Hello Community of Quilters,

Thanks to everyone for all the community quilts that were shown at last month’s meeting.  I’m always amazed at the sheer numbers of quilts we produce. We’re still sorting them and will hopefully have them delivered by the end of the month.

As a reminder, we do have new labels available for quilts (they’re quite nice), so if you’re in need we’ll try to bring a few to each meeting, as well as one or two kits.  Please feel free to bring any finished quilts with you to the meeting.

We haven’t formalized any challenges yet, trying to keep everyone motivated, but until then, I will challenge you to spend 10 % of your quilting time on community quilts.  Use community quilts as leaders/ enders, cut an extra block to make a small quilt, or a sampler.  If you hit a road block on a current project, take a break! That’s only SIX minutes over the course of an hour!

Karen and Brenda

Happy Easter, quilters!   We are still exploring new ideas for our workshops going forward, but for the moment we have Barb Mortell’s wonderful two-day workshop to fill!   We are more than half way there with registrations, so we are hoping that this April guild meeting will have more sign-ups and reach break-even point at least.

I know I am so excited to be doing my first ever “improvisation” quilt.   Wow!   After year and years of measure twice, cut once, I wonder if I can break that habit and learn something completely new?

Please join us for this wonderful opportunity.   Several people asked me at last month’s meeting for a supply list, and so I am including it below, along with another photo that Barb sent us.   Now if “black and tan” are not your colours, don’t worry – the possibilities are endless!   We will be using solid colours only, so pick your favourites and imagine!

Modernized & Totally Improvisational Log Cabin – A Two day class –

Place: St. Agnes Church, 530 East 12^th Street, North Vancouver, BC

Dates: Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27; 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Cost:    $90.00 for two days

(NOTE: The church has a locked room available to keep your machines and supplies overnight on the Friday, if desired)

_{SUPPLY LIST:}

• _{solid coloured good quality cotton, such as Pima cotton or Kona cotton.} 
• _{2 – 4 yards black (or very dark value colours) cotton}
• _{2 -4  yards white (or very light value colours) cotton}
• _{1 yard pieces of solid coloured cottons. Bring one colour, or grey, or many choices, it is up to you. Design a nice colour scheme that you like with black and white and we’ll go from there. Solid colours, no prints.}
• _{Sewing machine}
• _{Large cutting mat}
• _{Rotary cutter}
• _{You noticed that I have not mentioned rulers 🙂}
• _{Flannel for design wall}
• _{Tape to adhere design wall}

 

We look forward to seeing you at Guild.   Please come and see us at the workshop sign-up table!

Susan and Helen, Workshop Coodinators

We had 70 members present at the March Guild meeting, including 4 guests. The door prizes were won by Kate Abraham and Arlene Simpson.

Speaking of guests, we’d like to try something new to make sure all our guests feel welcome. While most guests come with a friend who belongs to our Guild, some hear about us and come on their own and we don’t want them to feel “unloved”. The Membership Committee is asking for volunteers who would be available to show a guest around and explain a bit about the Guild, then to sit with them if they like, answer questions, and perhaps introduce them to some fellow quilters. We’d like to have one or more volunteers ready for each monthly meeting, and ask that you sign up at the Membership desk. It’s simple – if a guest comes to the desk to sign in, I will ask if they would like someone to show them around, and then I’ll wave over a volunteer to welcome them. Please think about sharing your love of quilting in this simple way.

The guild currently has 95 members and we need more…. so please consider renewing if you haven’t yet done so – it’s never too late! The dues for this year are $60.00. Your current membership expired on February 28, 2017 but membership renewals will be accepted at any meeting. For those who have already renewed, your new membership cards are ready for pick-up at our Guild meeting.

A membership renewal form is on our Guild website. Just go along the headings at the top of the page and click on the ‘Members’ heading. Then go down to ‘join or renew’. This is a PDF file which will allow you to type in your information, print it off, sign it and then drop it off at the membership table with cash or a cheque for $60.00 made out to ‘Lions Gate Quilters Guild’ or ‘LGQG’. This form cannot be saved but can be printed off so you can hand write on it also. Please help us save paper by printing off your own form.

Remember to wear your nametags if you would like to win a door prize. Everyone who signs in has an opportunity to win. Nametags are available at the membership table for $1.00 each, if you forgot yours.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Happy Stitching!

Katherine Morgan, Membership Coordinator

Hello everyone,

At the last guild meeting someone brought a delicious banana cake that several people asked who made it and if they would share the recipe.  Unfortunately no one knew who had brought it.  Would that person contact Mona Morrison of the Refreshment Committee please.  There are many who would love you to share your recipe!

Edna Simpson

 

Happy Spring everyone! Hopefully we have seen the last of the snow…

Thank you to everyone who made it out to the meeting last month in spite of the bad weather.  We had a wonderful trunk show from Stacey Murton who showed us her quilts, from her first to most recent (I really liked her use of lettering). Last month was also our Annual General Meeting that saw the changeover of several executive positions.  As Bena mentioned in her e-mail message, Karen Cooke and I stepped forward to assume the President role for 2017-2019, Susan Lum and Helen Jorgensen have agreed to take on the role of workshop coordinators, and Karen Marshall and Brenda Sangster have agreed to co-chair the Community Quilts Committee.   Many thanks to all out-going and in-coming executive members as well as all those who volunteer quietly behind the scenes.

I will keep this message short as I am late submitting, but make sure you check out the program for this month (Wei Hin Ng) and all the upcoming events.  See you soon.

Kathryn Gillis

SPRING IS HERE!!

