June 9th Meeting Recap

in case you missed the meeting or need a little refresher, here's what went down:

                                             Welcome!!!
Name Tags- Don’t forget to make your name tag at least 3” x 3” with your name on it.  (at the june sewing night we will be providing some fun supplies to make one if you don’t have one already)
Member Book- we will be handing them out in August.
Facebook- check us out and join our group on face book (Magic Valley Modern Quilt Guild) we are really going to being utilizing this forum as well as bumping up our presence on the blog (Trina is our go to facebook lady)
Summer Scramble- quilting yard swap at the July meeting, bring something get somethings (bring anything sewing related- notions, books, fabric, unfinished projects, etc. that you don't want anymore)
Picnic- we are planning a potluck picnic at the twin falls city park on Aug. 2nd at 6:00. This will be in addition to our regular meeting and sewing night (more details at the July meeting)
Bunting Swap-  Introducing the new swap, they will be due at the July 14th meeting. Make any size bunting for any occasion.
Charity Quilt project- we are going to be making quilts for the local foster program (quilts for teenagers are in great need) and we will also be making some for the joplin tornado victims. Our goal is to complete 50 quilts (but lets try for 100)! I know we can do this and really give back to the community! Tara has also made kits that can be checked out.
Visit Our Blog: (http://magicvalleymodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/) Check the blog for the latest happenings, calendar of events and a newly updated look. We will be starting member profiles again. I will be posting the agenda on the blog instead of sending it out in an email.
Intermission- snacks & socialize
Block of the Month- Let’s share our fifth block and find out what our sixth and seventh block is, don’t forget to bring your block next month. How is everyone liking the BOM and what do you think the theme is?
Demo-Needle case
Show &  Tell- We saw some great quilts and lots of fun things
Details for July 14th meeting
    -Demo- Hoops
    -Bring things for Show & Tell
    -A new swap will be announced
    -Sewing Night is June 23rd, 2011 7-Midnight
    -Any suggestions please email me (magicvalleymqg(at)gmail(dot)com)

Next Swap Bunting

Our last swap, Mini Quilts, was a huge success. We may need to do another.

Our next swap is another fun one, bunting. What is bunting? I will have some examples but you can also go to sites like flickr and google and type in bunting for inspiration. Moda Bakeshop probable has free patterns.

Forth of July from Sugar Tot Designs
Hankie Bunting from The Craft begins
Triangle Bunting from Whipper Berry

Any season, size and technique allowed. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. I know what I am making and I hope you join me in this swap.
Another great way to use up your old scraps or the new ones you got at our last meeting.

Needle Keepers

Great meeting everyone. The Scrap Scramble was a blast. I sorted through the leftovers and am going to see what I can come up with for a charity quilt..

Here is a link to the strawberry needle keep that I used as my inspiration for the demo. Happy Zombie. She has some other fun free patterns so check them out too. Monica is the designer of one of my favorite Christmas fabric lines. It came out last year and the Quilt Barn carries it. Anyone else make something with it?

Next month is our Summer Blast free yard sale. Bring your unfinished (and unwanted) UFO's, fabric, notions, books, patterns, whatever and go home with new to you stuff.

Thanks to everyone who took home a kit for our 50 Quilts Drive. I cant wait to start seeing them finished. I have put the basket of kits under the big ironing table in out meeting room. If you want one or need another help yourself. That area will also be the drop off location. Dont forget to sign out the kit and back in when the top is done.

One last thing, we are on facebook! Come join us. Look us up under Magic Valley Modern Quilt Guild.

One last, last thing. Dues are due next month.

Paper Piecing

Our last meeting I discussed a bit about paper piecing, hoping to demystify it a bit.

I want to share with you this Flickr group, Ringo Pie. It is a virtual quilting bee where that month's theme is paper pieced. Check out the other pages to see the great blocks. This month's theme is packages and mail.

While you are at Flickr type in 'paper piecing' and check out the amazing photos.

I was so inspired through this search I found a free pattern for my quilt swap quilt. I have my fingers crossed I can pull it off.

We now have a Facebook group where we can chat. If you are on facebook look us up, Magic Valley Modern Quilters.

One last thing, this month's meeting and sewing night are combined. Many of our members are taking off on our usual date to attend Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. I can't wait to hear about everything.
Our combined meeting is May 21. I will be doing a quick demo on cathedral window blocks. See you there.

Mini Quilt Swap Details

Mini Quilts will be due at the May 21st Meeting (note: May's meeting & May's sewing night are both being held at the same time)

Mini Quilts must be based on some aspect of one of the inspiration pictures (you will be able to show us, which part inspired you at the meeting). You can choose anything from colors to shapes to patterns to help inspire your mini quilt.

Your mini quilts cannot be smaller than 12" x 12" or larger than 24" x 24" (finished sizes). The swap will be random and based on the mini quilts that are brought to the meeting.

Here are your inspiration choices:

#1

#2

#3

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! -kz

Pin Cushion Swap

Our March meeting was alot of fun, we swapped our pincushions!! Above is the cushions made by Jenele for KZ.

The cat cushion was made by KZ for Jenny and the others were made by Jenny for Heather.

Pincushion made by Diane for Trina.

Pin Cushions made by Suzanne for me, Tara.

A few pincushions were missed. Also, you can see the pin cushions made by Trina for Suzanne on her blog here.

We aannounced our new swap, a mini quilt swap. Mini quilts are due in May and details will be discussed in its own blogpost soon.

Alos, we revealed this month's mystery block, a square. I shared a block I made, a wonky log cabin. You can made a square in a square, anything that comes to mind when you hear 'square'.

House Blocks

First, sorry about the shodding instruction sheet for the mystery blocks. It just wasnt coming together well that day.
The links to the tutorials are quite excellent however. I made two blocks, the above one uses the Fredas Hive tutorial. I quite like this block. I added the outer borders to bring the block to the size I chose, 12.5.

And in Modern Quilting tradition I riffed on the theme, houses. I found this terrific tutorial on flickr. Search mushroom house tutorial. She has a few others that I would like to try. And they are free.

Now on to the tree block.

I am also going to finish the other blocks for the year so I can have it ready on time to share with you.

How are you doing on your blocks.