Time's Running Out...

Songs of the Season by Patricia Drummond

If you haven't made it to Government House yet to see the Fredericton Fibre Artists Guild show, you only have a few days left. It closes on Tuesday Nov. 29. You MUST go, it is truly a feast for the eyes. There is  a variety of fibre art to enjoy - everything from thread paintings and wall quilts by our own Kathy Tidswell and Barb Perry, to hooking, needlepunch, temari, cross stitch, crewel, canvaswork, and other forms of needlework. Many pieces are original in design.Trust me, it is worth the visit. We have so many talented women in our city! Here is just a sampling of what you'll see.
Speaking of time running out, if you haven't got your ticket for our Christmas Social on Dec. 13, you'd better get in touch with Sandra N or JoAnne C quickly. Deadline for ticket purchase is Dec. 5. Find them at The Christmas Crab Quiltery, 158 Brunswick Street.
Are you  shopping this weekend? Remember to support our two local quilt shops- they both have "Black Friday" sales going on...

My Peaceful Oasis by Kathy Tidswell

Time Marches On by Barb Perry

Sheep May Safely Graze by Elizabeth Bastin

Violet Nosegay by Barbara Carroll

Maple Leaf  Montage by Irene Sealy

November meeting this week!

The days and weeks are flying by! How can we be in mid November already?! Geesh! There were lots of  N.B. guild shows this fall, I hope you got to a few. There is still a local one to view if you have not already. The Fredericton Fibre Artists have a wonderful show on at Government House until the end of the month, be sure to stop in as it is well worth the visit!
Hallowe'en is past and most of our spectacular fall colour is now on the ground, but if you would like  a "replay" click here and here to see some amazing Hallowe'en and autumn quilts from a variety of U.S. shows.

Lastly here's a link to an article I have now seen several times online, mostly on Facebook. I think it is worth the read for all quilters. It discusses the differences between chain store fabric and quilt shop fabric - YES there really IS a difference. Click here to read the article.

See you Tuesday night at our November meeting! Hopefully there will be lots of Show and Tell after the retreat! Remember to get your ticket for our Christmas Dinner/Social on December 13.

Upcoming...

 How can it be November already?! We have been blessed with a beautiful fall of warm temperatures and glorious foliage! But the leaves are now falling fast and cooler weather is here. Before long we'll be thinking about snow tires and shovels, ice melt and mittens... and Christmas!! Have you started your Christmas sewing yet? I thought you might appreciate having a list of local upcoming craft shows and sales, in case you wanted to do a little shopping... If you know of others which I have missed, please let me know and I'll add them.

Nov. 11-13 Fredericton Christmas Show @ Capital Exhibition Centre
Nov. 17-18 Christmas at the Market Craft Show @ Boyce Farmers Market  Free
Nov. 17-19 Christmas Craft Show @ Brookside Mall
Nov. 18-19 Ten Thousand Village Fair Trade Sale @ Wilmot Church  Free
Nov. 26 NB College of Craft and Design Annual Christmas Craft Show @ NBCCD   Free
Nov. 26-27 Christmas in the Village in Gagetown   Free
Dec. 2-4 Christmas Gift Show @ Capital Exhibition Centre $3.00 admission
Dec. 4 Christmas Choice Craft Sale, Memorial Hall, UNB 12-4pm
Dec. 4, 11, 18 Sunday Christmas Markets @ Boyce Farmers Market  Free

September Meeting Coming Up!

Hello everyone! There are only a few days now until our first meeting! It will be great to see all our quilting friends again, and maybe we'll see a few new faces as well. We welcome new members! Join us Tuesday evening Sept. 20 for a 7p.m. meeting. Directions are on the sidebar.

Did you know that September is National Sewing Month? What a great reason to celebrate our return to Guild activities! If you haven't done much sewing or quilting over the summer, it's time to get back to your sewing space and get busy! And remember,YOU can help make Show and Tell even better! We want to see your projects!!

I came across this online article written by Weeks Ringle of Modern Quilt Studio on their blog
Craft Nectar, a few weeks ago. It's an interesting and eye-opening read and something I hope all members will take the time to read through. There are indeed big changes happening in the quilting industry. Those mentioned are all in the USA, but let's face it, they affect us too. Did you know that the American Quilters Society has stopped publishing books? Quilters' Newsletter, which has been in production since 1969 has published its last print edition with the current October November issue now on newsstands. The City Quilter in Manhattan is closing, as are several other well known American shops.
The article is reprinted below with Weeks' permission, but if you click on the article link above, you can also read the very interesting comments that follow the article.

