Thursday, August 27, 2015

New Online Block Activity!

This month's online block activity is for all the hexie wannabees (myself included!). The good news...you get to make a hexagon block and maybe win a bunch more to make a hexagon quilt. The even better news...no hand sewing to join the hexagons together! 

This "Hexing Around" block was designed by Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced. You can find the tutorial here.

Please use bright colors for the hexagon, staying within one color for each round (doesn't have to be the same fabric--just the same color). Then use a white solid, tonal or low-volume print for the background. 

The tutorial includes a template to download for the center. Please double check the size after you print and before you start sewing. Also, Joanne suggested considering using a fussy cut piece in the center, which I thought was a great idea. 

Our next meeting is earlier than usual--September 12--so make your block(s) soon! It goes together quickly, I promise! I will say this--if you start to get discouraged as you trim the strips in your first round, stick with it. I felt like I had to reposition my ruler multiple times for each cut, but by the time I finished the first round I had gotten the hang of it and assembled the rest in no time.

Just for fun, here are a couple more of these hexagon blocks to look at from our recent social meeting. 
(The back story...I had given my block to Joanne a couple weeks ago because I didn't think I could make the meeting. Since she had a "sneak peek," she made one and then shared the block with Sharon C., who made one as well! The hexagon without a background is Jackie's--she actually made it a year ago and just happened to have it with her at the meeting! What a coincidence!)

BTW, here is my new resource, both for personal inspiration and for our online activities. Check out all these block tutorials!

Now for the details on how to win the blocks:

Submission/Winning:


  • Submit a photo of the completed block by September 11th.  We want this to be fun and easy, not stressful, so we have several options for submitting your photo.
    • If you have a Flickr account, please post the photo to Flickr, add it to the Great Lakes Modern Quilt Guild group pool, and tag it GLMQG092015. *Adding the tag is key, because it allows the photo to get into the slideshow on our blog.*
    • If you have a Facebook account, you may post the picture to the Great Lakes Modern Quilt Guild Facebook page. 
    • You may email your photo to glmodernquilter@gmail.com 
    • If you do not have access to a digital camera, contact me (Lisa) and I will arrange to photograph your block.
  • How to win all the blocks:
    • We are going to draw for a winner of all the blocks at our next live meeting, which is September 12.  You do not need to be present to win.
    • IMPORTANT: If you want to be entered in the drawing but will not be at the meeting with your block, please make sure to let another attendee know. We try our best to make sure everyone who submits a photo of their block gets entered in the drawing, but making sure a friend puts your name in the hat will guarantee you have a chance to win!
    • You get your name in the drawing each time you enter a block.  So, if you submit two blocks, your name goes in the drawing twice!
    • Please bring your completed block to the May meeting so all the blocks can be delivered to the winner.  If the winner is not at the meeting, we will mail them to him/her.
    • We'll post the name of the winner here on the blog.  So, if we don't have your email address, check the blog so you can see if you won and can send us your contact information.  (If you are at the meeting, you'll get your blocks on the spot!)
    • If you will not be at the meeting, either
      • Give the block to a friend to bring it for you, or
      • Mail it in.  E-mail us at glmodernquilter@gmail.com, and we'll send you the mailing address where you can send your blocks.
  • That winner must assemble the blocks into a finished quilt before being eligible to win again. Fair enough?

As always, leave a comment if you have a question and I'll try to answer it!

Can't wait to see your blocks!
Thanks!
Lisa

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Mini-quilt swap, July 2015

Our first swap was a success and so much fun! Participants each received the name of another participant to make a small quilt for. We were to keep quiet about who we were creating for! To convey our preferences to our mystery partners, each of us created an online inspiration board using our guild Pinterest site.

Upcoming Meetings and Special Guest

Take a break from your busy summer and join us for quilting fellowship!  Our next informal meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 26 August, 6:00-??  If you are interested in hosting the meeting or have a suggestion for a place to meet, please e-mail Jill (jillykek@Hotmail.com). 

On Saturday, 12 September, the GLMQG is excited to have Debbie Grifka from Esch House Quilts! 
Debbie's lecture will touch on  "What do they mean by "modern" quilting?"  Learn about the main characteristics of modern quilts, the essential role of the internet in the development of the modern quilting community and the Modern Quilt Guild, modern fabrics, fabric designers and more.

Debbie will never forget the excitement she felt on finding "The Modern Quilt Workshop" by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr in 2006.  She knew right away that she wanted to make quilts with the same kind of feeling and her journey to her own style jumped forward.  Further inspired by the work of Gwen Marston, Jacquie Gering and others in the online modern quilting community, Debbie now describes her style as graphic, modern minimalism.  Making quilts with clean lines and bold shapes is her focus, whether the colors are deep and intense or low contrast neutrals and whether the technique is piecing or appliqué.

Debbie's work has been displayed at both Paducah and Houston and featured in various magazines and books.  The main focuses of her work are her pattern business, Esch House Quilts, and sharing her love of modern quilting and appliqué through teaching.  Debbie blogs at http://eschhousequilts.com and is active on several social media sites.  She is President of the Ann Arbor (MI) Modern Quilt Guild and a member of the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild.

We will meet at 10:30, Saturday, 12 September, in Wood Hall on the Western Michigan University campus (directions will be posted closer to event date).

Friday, August 14, 2015

AUGUST MEETING DATE CHANGE!!

Due to some scheduling conflicts and a case of summer-fried-brain, we are changing our social meeting to Wednesday, 26 August.  Apologies for the short notice!  We hope those who were planning to come can still make it!!  See you at Sharon's!

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Social Gathering at Sharon's!

GLMQG member Sharon Cerovski has graciously opened up her home in Kalamazoo for our meeting Wednesday, August 19th 26th at 6:00.  Please join us for fabulous quilt-talk and show & tell!  Please refer to your membership roster for Sharon's address.  If you need directions, please e-mail Sharon (sdc4203@hotmail.com) or Jill (jillykek@Hotmail.com).  Hope to see there!

*Please note that Sharon's home is not wheelchair accessible.  If this is an issue, please do not hesitate to let Jill know so that we can make other arrangements!