Westside Modern Quilt Club - Jan 2018

  Happy New Year!

We've missed our monthly meetings, and with the full house at our January meeting, it looks like you missed us too. 

We started off by talking about our annual challenges. Last year's Transitions exhibit was well received at the NW Quilt Expo and we've been invited to exhibit at the Clark County Quilt Show in April. Our exhibit can include pieces from ANY of our previous challenges. That means it could be a Bridges, The Pearl, Modern Heritage, or Transitions quilt. If you would like to participate, please give your name and phone number to Kristin or Geri and plan on dropping off your quilt by March 15th.

Our challenge for 2018 will be Black and White. You can approach this as conceptually (or not) as you wish. The shortest sides should be no less than 36" and the longest no more than 60." 

Pinecone Kristin was our speaker for the evening. She shared some tips to get yourself organized and Get Things Done in the new year. 

Of course, Show and Tell is the best part of our meetings:

Deslie is the queen of letting the fabric do the work. Her "Wild Bush Flowers" quilt shows off the patterning in the Australian fabric of the same name beautifully.

Karen G showed off her tessellated fall leaves  quilt designed by the inimitable Sandy Rae, a beloved instructor in the shop who may be gone, but is definitelynot forgotten.

Mary Pat brought two quilts to share. The first is color blocks for a recent grad. The ombré fabrics add perfectly to the overall glow .

Mary Pat's second share was a fabulous indigo and taupe quilt who's relatively simple design shows off a fabulous collection of fabrics.

Sandy shared a cute little birdie wallhanging in progress.

Susan B shared her improvisational "crumb" quilt, made up of scraps! Her straight line quilting in overlapping peaks wowed us as well.

Cathy E shared her most recent Modern Baltimore Album oversized block with exquisite machine quilting. She hopes to enter her quilt into a show or two, so it will have to remain somewhat secret for the time being. We wish her all the best!

Please keep your eyes out for our monthly meeting email announcement. We'll be at the Sewing Expo in Puyallup, WA at the end of the month, so we may hold our next WMQC meeting a week early, or skip February. Stay tuned.

Westside Modern Quilt Club -- See you in 2018

It's been a busy few months for us, and unfortunately that's pushed our monthly club to the back burner. We apologize for not getting the word out effectively that our October meeting had been cancelled.

Looking forward into November and December, we see that most everyone's calendars are filling up. Therefore, we've decided to keep it simple and not hold November and December meetings.

Westside Modern Quilt Club will return in January, ready for the new year. We look forward to seeing everyone on the last Wednesday of the month, January 31, 2018, at 6:00.

Expo Excitement and More

We're less than a month away from the Northwest Quilting Expo so things are getting exciting! As the Pine Needle Quilt Shop is one of the drop off points for the quilts to be displayed at Expo our pile of entries grows daily. If you have registered a quilt to be displayed, hurry and bring it in to the shop any time before September 6th.

Check out our two workshops at the Expo as well:

This adorable Iron Caddy which is lined with heat resistant fabric so you can use it to carry your iron to classes and retreats and have your own personally ironing space as well (plus be able to pack up a still-warm iron when the day is done). Check out the Expo class listing for time and date and to sign up.

And, this sewing machine caddy organizer. The quilted pad includes handy pockets for thread snips, bobbins, marking pencils, etc. There's also a pin cushion so you always have a place to put you pins. Check out the Expo class listing for time and date and to sign up.

We had our Westside Modern Quilt Club reveal party Wednesday night. It was convivial as usual, and the quilts for our Transitions challenge are just spectacular. We can't wait for everyone else to see the exhibit at Expo. Club members were asked to reinterpret a vintage quilt (maybe a family heirloom) in a modern way. The variety both of starting points and interpretations is inspiring.

Our Fall catalog is just about ready to be mailed. We've got lots of new quilts and kits to entice our customers. Our new samples are already hanging in the shop and we're busily making kits to go with them.

Mark your calendars for Open House on September 15th and 16th! We'll have demos, our teachers will talk about their upcoming classes, and fabric designer Marcia Derse will be on hand Saturday to tell us about her fabulous new line of fabric, Treasure Hunt.

We can't wait to share a super September with everyone!

Westside Modern Quilt Club July 2017

Our meetings are pretty casual, and Geri seems to have a never ending cache of Oli and Lena jokes to start us off with a cheeky smile.