The past few years have brought tremendous changes to the world of quilting. Shops have closed by scores. Magazines and book publishers have shuttered or merged with other publishers. American Quilter Society has ceased publishing books all together. City Quilter in New York is closing. Tension has arisen at times between genres of quilters who perceive one genre being intolerant to another.
We began teaching modern quilting in 2001. The ages of our students ranged from twenty-somethings to retirees. Even as early as 2001 we noticed that spending patterns were clearly divided by age. Retirees had large stashes and both the time and money to make lots of quilts. Younger quilters had student debt, insecure jobs and looming college and retirement costs that prevented them from spending as much time or money on quilting. If we had a studio sale with fabric deeply discounted, the 50+ crowd would spend hundreds of dollars and the 30-somethings would buy 4 fat quarters. It was a pattern we saw repeatedly. So we never drank the Kool-Aid about modern quilters or young quilters saving our shrinking industry. They can’t afford to. Hiring designers based on the number of Instagram followers instead of talent will not save our industry. Deciding which books to publish based on the age of the author will not save our industry. Belittling other genres of quilting will definitely not save our industry. If you REALLY want to save our industry, here are a few things you can do:

1. Buy fabric and supplies from an owner whose name you know. Buying quilting fabric from   Massdrop or Fabric.com might not seem like a big deal but for a mom-and-pop retailer every dollar truly matters. If you buy from Massdrop, the designer makes 15-20 cents per yard at best. If you buy directly from the designer, they make $4-6 per yard.
2. Buy books from authors directly or through local quilt shops. If you buy a book from Amazon to save $4, the author makes $1. If you buy it from the author, the author makes typically half of the cost of the book, usually $10-15. If you buy it from a local quilt shop, the shop owner makes the profit but at least it stays in the industry and they stay in business and buy more books. It’s an enormous difference.
3. Support ALL types of quilting. If you’re a modern quilter, go to an exhibit of applique quilts at a local guild. Do a shop hop of shops you haven’t been to. Take classes that are outside of your comfort zone. All of this money filters down to support guilds, teachers, shops and designers.
4. Teach someone to sew or quilt. Help a teenager make a quilt for college or for graduation. Show a boy how to make a messenger bag or a pillow for his room.
5. Understand the laws of supply and demand. With fewer shops in business and fewer quilters, the cost of fabric has and will increase. No one is taking advantage of you or ripping you off. It’s just the economics of each yard costing more because fewer yards are being produced. Ditto for the cost of magazines, especially with magazines like ours that has no ads.
6. Don’t expect everything for free. Unless you want quilting to go the way of tatting, with very few people able to make a living teaching or designing, don’t photocopy patterns for your friends and don’t limit what you can learn to YouTube. I understand that each of us only has so much money and it’s tempting to want to give away your favorite patterns with your guild friends, but if you don’t support shops, publishers, designers and the like, those people will have to find other ways to make a living. The closed shops, the shuttered publishers and those who have left the industry for greener pastures or as a result of closures are proof that it has become harder than it was 20 years ago to make a living in the quilting industry. Most importantly, can we just band together to support all quilters? And when I say support, I mean financially as well as sharing with others the work you find inspiring be it at a guild meeting or through social media. Can we decide that each quilt is made by someone who loves quilting as much as you do? If you don’t like the way quilt competitions are structured, suggest a new category. If you want more books on a certain topic, email the publisher. If you want more magazine coverage of a certain trend, let the editors know. If you want a certain fabric your local shop doesn’t carry, ask if they would be willing to order it. We are fortunate right now to have more work than we can manage. However, watching businesses related to quilting close affects all of us. Please share in the comments section anything you can think of to support the quilting world.

A Volunteer Opportunity

September is just hours away now, and with it for most of us a return to more routine in our lives. And of course a return to guild meetings. Yippee! Whether or not you've taken a break from sewing and quilting this summer, it's time to get back in the swing of things! Do you have some fall or Christmas projects on your To Do list?
Maybe you would like to try something new this fall. Katie Noonan, the Office Administrator with Central Valley Adult Learning Association is looking for volunteers to lead some quilting classes for seniors in the greater Fredericton area (Fredericton, Oromocto, Stanley, Minto, Chipman and Gagetown.) She is keen to set this up and get it underway so if you are interested you can reach her at     katie.noonan@cvala.ca or at 357-7892. She would love to hear from you!

Did You Know?

Just a few DYK's for you today...

