Madrona Road Challenge Update

We hope you are all working on creating something fun with your bundle of Madrona Road fabrics! The challenge is to use the fat 1/8th bundles, combined with solid fabrics of your choosing, to create anything you'd like. You may also use any colorway or combination of the Madrona Road line. The Modern Quilt Guild has requested that you post pictures of your progress and your finished projects to the flickr group set up for the challenge. Michael Miller will be checking the flickr group pictures, and they may select some of the projects for display in their booth at Quiltcon. 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

We had a great tutorial at our Saturday meeting! We learned how to use prairie points to add a little pizzazz to tea towels. I'm going to be making some for Christmas and hostess gifts! What quick gifts are you making for Christmas this year?

Upcoming Meeting and Other Fun Stuff

Our next meeting is Saturday, September 15th, 2:00 - 4:00, at Strawberry Patches. Christy has been making an adorable Halloween quilt using Spider Web blocks. She will be showing the rest of us how to make this fun, easy block! During our show 'n tell, you'll have a chance to share the project you've made with the Perfect Polaroid Blocks we swapped at the last meeting. Pam has made another pillow, using Halloween themed Polaroid blocks. It's a fun, whimsical piece, and she'll be teaching the class at Strawberry Patches on the 17th @ 10:00. We are so blessed to have such talented and creative members in our group!

Our sew-in for this month will be held on the 22nd at Bolts to Binding, from 10:00 - 4:00. If you want to bring your lunch, we have use of the frig and microwave in the kitchen area. There are plenty of places nearby to go and pick up something. Bring a snack to share and a project to work on, and enjoy the fellowship and fun that this group has to offer! If you've never attended one of our meetings or sew-ins, a sew-in is a great way to check us out!

If you are making a quilt for the Bolts to Binding color challenge, the quilt has to be turned in by October 1st. The color for this challenge is a particular orange solid that the shop carries. The quilts will be displayed, and customers can vote on their favorite quilt. The winner will receive a gift certificate to spend at the shop. If you need more information, you can call Bolts to Binding at 661-873-4691.

QuiltCon opened for registration last week, and several of our members will be attending. What a great opportunity to be in the thick of things at the first convention of the Modern Quilt Guild! If you want to find out more about QuiltCon, visit their website at http://www.quiltcon.com.

I'll be on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so I'll miss the meeting and the sew-in. As much as I'll miss everyone, I'll be enjoying the company of my son. I haven't seen him since March, and I'm needing some face time! Enjoy the meeting, sew-in, time with fellow quilters, and be good to one another.

Until next we meet,

Lynn
President

Question of the Week

This week's question is about what you listen to while working on a project. Do you listen to music, audio books, the t.v.? What gets your blood pumping and ready to create? 

Meeting Wrap Up

Last Saturday's meeting was all about adding Piping Hot Binding to your projects. Susan Cleveland has an awesome ruler for measuring and trimming your piping, and it's well worth having in your basket of nifty gadgets! Susan has also created a couple of great video tutorials on YouTube. Be sure to watch both tutorials to learn the tips and tricks of adding this fun trim to your quilts! 

As always, we also had a great show 'n tell! Cindy made an opportunity quilt for Relay for Life. She used all of the soothing colors of water and added some appliqued water lilies to it. On the back, she added a panel that lists all of the things that cancer cannot do! What a great, encouraging piece of art!

Nicci shared her Daisies and Bubblegum quilt. It's a beautiful girly quilt! The tutorial for this quilt can be found on the blog of Cluck Cluck Sew. 

Liz is expecting a little boy in July, and he was more than happy to serve as mama's design wall! Liz drafted the block pattern and is using luscious Kaffe Fassett fabrics. 

Mark your calendars for next Saturday, April 28th, for our monthly sew-in. We will be meeting from 10:00 - 4:00 at Strawberry Patches. Bring a project, something to snack on, and join us for a day of fun! 

Until next we meet,

Lynn

President, BMQG

Sew-In Saturday

It's time for Sew-In Saturday! Woot woot! If you've been wondering what the Bakersfield Modern Quilt Guild is all about, pop into the sew-in and find out! Bring something to work on, or just drop by to visit. We are a very relaxed and friendly group, and we welcome sewers and quilters of all levels and styles. Tomorrow's sew-in is at Strawberry Patches, 6433 Ming Avenue, from 10:00 - 4:00. Be there or be square! ;-)

Question of the Week

We have decided to start posting a question each week, to see what everyone thinks or knows about a particular topic. If you have questions you'd like to see asked, e-mail them to bakersfieldmodernquiltguild@gmail.com. Our first question of the week is:

When did you start quilting, and what prompted you to start?