She also showed off some gorgeous digitally printed fabrics from P&B which we'll be restocking in September, and 100% wool dryer balls which are new to the store and perfect for fluffing up all your laundry without using dryer sheets. Geri also demonstrated that folding your quilts on the bias will help prevent creases and prolong the life of your quilts, especially when stored.

Next month (August) will be our annual pot luck party at the park, where we get to unveil our challenge quilts and turn them in for our exhibit at Northwest Quilt Expo, so of course the details are top of everyone's mind. The image below has all the important dates and information on what to submit and when. If you are submitting a quilt for our Transitions challenge, pick up an Expo catalog at the shop to fill out the entry form, or download it here. Make a copy of it before you mail it in to Expo and turn that copy in with your quilt. We'll be displaying a 14"x 20" (portrait orientation) "poster" of your inspiration quilt, block, or other image, next to your challenge quilt, so be sure to note the picture information below. Because there is no charge for this special exhibit unless you want your quilt judged, we ask that you have your poster created at COSTCO yourself and turn it in with your quilt (this simplifies coordination for us as well). Click the image to see it larger:

Business taken care of, it was on to the fun part. This month we were honored to have Annette McFarlane from our local Studio Art Quilt Associates pod bring a trunk show of 50 small art quilts for us to enjoy. These were small pieces which reflected the huge range of aesthetics and techniques employed by members of SAQA.

We're pretty confident in saying that everyone really enjoyed looking at all the pieces in the trunk show and learning the stories and techniques behind them. More than a few were inspired to go home and try some new things.

Show and Tell was lots of fun and very varied as well. 

Darlene brought a beautiful quilt that was a study in light and shadow:

She also surprised Geri with an oldie but goodie quilt she made from a Pine Needle kit designed by our dear friend and teacher, Sandi Rae.

Elisa brought two quilts. The first is a bubbly Christmas Wreath created to showcase equally exuberant long arm quilting inspired by a class with Rob Apell.

The second quilt is a vintage quilt she beautifully long arm quilted for a customer.

Virginia brought another quilt from her book on the US money system. This one is based on the African proverb that a bundle of sticks is stronger than a single stick. To reinforce the concept (and because she's runing out of time to complete the quilts before exhibiting them at Expo), she plans to have the quilt in a frame at the show so that anyone who wants can help quilt it.

Linda made this smallish quilt as a test for a king sized version she's making for her daughter as a wedding present.

Molly recently went on a knitting tour of Estonia and brought some of her purchases to share. The intricately patterned knits also inspired her to make a quilt with lots of mitten blocks, which she brought, in progress:

Diane showed us her exquisite Fire Island Hosta quilt from a Judy Neimeier pattern. You may recognize it as Dianne and quilter Kazumi Peterson won the President's award at the NW Quilt Guild show last spring. 

Debbie showed off a striking black, white, and red wall hanging of her own design...

and a black, grey, and chartreuse work in progress, hoping to get a little feedback on what direction to take it. We think she got some excellent suggestions.

Patty shared a sweet and simple grand baby quilt she's working on with a friend. The pink and gold is a little outside of her comfort zone, but we all think it's fabulous!

Janet made a super cute Elf Hat quilt, complete with ricrac in the border!

The prolific Deslie brought a box of roomy fabric bags she made to donate to Outside In. These will be great for filling with toiletries and needed items for the kids, and also uses up a bunch of fabric so Deslie can replenish her stash with new patterns.

Deslie also shared two fun quilts. We are partial to the one on the right which makes fabulous use of one of our favorite Anthology batiks.

Pat brought a quirky dimensional quilt which will be inspiration for another quilt she's been commissioned to make, based on the upcoming eclipse, and using a vintage bedcover from the Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood. We're curious to see where Pat's imagination takes her.

Remember that next month's meeting will be at Millennium Park, just down the street from The Pine Needle. If you've made one, bring your Transitions challenge quilts, the inspiration photo on poster board, and a copy of the entry form you will have already submitted to The Northwest Quilt Expo. See you then!

Westside Modern Quilt Club - June 2017

Freshly back from four retreat sessions in Washington and Montana, Geri shared crazy country song titles in lieu of a joke. We imagine everyone who went on the retreats had a fun time riffing off the cowboy theme.

