Just a reminder, tomorrow evening is our Christmas Social. Your invitation is in your inbox, sent last Thursday, Dec. 9. Get your Bingo card made!! 7pm on Zoom.
How's the Christmas sewing coming along? I am still hard at it.. one more runner to go, and masks.. more masks... will the mask-making ever end?
Leaving you with this thought, seen on Facebook.
Merry Christmas everyone!!
November meeting is just two days away. Have you sent in your Show and Tell photos? We want to see! Came across this poem today, thought you might enjoy it...
Quilt Show and Tell
by Rose Kelley
They'd fall right out laughing at something of mine:
FOR SALE: Creative fabric mid arm quilting machine, has Creative overhead light bar and stitch regulator, and Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0 machine. $3250.00 with Pfaff, $3000.00 without Pfaff. Contact Marilyn Wynn in Sussex at 506-433-3928
Just a friendly reminder.. have you paid your membership dues yet?? They are now due.. we have a big year planned, you don't want to miss it...
Hello everyone! How is your summer going? Can you believe it's already August! Wow, the summer days are flying by much too quickly. Why does winter seem sooo long and summer so short?
For some reason, Blogger won't let me edit or update things on the sidebar right now (most frustrating!) so will list a few things here. First up, a Quilt Show (because aren't we ALL starved for a quilt show?!)
Next weekend, August 12-14, the Upper Miramichi Quilt Show and Sale will be held at the Boiestown United Church on highway 8 at the intersection of highway 625. Hours each day are 10-4. Entry is by freewill donation with proceeds going to charity. Door prizes from Candle in the Window of Boiestown and Memory Lane in Doaktown.
Other local shows are listed on the sidebar - Akerley Area Guild in Cambridge Narrows this weekend, and St. Andrews next weekend. These offer the opportunity to get out and view some quilts, access a vendor or two and see some quilting friends! :)
One of the items found on our sidebar is "Quilt Shops in Our Area". Shops or business must have a website for me to add them to that listing- it's just the way Blogger has it set up. There are two that cannot be added because of this so I am listing the info here for your info.
Contact info for our local Bernina dealers, Pierre and Michelle at The Sewing Machine Den: 1019 Brookside Drive, Apt. 106, Fredericton, E3G 0E2. Phone (506) 259-7070 or email them at thesewingmachineden@gmail.com. Bernina sales and service - cleaning and repair. On Facebook.
If you are venturing upriver, you might want to check out Victoria Corner Sewing Machines between Woodstock and Hartland. Proprietor Charlotte Cook carries fabrics (including108" backings and some flannels), battings, notions, some books and patterns, and a great variety of threads. She sells Janome machines and repairs all machine makes and models. She tells me she has a good selection of Christmas fabrics in already (it's never too early to start Christmas projects!) Her shop is in her home and hours are 10-4 Monday to Friday; she is there 90% of the time, but it's always a good idea to call ahead to be sure, and if you cannot make it during her regular hours other arrangements can be made by contacting her. Phone 506-375-4396 or 506-325-8926. Email cookgc@live.com Address: 2282 Route 103, Victoria Corner, NB E7P 1E7. Take exit 172 off Trans Canada (route 2), right at stop sign and proceed several kms, passing the Upper River Valley Hospital and Day & Ross terminal. Turn right onto route 103 just before the Hugh John Flemming bridge. Proceed about 3 kms to 2282 on the left, a white house with green shutters.
There are also three relatively new smaller quilt shops in NB. I have not visited any of them yet, so can only pass on basic info:
1. Edge Squared Quilt Shop, 745 North Barnaby Road, Barnaby NB E1N 6E9 phone 1-506-623-8301 http://www.edgesquaredquilting.com/ email: beverleyhackett222@gmail.com Closed Sunday and Monday. Open Tues.- Sat. 10-5. On Facebook.
2, Chloe's Quilting Cafe, 10635 rue Principale, Saint Louis de Kent, NB E4X 1G2 phone 506-335-3535 http://www.chloesquiltingcafe.ca/ email: chloesquiltingcafe@yahoo.com Closed Sunday and Monday, open Tues. - Fri. 9-4, and Sat. 8:30-12 noon. On Facebook.
3. KP Quilting Studio, 1 Lake Road, Kingston NB E5N 1J8 phone 506-763-2560 https://kpquiltingstudio.com email: kpquiltingstudio@gmail.com Closed Mon. & Wed., Open Tues., Thurs., Fri. &Sat. 9-5, Sun. 12-5. On Facebook.
Perhaps if any of you have visited these shops, you could tell us about it in the comments.
Jenny was also one of 14 artists chosen by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery to be part of the Isolated/Together project. This exhibition is now open at the Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery in Florenceville until August 21. Her piece "Dancing in the Rain" is based on Vivian Greene's quote: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain." You can see several more photos of Dancing in the Rain on this earlier post.
Congratulations are also due to Darcy Stewart Hunter on receiving an Arts NB grant to create six large art quilts to share her love of the natural beauty of New Brunswick. We can't wait to see these works of art, Darcy.