Color Play Class With Nancy Rink

Award-winning quilter, author, designer and teacher, Nancy Rink, will be teaching a color theory class for our guild on Saturday, December 10, 10:00 - 3:00, at Strawberry Patches.

If you have signed up for the Color Play class and don't yet have your supply list, please e-mail me at LongarmLynn@aol.com, and I'll e-mail it to you. The Ultimate 3 in 1 Color Tool by Joen Wolfrom, is required for the class. The Joen Wolfrom book, Color Play, is recommended, but not required. As of this morning, Strawberry Patches had 8 of the color tools and one copy of the book left. The class is a half day, hands-on workshop, and lunch will be provided. (The class is full) *Please bring small/medium cutting boards, as we will be sitting 4 to each table. If you don't have one small enough, there will be a few extras available.*

I look forward to spending time with my BMQG friends, learning skills that we can all use in our future quilting adventures!

Lynn

Your Friendly Neighborhood Program Coordinator

October Meeting Habitat Challenge Reveal!

We all started with a project that most of us thought " what do we do with this".  Watching the transformations of this "out of our element fabric", forming into quilt projects has been quite an amazing journey for our guild. Creative genius came out of each member with an interpretation of what this fabric spoke to them, and resulted in the best eye candy a quilter could ask for.

Our next meeting Saturday October 15th from 2pm to 4pm over at Strawberry Patches quilt shop will be just that. The long awaited reveal of this several month long project. We are very excited for everyone to share the story of their journey making these quilts.

We also have a new swap reveal planned so come on down for a bit of fun, and bring a snack if you'd like to. We can't wait to see everyone on Saturday!

July BMQG Meeting ~ Introduction to Applique with Pam Gavin

Our next meeting is a stunner for sure. Our very own award winning Pam Gavin, will be teaching us an introduction to applique.

For those of you who have always wanted to try this, now is your chance. Pam has kitted up some fun little things for you to try as well as a few giveaways up her sleeve. I promise you won't want to miss this one.

BMQG Meeting is Wednesday July 6th from 6:30pm-8:30 pm at the Strawberry Patch Quilt shop

Pam has asked that everyone bring a few small items to participate in the activity.

Please bring (*items with star are optional if you have them)

small scissors (for cutting paper & fabric)

Small paintbrush or makeup brush (unused and clean)

* small task iron

*starch

*stiletto/ awl/or wooden skewer

*Straw needles #11

*needle threader/eye glasses

*Roxanne Glue baste it

If you do not have these items, please still come down, we hope to have plenty for everyone to share and learn the technique.

Don't forget to bring a friend and be eligible for our BMQG drawing box to win some quilty goodness as well.. Each friend you bring down is an entry for a great prize.

We will see you there.

Member Feature-- Meet Pam!

We are happy to introduce to you another of our fabulous Bakersfield Modern Quilt Guild members, Pam! (seen here on the left, with her sister, Susan)


BMQG: Tell us about yourself.

Pam: My name is Pamela Gavin, aka Pam or mamadeduski- a name one of my kids gave me during a board game. Born sometime in July; sorry, no details. I am an RN and critical care educator currently working at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital with over 35 years in nursing. I am married to a wonderful husband who is a practicing dentist and a mother of three college-aged adult children. I am excited to learn and explore new ideas in fabric. I have many sewing friends and sewing has been a lifetime hobby.



BMQG: How many years have you been quilting?

Pam: I have been sewing since I was a teenager in Home Economics class. I've been sewing quilt tops and a little home decor for the past 11 years. I've made approximately 15 quilt projects, with only a couple which have not yet been quilted. BMQG: What inspired you to start?

Pam: My love of sewing and creating my own clothing was inspired by a friend's mom who sewed regularly. Quilting started when my daughter wouldn't wear my lovely creations anymore and I took a quilt class at Strawberry Patches. The class met for three sessions and I thought you had to have all of the blocks made in between class sessions. So, by the end of the third class I was ready to assemble my quilt. I believe in doing your homework!


BMQG: What is your favorite part of quilting?

Pam: I like every part of quilting, including choosing the project, picking out the fabrics (playing in the coloring box), prioritizing what needs to happen, and then getting to my machine to construct. For applique, it's the relaxing part of sitting and hand stitching the pattern pieces in the evening after a long day of work.


BMQG: What is your least favorite part?

Pam: Complex piecing and getting all of the points to square without knocking off the points. "Stinkin piecing" I would call it, but I am getting over it. I can machine stipple a quilt, but I prefer a gifted and creative long arm quilter to quilt my projects. I can embroider quilt designs onto small projects or do a quilt-as-you-go project, but for large wall-hanging to full size quilts, I leave that creative process to the experts.





