Despite hot weather and a potentially warm meeting room, we had a nice turnout (and with fans, a comfortable temperature). Geri let us know about upcoming classes, and new fabrics. We have a fun floral in stock by
Kathy Deggendorfer who might be recognizable from her posters for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. We might even like the supporting fabrics better than the main floral! Geri also showed off a test copy of Quiltfolk, a magazine we hope to see soon from Michael McCormick (who spoke about his
Gabby Quilts books last year).
One word for this month's joke: "Ew!"
We had our last challenge update. The reveal party will be August 31st at Millennium Park at 6:00. That means no Westside Modern meeting at The Pine Needle in August, but meet us at the park to see the quilts so many of you have been working on. Also, there will be no meeting in September as Geri and team will be working on and at the NW Quilting Expo.
If you have a quilt for the Tribal Winds challenge, bring it on the 31st (bound and with a hanging sleeve) along with the entry form found on
NW Quilting Expo's exhibit entry page. Please write "Westside Modern: Tribal Winds" in the notes section. You do not need to pay the $20 entry fee unless you wish for your quilt to also be judged as part of the larger quilt show. Please also bring a 75-ish word synopsis of the inspiration and concept for your quilt. If you can't make it to the August 31st reveal party, please turn in your quilt and paperwork to The Pine Needle before that.
On to Show and Tell, what fun!
Cathy showed off her hexagon quilt top. She's been working out a unique way to assemble her quilt without any hand sewing!
Darlene shared the cozy wool quilt she made for her brother. She quilted the feathers herself on her home machine.
Deslie showed off two lovely quilts she made from scarves she no longer wears. Simple and sublime. Of course, there was also a matching bag.
Elisa C shared the Gravity quilt she made in Pam's class. It has a gorgeous mix of computer and hand guided quilting. There will be a Gravity quilt special exhibit at Expo, so be sure to check it out.
Judith calls this her "Which Side is the Front?" quilt. One side is Storm at Sea and the other is an artful variation of the same blocks but with a somewhat different layout.
Marlene shared her Lone Star quilt with fun fabric choices. There's blueberry fabric in there which she had purchased in Maine (of course). Marlene also talked about working with her long arm quilter on choosing just the right computer-guided design, scaled to look like custom work, for the perfect mix of special and affordable.
Oops, I forgot to get the name of this lady who shared her lovely Log Cabin with a modern layout.
Our July Speaker was Mary Ann McCammon. She's a local art quilter who has traveled several times to Eldoret, Kenya to help the
Beyond Fistula program there. Obstetrical fistula is a medical condition resulting from difficult childbirth. Women who become pregnant at a young age or who are small statured because of poor nutrition are at higher risk for fistula, and this condition is primarily seen in Africa and South Asia. Mary Ann shared with us some of the stories of the program in Kenya and the young women helped by it. A separate program pays for the surgeries which can help many, and Beyond Fistula helps with after care in the form of counseling, scholarships, and job training. Mary Anne's part,
Quilts for Empowerment, is a vocational training program sponsored by Beyond Fistula. The quilting program provides obstetric fistula survivors with an opportunity to learn a new skill, gain self-confidence and earn income by making quilts. All of the quilts are one of a kind products made from African fabric and personalized with hand stitching using embroidery floss. Products include table mats, table runners, aprons, as well as decorative quilts that often tell a woman’s personal story through her stitching and choice of fabric. Mary Ann told us amusing stories of her time in Eldoret, and shared some of the stories of the young women she worked with, as well as photos of them and their charming quilts. She also brought a selection of little quilts for purchase. There will be a Fundraiser on November 20th at which guests can meet Christine Fox, the program director (and "den mother") for Beyond Fistula in Kenya. They hope to raise $12,000 for supplies through the sale of hand made quilted products and a silent auction. The Fundraiser will be held at the Wine Country Barn in Newberg, OR.
