August 2016 Minutes


The August meeting of ECMQG was held at its usual location on Saturday, August 13, 2016.  President Natalie called the meeting to order at 10:05.  

We celebrated two months of birthdays - July and August - with fat quarter lollipop gifts and a birthday song.

Vice-President Cindy updated the group about our current charity projects.
  • Some members have made heart blocks for Quilts for Pulse to send to the Orlando MQG to make quilts for first responders and those affected by the Orlando shooting in June.  Blocks are due this week.  Quilts are due September 15th.  Loree is collecting the blocks.  Our guild has blocks to send and several quilts in the works.
  • The opportunity to make a charity quilt for entry at QuiltCon East is underway.  Wendi and Cindy purchased fabrics in the chosen colors a couple of months ago.  A design has yet to be chosen; it must incorporate elements of scale - tiny, small, medium, large, larger, etc. After a brief discussion, Marcia said she'd be able to quilt it.  This project is now our Q3 charity project instead of our Q4 project simply because of logistics.  It takes longer to plan and craft a quilt.  Please let Cindy know how you can help. 
  • Drawstring bags for our local Ronald McDonald House is an ongoing project and can be turned in anytime.  We moved this to our Q4 charity project.  All bags made and given by November meeting will be donated during the first part of December.  Guests at RMHC use these bags for everything from toys to toiletries, especially the families going back and forth to visit patients in Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.  Some members asked if the fabric choices must be limited children's prints.  No, they'll be used by parents and children alike, so there is no specific theme or fabric requirement.  Please use your stash.  You can find Jeni Baker's Lined Drawstring Bag tutorial here.  
  • Although none of the principals were present, we believe Kira is quilting the Fisher House quilt - from Instagram pictures - and should be ready for the August presentation.  This is the third year we've made and donated a quilt to their silent auction.


Sherri announced that Country Patchers was having a class on August 21 with Mary Molinari teaching the "Daybreak" pattern.  See Sherri for details.

MQG is hosting a virtual Sew Day on August 21 using the new "Stories" platform on Instagram.  Members were encouraged to get together to sew and to post videos on Instagram stories.

Some of our members were able to successfully register for QuiltCon East (February 2017)!  About 10 of our members reserved rooms in Savannah for the event.  Natalie suggested, if you reserved rooms and don't plan to use them, think about offering them to ECMQG'rs first, before releasing them to others or canceling your reservation outright.  

Pam, who attended this year's QuiltCon in Pasadena, advised even if you were unsuccessful in registering for QuiltCon East for a specific class or event, there is always the opportunity to purchase tickets at the door from other attendees whose plans changed.  She said there is a big board with classes and phone numbers and it's first come/first served, and you work out payment details with that person.   

  



Laraine previewed our November designer fabric swap.  We will be swapping F8 cuts of Alison Glass quilting cottons, including her modern batiks (Handcrafted, Handcrafted II, and Indigo)!  Low volume and text prints are NOT included becuase we recently hosted a low volume swap and a text-y fabric swap.  ECMQG'rs may swap up to three yards of fabric in one yard increments.  Fabrics must be cut into fat eighths.  Rules and instructions for cutting and simplified instructions can be found here.  

Nine scrappy umbrella blocks were received for July's block lottery, with Natalie being the winner!  August did not have blocks because we were unable to meet.



Cindy announced a change to our block lottery.  Working in collaboration with members of the board, we'll have guest block lottery presenters for the next several months.  



Our first guest presenter was Loree who chose a very modern Orla Kiely inspired leaf.  It uses drunkard's path units and squares in a palette of yellow and gray solids along with Kona Snow.  Because this is a statement block, and the design of the quilt features alternate grid work, minimalism, and negative space, next month's winner(s) will only receive eight blocks.  This is a big change.  Depending on the number of blocks submitted, there MAY BE MULTIPLE winners!  Download your templates and tutorial PDF here.  Be sure to print at 100%.

There are several online solid color clubs.  If you are looking to build your solid stash, this is a great way to access a large variety of typically fat quarter sized solids.  Cost and quantity vary by club.

Natalie announced that we are seeking members to serve on the board for 2017.  All board positions are open.  Natalie will serve as Past President.  Cindy and Wendi have both served two years in their current positions (the maximum as per the bylaws), and Laraine has only agreed to serve as our interim treasurer through the end of the year.  The responsibilities of each board member can be found on the blog under the "About Us" tab.

Laraine gave the Treasurer's report.  We are currently doing an internal audit as per the bylaws and we should have the results in a few weeks.  We need a member who is not on the board who has financial experience to review the results.  Linda said she would be willing.

A discussion was held about purchasing accounting software for the guild where the accounting/bookkeeping is stored in the Cloud and available to each member of the board.  Since we came under the auspices of the Modern Quilt Guild, we are a 501(c)3 organization, which has certain financial and record-keeping requirements.  Our financial records are in disarray and many of the records which did exist are missing.  The board urges all past board and committee members to check their notebooks, totebags, folders, etc., for records belonging to the guild.  Cindy is auditing the records we do have to reconstruct what is available.  Some members questioned the board's actions in this regard.  Natalie explained that the board took action in March and has been working since then to reconstruct our records.

