WestSide Modern May Meeting Notes

Hi-Lights and Emerging Trends from Quilt Market

• Cotton and Steel by RJR
  5 designers. Watch for their fabric in September.
   

• American Made Brand
  Solids by Clothworks in Seattle

• americanmadebrand.com

Having trouble finding fabric that is truly Made in USA? Look no further. American Made Brand Fabric by Clothworks is here. 100% cotton shirting, grown in America, woven in America, dyed in America, and at a price point you can afford. Now that’s cause for a quilting celebration! Let’s raise the Betsy Ross. But first take a minute to run your hand across some beautifully soft cotton made by your neighbor. It feels wonderful and is only available at independent quilt shops and other fine fabric retailers.

* We'll be getting packets of solids of these at our June WSM meeting! The challenge will be to bring a small quilt to the Fall Open House.


Click here to see the AMB fabrics we have now.

They're doing a blog tour of all 50 states.  Check it out here!

• Stitchery is in!  We're seeing lots of substantial stitchery on quilts, not red-work style but to accent your quilt.  This book is a good resource and is in our shop and on our website.

• Hexagons are Huge 
  Big or small, hexagons are everywhere.  We'll be offering our Sexy Hexies class again this fall.
  
  
  
  
  
• Civil War/Period Pieces are coming back and being used in different ways.  Mix them with large scale prints and solids.
  Here's what we have now!  Reproduction Fabrics
  
  
  
• Houndstooth is everywhere!  Cozy Cotton Houndstooth
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Low Volume Prints are being used for backgrounds.
  Here are some starter staks.
  http://www.pineneedlequiltshop.com/shop/product/low-volume-color-stak-12-fat-quarters/
  
  
  
  
  
  
• It's the Year of the Deer! 
  Deer are showing up everywhere.
  
  
  
  
  
•  Metallics are making a comeback.  Look for subtle dustings and tone on tones. These will mix well with other cottons.
  
  
  
  
  

  Batting! Batting! Batting!

  Carol Parks and Janet Murdock gave us all kinds of information about batting.  

  • Did you know that batting is directional and has a top and a bottom?

  • The smooth side goes down if there's a scrim on the outside.
    (Scrim is the binder or thin netting/fabric that the cotton is needle punched through for stability. It is sometimes on the outside and sometimes on the inside of the batting)
  • If the scrim is inside the batting, the ball side goes down.
  • Dark fabrics can show more bearding, so use dark batting.
  • If you want lots of loft and to see definition with your quilting, double batt it.  Put the wool on the bottom and a cotton or poly on top.
  • If you are making an "Art Quilt" or want a flat quilt, use a thin batt or even a flannel, just so the stitches have something to sink into.
  • The crinkled look comes from the bating shrinking when washed.  Check the packaging for shrinkage percentage. Pre-wasehd fabric with non-preshrunk batting achieves the best "pucker".
  • Wool batting is actually the coolest and lightest batt because it breathes.
  • Heat Press Batting Tape is a fantastic product for joining scraps of batt together. "It's the duck tape of batting."
  • Silk and wool batts are nice for hand stitching.
  • The tighter the quilting, the less warm and cuddly the quilt will be.
    
    New Books just in:
    Click on the book to get more information and look inside.
    
    
    
     

    
    
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Show And Tell
  
  
  

  

  Betsy's Mystery Quilt - She didn't like it until Janet Murdock quilted it.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Elisa's Fall Leaves

  
  

  

  Janet's Scrap Cross Quilt - with low volume background fabrics

  
  

  

  Carol made a cross quilt using scraps and a low volume background fabric. She calls it  "O-Positive"

  
  

  

  Lauren - used Marcia Derse fabrics

  
  

  

  Mallory's - Pop Rocks

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Bridges of Portland Now! Information and Quilt Entry

WestSide Modern

Bridges of Portland Now!

You can download your entry form here.

Information

• It is free to have your quilt displayed at the Northwest Quilting Expo in September.

