Notes from WestSide Modern Meeting - March 26, 2014
Bridge Quilt Update
June 1st is the deadline for the Bridges of Portland Quilt. We will have an unveiling at the end of June and the quilts will debut at NW Quilt Expo in the Fall. Our long term goal is to hang them at the Portland Airport and then send them to the Houston International Quilt Show.
Choose one of the 10 official bridges in the Portland Metro area, including Oregon City and the new light rail/walking bridge and come up with a "Modern Interpretation," not an exact replication. So far 53 people have signed up to make a quilt. We don't want it to be a miniature or a gigantic quilt. We are asking everyone to use at least 1/2 yard of waterfront park fabric by Violet Craft for Michael MiIler. Be sure you have a sleeve and use the Expo guidelines for sizing. We also need a short story (paragarph or two) of why you chose your bridge.
Don’t share your quilt with anyone until the unveiling so that each quilt is an expression of the creator.
Inspiring and Humorous Quilting Quotes
Geri shared some inspiring quotes about quilters...
"I’m creative... I don't have to be neat."
"If there are no quilting bees in heaven, I’m not going."
"The only place housework comes before quilting is in the dictionary."
"Quilters effect eternity."
New Fabric Previews -
We were the first ones in the country to see some new fabrics from Windham designers Marcia Derse and Carrie Bloomstein. They won't be here for at least 2 months, but we are taking pre-orders.
Carrie's fabric features dripping paint, paint brushes, paint chips, newspaper prints, newspaper print in colors, a color wheel, tonal textured pieces.
Marcia's new fabric is called botanicals - painterly fabrics. They are in the store. Come on in to see the entire collection.
Guest Speakers
We heard from some fabulous guest speakers.
First up was Janet Murdoch and Carol Parks who shared hints about how to prepare your quilt top for a long-arm quilter.
- Run a stay stitch around the outer edge - especially if it’s heavily pieced or there are pieces on the bias.
- Use a smaller stitch length if you are going to sub-cut a lot
- Check the seams and have them all the same way if you’re going to stitch in the ditch.
- Avoid heavily piecing your back if it’s for a show or its going to be heavily quilted - the seams will show through....especially if it’s a light colored quilt.
- Remove selvages on the backing because they are taught and the rest of the fabric sags
- Press seams on backing open
- Keep the grain of fabric going the same way on the backs so it stretches evenly
- If a large quilt is densely quilted, it needs to be blocked on the floor.
- If your backing is a little small - add some strips of sheets to get it 6-8” larger than the top
- Allow enough time to design the quilting with your long-armer. What you don’t like is almost more important than what you do like. It helps to give your long-armer a little latitude.
- Draw a doodle of the scale of what density of quilting you’re looking for.
- If there are problems somewhere on your top.... fess up to your quilter so they won’t be surprised when they encounter it.
We know that quilts tell a story, and Rachel Kerley shared her life story and quilting story with us. It was filled with much laughter and even a few tears.
Some of our favorite Rachel quotes...
"It may not be done... but it's finished."
"This quilt was rejected by a charity as 'too ugly' ... but my dogs sure love it."
"I love the bow-tie block... 5 pieces of fabric, 3 seams, and no pins!"
"I'm not square... so my quilt doesn't have to be."
You can see the progression of her work and evolution as a quilter by looking at her quilts.
She found this old wedding ring quilt and fell in love with it because the quilt speaks to a moment in time - the 60’s - They were the quilters favorite fabrics and scraps - it tells a story. This is why Rachel quilts - quilts have meaning for her.
2006 faded memories - from a Moda charm pack.
This is the first quilt she quilted on a longarm.
Rachel's husband has a signature green color that is in every quilt.
ahh - the 30's fabric
Moving on to circles, spirals and open space.
Kite Quilt
The bento box morphed into black and pastel.
Three Rail Fence - blues and greens - used for teaching women in prison to sew.
She started playing with curved piecing - (another green quilt) -
depicting Jackson School - wheat fields rippling.
There's a great inside joke in this quilt. Ask Rachel.
“Portland Peel” pieced peel.
It has no raw edges and no fusible!
She made templates for it and used linen for the background.
String Quilt Revival
Wonky flying geese - english stripping style- modified Eleanor Burns method
Low volume improv quilt. “I am not square, so my quilt doesn’t have to be.”
Ray Eams mid century modern - sticks and stones
This un-quilted log cabin uses low volume fabric and sticks and stones in border.
Log Cabin left overs became her Splat quilt.
And here are a few more...
Join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, April 30th.
Bring your Pantone Orchid challenge block and any show and tell you'd like to share.
