BMQG: Mug Rug Swap Reminder!

Hi all!  Just a reminder that we will be having our first swap at the next meeting, June 1st!  

Please bring a mug rug with the theme of "Summer"!  Interpret this however you would like! Bring it wrapped up in a brown bag or other covering device. ;0p  Whoever brings a mug rug (if you aren't able to, we understand!) will leave it on the table, and we will all pick one up and exchange at the end of the meeting!

Have fun!  Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!  

BMQG Summer Challenge - Cast your VOTES

GUESS WHAT!

BMQG has signed up for the next Modern Quilting Challenge. Now that we are up and running, I thought this would be a fun time for us to do something as a group. One project will be determined by the guild, whether it be a mini quilt, full size or wall size quilt.

The challenge is for each person to create something using the same fabric line, only interpret it in their own way. Free Spirit will be donating the new line by Jay McCarroll called "Habitat"

This line was just awarded Fabric of the year by Fat Quarterly.

You will only be able to use solids to add into the quilt, each participant will receive a bundle of the Habitat fabric to use for this challenge.

As a group we need to decide on a colorway that we all want to work with. We will all be using the same colorway so cast your votes now for your favorite by leaving a comment on this post.

JEWEL TONES

BRIGHTS

EARTH TONES

Choose your favorite, and leave a comment. Challenge starts in just a few months but we need to put our request in with Free Spirit now.

Meet Christy!

Welcome to our first ever BMQG Member Feature! Every month we will have a special blog post featuring one of our amazingly talented members. Each member has been given a series of questions to answer so that we can all get to know each other better.

And now, without further ado, we are pleased to now turn our attention to our own, Christy Hall!

Christy was born April 10, 1966 and has been married to her husband, Richard, for 10 years. She has an 8-year old son, Nathan, two cats (named George and Moose), and one naughty puppy named Harry. Let's give it up for Christy!

BMQG: How many years have you been quilting?
Christy: Off and on for about 15 years.

BMQG: What inspired you to start?
Christy: Many years ago, someone gave me a copy of Make a Quilt in a Day by Eleanor Burns. I knew how to sew and the steps seemed simple enough for me to follow. I made queen-sized quilts for my Aunt and Grandmother. I've learned a lot since then.

BMQG: What is your favorite part of quilting?
Christy: I love picking out fabric. If I could just skip from picking out fabric to having a quilt complete, I'd be very happy. :)

BMQG: What is your least favorite part?
Christy: Basting. It gets harder and harder to crawl around on my knees pinning quilt layers!


BMQG: Do you have a specialty?
Christy: I'm good at anything WONKY.

BMQG: Do you enjoy any non-quilty sewing?
Christy: I like to make tote bags and crayon rolls for gift giving. I also like to make shorts, pajamas, and fleece hoodies/jackets for my son.

BMQG: Have you been featured, received recognition, or won any awards?
Christy: I volunteer for Optimal Hospice's Seamstress program. Last year they asked me to make a Memory Quilt for a woman who had recently lost both of her parents. She loved the quilt and I was featured in Optimal's monthly newsletter.

BMQG: How did you find out about the Modern Quilt Guild?
Christy: I can't remember exactly. I read quite a few craft blogs and I think I saw it mentioned on one of them (and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found it!).


BMQG: What about modern quilting are you most drawn to?
Christy: I really like that so much of it is up to your own interpretation. I love using fresh vibrant colors. I'm learning to see inspiration everywhere. I think modern quilting is helping me to look at things differently, to see quilt possibilities in different places, such as architecture and nature.

BMQG: Is there anything else we should know about you?
Christy: I'm a perfectionist and tend to be very critical of my own work. Also, I really want to do free-motion quilting, but it scares me!

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Christy! Oh, and for anyone who doesn't know, Christy makes the BEST coconut macaroons...yum! Stop by and visit Christy on her blog Mama Said Sew.

The sew in is coming!

