Sunday, March 26, 2017

March 2017 Meeting Recap

We welcomed a large group of modern quilters at our March meeting, including a few new faces. We've seen record attendance at our meetings so far in 2017, which is fantastic! If you aren't a member but would like to learn more about the KMQG and what we do, come to a meeting and check us out. Our next meeting is April 8, 10:15 social start at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

First, a quick review of some business we covered at our March meeting. Then we can get to the fun part -- show and tell!

The quilts that the KMQG collected for Gatlinburg fire relief were donated to survivor groups this past week. Thanks to the generosity of our own members as well as the Greenville Modern Quilt Guild, Memphis Area Modern Quilt Guild, and others, we distributed 21 QUILTS! Can you believe it?! We'll share a full recap and pictures of those quilts soon, so stay tuned. (If you're on Instagram, you can see a quick video posted on our feed, @knoxmqg.) Thank you to everyone who helped us provide comfort to this community in need.

On a related note, our guild decided to donate two of our past Quilt Con charity quilt collaborations (below) to an upcoming fundraising auctions at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, also in Gatlinburg. The school lost 3 buildings on its main campus in the fire, and the proceeds from the auctions this spring and fall will go toward their rebuilding efforts.


Quilt on left, inspiration on right

The collection deadline for butterfly blocks for our next Restoration House quilt has been extended to our April 8 meeting. Please make blocks in cool solids - blue, green, purple. More information and a link to a tutorial is available here.

Sign-ups remain open for the Color Wheel Mini Quilt workshop on May 20. Find information here -- you can pay online via PayPal or in person at the April meeting. We ask that you please pay in advance so that kits can be assembled before the workshop.

NEW CHALLENGE
Michelle Bolt led the program for this meeting, giving a presentation inspired by QuiltCon and the "conversation" of modern quilting and other art forms. Michelle highlighted the connection between modern quilt designs and artwork and other art forms and talked about how all these creations come together to have a conversation. This discussion led to a new challenge for KMQG members: a mini quilt that has a conversation with a piece of art. You can find all the details here. Contact modknoxville@gmail.com with questions.

Okay, that's more than enough business. Yeesh. Let's get to the show and tell!

Cathy Parks

Taylor Opel

Christy Cooper

Rosalind Woodard

Elizabeth Rea

Mary Beth Meadows

Melissa Everett

Sandy Donoho

Rosalind Woodard




Melissa Everett

Patty Ashworth

Phyllis Dermer

Patty Ashworth

Pat Pike

Melissa Everett
Rosalind Woodard


Spring Mini Quilt Challenge


Assignment: Fall Down a Rabbit Hole

Create a mini quilt inspired by a piece of art. Dimensions must be no smaller than 6” x 6” and no larger than 24” x 24”. Mini quilts are due May 20.
  1. Pick a piece of art that inspires you. It may be classical or contemporary. It may be a two-dimensional work or a three-dimensional work. It may even already be a quilt! Feel free to use Google image search with any of the artists below until you find something that is inspiring and interesting to YOU. Please, “fall down the rabbit hole” of searching until something grabs your attention. When you decide on your art, print it out, or save it, and look at it daily for a couple of days.

    Frank Stella, Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, M.C. Escher, Bridget Riley, Sonia Delaunay, Kenneth Noland, Lucienne Day, Maija Isola, Ashley Havinden, Ilonka Karasz, Agnes Martin, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, Donald Judd, Georgia O’Keeffe, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Alexander Calder, Richard Serra, Hans Hoffman, Chris Johanson, William LaChance


  2. Create a mini-quilt that has an interesting “conversation” with this piece of art. It could be directly inspired by it. It could use similar shapes or forms but with different colors. Or it could use the same colors but in a more traditional pattern. Don’t judge your quilt in your head as you go, just be free to create. All that matters is that YOU like it, so work with some colors or ideas that you enjoy. Also, you could feel free to try something new or different to you, to stretch your self a bit. It is ok if it turns out differently than you first imagined. If you feel “stuck,” come to the April meeting and talk with your colleagues about it, getting stuck and unstuck is a part of the process. Remember, your quilt is only half of the magic, the excitement happens when you put the mini quilt and the art together. The idea is to see what exciting “conversation” emerges between them.

  3. Bring your finished quilt to the guild meeting May 20 along with a printed image at least 4” x 6” of your artistic inspiration. We would love for you to share what inspired you and how you arrived at your mini quilt, what your unexpected detours may have been along the way. If you share your process on social media, remember that we may even play a game of matching images to quilts, so you might not want to give it away before May 20. Also, please add little triangle sleeves (tutorial in April) to the upper corners of the back so that we can insert a dowel to hang it in our June show.
  4. HAVE FUN! It’s all about enjoying the journey and challenging yourself in a way that makes YOU inspired.
 

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Color Wheel Mini Quilt Class: May 20


Do you have trouble choosing color palettes for your quilts? Have no fear! Using some of my favorite solids, we will construct a color wheel quilt that you can hang in your sewing room to inspire you!  You will also receive a handy printed reference that explains the some of the basic color relationships, so you’ll learn some basics of color theory that will help you build your own gorgeous color schemes!

Our mini quilt will finish at about 24” x 24”. Techniques we will learn/use: curved piecing, color theory, using a template.

Cost: $20.00
Instructor: Emily Doane
Date & Time: May 20, 2017, 10:30-1:00
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN
Reserve your spot by filling out this form. The fee may be paid in advance via PayPal or in cash or check at the meetings on March 18 or April 8.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
  • Twenty 4.5” x 9” rectangles in a rainbow spectrum (These will be provided to you!)
  • Four 12.5" x 12.5" squares in a neutral color/print for the background
  • 6" x 12" rotary cutting ruler
  • Scissors for cutting paper
  • Fabric pen/pencil OR pattern weights (Grab some heavy metal washers and crochet around them for some pretty pattern weights!)
  • Basic Sewing Kit - fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, and seam ripper
  • Rotary cutter with a new sharp blade & cutting mat
  • Coordinating thread for piecing
  • Sewing machine in working order
  • Notebook and pen to take notes if desired
  • Irons and pressing mats will be provided