQG Vice President