(Find this cute print at  Aunty Cookie!)

Rev up those sewing machines!

This Saturday is our monthly Sew-In over at To Quilt 'n Sew.

Come on down with your latest project and join us for some sewing, chatting, and snacks!

The sew in starts at 10am and runs through 4pm, but feel free to come whenever you can during that time.

May 14th 2011 Saturday   
Open Sewing Mingle 
Location :: To Quilt 'n Sew
3510 Allen Road #102
Bakersfield, CA 93314
(661) 589-8863

Irons and cutting table are provided.  

Please feel free to bring a snack to share with the group if you would like to. 

See you all on Saturday!!

Member Features

Hello ladies! In an attempt to get to know one another better and have fun showing each one of you off a bit, we will begin our Member Features very shortly. I have sent questionnaires to everyone on our updated email list, but there may be a few of you who have not received one. If so, please email me, Jen, at mj-and-co@hotmail.com so I may forward one to you.

Please remember to fill these out and return them to me as soon as possible. Each of you will be randomly chosen to featured here on our blog. Some of you have already filled them out and returned them to me; thank you!! I would love to have these from each and every one of our wonderful members, though, so if you have not filled yours out yet, please remember to do so before you forget. We want to hear from YOU! :)

I hope everyone is having a happy May so far!

April Meeting Recap

Thank you to everyone who came to our April meeting!  There were some really wonderful quilts that were shared this month! 

 Pam's amazing Circle of Geese Pillow 

 Lana's Fish Improv Quilt Top

Christiane's Applique Flower Quilt

Christy's mug rug 

(Really, I just love Christy's cute face in this picture. ;0) )

We all had lots of fun playing with the three Accuquilts this meeting!  I think "Accuquilt" was put down on a lot of birthday and Christmas wish lists.

Discussions

Meetings:  We have officially changed our meeting days to the first Wednesday of the month from 6-8 PM at Strawberry Patches.  There will be no meeting during May, although we will have a sew in on Saturday, May 14th.  So our next meeting will be on June 1st.

Officers:  We now have officers!  I think we have a great team going on here. ;0p

President: Terri Harlan

Vice President: Jennifer Sterk

Secretary: Megan Van Sciver

Treasurer: Nicci Pannell

Program Coordinator: Lynn Douglass

Mug Rug Swap:  We are having our first swap!  Anyone who is interested please make a mug rug with the theme of "SUMMER" in mind!  Interpret this any way you like!  Then at our next meeting on June 1st bring your mug rug in a little brown bag, and then everyone who participates will get to take one home!  Have fun and get creative!  

Name Tags:  At our next sew in we will be working on our name tags!  We thought it would be a fun way of expressing our own quilt-y styles and help us to all get to know each other better.  If you don't have a chance to come to the sew in, please feel free to make a name tag at home!  

Please send us an e-mail or leave us a comment if you have any questions!  

Happy quilting!

Next Meeting :: Accuquilt Go! Mingle

Since before we started holding meetings, after I heard about how fantastic these machines were. I knew that it would need it's own meeting for us to play around with it. Accuquilt has generously donated a machine for us all to have a Go!  If you have considered purchasing one, this will be the icing on the cake.

We will be playing with the newest model that has just been released call the Go! Baby fabric cutter. This machine is lightweight and very portable. It still does everything that the larger machine promises.

Norma has also volunteered to bring in her Studio cutter so that everyone can see the much larger version as well.

Please come down and enjoy this wonderful gift with us at our next BMQG meeting this Saturday 4/16 from 2-4pm at the NEW strawberry Patches. The new building is located directly across the parking lot from the old shop on Ming Avenue.

Supply List::

Please bring fabric to play with that you would like to use in the cutting machines.

There will be scrap option available but if you have a project in mind now is a good time for that to.

Bring a smile to ;)

We will see you there in the new Beautiful and BIGGER room at the Strawberry Patch.