The August meeting will be at Millennium Park and we will share our challenge quilts. If you've made a challenge quilt, please download two copies of the entry form, one for Expo and one for our organizational purposes. There is no charge for your entry unless you want it judged or it needs special handling (rolled). At the July meeting we'll talk about getting posters printed at COSTCO of your inspirational quilt.

Kathy White passed on a request from the Metropolitan Patchwork Society. Ruth Ann Marquist is collecting flannel to be used in washable feminine hygiene kits for girls around the world. If you have flannel to donate please bring it to the July meeting and Kathy will collect it. Otherwise contact the MPS.

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. 


Mary Ann spoke to us about the project last year and gave us an update which included well deserved growth in the program. A separate program pays for the fistula repair surgeries which helps many young women, and Beyond Fistula helps with after care in the form of counseling, scholarships, and job training. Mary Anne's part, Quilts for Empowerment, is part of 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. They are refining their one of a kind product line made from African fabric and personalized with hand stitching using embroidery floss. Products include table mats, table runners, aprons, as well as ornaments and decorative quilts that often tell a woman’s personal story through her stitching and choice of fabric. 


They have recently added sturdy tote bags with a "story quilt" panel. The full time seamstresses receive a salary and enrollment in a Business and Savings Training course developed in Africa, which is culturally specific. All have the opportunity to go to school or vocational training as payment. Thank you Mary Ann for giving us insight into the lives of these young women and their efforts to overcome adversity.












Show and Tell:
This month's Show and Tell was short, but sweet.

Linda's quilt was a retirement gift for a friend. All the blocks represent things she hopes the friend will do in the next chapter of their life.

Carole brought two quilts, one made from silk ties and tailor's wool given to her by a friend. 

The second was a vintage quilt which she repaired and finished. It's old but has a very modern aesthetic.

Deslie shared a quilt she made using our Elements pattern. It's design perfectly showcased the fussy cut Alison Glass flying geese fabric. Deslie also shared a pro-tip: if your quilts are no larger than lap sized they don't take so long and you can make more of them! 

Don't miss our July meeting meeting (last Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm): Annette McFarlane from our local Studio Art Quilts Association chapter will bring a trunk show of 50 small art quilts for us to enjoy. There will be a huge range of aesthetics and techniques to study.

No May WMQC

FYI, Westside Modern Quilt Club would normally meet on May 31st (the last wednesday of the month) but because our retreats are happening at about the same time, we won;t be having a meeting this month.

Please join us next month, on June 28th, when we'll be back to our regular schedule.

We're always interested in ideas for speakers or programs, so please let any of us Pinecones know what you want to see and hear.

Thanks!

Westside Modern Quilt Club March 2017

 We had a fun night in March, starting with some very silly texting for seniors jokes from Geri. 

Catching up on news, the Clark County Quilt Show is this weekend! Go check it out at the fairgrounds in Ridgefield, WA April 6—8.

The Mid-Valley Quilt Guild is having their annual show April 20—22 at the Polk County Fairgrounds in Rickreall, OR.

Don't forget about our Aboriginality Challenge: bring in your quilt, garment, bag, etc, 40" wide or less, by April 15th. We'll display the works until June 15th. We'll have a viewer's choice winner too!

We're also thinking about our Transitions challenge for the Northwest Quilting Expo in September. Check previous blog posts for details, but basically, your modern quilt (any size) inspired by a family heirloom or otherwise inspirational older quilt is due by August 15th. We'll have our usual potluck and unveiling at Millennium Park. We'll pair the quilts with a poster of their inspiration. More details to come on the poster, but be thinking about having a photo that you can print out at COSTCO.

Lilly is coordinating an exhibit of our Tribal Winds challenge quilts at the Lake Oswego Library to celebrate their remodel. If you participated in tribal Winds and have not yet gotten your email info to Lilly, please call us at the shop to get connected.

For our main presentation, our own Kristin La Flamme led us through four steps to critiquing our quilts from an art point of view. Getting beyond "like" or "don't like" when we are analyzing our use of colors, scale, composition, or perhaps even intent, can help us grow as artists and makers. We learned to first Describe, then Analyze, then Interpret, and finally (if desired) Judge. Then we broke into four groups and practiced our investigative skills with a variety of Kristin's quilts. Moving around and discussing in small groups was a great change of pace.