• Turn in your quilt information sheet to Geri at The Pine Needle or email it to friends@pineneedlequiltshop.com by June 15^th. 
  (Not your quilt… just the form)
  

• The Bridge Quilt reveal will be in July (date TBA). Please don’t reveal your quilt to anyone until then!

• If you would like your quilt to be judged, you need to complete the
  Northwest Quilting Expo form and pay $15 by August 15^th.  
  Entry forms can be found at:  nwquiltingexpo.com/enter-your-quilt

• Drop off your completed quilt to The Pine Needle beginning August 15^th.

• Please feel free to call The Pine Needle if you have additional questions (503) 635-1353.

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WestSide Modern

Bridges of Portland Now!

Quilt Information Form    (This form is due June 15^th!)

Your Name:                _________________________________________

           

Your Phone #:            _________________________________________

Your Email:                _________________________________________

Name of Bridge:        _________________________________________

Name of Your Quilt:  _________________________________________

Quilt Dimensions:      _________________________________________

Inspiration behind your quilt (100 words or less)

________________________________________________________________

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Focus on Batiks

April WestSide Modern Meeting - Focus on Batiks

At April 30th's meeting, we focused on batiks.

At first, "Modern Quilters" wouldn't touch batiks, but the modern and traditional worlds are starting to converge and we explored all things batik.

Reba, from "Majestic Batiks" was our guest speaker.  She's a local girl and her family owns Majestic Batiks. She recently returned from Indonesia and shared all kinds of information about how batiks are used and made.  She even got to be part of the dying process!  WE learned that Indonesia is made up of 13,000 islands, has 365 languages, and just as many styles of batiks. Batiks are a tradition in Indonesia. They don't use them for quilts... it's too hot for quilts on the equator.  They are used in clothing, sarongs, bags, etc. 

The process includes dying the fabric once, putting it out to dry in the sun with soda ash. Wax is apllied and the fabric is stamped with hand made copper tjaps for each color in the design. The fabric is bleached and rinsed after step, put through a "no bleed" process, through a hand cranked machine and placed in the sun to dry.  It takes 6 days to make one bolt of fabric! 

The Pine Needle carries her color-fast batiks. Look for them here!

 

Tjaps for new designs

Hanging to dry after first 3-die session (day 3)

Hand waxing process (day 4)

Geri gave some tips on how to use batiks in modern quilting.

 Mix them with solids or blacks and whites.

Use them in a modern pattern.

 

More tips on working with batiks:

Needles:  Use 80/12 Schmetz Universal needles for going through the heavier cloth.  Change your needle every 8 hours.

Thread:   use 50 wt. thread

Mary Ellen's Best Press - spray 8-12 inches away from fabric.  it crisps up pre-washed fabric. 

Synthrapol:  to pre-wash batiks and set the color.  To test for color fastness, spray the fabric with water, iron it or rub it onto muslin to see if it bleeds.
 
Rotary Cutter - use a sharp blade

Challenge Block - Orchid

We shared challenge blocks from our February meeting using the Pantone Color of the year - Orchid.

Show and Tell

And last but not least... the ever popular Show and Tell - Wow - what a talented group of women.

Ann Crowder won Mo Biddel's Fat Quarter pack at an earlier WSM meeting and made this Avalon Quilt.

The Avalon pattern is from International Quilt Festival 2011/2012

Barbara's - Canby Quilt Guild 15th Anniversary

Barbara's Table Runner

Connie Brown's - Half Baked

Connie's quilt for her Granddaughter's High School Graduation

Mallory's Triangle Quilt for her Grandson

Nancy's Honeycomb quilt from the book, "Modern Patchwork" by Elizabeth Hartman. 
 It has Minky on the back!

Sally's Missoula Flood Quilt

Sandy's Sexy Hexies  - from the pattern "Science Fair" by Jaybird Quilts

Join us On May 28th for our next meeting.

March WestSide Modern Meeting

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.