This Person Needs an Education

I just read an editorial by someone in Tennessee.  There was no byline, so I don't know who wrote it, let alone whether it was a man or a woman.

The gist of the article is this person's outrage that tax money, all of $80,000, is going to support a quilt museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  The contention is that quilting is passé and no one cares.

Obviously, they have not been to a hobby store lately, especially something like a Joann's or any quilting shop, and has no idea what textile arts are and who practices those arts.  Just because this person probably finds these activities a waste of time, everyone else should also.  I actually think I feel sorry for someone who has no thought to respect the time and trouble it took to make these masterpieces.

Take a look.  Most of the comments were outraged at the editorial.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/nov/15/museum-needles-taxpayers-free-press/

2012-13

The Fat Quarter list for the year is as follows:

          October 2012               Autumn or Thanksgiving
         November 2012           Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah
          December 2012           Wintertime
         January 2013                Hearts and Flowers
          February 2013              When Irish Eyes are Smiling
          March 2013                   Easter Eggs, Bunnies, Flowers
          April 2013                      Memorial Day…May We Never Forget
          May 2013                       Floral Fantasies
           June 2013                       In the Good Old Summertime
           September 2013           Ghosts and Goblins

The Block of the Month is to be done in your own choice of colors.  You will keep the blocks you make and use them to make a complete quilt for the President's Challenge which will be due in September 2013.  The BoM are as follows (NOTE: Only the first four blocks have been passed out as of the writing of this post.  They will be updated when the additional blocks are announced.):

           October: Churn Dash (http://quilterscache.com/C/ChurnDashBlock.html)
           November:  Mini Bow Tie (http://quilterscache.com/M/MiniBowTieBlock.html)
           December:  Jacob’s Ladder (http://quilterscache.com/J/JacobsLadderBlock.html)
            January:  Spool (http://quilterscache.com/S/SpoolBlock.html)

October 2012 meeting

Hi, All!  Thank you for your patience while I've been dealing with all my family problems.  I'll write more about all that later.

This is a reminder that our October meeting will be on the 10th at Slater Mill at 6:30 pm.

The Block of the Month is Churn Dash (http://quilterscache.com/C/ChurnDashBlock.html).  Color choice is up to the maker.  The blocks will no longer be raffled off.  Each person will keep her own blocks and they will be used to complete the President's Challenge in September 2013.

The Fat Quarter for October is to be an Autumn or Thanksgiving theme.

We will have a Night at the Museum night at the meeting.  Everyone is encouraged to bring in antique or vintage items from their sewing room collections.  Suggestions include, but are not limited to:

• Sewing or lace-making machines (featherweights count!)
• Sewing machines, ironing boards, irons, etc. manufactured for children
• Thimbles, advertising or other
• Novelty tape measures
• Novelty pin cushions
• Needle books, handmade or commercially manufactured
• Cardboard needle folders (the packaging for needles when originally purchased)
• Old scissors
• Sewing baskets, kits or boxes
• Early sewing or quilting tools
• Early sewing/quilting books or magazines (especially 1st editions!)
• Sewing or pattern company advertisements, framed or unframed
• Unique or interesting embroidery, quilting or sewing patterns
• Framed samplers
• Fabric, ribbon or trim collections
• Photos, prints, paintings of people sewing or quilting
• Framed ribbon and lace dolls, or other framed sewn artwork
• Early handmade lace or crochet trim
• Miniature or doll quilts
• Miniature (dollhouse) sewing items that look like antiques
• Framed vignettes of miniature sewing rooms/quilting studios
• Cookbooks sponsored by sewing machine or pattern companies
• Button collections
• Home-sewn apparel
• Interesting and unique patterns

September 12, 2012 Meeting

The Block of the Month is the Calico Puzzle from Quilter's Cache.

The Fat Quarter theme is Georgia.  Suggestions are peaches, Antebellum, etc.

Contests Galore!

How would you like to win a year's supply of your favorite crafting supplies?

The Making Spot is a blog and website that provides ideas, tutorials, support and more for today's crafter.  Many different crafts are followed.

To enter, go to the website or link to their Facebook page by Friday, September 28, 2012, and either login or register as a new user.  Its very easy to do.  By the way, although the website is based in the UK, anyone in any country is eligible to enter and win.

FactoryDirect.com (this contest seems to be accessible only through their Facebook page) has weekly giveaways called Freebie Fridays.  You need to register each week to be eligible.

So, Good Luck, everyone!  Let us know if you win anything!

Bloomin' Quilts!

