Spring is just around the corner....

... and with it come Quilt Shows! Yeah! There is a list of upcoming Shows in the Maritimes in our sidebar- it will be updated as we hear of others. In the meantime, would you like to go on an armchair tour? Gail and I both browse through alot of Blogs... One I check in on frequently is True Blue Canadian in Toronto. The last few days she has posted pics from the Etobicoke Quilters' Guild Show last weekend. You can view her posts and see many of the quilts by clicking here, here and here. Enjoy! Leave a comment below and tell us if you enjoy this sort of thing. If so, we'll take you off on free tours of other shows- the next one I have in mind is a huge show in Tokyo.

Meeting Reminder

How fast the weeks fly by! This is meeting week again. Hope to see you this Tuesday night, March 16th. Our program will be a presentation by local artist Alexandrya Eaton. She will be talking to us about color, and sharing slides of her work. I'm sure we'll all pick up some tips for confidence in the use of color. Remember too, to pick up your FQG Retreat application from Jean Street at this meeting. Workshop spaces are still available for our March and April workshops, and don't forget to check out our Library! Do you have something to share with us at Show and Tell? See you there!

Ricky Tims Seminar Update...

By now FQG members have received the first "email blast" from Ricky Tims. If you have not read the previous posts about our wonderful experience at the Seminar in 2008 you can find them here and here. The video attached to the email you got gives you a fairly good idea of what it's all about, but if you have questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment here at the end of this post or contact Linda Hubbard. We have started a list of interested people and have several names already. It IS a great Seminar, worth every penny, we all agreed. Remember you do not take machines, fabric, sewing supplies - nope - all you take is a pen and your enthusiam! Why not join the fun?

Upcoming Workshop

Our upcoming workshop in March has spaces available. The project is a Stained Glass Christmas Tree Skirt, and will be taught by member Helen Steeves, on March 20th at our usual location, the Senior's Center on Johnson Avenue. Knowing Helen, there will be lots of fun and laughter, plus you'll get an early jump on a Christmas project- lovely for a gift or under your own tree. You know how busy things get in November and December, so why not start early and have fun with a group of quilting friends too!

If you are interested in joining in, please contact Workshop Registrar Priscilla Plourde at 454-1913 or by email at pplourde1913@rogers.com

Blankets for Haiti..THANK YOU!!!

This blog affords us a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Dawn Sharpe has joined the Executive this year, heading up our Community Projects, and what a great addition to our team!

Dawn is recently retired from the Emergency department at the DECH (although she still spends many hours there filling in when they are short-staffed) and is enjoying more time at her sewing machine, making quilts, draperies and various other projects. Dawn is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and generous people I know; she is always there when family, friends or neighbours need help, and she has instilled these traits in her family as well. Dawn raised a family of seven- six boys plus daughter Robyn, also a FQG member, and what a fine family they are.

Dawn's son Chris had travelled to Haiti 13 times to help set up, build and maintain an orphanage in Jacmel. Upon hearing of the recent tragic earthquake there, he knew he had to return to help out wherever he could. Within the first few days when things were rather chaotic, Chris was instrumental in helping the Canadian military organize and arrange access to Haiti. After listening to CBC radio, and hearing of the chaos and confusion over how to land and get supplies and equipment in to Port au Prince, he called CBC to tell them there was another way. He was passed on to someone in Toronto, and before long was telling the Canadian military of the airstrip and deep water port in Jacmel. Suffice it to say that they were very grateful for Chris's first hand knowledge and experience in the area. Chris was on his way to Jacmel a few days later, and worked with our Canadian troops while there, serving as a liaison between the Mayor of Jacmel and other "Officials" there and the military.

Upon his return to Fredericton, Dawn asked her son what we here could do to help. He replied that although the days were warm, it became quite cool overnight; the orphans would huddle together in groups on the ground at night to stay warm. He said he slept with his jacket over him and was still cold. So Dawn launched the "Blankets for Haiti " project. She asked staff she knew at the Hospital, Robyn mentioned it to staff at FHS, and our Guild was approached to donate fleece or to actually make fleece blankets. These will be shipped, with other supplies and materials that are being collected at O'Leary Pontiac. Dawn was hoping to receive 100 blankets.