Did you know that the measuring tape you have in your sewing space is most likely 5/8" wide? Our seam allowance in quilt-making is almost always 1/4", but if you do any garment-making, the seam allowance is usually 5/8". So measure the width of your tape measure, it may very well be a handy guide for you! ~ Info passed on by Kathy Feltmate, from Colette Patterns. Thanks Kathy!  (** I checked mine and it's 3/4"... just sayin'....)

Have you ever wondered where the tomato pincushion came from? In the early Middle Ages metal pins were costly and much harder to come by than they are today. They were often stored in special pin/needle cases  made from ivory, bone, silver or other metals. In the early 1700's pin-pillows came into use- the pincushion predecessor! They were made from beautiful fine fabrics and were often embroidered. Soon they were mounted on bases of silver, china or wood and used more as a home decor item. By the early 1900's pincushions were commonly used as a useful sewing aid.
Did you know that during Victorian times, when a family moved into a new home, it was common to place a fresh tomato on the mantle to ward off evil spirits, thereby bringing prosperity to the family? Since tomatoes were only available in summer, and didn't last long, they were often made from fabric instead, stuffed with sand or sawdust and made to look realistic with veins and leaves. It's easy to picture the busy lady of the house stabbing a few stray pins into the tomato, until she could put them back in their proper place with her sewing supplies....  ~ Info from Threads magazine

Have you ever made an Irish Chain quilt? Or have you ever wondered where the name came from? Did you know that the Irish began immigrating to North America in large numbers in the mid-1800's? When the American Civil War began, the Irish formed their own brigades with approximately 140,000 Irish soldiers fighting for the union. The Irish used a tool called an Irish Chain (Gunter's chain or surveying chain) as a measuring device for land surveying; it was made up of linked sections that fit together to form a single chain. Replace those links with squares and you have an Irish Chain quilt! ~ info from Fons and Porter

Change of Show Venue

For anyone planning to travel to Grand Manan this weekend for the Tidal Threads Quilt Show, please note there has been a change of venue. The show will now be held in the Immanuel Family Church in Castalia. Please use the sanctuary entrance. Just follow route 776 "down island" from North Head, it will be on your left. If you come to the Irving gas bar and the Save Easy, you have gone too far. If you are planning on taking the ferry as a foot passenger, the "Quiltmobile" will still pick you up, transport you to the show, and return you to the ferry.

New Shop Location

Just in case you haven't heard, The Christmas Crab Quiltery has moved downtown. It is now located on the main floor of 158 Brunswick St. There is ample parking behind the building. Note the new hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30a.m. to 4p.m. and Saturday 9:30a.m. to 2p.m.

Note also the new phone number 206-6018.

Why not drop by soon and wish JoAnne best of luck in her new location?

Row by Row 2016

Tomorrow, June 21, marks the official start of the 2016 Row by Row Experience.  Are you ready? Car gassed up? Credit card or cash in wallet?
What, you don't know what Row by Row is?? Let me fill you in. It's like a summer Shop Hop, but without any fees or cards to stamp.You have the entire summer (until Sept. 6) to visit participating shops and pick up that shop's free pattern for a quilt row. Each participating shop has designed a row on the year's theme - the 2016 theme is "Home Sweet Home" and Timeless Treasures has created a line of fabric on the theme as well. Click here to see the fabrics, designed by Debra Gabel - there's even one to colour yourself!! Visit as many shops as you like to collect patterns - then assemble them into a quilt to win prizes. Every pattern/row will be unique. To qualify for a prize, you must complete a quilt using at least 8 different rows from 8 different 2016 participating shops. The quilt design is your own - the rows can be vertical, horizontal, arranged around a centre, whatever - your choice! If you are the first to bring in a completed quilt to a participating shop, you will win a stash of 25 fat quarters! Win a bonus prize by using that store's row in your quilt. (Note- "Completed" quilt means quilted, bound and labelled.) The deadline for submitting a quilt for a prize is October 31.
Participating shops are all over Canada and the USA, you can click here for the list. Shops are happy to give out one pattern per person, at no charge, to walk-in customers only. Patterns will not be mailed out or emailed. So have fun travelling, shopping and collecting! In keeping with the theme, why not start at home with the six participating NB shops - our two locals, The Christmas Crab Quiltery and Country Crafts and Curtains,  two in the Moncton area- The Covered Bridge Quiltery and The Fabric Cupboard, Town and Country Quilts in Rothesay and Spruce it Up Quilt Shop in Port Elgin.
Happy rowing!!

