Out of the Box Challenge

Our final meeting and Potluck are behind us now, and the summer stretches ahead. I hope you find lots of summer days for sewing and quilting! I won't say I hope there are lots of rainy days to sew, as goodness knows we've had enough of those lately!! I don't know about you, but I'm really ready for some sunshine!!!
Wasn't the Potluck great? We sure have lots of great cooks in our midst! I will soon be posting  recipes for several of the dishes we enjoyed. If there was a particular dish you liked, leave a comment here and perhaps the "chef" will be forthcoming with the recipe for us all to enjoy...
Our Out of the Box Challenge was a huge hit! My only complaint was that we only saw each piece for a minute at the most. Not enough time to really have a good look at them! Perhaps we can call them back in the fall for a display? What do you think?
We had 22 Challenge pieces come in - a great response, I thought. I think most participants liked the "open-ness" of the Challenge - the fact that we could do whatever we wanted to challenge ourselves. We didn't have to use given fabrics or certain colors which some find very limiting. It was great to have the freedom to choose what you wanted to do to reach out of your comfort zone and try something new. There was great variety in the pieces we saw- some challenged themselves with a new-to-them technique (machine quilting, hand applique, etc.) while others chose to work with fabrics or colors that were unusual for them. Thanks to all who participated. I have added half of the photos of the pieces here and I'll post the rest in a few days.

Raw edge work and Machine quilting by Marijke Hurkens

Many points, use of Fusibles and Hand Quilting by Marijke Hurkens

Use of  Perspective by Lee McLean

Use of Unusual Colors/Fabrics by Jean Burtt

Beading by Barb Sloan

Use of Pastels by Jane Gunn

Dogs instead of Cats! by Barb Perry

Unusual Color Combo by Barb Frame

Use of Kaffe Fasset fabrics by Sue Robertson

Use of least favourite color (Orange) and Hand Applique by Linda Hubbard

Miniature by Valerie Moreland

Machine Quilting by Barb Foster

 Stay tuned for the rest in a few days.

REMINDER: There's only a few more days to register for an edVentures class this summer and receive the Early Bird Discount. May 31st is the deadline for the discount.

Potluck tonight!!

A last minute reminder...tonight is our annual end-of-our-year Potluck! Hope you will be there!! Things will get rolling at 6:30pm. Bring your dish "ready to serve"- hot things hot and cold things cold as we do not have time or space to heat or refrigerate... Also don't forget your own plate, cutlery and mug to facilitate an easy speedy clean-up. Please wear your nametag to help our newer members get to know us all...
I can't wait to see all the Out of the Box Challenge pieces!! I know there'll be some interesting work to view!! Don't forget a brief write-up with your piece explaining how/why it was a challenge for you.
See you tonight!!

Sussex Vale - Our Sister Guild

A short while ago we got together with our sister guild in Sussex. This idea of pairing up guilds in the province grew out of the last Gathering of the Guilds in the spring of 2012. They hosted us this April and we will reciprocate in October. Over 25 of our members travelled down to Sussex for a very pleasant social day with a good number of their members. All present thoroughly enjoyed seeing Show and Tell from both groups - what a feast for the eyes it was. I have added a number of photos here of the Sussex gals' quilts, and apologize that I do not have everyone's names to give each one credit... but I hope you will enjoy seeing what we saw. There is certainly no shortage of talent in their group! WOW! Thanks ladies, for sharing your beautiful work with us!

 by Ann Snyder

by Vera Turner

by Gail Fearon

by Judy Steeves

by Helen Steeves

After a wonderful lunch, and the winning of some door prizes, we divided into three groups and played "Strip Poker".. no not the usual type with cards, but with dice and 2.5" strips of fabric. The lucky winners went home with a great collection of strips to add to their stash. A simple game, it didn't require too much brain power and it was lots of fun! All in all, a great day. We can't wait to have them visit us in the fall...

On a sad note, those of you who know quilting teacher Libby Lehman of Texas may not have heard of her recent illness. Last Friday, she suffered a brain aneurism and then during surgery a stroke. She is in critical condition and could use your prayers and positive thoughts. Her recovery is expected to be lengthy. Ricky Tims is giving updates on her condition and progress when he can, on his website The Quilt Show. Any of you who have attended the Ricky Tims Seminar would know Libby as she has teamed with Ricky and Alex Anderson for quite a while now. I have taken several classes with Libby in Maine, and can say she is one of the best quilting teachers I have ever encountered. Her humour and her willingness to share her vast knowledge make her unforgettable as a teacher. Please keep Libby and her family in your thoughts and prayers. If you would like to send a card to Libby, send it to: Libby Lehman, 617 Caroline, Houston TX 77002

This and That...

