Wednesday, November 29, 2017

October 2017 Meeting Recap

Our October meeting included some business and the always enjoyable show and tell. Let's start with the business:

  • Entries for the QuiltCon 2018 quilt show are due Nov 30. Log into https://www.themodernquiltguild.com/ for details.
  • Next meeting: December 16 for our Holiday Party! Please sign up on the spreadsheet to bring something to share, or email modknoxville@gmail.com if you can't access the doc.
  • At our December meeting, we will vote for 2018 officers. Additional nominees are welcome! We would love to see more people get involved in guild leadership (hint, hint). The current slate is
    • Chair: Jennifer Grace
    • Special Events Coordinator: Michelle Bolt
    • Education Coordinator: Sarah Elliott
    • Secretary: Elizabeth Rea
    • Treasurer: Christy Cooper
  • Kits for sections of our QuiltCon 2018 Charity Quilt Challenge were handed out. They are due back to Elizabeth at the December meeting. If you're unable to attend, email modknoxville@gmail.com for a mailing address.
  • Seven quilts and quilt tops were collected and sent to the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild for their charity efforts following the tragic shooting in October.
  • The Tennessee issue of Quiltfolk is available, with a feature article on the KMQG! Visit https://www.quiltfolk.com/ to order a copy, or look for one in local stores. 

Now on to the show and tell!

Our guild's finished quilt top for Las Vegas
 
Ginger Swail

Screenprinted fabric by Emily Doane, with help from Melissa Everett

Vintage quilt top from eBay, deconstructed and remade by Pat Pike

Emily Doane's English paper piecing
 
Sandy Donoho

Sandy Donoho

Sandy Donoho

Sandy Donoho

Phyllis Dermer

Jean Bentley

Jennifer Grace's Marcelle Medallion

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Free Pattern by KMQG's Sarah Elliott

Big news, folks! Recently, KMQG member Sarah Elliott designed a quilt pattern that was accepted and published online by Moda Bake Shop, a great source of free patterns for all different kinds of sewn and quilted projects. Sarah's design, called In Good Company, is a real beauty, and she was kind enough to let us share it with our blog readers here. Visit Sarah's website, QuiltModerne, to see more of her beautiful work.

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Hi Everyone!

​Meet In Good Company, my first tutorial for the Moda Bake Shop!

IGC is my take on a traditional friendship star quilt. I had a lot of fun playing with scale and alternate grid work. I used Natalia & Kathleen's upcoming fabric collection for Moda, Thrive. I am crazy about the limited, modern palette and linear designs in the prints. I'm so happy I have leftover fabric, because I'm going to need to make another quilt and possibly some pillows with the panel that comes with the FQ bundle. Thrive ships in October. (However a quick internet search confirmed it is available for pre-order at Fat Quarter Shop.)

I was very lucky that my annual trip to Michigan fell at just the right time to get some beautiful shots of the quilt with Lake Michigan as a backdrop. My photography skills are a work in progress so I was grateful to have the beautiful blue waters of one of the Great Lakes in the background. If you have a few minutes, I'd love it if you'd check out the tutorial over at the Bake Shop.

-- Sarah

Sunday, September 24, 2017

September 2017 Meeting Recap

We had an enjoyable September meeting, with a good balance of business and sewing for our latest charity quilt project. First, the business.

Retreat
The KMQG Fall Retreat will be held at The Lodge at Douglas Lake in Sevierville from November 9-12, 2017. Our retreats are always a lot of fun, and members are looking forward to a few days of distraction-less sewing and creating. Would you like to join us? Good news! We've opened the retreat up to nonmembers, so reserve your spot today! You can stay 1, 2, or 3 nights at a cost of $50 per night. (The price may change slightly if the group size is less than 12.) If you're interested, sign up using this form. A 50% deposit is requested at time of reservation, with the balance due by October 21.