The photo at left is a work in progress of the Sackville Waterfowl Park. Beautiful, Darcy!
Last but not least, Congratulations to Kathy Tidswell whose wall quilt "Bank Machine Blues" was selected by Martha Sielman for inclusion in her book about fibre artists inspired by birds. Martha is the executive director of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). The book is not a SAQA endeavour, but will be published by Schiffer Publishing. "Bank Machine Blues" was made for the 2005 Grand National Quilt Exhibition: Airborne, held at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery in Kitchener Ontario.
Have you been to the UNB Art Centre (otherwise known as Memorial Hall) to view the Grand National exhibition yet? It is WELL worth a visit. Visits are limited to Sunday afternoons, noon - 5pm, thanks to Covid, and must be pre-booked. This is easily done online at www.unb.ca/cel/artcentre . Bookings are taken for groups of four so get three friends together and book an appointment! (Of course you can book a time slot to attend by yourself as well.) Twenty minutes is hardly enough time to really take it all in, so plan to visit more than once. (If you are coming from out of town, you could book several appointments in a row, each under a different name of someone in your group.)
The exhibit is made up of 48 pieces of fibre art works by 43 Canadian artists. How nice it is to see three from New Brunswick - our own Lee McLean of New Maryland, Juliet Nowlan of Quispamsis, and Charline Collette of Campbellton. Congrats to all the artists on an inspiring exhibition.
This exhibit runs at the UNB Art Centre until June 27.
A solo exhibit of works by Kathy Tidswell opens at the Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery in Florenceville-Bristol on May 15. There will be both thread paintings and wall quilts on exhibit and for sale. The gallery is found at 8 McCain Street, Unit 1, Florenceville-Bristol.
Hours are Tuesdays by appointment (call ahead- 506-392-6769), Wed., Fri., Sat. 10:30-5pm, Thurs. noon- 8pm. Of course Covid protocols are in place- please wear your mask when visiting the gallery. The exhibit runs until June 19.
UPDATE: The Gallery will be open on Sundays, starting May 9 from noon-5:00 until June 27. Appointments to view the exhibit can be booked at https://www.unb.ca/cel/enrichment/art-centre/
The virtual exhibition and talks with the artists (including our own Lee McLean) can now be viewed online at http://www.unb.ca/cel/enrichment/art-centre/index.html
The Grand National Virtual Opening and Awards Ceremony will take place this Saturday May 8 at 4;00 pm local time. FQG members will have received an email invitation to the Zoom ceremony. Check your inboxes!
Crossroads: Grand National Fibre Exhibition 2021 will be on view at the UNB Art Centre from May 2 until June 27, 2021. While the office at the Art Centre is currently closed, the galleries will be open on Sundays from noon until 5 pm by appointment at www.unb.ca/cel/artcentre.
This year's exhibit presents 48 works by 43 outstanding artists in a juried selection on the theme of Crossroads. Fibre artists have been challenged with visualizing a decisive moment when a path diverges, and a resolution is made. Visit the online galleries to hear a number of the artists talk about their inspiration and their process and to view the artist's biographies.
The Grand National Exhibition has been showcasing quilt and fibre artists across Canada in a biennial exhibit since 2003. However Crossroads is the organization's first touring exhibit and makes its first stop at the UNB Art Centre. The tour wraps up at the end of 2022 and brings the show to the Thunder Bay Museum, ON; Woodstock Art Gallery, ON; Victoria Arts Council, B.C.; Weyburn Arts Council, SK; and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, MB.
It's been a while.. seems "news" is slim these days, not many shows or events happening... Quilt Canada will be virtual this year, so an opportunity for us ALL to attend without the cost of airfare or hotel! Seems like a good plan. And on that note, a big Congrats to our own Jenny Adam for having a piece accepted to the NJS (National Juried Show.) We will all be anxious to see it, Jenny! Congrats also to Holly McLean of Northstar Guild in Bathurst, also with a quilt accepted into the NJS. If there are any others from NB that I have missed, let me know!
We were very happy with the response to the Initials Challenge. It was great fun to see all the varied entries during our April meeting. 20 members completed 24 entries. Prizes were drawn and the winners were: Janet M, Nancy R, Barb F, Jean K, Marj D and LaVerne M D. Ladies, if you haven't picked up your prize yet, please get in touch with Linda soon.
The response to the Co-ordinator's Challenge has also been terrific! Enough blocks have been turned in to complete two quilt tops which will soon be quilted and bound (in red of course!!) It seems that our fearless leader, JK, is not the only one who enjoys working with RED. Thanks to all who took part and completed blocks! If you haven't turned yours in yet, you have a few more days - the deadline is April 30. Here are the first two quilt tops. Aren't they lovely?
Just a few other bits and pieces to tell you about. If like me you look forward to the annual KVQG Show each September, you have likely been wondering if it will be held this year. I inquired recently and was told a decision will be made in June. I will be sure to let you know, once I hear. As always there is a list of upcoming Shows and Events on the sidebar and I will do my best to keep it updated through the summer months. Wouldn't want you to miss anything!! :)
Lastly, if you receive these blog posts by email to your inbox, just want you to know that this feature will be discontinued in July. So, that means you will have to actually visit the blog to see recent posts.