If anyone is traveling around the northern Indiana area, you may be interested in spending a day touring the Heritage Trail and experiencing their Quilt Gardens.  This annual event is a free, flexible, self-guided tour available from May 30 through October 1.  Not only was this trip voted a Reader's Choice by USA Today, it was also named one of the nation's "Most Scenic Drives" by the editors of LIFE.

The Heritage Walk is a clockwise loop around central Northern Indiana starting at the Elkhart County Visitor Center (219 Caravan Drive, Elkhart, IN at exit 92 off the I80/90 Indiana Toll Road).  When you get there, be sure to stop and pick up a FREE audio CD that tells you the history of the area along with personal stories and fun facts.  You can also pick up an Amish Country Travel Guide and map at the same time.  Communities include Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, Shipshewana and Wakarusa.



There are 19 constantly changing quilt-inspired gardens consisting of more than 1,000,000 blossoms and 18 handpainted quilt-inspired murals and even a flower carpet.  This year they will be producing the first and only autumn season flower carpet made of mums encompassing 6,500 square feet.  The carpet can be viewed from September 19-29, 2012 along the RiverWalk in Downtown Elkhart's Arts & Entertainment District.

You don't have to rush through the area.  You can take several days to travel through the area.  There are 1,200 hotel rooms available.  The people at the Visitor Center will be more than happy to advise you about your visit.  While you are there, you can visit the free quilt exhibit in the Center.

Enjoy!  Make several trips to see how the quilts change appearance.

Graffiti or Art?

Here is an article about Yarn Bombing.  The images are really neat, even if it is considered to be illegal as graffiti.  I've heard of people doing trees, but never anything as extreme as this. 

I wonder what we could do.  Imagine Slater Mill covered in yarns and quilts!  Wow!

YUM!

Another cake from Quiltmaker.com!

What a terrific idea, but OH! the work involved!!!!

Message to the IRQG members

To all my Guild Sisters, I'm sorry to have missed the meeting tonight. Hope you had a good one! I don't know if Brenda told you why I wasn't there, but my Mom is very ill and I had to come out to Wisconsin to take care of her. Although she is still very ill, she has recovered so much that we are working on moving her to an Assisted Living facility here from Hospice. According to her doctors, we will be lucky to have her at Christmas, but I have been very fortunate to have had the past 3 weeks with her daily.  Have a good summer.  I'll see you in a couple of weeks.

Nancy

What a Clever Idea!

What a clever idea for a quilter's birthday cake!  This was on the Facebook page for Quiltmaker Magazine.  This took a lot of work, just like any quilt.  I love it!

Inspiration from Brenda

Hi again,

Here are some photographs of quilts made by our guild president.  Brenda, your work is exquisite and an inspiration to us all.  Thanks for organizing us month after month and always keeping us inspired!

See you soon!
Maggie

More Winter Pics

Hi everyone,

Here are some more photos from our winter meetings including: our pot holder contest, three demos (with great description boards) and, of course, some beautiful quilts made by IRQG members.  Enjoy!

-Maggie

-Maggie

Paducah Fun!

Now THIS is the way to start a quilt show!

Ha-Ha!

How many of us can sympathize?

www.FreeQuiltFabric.com

Winter at IRQG

Hello Everyone,

Here is a sampling of the pictures I have taken so far.  I have learned so many things since I started and I love spending my evenings sharing ideas and techniques with you all.  I am getting better at photographing our quilts each week and doing my best with the lighting at the mill.  This promises for some good posts in the months to come.  Stay posted!  Keep quilting!

-Maggie

Maggie  

New England Quilt Museum Update

There are a lot of events at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA.  Now that its getting a little warmer, you might want to plan a day trip and enjoy the ride and the museum.

• The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-4.  From May 1 through October 31 they are also open Sundays 12-4.
• This is the museum's 25th Anniversary and they have a gift for you!  On the 25th of each month, they are offering FREE ADMISSION (as long as it falls on a day the museum is normally open.)
• On Thursdays, visitors can meet with staff members and talented volunteers from 10-3 to learn new techniques and hints about quilting.  They will also answer questions about the quilts and techniques of featured exhibits and to work on a variety of projects.
• In conjunction with the Community Quilting projects, you are invited to a series of Open Houses and "Sit and Sew" sessions to make comfort quilts for the grieving families of fallen soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Individuals are welcome to visit the museum, sign a  completed block and stay to assemble more blocks and quilt tops.  Everything is provided.  Registration is not required and you can come for all or part of the day.  You can bring your lunch and there are several places to find lunch in the neighborhood.  Coffee and tea are served.  Dates are as follows:
• March 29
• May 31 (the traditional Memorial Day)
• June 29
• August 9-11 at the IMAGES show during the Lowell Quilt Festival
• October 2
• November 9 (This is actually Friday, but it will be a tribute to Veteran's Day)
• The first and third Thursdays will also feature Brown Bag Lunch Lectures.  Bring your lunch or get one at a neighborhood restaurant.  Coffee and tea are served.  Reservations are not required.  Check out the Brown Bag tag on the museum website for more information.
• The Book Group meets monthly from 12:30-1:30.  Check the website for a complete list of dates and titles.
• August 9-11 is the Lowell Quilt Festival, a citywide celebration of quilts, featuring IMAGES, New England's premier judged and juried quilt show.  Galleries and museums around town partner to celebrate the textile arts.  There's a free shuttle to help people get from venue to venue.  This year, Marianne Fons, co-founder of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and television program, will be a special guest.