Last Saturday was the final workshop for this year. Monica W led a group through all the ins and outs of the Storm at Sea. Everyone enjoyed the day of sewing and camaraderie. Thanks Monica for a great day! We'll all look forward to seeing everyone's Storm at Sea quilts!

 Thanks to Susan D for the lovely photo of Monica with her Storm at Sea quilt.

 There are a few "events" coming up in the next few weeks - Quilt Shows next weekend in Saint John and Woodstock,  a Quilters' Bazaar in Moncton on May 8th and then a Quilt Show and Tea in Sackville on Sat. May 11th. See all the details on the sidebar. It's time to gather up a few buddies and hit the road to support our quilting "sisters" around the province!

To get you "in the mood" for the upcoming spring Shows, here are a few links for you to check out. First for all the Dear Jane lovers out there, there will be an exhibit of Dear Jane quilts from around the world, in Nantes France this weekend. Check it out here. The exhibit celebrates the 150th anniversary of the original Dear Jane quilt, made by Jane Stickle.

And below you can see the winners from the recent AQS Show in Lancaster PA. WOW! Talk about inspiring! Wouldn't it be wonderful to attend this show! This week is the big AQS Show in Paducah. I will add a link to view the winning quilts as soon as I see it online..





I hope you all are busily finishing up your Challenge pieces for our May meeting.. the deadline approaches...  Next up - I'll share some photos with you from our wonderful visit on Tuesday with Sussex Vale Quilters Guild. 

Fabric SALE!!

Who doesn't LOVE a fabric sale!? Diane at Country Crafts and Curtains, 334 York Street, is clearing out fabrics to make room for new! ALL fabrics are on sale for $7.98 a yard- even the 30 new bolts which have just arrived!! Balis that were $8.98 are now $5.98!! How great is that?!! So drop by soon and help Diane clear her shelves to make room for new fabrics! Note: due to illness in her family, she will likely only be in the shop 9a.m. to 1p.m. each day for a while...

Take Note of these dates...

I hope you have given some serious thought to visiting the Sussex Vale Quilters' Guild along with other FQG members on Tuesday April 23rd. At last year's Gathering of the Guilds, all the Quilters' Guilds in the province were paired up with a "sister" guild, and we were paired with Sussex Guild. They have invited us for a day of fun (quilts to see, food to eat and strip poker to play!!) The get-together will be held at the United Church Hall in Sussex Corner from 10a.m.- 3p.m. Please plan to bring along some Show and Tell, and if you wish to join in the Strip Poker fun, bring three strips of quilters' cottons, 2.5" wide by 42" (width of fabric). Of course they need to know numbers to facilitate their planning so you must let Lois Mehan know by Monday noon, April 8th if you plan to attend. You should have received an email with her contact info, this evening. We encourage you to car-pool, so let Lois know if you have room in your vehicle for others, or if you need a ride.

Keswick Ridge Quilters have several spots open in an upcoming workshop that may interest you. Susan Tilsley Manley will be teaching her two day "Making Faces" class on May 4th and 5th at the Riverside Resort at Mactaquac. If you missed this class when she did it for us several years ago, here's your chance to catch it now! Susan is a wonderful teacher, warm, patient and encouraging.  Her method of making a fabric portrait is not difficult at all - if you can hold a pencil and trace a line, you can do it. The photo here is a self-portrait of Susan and if you stand back a few feet from your screen, you will see just how amazing it is! If you are interested contact Darcy asap at home at 206-0518 for further info.

We have received notice from the Greater Moncton Quilters' Guild that they are holding a Quilters Bazaar and we are invited! It will take place on Wed. May 8th at the Club d'Age d'Or , 478 Elmwood Drive, Moncton between 11a.m. and 4p.m. There will be fabric, notions, magazines, sewing machines (and no doubt other things of interest to all quilters) for sale. Demos, refreshments and chats with like-minded folks... what more could one want, to celebrate National Quilt Month?!

We have a new Quilt Shop coming to town!! JoAnne at the Christmas Crab Quiltery in Woodstock is going to open a second shop -  in New Maryland. Current plans are for it to be open three days a week - Thursday and Friday (9-8) and Saturday (9-3), with a projected opening date of Thursday May 9th. The location is 572 New Maryland Highway. JoAnne plans to have top quality fabrics and supplies for quilting, kits, free demos, classes and lots of fun. For further info you can contact her at 506-328-6018 or email joquilt@bellaliant.com

Virtual Marketplace Now Open!

