QuiltCon 2018 Charity Quilt: Block Instructions

For those of you who are working with Carolanne to make our QuiltCon 2018 charity quilt, this post is for you!

At October’s meeting Carolanne will be handing out packets for you to create blocks for this quilt ...

Each packet will create one of two blocks, as marked on the packet:

Block A

Block B

Whether you’re sewing Block A or Block B, please:

•    Use white or cream thread (to avoid seeing colored thread through the white background!)
•    Bump your stitch length down to about 1.8 (to sew more secure seams!)
•    Sew a scant quarter-inch seam (to get the right block size in the end!)
•    Press your seams open (save your Bloc Loc for another project!)

For both blocks, you’ll need to create half-square triangles (HSTs) and trim them down to 4.5-inch squares.

How to Sew HSTs

1. Draw a diagonal line on one of the squares.

2. Layer that with the other square.

3. Sew a scant quarter-inch seam along either side of the diagonal line.

4. Cut along the diagonal line, and press the seams open.

5. Trim both resulting blocks to 4.5 inches. To get an accurate cut, make sure to line the center seam with the diagonal on your ruler.

6. Your finished block is ready to be inserted into Block A or Block B!

Other Important Info

Please note: Two square pieces of fabric will yield two HSTs.

If you are sewing Block A, use the squares in your packet to make HSTs. The rectangles are cut to size. Sew two of them together length-wise to create a two-toned square (TTSs). There is no need to trim those TTSs.

Sew your HSTs and/or TTSs together into pairs. Sew two pairs together to create Block A or Block B. Press all seams open.

The unfinished size of both Block A and Block B is 8.5 inches square.

Returning the Blocks

Carolanne would love to receive finished blocks by the November 14th meeting. If you have any questions, please email her at carolannel (dot) donovan (at) gmail (dot) com.

October 2017 Meeting Reminder

Our October meeting will take place on Tuesday October 24th at 7pm! 

Charity:

Our Cutting Garden quilt has been given to the church and is being raffled this weekend! Our next charity project is the QuiltCon 2018 quilt. Packets of fabric will be passed out at out October meeting for anyone interested in participating and the group will be meeting about the quilt at 6:30. 

Programming:

Get your questions ready! We’ll be hosting a panel discussion. Here is a list of the questions we've received so far (in no particular order). If you have any questions please ask!

* WHAT IS THE LARGEST QUILT YOU HAVE QUILTED ON A DOMESTIC SEWING MACHINE?  WHAT TIPS  DO  YOU HAVE?
*PLEASE CONSIDER TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT MACHINE QUILTING TECHNIQUES-GRID, FREE MOTION, QUILTING WITH RULERS, WHERE TO START ON YOUR QUILT, ANYTHING TO GUIDE THE NEW QUILTER?  DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE BRANDS/TYPES OF RULERS TO QUILT WITH?
*HAVE YOU EVER BLOCKED A QUILT?  WHY WOULD YOU DO IT AND WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
*WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE INTERNET RESOURCES FOR TIPS?
*PLEASE DISCUSS SEPARATING ZIPPERS-TIPS ON INSERTING THEM PROPERLY AND BEST PLACES TO PURCHASE THEM
*HOW DO YOU ALTER A KNIT GARMENT?  WHAT TYPES OF MACHINE NEEDLES FOR KNIT SEWING?  DO YOU STABALIZE YOUR SEEMS WITH SEAM TAPE?
*PLEASE DISCUSS DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLIQUE AND TIPS FOR EACH TYPE
* WHAT PAPER PIECING TRICKS DO YOU KNOW AND USE?
* TO PRE-WASH FABRIC OR NOT? THAT IS THE QUESTION
*DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON QUILTING AS YOU GO?
*HOW DO YOU DECIDE HOW TO PRESS YOUR SEAMS FOR ANY GIVEN PROJECT?  OPEN OR TO ONE SIDE?
*ANY TIPS ON CUTTING OUT HUGE PIECES OF FABRIC BIGGER THAN MY 24" x 36" MAT?
*WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW BEFORE I GIVE MY QUILT TO A LONGARM QUILTER?

Anna Maria Horner: 

Our spring weekend with Anna Maria Horner will be in April and registration is open and filing up last! Signup at this link for the two classes that have available space.
Saturday April 14, 2018: Inspiration by Hand
Sunday April 15, 2018: Color Fluency in Patchwork

Latifah Saafir Workshop: Registration for our November 4th workshop with Latifah Saafir is now open to the public! For full details about the event, click here. To register for the workshop, visit our events page.

Giveaways and Raffles: Our giveaway item this month is some adorable note cards that Latifah Saafir donated to us!

* Raffle #1: Two half yard cuts of Art Gallery Nightfall with a matching Solid.

* Raffle #2: 4 cuts of citrus colored solids and The Glam Clam pattern.

See you Tuesday at the First Baptist Church!

Fall Retreat Wrap-Up

Our fall retreat was, once again, a huge success! Guild members descended upon the Lighthouse Inn on Cape Cod for a weekend of good meals, great friends, and lots of sewing.

Highlights from the weekend away included a trunk show from award-winning quilter Melissa Averinos. Melissa took us through her creative journey and her quilt-making process. The conversation was insightful and inspiring!

Melissa, with face #1, which received a Judge’s Choice Award at QuiltCon 2015

Another source of excitement was our door prizes. All retreat-goers started the weekend with a little welcome bag, courtesy of Moda Fabrics ...

And left with a package of fabric, patterns, and notions of their choosing...

We couldn’t have put together such a varied selection of prizes without the help of our sponsors:

Moda Fabrics
Latifah Saafir Studios
Meadow Mist Designs
Amy Friend/During Quiet Time
Bits and Pieces Quilt Shop
Jacquie Gering
Tumbleweed Quilt Shop

Thank you all for your generosity!

Mini-Charm Challenge

For those of you with a competitive spirit and a mini-charm pack of Kate Spain’s Voyage from the retreat, you are invited to create something—anything!—with those 2½-inch squares. Bring your completed project to the December meeting for a chance to win a prize. (The prize has yet to be determined, but it will be fabulous!)

If you didn’t go on retreat, you can still participate—sew with any mini-charm pack of your choosing. : )

Register for Latifah Saafir Today! 

There are still a few open spots in our upcoming bias applique workshop with Latifah Saafir! Join us on November 4th at Quilted Threads, in Henniker, NH, for a full day of sewing. The cost for nonmembers is $130, which includes the required pattern (see pic below) and a catered lunch. Full details are available here. Go to our events page to register.

Cutting Garden: A Finished Charity Quilt

We are happy to reveal a finished charity project: Cutting Garden, designed by Krista Hennebury of poppyprint.

This quilt was a group effort! Guild members sewed the leaves, and the top was pieced at one of our Peabody Mill bees. Lorri Wurtzler, of Seventh Heaven Quilting, quilted this project.

A special thanks goes out to bee-goers Brianna, Pat, Nancy, and Carolanne for their piecing expertise; to Susie for binding this project; and to Michelle and Betsy, charity cochairs, for organizing everything.

Cutting Garden has been gifted to the First Baptist Church, in Nashua, NH. We hold our monthly meetings in the church’s fellowship hall, and the church is a delight to work with. This quilt is a thank-you for all the ways they help us put on the best monthly meetings we can. : )

This quilt will be raffled off at the church’s upcoming Olde-Fashioned Country Fair, on October 20th and 21st.

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday and Finish It Up Friday ...