While the Cat's Away...

While the cat's away the mice will play! Geri and crew are at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA this weekend, and while they are working hard there, the Pinecones staying behind at the shop are having a sale!

Selected fabrics with (all these in the photo above) are a mere $4.99 per yard. We've also got Marcia Derse half yards, selected fat quarters, our Awesome Odds, and fabric by the ounce all discounted 40% to 50% off. And, for those who like to add a little texture to their work we've got a table full of interior design samples for 50 cents each.

If you can't make it to Puyallup, we hope to see you in the shop in Lake Oswego February 25th through 27th.

February2016 Westside Modern Quilt Club Meeting

What a pleasure it is to see our classroom fill up on meeting nights. It must be the jokes!

Geri went over the challenge details (see previous post) and announced that in lieu of a March meeting we are organizing a docent-led tour of the "Contemporary Native Photographers and the Edward Curtis Legacy exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. It will be on March 30th at 10:00am. Please call Geri at the shop to sign up.

Quite a few ladies shared their log cabin variations (our "assignment" from last month). Maryanne cut a log cabin block and rearranged it in many variations to great effect. Cathy played with width. Rosalind's were a very pretty red and aqua. Mary Pat's were wonky and inspired by the colors of a sunset. Betsy brought a log cabin quilt she made as a mystery, and while the blocks were traditional, she had a lot of fun experimenting with different layouts. Kathy knit her log cabin!

Geri showed off our new Me + You batiks which have a great, flexible aesthetic. They pair perfectly with each other, especially for a Modern vibe, but are also equally comfortable with traditional batiks or prints. By the way, we love them in this "Illumination" quilt kit.

The best part of the night though, was Rachel Kerley, our guest speaker this month. In her charming, humorous style, she shared her quilts philosophy on making. She strives for excellent craftsmanship paired with flexible, improvisational design (she likes cutting with scissors because it "creates a look of unstraightness"). Though she uses prints almost exclusively, her style is Modern because, as she says, "It's not the paint that makes it Modern, it's the painter."

Show and Tell:

Cathy shared an art quilt inspired by a Beach Walk and a tree scene inspired by a class with the late Joan Colvin.

Deslee brought a triangle quilt in rich batiks.

Holly and Susan Dottarar made a fun school auction quilt featuring the childrens' handprints as umbrellas.

Robin brought a stunning red and white quilt (that was exhibited at IQF's Ruby Jubilee in Houston last year), showcasing the art deco architecture of the Chicago Board of Trade building.

Sandy showed off a bright diamond quilt made from a friend's collection of Hawaiian fabrics.

Keep bringing your Show and Tell, we love to see everyone's creativity.

Westside Modern Quilt Club 2016 Challenge

The Westside Modern Quilt Club's annual challenge has been well received for several years so we are very much looking forward to the next exhibit. The following are all the important details about participation and the quilt specifications:

• The 2016 WestSide Modern Club Challenge is Modern Heritage and will debut at Northwest Quilting Expo in September 22-24 2016. 

• The challenge is open to anyone wishing to honor the heritage of the Northwest Native Americans in a Modern Quilt format (please avoid decidedly pictorial solutions). 

• Your piece must measure either 32x44 or 48x66 and use a minimum of 1/4 yard of the Benartex fabric Sevilla in gold (see the photo below).

• It must also have a 4 inch sleeve attached to the back of the quilt for hanging. 

• We also request you enroll with The Pine Needle to participate at the time you receive your fabric  

• The initial due date for the finished piece will be by August 31 at which time we will have the Big Reveal potluck party at Millennium Park in Lake Oswego at 6pm.

We are also organizing a private docent tour at the Portland Art Museum which is featuring an exhibit entitled Contemporary Native Photographers and the legacy of Edward Curtis.  It will be a powerful visit.

Also if you want some additional inspiration...........a good read is The Short Night of the Shadow Catchers.  It's focus is Edward Curtis and his love of the native American culture, and is one of Lake Oswego Library's LO Reads books for 2016.

For further information feel free to call The Pine Needle and ask for Geri.  She can fill you in, or plan to attend one of the WestSide Modern meetings either February 17 or March 30 at 6pm.

Super Bolt Sunday

It's Super Bolt Sunday all weekend long at The Pine Needle!

Come on in today for deals on sample quilts, select fat quarters and half yards, and more. Then you can sew while watching the game. Or, come in on Sunday while everyone else is glued to the TV.

The Pine Needle is Prepping for Puyallup

Come see us in our two booths at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA from Feb 25th through 28th.

  

The Pinecones are busy preparing for the show -- we're choosing fabrics and notions to bring, cutting and assembling kits, and sewing up samples to inspire our customers.

We've got snuggly flannels like misty greats and creams for our Highland Crossroads quilt (above), and absolutely adorable prints for self-binding baby blankets -- a quick, easy, and super-cute solution for the next baby in your life (below). 

We're proud to have Mary Fons in our booth as well. We'll be showcasing her new World Piece fabric collection gathered by country. We're busily sewing up lovely samples that make efficient use of these fun bundles.

It's not just about quilts. We've got smaller projects too, like the Noddlehead 241 bag and Market Tote patterns which shows off special fabrics beautifully.

We hope to see you there!

Westside Modern Quilt Club January Meeting

The house was packed at last night's Westside Modern Quilt Club meeting!

Geri started us off reiterating that the club's mission is to expand our skills and knowledge, and to that end she'll be presenting the group with optional exercises, challenges, small group get-togethers and more. The first exercise is to explore the possibilities with a log cabin block. Let's see how how many variations members bring to the next meeting, Feb 17th!

This year's exhibit quilts will be inspired by Northwest Native Americans. Geri gave out details of size and some ideas for an exhibit title. We're looking forward to what everyone comes up with by August!

It's always fun to see what everyone is creating after the fabric leaves our shop. Here's some highlights from Show & Tell:

Deslee Waters' "Happy Quilt" for her granddaughter

Sandy Vick's Kittens quilt (pattern by Elizabeth Hartman) proves that batiks can look modern when used with a modern design and a white background.

There was a bit of an Elizabeth Hartman theme since Colleen Barnhardt brought a Fancy Fox variation she quilted for Wanda Brouse.

Susan Dottarar brought her "Big Girl" quilt she made for her granddaughter.

Cathy Erickson wowed us with her micro quilting and showed us design boards of the quilt she's making featuring one of the Pantone Colors of the Year.

Mallory Jarboe entertained us with her sweet pillow-pocket for her grandson.

And Nancy Stanley showed off her first ever paper pieced project (and second quilt project).

The main event was our presentation by Jody Houghton. She walked us through her creative process when designing fabric panels and accompanying line of coordinates. Hearing how she starts with a theme and her "characters," then adds a color palette inspired by that theme, chooses a few key elements or icons, and then works through creating repeating patterns of various sizes was educational and inspiring. Whether we work modern or not, the principles of design and the creative process is essentially the same. Many in the audience were undoubtedly taking notes so as to incorporate a process like Jody's into the creation of their challenge quilt for August.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday February 17th at 6:00 at The Pine Needle.