We had a turnout of fourteen people for the Landscape Workshop on November 5^th with Sue Jensen. The class was primarily about creating a landscape quilt from a photo. We worked with perspective, design and light, using colour, fabrics, paints, glue, Kraft Tex, vinyl, pens, pencils, Steam A Seam, and what not. Sue passed on many ideas about quilting and finishing our pieces. What a busy church Highlands United is! They sure make use of their building, renting space to at least four different groups that day.

Coming up on February 18^th, we are holding a workshop with Krista Hennebury, her “Quarter Round” quilt design. Krista always does a great job of teaching, and we are really looking forward to the day! Cost of this workshop is $55, including the pattern fee, and it will be held at Highlands United Church. Here is a picture of the Quarter Round quilt, which can also be done in a smaller version with only four blocks for a wall hanging.

Also coming up is our January Fun Day on January 28th [note corrected date]. Don’t forget to bring an item for the potluck lunch.

As described in our October newsletter, we will be celebrating Canada’s 150^th Birthday with a quilting bee/potluck/birthday party. The quilting bee part is an initiative of the Canadian Quilter’ Association, and all the quilts that are created will be donated to Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada. Each 12 ½” slab block is to have at least one piece of the special edition fabric in it, and the intention is for them to be scrappy. So, think scrappy kids’ quilts. We will have some of the special edition fabrics available at our November guild meeting, so you can go through your stash for coordinating fabrics. Our Community Quilts is also donating some fabrics and batting for the project.

As Sue Forbes will be showing us how to “quilt as you go,” we are hoping people will also think about coordinating the backing of the blocks if you want to pool them together with other people’s blocks. Say, perhaps go with all green and blue fabrics.

This is a really flexible project. You can make blocks, a quilt top, or an entire quilt. Please have a look at the CQA website at https://www.canadianquilter.com/events/quilt-canada-2017-quilting-bee.php for the full details and instructions. They have a short video which shows how to make the slab blocks, as well as written instructions.

Jane Andrew
Workshops Coordinator

A big thank you to all of our Mystery Quilters who made the October meeting so much fun and who were such good sports about dressing up and giving the game a Halloween flair. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback about the game and requests that we do it again next year. Our mystery quilters were Pat Gormely, Mona Morrison, Susanne Patchell, Karen Wong, Doreen Netolicky, Elizabeth Marshall, and Katherine Morgan.

PhDs (UFOs)

We’re signing up PhDs again at the November meeting – this is the last chance to register all those projects half done, or somewhat done, or at least thought about in earnest and some fabric cut (we’ll never know!). The winners will be announced at the June social. Fee: $2 for each PhD registered.

If you have finished one or more of your PhDs, please bring them to show and tell. For your quilt to count for the various prizes, you need to come to the Programs table afterwards to check it off the list and give us the dimensions.

Total registration so far: a whopping 237 quilts.

Inspiration Challenge

For those who signed up, don’t forget to bring both the quilt and the inspiration (or a photo of it) to the social. Bring what you have – it doesn’t need to be finished.

Row-By Row Mystery Quilt

Registration for the Row-by-Row Mystery Quilt continues in November at the Programs table. Thirty-seven people have signed up so far – if you haven’t already, join us! Instructions for the first row will be emailed out in January.

Greetings from California where I have been vacationing and visiting family. Of course every holiday is not complete without local quilt store visits. Yesterday I squeezed in a visit to the 25th Pacific International Quilt Festival at the convention centre in Santa Clara.  There were many beautiful quilts from around the world, and a large vendor component. 

Many of the quilts were displayed on the periphery of the vendor booths making it difficult to put space between the quilts and the crowds visiting the show.   I have to say that the lighting and layout at our show was significantly better!  There were representatives from nearby guilds around the room, each featuring their raffle quilts and upcoming shows.  There was even a guild for wearable art!  Several pictures from the show are in the newsletter.

Late in the day I attended an inspirational Kaffe Fassett lecture.  He spoke of his love for traditional quilts. “No one ever says that Shakespeare is not modern…..Every time you look at it it speaks of some other world”.  He also spoke of his fondness for simple geometrical boldness, and how you can never have too many stripes!  And of course colour is everything. Asked about unfinished works, he has very few.  His advice –  keep going, it turns out better than you thought.  Perhaps good advice for all of us and a boost to those considering participating in the guild’s PHD (Projects Half Done) sign up.

Thanks to those of you for your feedback on last month’s experimental seating arrangement.  One of the strengths of our guild is the diverse nature of the membership and every opinion matters!  

The aim of this initial seating experiment was an attempt by the executive to see if this might promote, at the guild meetings, an atmosphere that is friendly, welcoming and comfortable for all members but certainly not make it unpleasant for anyone. We learned that not everyone feels at ease with this arrangement and we need to provide alternative options to our membership.  The executive is currently exploring ways to better accommodate the diversity and welcomes your ongoing feedback.

Looking forward to seeing each of you at our next meeting!  

Bena Luxton

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again, a time to enjoy all the beautiful fall colours and those crisp fall days. Fall is a great time to bring a friend to a meeting and for them to think about becoming a member of the guild. From now until renewal in February a new member’s registration fee is $27.50 and a renewing member’s registration fee is $55.00.

We currently have 124 members with 3 new members joining the guild at the September meeting. Welcome!! We also welcomed 2 guests and hope you enjoyed the meeting. Eighty-two members signed in and the door prizes were won by Jo-Ann Salmon and Becky West.

Be sure to sign in and be wearing your nametag in order to claim your door prize, should your name be drawn. Nametags are available, if you forgot to bring yours, and are $1.00 each at the membership table.

Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at membership@lionsgatequiltersguild.com

Happy Quilting!
Joan Herrin, Membership Coordinator

We are looking forward to the November Landscape Workshop with Susan Jensen, and still have a few spots left if you want to join us. Please note the change of location.

Mark your calendar for this fun event! Each year we do something a bit different for our January event, and this year we will be celebrating Canada’s 150^th birthday. A potluck birthday party!

The Canadian Quilters Association is hosting a nationwide quilting bee, with the goal of making 1,000 quilts for donation to Ronald MacDonald Houses across Canada, and we thought this would be an excellent project for our annual event. The quilts are to be made of 12 ½”slab blocks, and we can just provide blocks, make them into quilt tops, or finish entire quilts. Each block is to contain at least one piece of the specialty fabric being issued (by Moda and Nortcott) for Canada’s 150^th birthday. As long as the shipment arrives on time, we will have some of this fabric to give out at the November guild meeting, and again at the January Fun Day. You can find instructions for the slab blocks on the CQA website at https://www.canadianquilter.com/events/quilt-canada-2017-quilting-bee.php Our very own Sue Forshaw will be teaching how to do Quilt As You Go. What a great project for that technique!

DATE: January 21, 2017
TIME: 10 am to 4 pm
LOCATION: St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, 1360 East 24^th St. (at Mt. Hwy.), North Vancouver
COST: TBD