BMQG: Do you have a specialty?

Pam: I've enjoyed various methods of hand applique, with the starch method as my favorite for the quick and expert results. I also like machine embroidery and hand stitchery.


BMQG: Do you enjoy any non-quilty sewing?

Pam: Childrens' garments, sewing pillows, and I've also made a few bags and mini mats (mug rugs!).


BMQG: Have you ever entered a quilt show, etc.?

Pam: Yes, local area quilt shows.


BMQG: Have you been featured, received recognition, or won any awards?

Pam: Yes, for hand applique. I recently won first place in the 2011 Best of the Valley for hand applique for my "Vintage Christmas" quilt which was expertly quilted by Lynn Douglass.





BMQG: How did you find out about the Modern Quilt Guild?

Pam: I went to the meeting at Strawberry Patches and also have seen more patterns with modern twists. The Flickr site has many amazing pictures of adventures and misadventures in modern quilting. I love reading some of the blogs and seeing how young modern women are interpreting fabrics and quilt blocks into quilts. Modern quilters are rule benders and have embraced the quilting industry with a new twist on old patterns.


BMQG: What about modern quilting are you drawn to? What inspires you? What would you like to try?

Pam: I am drawn to the modern fabrics and there are so many patterns with interesting color combinations which are much more out of the box. I am willing to try a bee or swap or group project. I don't care for some of the color combinations or layouts, but I am willing to try. I don't care for poorly constructed or ugly un-useful projects. Good design is good design! My old brain is beginning to enjoy the improvisational aspects of modern quilting. I love functional art. I am inspired by the younger generation's twist on old quilt patterns and the use of geometrical yet asymmetrical layouts. I am learning again!BMQG: Is there anything else we should know about you?

Pam: I am a Christian woman devoted to God and His plan for my life. I spend way too much money on fabric (I fall in love easily with new prints) and am currently on a diet (for weight loss). I'm de-stashing, so anyone looking for cotton fabrics, SEE ME!


Thank you so much, Pam, for taking the time to answer our questions and allow us to get to know you better. Isn't she so talented? You can keep up with her projects on her Flickr photostream. And we are very fortunate to learn from her expertise on applique at our next meeting, July 6th! It is so much fun to get a better glimpse of our fellow BMQG members!!!

Sew - In Saturday

If you missed the last Sew-In over at the Quilt and Sew, here is your chance to come have some fun with the group. Bring your machine, hand projects (even hexies) or whatever project your working on. I won't name names, but I saw someone hemming pants last time. *wink* *wink*

That is what this day is for! Mingle with the group, get to know one another, and sew anything you want!

Robin our hostess is awesome, she has all the tables set up, 3 irons with boards for you to use as well as a cutting table large enough to accommodate us all. She has also let me know that many bolts of Kona came in last week for us to play with as well as a few new prints to.

March 12th 2011 10am -4 pm  Saturday Open Sewing Mingle
Location :: Quilt and Sew
3510 Allen Road #102
Bakersfield, CA 93314
(661) 589-8863

Hope to see you there

Our next BMQG meeting will be on Learning Improv and will be held March 19th at the Strawberry Patch.

As always, please email me if you have any questions or simply leave a comment.

Upcoming Events

Excitement is growing I have received another box of great goodies for you all. I am excited to meet everyone. Here is a list of the schedule so far.

January 22nd 2011 Saturday Meet and Greet. 2-4 pm
Location :: Strawberry Patches
6439 Ming Ave # C
Bakersfield, CA 93309-6713
(661) 835-1738

See the link for details on this event

February 19th 2011 Saturday First Meeting. 2-4 pm
Location :: Strawberry Patches
6439 Ming Ave # C
Bakersfield, CA 93309-6713
(661) 835-1738

The first meeting will open topics that relate to you as the meeting attendee. We will be sharing quilts, discussing topics and laughing lots.

We hope to see everyone there.



February 26th 2011 10am -4 pm  Saturday Open Sewing Mingle
Location :: Quilt and Sew
3510 Allen Road #102
Bakersfield, CA 93314
(661) 589-8863

This will be our opportunity for a chance to bring your sewing machines down to teach, learn, and watch. We also plan on doing lots of sharing and chatting. Great chance to mingle with other fellow modern quilters. Robin has a spacious studio room that she is donating for this event.

All in all there will be one meeting per month, and one day for open sewing. you have a chance to get together with everyone twice a month. We will see you there.