Show and Tell was short but sweet, and our favorite part of the evening as always.

Cathy brought her flannel pinwheels which she had originally made as a class sample, and now it will be raffled at her church to support their Mission program.

Lorie and Lilly participated in our Quilt Till You Wilt pizza party. They used the "2 For One Best Friends" pattern which cleverly lets you cut once to make two quilts. These will be donated to the NW CARES program.

Mardi shared her Farmer's Wife quilt. The blocks all have meaning to her and many reflect specific likes such as fishing. Check out our Facebook page for another photo of this beauty!

Robin's Quilt As You Go "Family Album" is so fun and unique.

Theresa brought her pretty — and seasonally appropriate, "Road to Ireland." 

Westside Modern Quilt Club January 2017

Happy New Year! After too many snow days in December and early January, we enjoyed seeing so many smiling faces at our January meeting.

To start the new year off on a convivial note, Geri had everyone wear name tags and then she called on each person to introduce themselves and tell us a bit about their quilting story.

Geri brought us up to speed on our "Transitions" challenge to be exhibited at the Northwest Quilt Expo in the fall. The challenge is to take a traditional quilt or block that means something to you and create a modern interpretation of it. We want to have a poster sized image of your inspiration to hang next to your finished piece, so keep that in mind as you take photos or collect inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration, our fabulous volunteers have organized a field trip to The Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook:

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2017 Time: 1:00 pm (in Tillamook) Place: 2105 Wilson River Loop Road Tillamook, Oregon 97141 Admission Fee: $4.00 (payable at door)

We still have a few spots left in a carpooling van (fee is $15 which covers fuel and admission). Please call to see if there is room (503-635-1353). Those going in van will meet at The Pine Needle at 9:30 am - van leaves at 10:00 am! Otherwise, bring a friend and meet us in Tillamook for this special tour! Leave early and grab lunch at Tillamook Cheese Factory! PLEASE RSVP by phone (503-635-1353) so that we can let Latimer know how many people to expect! At the meeting, Geri also announced another challenge, Aboriginality! Our Pine Needle customers have been buying lots of the aboriginal design fabrics, and we want to see what you are making with it! Bring in your creations (anything made with 70% or more of the aboriginal fabrics, and up to 42" wide) by April 14th and we'll display them from April 15th until June 15th. We'll have prizes based on viewer's choice so bring in friends and family to vote on their favorite pieces. After filling us in on the challenges, we were treated to round robin style demonstrations of several clever log cabin and curved rulers, plus some fun coloring products. Of course, no Westside meeting would be complete without Show and Tell. Linda R started us off with one of her quilts made using the curved ruler she demonstrated. Check out that pop of green too -- it's pretty close to Pantone's color of the year, Greenery, which Geri introduced us to earlier in the meeting. Marlene brought the gorgeous quilt she made at last summer's retreat.  Alicia shared her cheery black and pink creation. Deslie designed this lap quilt herself which shows off the rich fall colors in her inspiration fabric. As always, she's incorporated her leftovers into a handsome tote bag! Michelle found these low volume squares at a great price so she sewed them together into this sweet little quilt and excellent showcase for her machine quilting. Marilyn showed off her Robert Burns inspired appliqué and embroidered Thistle quilt which she also designed herself.  Susan B wowed us with this baby quilt she made for her niece. She liked it so much, she decided not to give it away (don't worry, she made another quilt for her niece). Susan B also made this ebullient hexie medallion. Sisters Carol and Barbara brought a family heirloom made by their great grandmother. This lovingly preserved crazy quilt has been in their family for generations. Linda D brought a fun baby quilt too. Her's highlights colorful elephant artwork by her cousin. More green and black and white! Linda D designed this bold quilt, and... this one is the same design, just made up in completely different fabrics. It's amazing how much fabric choices change the look of a quilt and make each one unique to it's maker. Kathy W shared her happy quilt, made using our Illumination pattern, which she'll donate to CARES. She pieced the backing using a formula she found in Bernina's downloadable newsletter, Through the Needle. Thanks to everyone who came out for the meeting. We look forward to seeing you all on February 22nd, the last wednesday of the month, if we don't see you on the 11th for the Latimer field trip.