 The Virtual Marketplace is now open! This year's CQA/ACC conference is in Penticton BC- quite a distance for us here on the east coast, but whether you plan to attend or not, you can still celebrate Quilt BC 2013 by visiting and shopping at the Virtual Marketplace! It is your opportunity to shop online and get some great deals.
 Sponsors of the conference, merchant mall vendors, CQA/ACC member shops and quilt professionals will offer merchandise at wonderful prices.  Currently, there are 20 vendors involved across Canada.  You can use the coupon to complete your purchase in-store or on-line.  The site is open to everyone, members and non-members.  From April 1st and every day until June 30th, you can visit the Virtual Marketplace

edVentures 2013

Summer will soon be here and it's time to think about how you're going to fill your summer days. Have you considered an edVentures class?  Kathy Tidswell is offering a 2 day class in Thread Painting on July 13 and 14. She is also welcoming any previous students who would like to work on their own projects while having access to her supervision. (What a great opportunity if you have a UFO from one of Kathy's classes!) There is a 15% discount for anyone registering before May 31st.
Registration is by calling 1 888 850 1333 or at www.edVentures.ca.  For more information see www.kathytidswell.com or contact Kathy at kathy@kathytidswell.com.

If you have not yet been to the Charlotte Street Arts Centre (732 Charlotte St.) to see Kathy's pieces in the show Avian Moments, you only have a few more weeks to make your way there. The show is open until April 15th.  See March 8th post below for more info on Avian Moments..

March program on Precuts.

What a great program we had at our March meeting! We learned all about precuts- how they started and what we can do with them, not to mention a "whole new language". Who knew- candy and honeybuns, layer cakes and jelly rolls, dessert rolls and turnovers - they're NOT just found in bakeries anymore!! There are some copies left of the Precuts handout which was given out to all in attendance, extra copies will be available at the next meeting for those who missed it in March.
Here are a few tips that were passed on during the program:



 1. Some precuts (like charm packs) have pinked edges. Your 1/4" seam should be measured from the outer tips of the pinked edge. If it bothers you, it can be trimmed off to give a straight edge, but then you will be working with a slightly smaller piece, of course. If adding a piece with a pinked edge to a piece with a straight edge, the tips of the pinked edge should align with the straight edge.  2. It is always suggested that precuts should not be washed before use. This may distort the size and shape of the piece. If you are worried about bleeding, toss a Color Catcher or two in with the quilt the first time it is washed. This should take care of any color/dye that is released.  3. Bali Pops by Hoffman are not laser cut (as most precuts are) but hand-cut in Bali. Therefore there are slight variations in the 2.5" width of the strips. Click here for a  great tip for dealing with this variance.

We enjoyed some "extra Show and Tell" (always
the best part!!) during the program too -  lots of quilts made with jelly rolls, layer cakes and charm packs. The photos on this post are just some of the lovely examples we saw. Thanks again to all who participated and brought in quilts for the program!!
Here are a few tips that were passed on. Some precuts (like charm packs) have pinked edges. You 1/4" seam should be measured fromteh tips of thepinked edge. If it bothers you , it can be trimmed off to give a straight edge

A few reminders, resulting from the meeting: First, a big Thank You to all who took patterns and backings to do one or more adult bibs and co-ordinating placemats for our commitment to White Rapids Nursing Home. These must be returned at the April meeting so if you cannot be there, please get your bib and placemat to someone else who can return it for you! Placemats should be approx. 12" x 16". The rubber bib backings should be color side OUT on the back, and please add velcro at the top for closure..
Our "Sister Guild" - Sussex Vale QG has invited us to visit them on Tuesday April 23 - this is the Tuesday following our April meeting. There is no limit on how many may attend as their venue (church hall) is large. We must tell them by Mon. noon  April 8th how many will be attending so check your calendars and give this some thought. At the last Gathering of the Guilds (2012) all the guilds in NB were "paired up" with a "sister guild" and encouraged to get together to foster sharing and communication between the guilds, so this is our first get-together; we will reciprocate by hosting them next October. Plans are currently underway for that event. If you would like to join the planning committee, let us know!
Lastly, if you are renewing your CQA/ACC membership this month, or planning to join as a new member, please remember to add our Guild name at the bottom of the form. This puts our Guild into a draw for a $50.00 donation from CQA to our Guild library. This offer is just for March so you've only got a few days left...