Using Poly Threads

Just a quick post today to pass on a bit of helpful info re. thread. I'm a lover of cotton threads, but I know some of you piece with polyester. I receive regular emails from Superior Threads and they are so great about allowing people to share their educational info, so here's today's tidbit....

"We always teach that when piecing with polyester thread, set the iron to medium heat. The length of time the iron is in contact with the thread also can affect the thread. Polyester thread can melt at temperatures above 300°. All irons are not equal in their temperature settings. Below are the average ranges of iron temperatures.

* An iron set at High = 300 to 400 degrees
* An iron set at Medium = 230 to 300 degrees
* An iron set at Low is below 230 degrees"

So there you go gals, something to keep in mind if you use poly threads in your quilting...

Wrapping Up Another Year

Our final meeting and potluck dinner was again a great success! We have many fine cooks within our membership! As always there was too much food, and the odd "I ate too much" groan could be heard... just sayin'...

The Starstruck Challenge was a success with a number of participants showing their creations... here are a few..

Our final executive meeting and dessert party is this week, and then we're out of school! It's summer vacation time!  What do you have planned for this summer? A big trip? Some interesting day trips? A quilt show or three? Be sure to check the sidebar for up to date listings of shows and events of interest, and if there is a show that's not listed, let me know so it can be added!

It's such fun to travel to quilt shows far and wide, but not everyone is able to do this, so here is another "armchair tour" for you to enjoy. Click here and here to view quilts from the World Painter's Challenge which was issued to quilters' groups in Japan, France and the USA. Participants were to create a piece of fibre art to represent the work of a famous painter, or to create a design of your choice in the style of that painter. Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Klimt, Matisse.. they're all represented! Thanks to Quilt Inspiration for the great photos. Enjoy!

Have a great summer, everyone!

Updates and Links....

 Ricky Tims is presenting his LAST Super Seminar in St. Charles IL in October. He has something new on the horizon for 2017... wonder what it will be... whatever it is, it's bound to be good! Some of our members have been fortunate to attend a Super Seminar when it was given close by. Everyone loves them- if by any chance you are going to be in the vicinity of St. Charles Illinois around October 20-22 definitely take advantage! You won't regret it!

For those of you familiar with American teacher Libby Lehman, you'll be happy to know she is sewing again! Ever an optimist and determined to recover after her debilitating brain aneurysm and stroke, she is making great progress.

It's been a while since we've had an "armchair quilt show tour" so here goes. Quilt Inspiration is one of the many blogs I follow, and recently they showed quilts from Quilt Arizona! the new name for the annual show by the Arizona Quilt Guild of Mesa AZ- click here and read back through the three most recent posts for some real eye candy! If that just whets your appetite, click here to see quilts from AQS Quilt Week in Phoenix. There are six posts in all, just keep clicking "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page.

Here are some great tips for using scraps...

How are you coming along with your Starstruck Challenge piece? If you need a little inspiration, click here and here for lots of star quilts to gaze at.. maybe something there will spark an idea...

Are you all ready for our meeting and Spring Cleanout Sale next week? I hope you are bringing lots of goodies to sell, and don't forget your loonies, toonies and fivers so you can take some treasures home!!

International Quilting Weekend

As you probably know, March is International Quilt Month. Tomorrow, Saturday the 19th, is International Quilt Day and this weekend is International Quilting Weekend. Do you have some quilty fun lined up? Of course there is our guild Community Projects workday tomorrow, that's a guaranteed good time! If you are in search of some inspiration, or information, The Quilt Show has 17 series of FREE shows for you this weekend, that's over 220 shows! Yep, that's right. March 18, 19 and 20, ALL their shows are free for anyone to watch, you do not have to be a member!  And there are lots of great prizes to be won too!
 Click here for all the details.

March - National Quilting Month

March is National Quilting Month. We hope you are working on a special project to celebrate! Perhaps it's our guild challenge, or maybe a special quilt for a grandchild or a wedding gift. Whatever, hope you're having fun! Plan to attend our workday for Community Projects on March 19 which just happens to be National Quilting Day!  There will be lots going on, new skills to learn, fun to be had and a choice of things to work on. What more could one want?
It was unfortunate that our last meeting was cancelled due to poor weather, but we were lucky to be able to see Jean's Trunk Show on March 1st. Following are a few photos taken that day; those of you who couldn't be there can see a little of what you missed. Jean has produced an amazing collection of bed and lap quilts, wallhangings and various other quilted items using a wide variety of techniques learned at guild workshops and on her own. A talented member indeed!