The museum is looking for volunteers to meet and greet visitors from all over the world.  Volunteers do everything from working on blocks and quilt tops to sharing the museum's incredible resources with the visitors.  They are especially needed for the Library, which remains closed if there isn't a
volunteer to take care of it.  Volunteers are asked to work one Saturday or Sunday per month, but they are also welcome Tuesdays through Friday from 10-4.  If you are interested, send an email to Questions@NEQuiltMuseum.org. 

So, enjoy the lovely weather and the lovely region and take a day trip to the New England Quilt Museum!

April Meeting Reminder

Just a quick reminder that our next meeting will be April 11, 2012 at Slater Mill at 6:30 pm.

Because we had to cancel our March meeting, members are being asked to bring the March Block of the Month (Paths and Stiles in green and white/cream from www.quilterscache.com).  The Fat Quarter for March was themed "Key West, Florida" and the FQ for April is "Santa Fe, New Mexico."  Members are asked to bring both to the meeting.  All other information remains the same.

New invitations to join the authors' list of our blog have been sent to members emails.

If you have questions, please contact Brenda or Daphne.

April is Filled With Quilting Events!

Wow!  April is certainly going to be a busy month for quilters!

First of all, the Machine Quilters Exhibition will be in Providence with classes and the Public Showcase starting April 11-14, 2012.  Registration is now open.  Hurry before the classes fill up!

That same weekend the Sewing and Quilting Expo will be in Worchester, MA.  Check out their website for a listing of available classes.

Its almost time for the incredible AQS Quilt Show in Paducah!  The dates are April 24-28, 2012.  Once again, the show is in the middle of the school year, in the beginning of the 4th quarter and there is NO way I'll ever get there.  (I really wish I could get to some of these classes!)

However, this year, there is an alternative!

AQS is setting up live webcasts of the various workshops and special events at the Show.  Registration is currently open.  You can sign up for a single event or all 4 days.  Sessions cost between $10 for some of the single events to $120 for all four days.  If you can't attend the live event, you will have access for up to 90 days after the Show.

Finally, on April 21 and 22, the Narragansett Bay Quilters are having their biannual show at North Kingstown High School.  They will be open on Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5.

Well, it looks like April will be a busy month for quilters in Southern New England!

Hope to see you all there!

March Meeting Cancelled

Out of respect for the recent loss of our member, Laura St. Germain, our March 2012 guild meeting has been cancelled.

We will resume meetings on April 11, 2012 at the usual time and place.

In Memoriam

It is our sad duty to report the untimely death of one of our members.

Laura St. Germain passed away unexpectedly in her home on February 20, 2012.

Laura was a recent member of our Guild and was an avid worker both during the meetings and in the planning stages.  She always had a smile for everyone she spoke with.  It was a joy to see her running around talking to other members, sharing tidbits and proudly showing off her quilts.

The sympathies and prayers of all the members of the Industrial Revolution Quilt Guild go to her family and friends.

Final services were held on February 25, 2012.

Its ALIVE!

Yes!  The blog lives!

Thank you, those of you who commented and confirmed everything works!

I'll try to send out invitations to all the members to join in over the weekend.

Still here!

Wow!  I just checked on our blog here and discovered that I really haven't even logged in in over a year!

Mea Culpa!!!!!!

Anyway, some of the guild members said they had trouble getting in.  I don't know why.  I'm going to send this link to our President and have her try again.  She can also send the link to the membership.

SO!  If you are now reading this, please make a comment below.

Thanks!

Also, as a reminder, the FQ of the Month is themed "Honolulu, HI" and Daphne passed out the BoM instructions at the last meeting.  I'll edit this post when I get my notes for the block name.  Minutes will be coming out shortly (We're still finishing Christmas in my family!), hopefully this weekend.

Follow-up:  OK.  I checked.  The BoM for February is called Lovers' Knot.  Click on the name and it will take you to a page with the instructions.  You should use the colors as indicated in the sample (off-white, pinkish and green).