Holiday Swap
We've decided to organize a little swap between members, with gifts to be exchanged at our holiday party on December 16. Watch your email for more information and email modknoxville@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Donation
The KMQG will make a monetary donation to Westminster Presbyterian Church in appreciation for the use of their meeting space at no charge. The church is raising funds to build a pavilion on the property.

Officer Nominations for 2018
Nominations are open for KMQG officer positions for the 2018 calendar year. Elections will be held at the December 16 meeting, with roles and responsibilities transitioning in January. If you're interested in holding an office or have questions about any of the positions, please email modknoxville@gmail.com. Offices are: Community Chair, Special Events Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Secretary, and Treasurer.


Next Meeting: October 21, 2017 from 10:15-12:00 at Westminster Presbyterian Church

And if you've read through all of that and lasted this long, it's time for show and tell!

Jean Bentley

Hand-painted textile by Melissa Everett

Screenprinted textile by Melissa Everett

Hand-quilted artwork by Misty Benson

Phyllis Dermer - Quilt 1 front

Phyllis Dermer - Quilt 1 back

Phyllis Dermer - Quilt 2 front

Phyllis Dermer - Quilt 2 back

Sandy Donoho

Sandy Donoho

And that's not all! The meeting wrapped up with a sew-in to finish assembling our next charity quilt for The Restoration House of East Tennessee. We used Angela Pingel's Cracker Scraps tutorial for these blocks.


Sunday, September 17, 2017

August 2017 Meeting Recap

The KMQG's August meeting included an exercise related to the guild's design for the QuiltCon Charity Quilt Challenge 2018. Everyone brought their colored pencils and markers, and we colored a design mock-up to get the creative juices flowing.







It was really interesting to see how different the same design can turn out based on fabric choice and placement. The group has voted on a design and palette, so there's more to come on this project front. 

As for other news, plans are coming together for the guild retreat at The Lodge at Douglas Lake from Nov 9-12. If you're interested in attending for 1-3 nights, email modknoxville@gmail.com for information. Cost is $50/night if we have at least 12 attendees. (The price per night goes up slightly with fewer than 12 attendees.)

Our favorite part of any meeting is always show and tell, and August was a particularly impressive one!

Melissa Everett - from the Sherri Lynn Wood workshop we hosted in July

Hyoung Kim - from Emily Doane's Color Wheel Workshop held in May

Megan Boatwright

Sarah Elliott rescued this vintage quilt top from a thrift shop in Michigan

Sarah Elliott designed this pattern, In Good Company, for Moda Bake Shop. Find the free pattern at http://www.modabakeshop.com/2017/08/in-good-company-quilt.html

Cathy Parks - from the Sherri Lynn Wood workshop we hosted in July

Michelle Thompson





Michelle Thompson

Pat Pike
 
Yvonne Fisher

Yvonne Fisher

And finally, we showed this quilt (below) in last month's meeting recap, but now it's quilted and looking even more beautiful! Jennifer Grace used her longarm machine to quilt our Cool Butterflies charity quilt, made with blocks sewn by members. The quilt will be bound and given to an upcoming graduate of The Restoration House of East Tennessee, the local nonprofit that the KMQG supports.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

July 2017 Meeting Recap

We welcomed a number of visitors at our July meeting and even picked up a couple of new members! After a bit of business, we enjoyed a round of show-and-tell and then Jennifer Grace gave a presentation on improv quilting.

Our 4-patch hourglass quilt for The Restoration House just needs binding and then it will be ready to gift to an upcoming graduate. Thanks to all members who contributed colorful blocks, Elizabeth Rea for piecing the top, and Jennifer Grace for longarm quilting.


Our next Restoration House quilt top is ready for quilting. These cool-colored butterfly blocks make for a calming, peaceful quilt. Thanks to all members who contributed blocks. Blocks for our next charity quilt, Cracker Scraps, are due at the September meeting. You can find details here.


Members shared their recent finishes:

Jean Bentley
Jean Bentley
Sarah Elliott
Sarah Elliott
Phyllis Dermer
Phyllis Dermer
Megan Boatwright