Wow! What a show! Thanks so much Jean, we know a lot of time and effort went into your presentation. Our March meeting is coming right up on the 15th! See you there! Don't forget our little fundraiser for a quilting sister in need.

Trunk Show Rescheduled

When our meeting was cancelled last week, we missed a wonderful program -  Jean K. had put a lot of time into organizing a Trunk Show of her work, so it has been re-scheduled for Tuesday March 1st. It will be held at 2p.m. at Christ Church Parish Church; please use the Charlotte Street entrance. There is lots of parking space available. It is hoped a good number of members will attend. See you then!

Tonight's meeting cancelled

Tonight's meeting is cancelled due to the inclement weather. If you wish to sign up for the February workshop on Feb. 27, Finishing School with yours truly, please get in touch ASAP with Tracy Houlding at thoulding@gmail.com or myself at lindakhubbard@gmail.com.  In several days, any spots remaining will be opened up to non-members.
EDIT: The workshop is now full.

It's Meeting Time Again

Where does the time go? It's meeting time again... already! Tomorrow night we'll be treated to a wonderful Trunk Show by one of our more prolific members, Jean K. I know she will inspire us with her talents and many works of art. I hope I will see YOU there!


Last month two of our own members shared their love of English paper piecing with us. For those who like handwork and a portable project, it is the perfect choice! Susan D who is fairly new to EPP, shared her thoughts and ideas on getting started and how she has approached EPP.

Barb P who has been at it a while.. (some might say she is obsessed..?) shared a number of projects, both large and small. It would be an understatement to say we were in awe of her EPP skills... Oh My!!! From tiny hexies to large ones, to fussy cut, to heavily embellished... wow! Barb sure keeps busy!

Thanks Susan and Barb for a wonderful program in January.

See you tomorrow evening! Same time, same place!

Do you have tension issues?

I'm not talking about personal tension..we all have some of that! haha  I'm talking about tension issues with your sewing machine. (Of course maybe that might also cause some personal tension... lol) If so, here is something which you might find helpful.... 

1) Top thread lays flat on the fabric

• Upper tension dial too tight
• Lint in upper discs
• Machine not threaded correctly
• Lint in bobbin tension spring
• Poorly wound bobbin
• Thread not in bobbin tension spring
• Bobbin tension not set correctly

2) Bottom thread lays flat

• Upper thread tension is too loose
• Lint in bobbin tension spring
• Poorly wound bobbin
• Machine not threaded correctly
• Bobbin tension not set correctly

3) Loops on bottom of quilt

• Thread is not flossed in top tension discs
• Top thread tension set too loose
• Machine not threaded correctly
• Burr on hook

4) Fabric Puckering

• Top tension too tight
• Bottom tension too tight
• Bobbin not correct size for bobbin case
• Poorly wound bobbin
• Bobbin too full

This is published with the permission of Handi-Quilter which you can visit here. You may find other helpful info there too, under Downloads.

Workshop, Sat. Jan 23. Spaces available.

Paper-piecing- a great technique for large or small quilts!

There are some spaces available in our upcoming workshop this Saturday, January 23. If you live in our area (Fredericton NB) and would like to join us, we'd love to have you! The class is "Learn to Paperpiece" with yours truly, Linda Hubbard. It is a skills oriented workshop, and supplies needed are minimal.
In the morning, you will learn the technique of paper-piecing by progressing through a series of several blocks, from simple to more complex. In the afternoon you will learn how to join blocks together, how to piece odd-shaped pieces, how to cut angled pieces, how to read a complex PP pattern, and how to look at any pieced quilt block and draw it out as a paper-piecing pattern. We will look at the use of different foundation materials, some of which can be left in the quilt. There will also be a demo of "string-piecing," a very simple and slightly different form of foundation piecing.
Paper piecing is a very useful technique that every quilter should have in their bag of tricks. It is very precise and makes complex blocks very simple to piece. It makes tiny blocks (for miniatures) very do-able and perfect points as on a Mariner's Compass easy! It is perfect for group quilts, as every block will come back exactly the same size! If you can count to 10, and sew on a  straight line, then you can learn to paper-piece. If you have tried it before and decided you don't like it, come to this class and I will change your mind!!   :)  Or if you just need a "refresher" this is your chance!
I will bring a number of quilts, large, small and miniature to the class as well as a number of books and patterns for inspiration. It will be a fun-filled day, why not join us? Leave a comment here if you don't know how to contact me otherwise.