Jerry O'Leary is well known in Fredericton for the work he has done in Jacmel with the present orphange. Now they are planning the construction of a second one. Upon speaking with Chris today, he explained to me that the Haitians are now terrifed to sleep in concrete buildings. They want nothing to do with any concrete structures, so the metal containers that will be shipped will be emptied, and then used to actually form the basic structure of the new orphange.

Dawn, Robyn and Chris are thrilled with the response they received: over 280 blankets! Thank you so much to all our members who were so generous in donating finished blankets, fleece or money for fleece, for this worthwhile project. God bless!!

Meeting Reminder...

February meeting is this week - Tuesday Feb.16th. We have a lot of members away this month so we sure hope to see YOU there. We have an excellent program lined up- learning stations to benefit all.. those of us who feel we are "beyond beginner" can always use some refreshing! Don't forget workshop sign-ups (see post below), a visit to our extensive Library, the "Help" desk, Show and Tell, and more! See you there... 7:30 sharp....

Upcoming Bear Paw Workshop

Our upcoming workshop in February has spaces available. It will be taught by member Barb Foster on Feb. 20th at our usual meeting place on Johnson Avenue. Barb will be teaching a bias strip piecing method for doing half square triangles, which is very fast and accurate. Students will complete a 14" block from two fat quarters, a block large enough for a shopping bag or wallhanging. Or you might choose to continue on for a larger quilt. It's up to you! Barb will also share a number of variations for this traditional "old favourite"block! This class is suitable for Beginners and beyond.

Click here to see lots of Bear Paw quilts for ideas amd inspiration! If you would like to join us for this workshop, call Workshop Registrar Barb Frame at 459-4732.

By the way, did you know that "Bear Paw" is one of the oldest known quilt patterns? The story of this pattern begins even before pieced quilts became common around the mid 1800's. Earlier quilts were commonly medallion style surrounded by several borders; a sawtooth border was often used. Of course methods used to piece a border could easily be adapted to a block. The Sawtooth block appeared in many early quilts along with Sawtooth stars and diamonds and what became known as BearPaw. As with many patterns, Bear Paw became known by other names too, and each of these names also apply to one or more designs. Bear Paw has also been known as Duck's Foot in the Mud, Hand of Friendship, Tea Leaf and Cats Paw.

Ricky Tims Super Seminar, Part Two

At the January FQG meeting, we made an attempt to give you a small sample of the many things we learned at the Seminar. We barely scratched the surface. As well as the presentations by Ricky, Libby and Alex, we also had a session with Bob Purcell, President of Superior Threads. He taught us a great deal about threads in a very short time! Here are just a few of the things we learned:

* Not all threads are colorfast, in particular, hand-dyed threads and some rayons.

* Throw away your nylon thread. If you want an "invisible" monofilament thread, buy polyester. Nylon melts, gets brittle after time and it "yellows". If your spool is labelled polyamide, you've got nylon..

* Always use a size 90/14 Topstitch or Metallic needle (deeper groove and bigger eye) and loosen the top tension when stitching with metallic threads.

* When deciding what weight of thread you will use for machine quilting, remember it depends whether you want the thread to blend or stand out. "Heavy to show, thin to blend."

* Polyester thread will not tear your fabric.

* All sensitive threads prefer a vertical spool pin.

* Problems with specialty threads can usually be traced to these causes: 1. Quality (buy good quality thread). 2. Needles (select the right type and put in a new needle with each new project). 3. Tension (running your machine always at the same tension setting is like buying a new TV and never changing the channel). 4. Condition of machine (keep your machine clean and in good condition).

Lastly, here are a few quotes from the Seminar sessions which are good reminders to us all:

~ Nothing is ever a failure if you learn from it.

~ You have to become your own Quilt Police.

~ Quilts take a really long time to finish when you're not working on them.

~ Finish the ones that deserve it, and realize some deserve to die.

~ The best gift God has given you is TIME : know how to use it.