The board has discussed purchasing Directors and Officers liability insurance to protect the guild.  Members felt that with the size of our guild and the funds we have, D&O insurance was not necessary.

We have learned that the Treasurer position requires diligent record keeping in order for our guild to properly report income, expenses, and donations.  There is a need for basic money handling procedures and oversight, which were put into effect in March. Several members requested a monthly Treasurer's report.   The board agreed that this is a priority.  Carol moved that we purchase financial accounting software before the end of the month.  The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

August door prizes - Ticket(s) were placed in the bag of your choice for a chance to win a specific book or item. We had several lucky winners!





Swap and Challenge Captain Laraine announced our annual Anniversary Scrap Swap!  This year is our 5th anniversary.   


Several members participated in Show and Tell.















A salad lunch was served, after which several members stayed to sew and visit.




Respectfully submitted,
Wendi, with additional note taking courtesy of Bobbi 
ECMQG Secretary 2016

September Block Lottery



This month's block lottery block is Adorela from Angela Pingel who was very much inspired by contemporary Irish designer Orla Kiely.  She designed this for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and as you can see, the pattern is all about sewing curves.  It is a terrific introduction to the classic Drunkard's Path shape. 


Photo courtesy of Robert Kaufman



One of the reasons Loree, our guest block lottery presenter for the month of August, chose this design is because it hit several points on the modern quilting continuum.

Referring back to many of the discussions and activities ECMQG, under Natalie's education initiative, has had about what makes a modern quilt, you see this design's many features leave no doubt about it being a modern quilt.
  


Adorela uses minimalism - the entire quilt is not covered with the design.  It uses negative space - there is a large area of neutral, or background fabric, surrounding the design element.  Then there is also the use of alternate gridwork - the design is mostly on the right, or off center.  Additionally, the choice to use all solid fabrics is another element.  Any of these alone would make this a modern quilt; all of them make it very modern! 

As Angela instructs for the original quilt, we'll use Kona Snow as the background, but then change things around using a limited color pallette - buttery soft yellows and neutral grays. 



Meringue, Butter, Maize, Banana, and Mustard if you're using Kona solids; but it could be any yellow that fits into the color cards Loree prepared as takeaways for the meeting, and grays such as Kona Steel or Moda Graphite.



You can use solid fabrics from any GOOD QUALITY line - ModaFreeSpirit, Kona, Riley Blake, etc.  Your choice.
    




This block lottery requires you to download the pattern (free) and print templates.



Please remember to print at 100% and not the "print to fit" feature should your printer ask.  Sewn with an accurate 1/4" (scant .25") seam allowance, your block should be 11.5" once all sections are sewn together.


Edit:  How do I know I printed at the correct size?  Template B should measure 7.5" across.  This includes the seam allowances. 



  
If you are nervous about sewing curves or if you are worried that sewing curves is too hard, you'll want to watch these two videos here and here.  Notice that one video shows the concave curve on top and the other, the concave curve on bottom.  Try them both to see which works best for you. 

Let us know what you think.  Please ask questions in the comment section, or our Facebook page, or send us an Email.  We are here to help. 


Loree's sample Adorela blocks for a friend's quilt and Jackapotamus!
Thanks for trying something new!

Loree and Wendi

June 2016 Minutes


 
Natalie called the June 11, 2016 meeting of the Emerald Coast Modern Quilt Guild to order at 10:21 am.  She asked for a moment of silence to send a positive thought to someone in need.

Three members had birthdays and received birthday greetings and a birthday lollipop.

Members were asked to turn in their wonky house blocks for the Fisher House quilt.



Five members shared their Riley Blake Sashing Stash challenge quilts.

Cindy noted that QuiltCon registration begins at 9am Central Time on June 25.  Members interested in attending will want to be at their computers when registration opens to have the best chance of getting the classes they want.

Ten members made blocks for the block lottery.  The block was "Elaine's Susanna."  Jo won the blocks.

The July Block will be the Umbrella block, which is a free pattern on Craftsy.  The team has modified the block to make the stem more narrow and not as chunky in black.  The block will be 8-1/2 inches, with a background of sand, tan, or beige.


Bees reported on their progress.

The Emerald Bee is doing a stained glass block for Anne Marie.

Bee Improv is doing a starry night block for Jill.

Sew Be It is doing a Fish block for Suzi.  (The blocks are amazing!)

Our mini quilt swap featuring high contrast and graphic areas of solid color garnered seven participants.  The entries were fabulous!  This was an unpartnered swap so quilts were numbered and each participant drew a number.

Each participant went home with a gorgeous mini quilt.  As quilts were swapped, each participant told the story of the quilt they created.

Long-time member Jennifer is moving to Miami.  She took a moment to say good-bye.  Members thanked her for her support of the guild, especially the block lottery and Quilts of Honor.

The official meeting concluded with  Show and Tell.















But after the official meeting was concluded...  And after lunch...  We had a jelly roll race!  Super fun!

The fastest time?

And the winner was Jill!

Congratulations, Jill, on a job quickly done!




The End of an Era

 Hello Modern Quilters! Thank you for visiting our blog. Sadly, ECMQG is no longer meeting on a regular basis. Feel free to browse the blog,...