Don't forget the Grand National Fibre Arts Exhibition is coming to Fredericton May 2!! More info on the next blog post! Stay tuned!
Good morning! Another sunny but colddd day! If you are a fan of modern quilts, you likely know that this is QuiltCon weekend. QuiltCon is an international modern quilt show that typically features over 550 quilts, more than 100 vendors, classes, etc. QuiltCon 2021 was to be held in Austin Texas, but Covid forced it to be held virtually. Of course, Texas is having many problems right now after being hit with a deadly deep freeze that has left millions without power and water...Texans aren't used to frozen pipes like we are here in the great white north! So perhaps it's just as well that there aren't thousands of quilters stuck in Austin in the middle of this storm system. Judging is now complete and you can view the winners by clicking here. If you're interested in seeing more of QuiltCon, click here. Next year's show is planned for Phoenix AZ., let's hope Covid has left us alone by then!
Next weekend is the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival Online. This 32nd annual show will be available around the clock from start to finish, Feb. 24-27, from Hampton Virginia. Virtual show-goers will be able to view the competition quilts, shop the Vendor's Mall online and take virtual interactive workshops from the comfort of home. Go to www.onlinequiltfest.com for more info.
*We are almost through January! Only one more week. We've been lucky so far, weather-wise, with not much snow and temps above the January normal. Fingers crossed that our "easier winter" continues. Our monthly meetings continue by Zoom, with almost half of our members attending, and others watching the recordings later. We hope you are feeling connected in this way.
*We are saddened to have recently lost two former members, Jessie Yerxa and Diane Bunker; our condolences to their family and friends.
*Is anyone participating in a Sew Along, Mystery Quilt or Block of the Month right now? Send us some photos! Tell us about it! There are lots of them out there, many for free... Andrea at The Quilting Shed is going to be hosting a Mystery Quilt, with registration beginning in Feb. Get in touch with her if you'd like to join the fun!
*Our next newsletter deadline is Feb. 8 at the latest, earlier is always better. All submissions go to Gail Mitchell, newsletter editor.
*Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting is back on MPBN on Saturday mornings at 10:30. Lots of great ideas and tips to be had there.
*We hope you are planning to participate in this year's guild challenge. Details on the Initials Challenge were on pages 2 and 3 of your November newsletter (emailed on Nov. 11.) Please contact the Program Committee if you have any questions. Have you started yours yet?? Finished entries are due for our April meeting on April 20.
Saw this recently on Facebook, and thought you might enjoy reading it. Although it is written about someone who wants a deck built, it could just as easily apply to someone wanting a quilt made. It's a bit lengthy but well worth the read.
A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE.
A customer asked a contractor friend of mine how much it would cost to do this project.
My friend gave him a proposal: $4500.00
The customer responded: That seems really high.
My friend asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this job?
The customer answered: $2500. maximum.
My friend responded: Ok then, I invite you to do it yourself.
The customer answered: I don't know how to.
My friend responded: Alright then, how about for $2500 I'll teach you how to. So besides saving you $2000, you'll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.
The customer answered: Sounds good! Let's do it!
My friend responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some tools. You will need a chop saw, table saw, cordless drill, bit set, router, skill saw, jig saw, tool belt, hammer, etc.
The customer answered: But I don't have any of those tools and I can't justify buying all these for one job.
My friend responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $300 I can rent my tools to you to use for this project.
The customer answered: Okay, that's fair.
My friend responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.
The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I'm only available on weekends.
My friend responded: If you want to learn from me, then you will need to work when I work. This project will take three days so you will need to take three days off work.
The customer answered: That means I'm going to have to sacrifice my pay for three days or use my vacation time!
My friend responded: That's true. Remember when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.
The customer answered: What do you mean by that?
My friend responded: Doing a job completely from start to finish includes time spent to plan the project, pick up materials, travel time, gas, set up time, clean up and waste disposal amongst other things. That's all in addition to the actual project itself. And speaking of materials, that's where we will start on Monday so I need you to meet me at the lumberyard at 6:00a.m.
The customer answered: At 6a.m.?!! My work day doesn't usually start until 8a.m.!
My friend responded: Well then, you're in luck! My plan is to start on the deck build by 8a.m. But to do so we have to start at 6a.m. to get materials picked up, loaded and delivered to your job site.
The customer answered: You know, I'm realizing that a lot more goes into a job than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $4500. is very reasonable. I would like you to handle the project.
CONCLUSION: When you pay for a job, especially a custom job (whether it's a physical project or a digital project) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for knowledge, experience, custom skills, tools, time to plan, time to prepare, professionalism, work ethic, excellence, discipline, commitment, integrity, taxes, licenses, sacrifices, liabilities, insurance and permits.
If you request a proposal for custom work to be done, please don't disrespect a service provider by trying to get them to lower their prices. If their proposal exceeds your budget, there's nothing wrong with getting other proposals. Just remember, you get what you pay for.
SERVICE PROVIDERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.
CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.