This barely scratches the surface of all we learned at the Seminar. Remember the Seminar will be held in Hyannis Massachusetts in September 2010. If you would like to attend, leave a comment with your name here, or get in touch with Linda Hubbard (455-1825) . We will be "collecting" names and hopefully get enough for a group registration and a significant savings to you. (You will not in any way be obligated to travel together as a group. )

Just a reminder, you can click on these photos for a closer look.

Ricky Tims Super Seminar

The January Guild program informed us all of the Ricky Tims Super Seminars. These take place 4 times a year around the U.S. They do not come to Canada, unfortunately (too much hassle at the border with quilts and inventory for sale) but they do try to hold at least one of the Seminars each year within a reasonable driving distance for many Canadians. Five FQG members have already attended RT Seminars. You could be next! (We attended the Seminar in the spring of 2008 in Glens Falls NY. Photos shown here are from the Glens Falls Seminar. You can click on these for a much closer look.)

The Seminar is 2.5 days in length and always follows the same schedule, beginning on a Thursday afternoon and finishing on Saturday at 5:30pm. There are 10 sessions, 6 done by Ricky, and 2 each by Alex Anderson and Libby Lehman. Sessions are 1.5 hours each, broken up by generous "breaks"during which you can shop, get a closeup look at the quilts, or get an autograph or a photo taken with Ricky, Alex or Libby. The sessions are done theatre style - ie you don't have to bring anything other than a pen and your enthusiasm - no sewing machines to carry, no fabric to prepare, etc. You sit back in a comfy chair and listen, watch and learn! All the action takes place on a large stage with a giant screen behind- whatever is being done at a machine or on the cutting table is video'd and projected on the screen so you can see exactly what's happening. Every seat is a good seat! You don't even have to take notes as you are provided with a Syllabus of notes - 125 pages or so, complete with diagrams and color photos. Topics covered by Ricky include: Quilting Caveman Style, Convergence Quilts, Design Development, Flip 'n' Sew and Paper Piecing, Rhapsody Quilts, No Pins Precision Curved Piecing, No Pins Set -in Corners and Circles, Kaleidoscopes, Applique, Machine Quilting, Piped Bindings, Binding the Quilt by Machine, and Scalloped Bindings. Alex Anderson does two sessions on the topics of Hand Quilting and Fabric Selection. Libby Lehman's sessions are on Machine Applique and Sheer Ribbon Illusions. All sessions are enjoyable; info is presented clearly and concisely in a very organized manner, and presenters are happy to answer questions from the audience. There is lots of humour and it is very evident that all presenters are enjoying themselves as much as the audience is!

During the breaks, you can wander throught the quilt displays and see the quilts "up close and personal". You can shop at Ricky's booth for his books, DVD's, CD's, hand-dyed fabrics and notions that he likes and uses. You can get autographs and/or have your photo taken with Ricky, Libby and/or Alex. Because Bernina is a major Seminar sponsor, there is a local quilt shop/Bernina dealer booth where one can purchase Bernina machines, accessories and fabrics, threads, etc. (We counted over 100 machines sold, including one to a 101 year old quilter in attendance!!)

Besides being an amazing quilter and teacher, Ricky is also an incredibly talented musician, and puts on a wonderful concert on Friday evening, showing off his talents for playing a number of instruments. (This concert is open to the public, so if you are travelling with your husband or someone else, they can purchase a ticket for this concert.)

The next Super Seminar that is close to us will be held in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Mass. on September 2-4, 2010. FQG will be a promotional partner, meaning simply that we have agreed to help advertise this event. We will be placing more info on this Blog later on, and in our April newsletter. FQG members will also be receiving several emails in the spring. If you would like more info now, check out Ricky's website by clicking here or go to www.rickytims.com/ and click on "Quilt Pages", then "Seminars". If you think you'd like to attend this Seminar, you will notice that the cost is less if you have a group. If you register singly, the cost is $219.00 US funds. If there is a group of 2-9 people, you save $25.00 and pay $194.00 US each. A group of 10 or more pays $179.00 each. So let us know if you are interested in going; we will be taking names to do a group registration. Leave a comment here or contact Linda at (506) 455-1825. This is open to any quilters in our area, not only FQG members. Stay tuned for more info on our next post...