I am happy to start my term as your new Membership Coordinator! First, let’s say a great big THANK YOU to Joan Herrin, for her years in this position. Joan always had a friendly hello waiting for us at the sign-in desk, and kindly spent time whipping me into shape to be her humble replacement. Thanks, Joan!

If you haven’t yet renewed your Guild membership for 2017/2018, it’s never too late. The dues for this year are $60.00. Your current membership expired on February 28, 2017 but membership renewals will be accepted at any meeting. For those who have already renewed, your new membership cards will be ready for pick-up at our March meeting.

A membership renewal form is on our Guild website. Just go along the headings at the top of the page and click on the ‘Members’ heading. Then go down to ‘join or renew’. This is a PDF file which will allow you to type in your information, print it off, sign it and then drop it off at the membership table with cash or a cheque for $60.00 made out to ‘Lions Gate Quilters Guild’ or ‘LGQG’. This form cannot be saved but can be printed off so you can hand write on it also. Please help us save paper by printing off your own form.

The guild currently has 85 members and we need more…. so please consider renewing if you haven’t yet done so. We had 51 members present at the February AGM and Guild meeting where we also welcomed 1 new member. The door prizes were won by Linda Heese and Laurel Hickey.

Remember to wear your nametags if you would like to win a door prize. Everyone who signs in has an opportunity to win. Nametags are available at the membership table for $1.00 each, if you forgot yours.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Happy Stitching!

Katherine Morgan, Membership Coordinator

 

For our February meeting, we welcomed Sam and Dean Winchester from the television series Supernatural, Darth Vader from Star Wars, and of all things, monsters (or aliens) in the process of invading a delightfully dotty quilt, all thanks to Stacey Murton’s trunk show. Stacey explained that she loves to try new things and will do a batch of quilts in one style or technique and then go on to the next one that inspires and excites her.

For making your own pixel quilts try an online generator such as YouPatch, which Stacey used. You can upload and work with your photo as much as you like and pay for the pattern only when you’re happy with it. http://www.youpatch.com

Stacey pointing out a detail in her ‘Little Monsters’ quilt, pattern by Australian Kellie Wulfsohn. Also shown was ‘Flower Garden’ by the same designer.

Many of the quilt backings were custom dyed by Ionne McCauley of Vancouver Island who, Stacey says, will colour-match any fabric sent to her.

Laurel Hickey, Programs Coordinator

We have a full lineup of speakers and programs for spring and fall of 2017 and welcome suggestions for 2018.

MARCH: Wei Hin Ng

Wei Hin will talk about how to keep all our sewing machines purring. From Euro Tech Sewing Machine Repair http://www.eurotechsewrepair.ca.

APRIL: Stacey Day (Stacey in Stitches)

Stacey is a quilter, pattern writer, and designer. Upbeat modern in style with a touch of traditional, have a look at her blog for patterns and current quilts www.staceyinstitches.wordpress.com.

MAY: Catherine Nicholls ‘Story-Telling’ Trunk Show

Exploring legends and stories-from the spoken word to finished quilt. https://ravensthread.com/workshops

Laurel Hickey, Norine McCaffrey, Betty Clarke, and Rosalind Knight, Program Coordinators

Hello to all guild members! We, Susan Lum and Helen Jorgensen, are looking forward to our two-year term as Workshop Coordinators and we will do our utmost to provide you with fun, exciting, relevant, boundary-pushing new challenges to enhance and expand our adventures in quilting.

With that in mind, we will work on bringing new teachers and projects from within and outside our Guild.   Please, please give us feedback and voice your own wishes and ideas to us!   We will welcome all suggestions and look forward to chatting with you at guild meetings, or by email.

We have moved forward with the preliminary arrangements Jane Andrews set in motion for us, as mentioned in last month’s newsletter. Yes indeed, BARB MORTELL, former guild member, fabulous teacher and trunk show presenter and amazing quilter, is presenting a TWO-DAY WORKSHOP, and the information is noted below. It will be a rewarding prelude to those summer months when you can experiment and expand on your very own unique style. Barb’s teachings are legendary!!!

Modernizing the Log Cabin, bringing traditional ideas into the present

 

In this class we will be working with colour and value to switch up the traditional log cabin. By placing similar values next to each other, you create a new shape, by noticing this and pushing it in a direction you like, you create a unique improvised design. Working in this way opens doors to many new ideas and may even lead you to work in a series, which is a satisfying way to truly explore a single design idea. The log cabin block, in its simplicity, can provide you with a lifetime of exploration. Colour and value are amazing elements of design and exploring within the simplicity of the traditional and well known block log cabin will keep you on track for exploration of your own.

It’s fine to work with just black and white, or you may want to bring in a few colours like very pale pink or yellow, medium and very dark hues, or other values, like light grey, medium grey and dark grey.

Building a modern Log cabin quilt board by board, we will still follow the tradition of the log cabin block, but the end result will be your own.

Strip by strip, section by section, ideas flowing one to another, allowing the builder to create a unique modern and thoroughly updated quilt top.

Barb says “I do not want people coming with preconceived ideas, this is an experimentation class, one where people are allowed to “let go” and truly improvise, to follow the beat of their own drummer, to make something totally unique.”

Here is a photo of quilts made using Barb’s method, but remember YOUR colours, YOUR style, YOUR creativity will make your finished project unique to only YOU!

Details:

Place:             St. Agnes Church, 530 East 12^th Street, North Vancouver, BC

Dates:            Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27, 2017

Time:             9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Cost:               $90.00 for two days

(NOTE: The church has a locked room available to keep your machines and supplies overnight on the Friday)

We look forward to seeing you at Guild and listening to your workshop ideas!

Susan and Helen