So a few months ago my neighbor asked me to join a small quilt group that she was organizing. There are about 8-10 of us in the group so far. We've enjoyed lots of yummy treats, inspiring show and tell and started learning about new tricks/gadgets. I was hoping to be able to take some ideas to our next meeting of some new traditions or activities that we could implement. Do you have any wonderful things that you've heard about or do at your quilt guild meetings? Please share :) I'd love to hear your ideas.
Hi Amber. We have some kind of presentation every month. Like we invite a local quilt store, quilter, author, designer to come and do a trunk show or show a special technique. We have gadget girl that shows a new gadget every month. She works at a local store. We also do exchanges. Like a block exchange every year. And we do a quilt together every year like a block of the month. I hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteThe three things I have learned on line that I would enjoy showing others are:
ReplyDeleteNo Waste Flying Geese (check out Blooming Workshop. She is doing amazing blocks)
The folded Cathedral Window Pillow (someone did a tutorial in 2 parts)
A miniture needle case. There are a number of tutorials online.
We are going to do a quilt along in my guild. I am the only one under the age of 60 (I'm 35) in my group, so it should prove interesting. We are going to do a sampler, everyone doing the same pattern, but we are all using whatever fabrics we want, making one block a month, showing it at our meeting the next. I've seen where some groups chose the same FABRICs and then everyone shows their different takes on the smae fabrics. Could be fun with your group too.
ReplyDeleteHello Amber. :o) What a fun time you ladies are having. I know for me, the few times I have been able to attend our local quilt group, we have learned new things, and being a new quilter myself ... it is all new to me! Smile! :o) One of the last times, we learned how to make string quilts. It was fun, easy and a good way to use scraps.
ReplyDeleteSincerely ~ Tricia
I am in the MSP modern guilt guild and last month we exchanged 2.5 inch x wof strips of polka dot fab and each person is challenged to see what we can create with these strips plus 1 other fabric. I think KC has done something similiar with charm squares. We intend to do something like this on a quarterly basis...2m to complete project, 1m off. Also we do a FQ drawing each meeting.
ReplyDeleteMy little quilt group is an off-shoot of our large guild. We have taken day trips to shows. We experimented with stamps stencils paint clay and dyeing. You might try having an assignment every month. We've done colors shapes seasons and holidays. We always have a sweet nibble tea and coffee. Have a great time. Your little group will evolve unto exactly what it needs to be.
ReplyDeleteDenise
I think something about a new (or new to you) product or a new technique is a wonderful thing to share in such a group. Maybe each member could take a turn in presenting?
ReplyDeletehi,
ReplyDeletewe have done something very similar to "badlandsqults", and in our group 10 people participated and each gave every particpating member 3 x 2.5" x WOF, (so 30 21/2 x WOF) and we all had to creat a quilt from this. Totally random fabrics, and way, way out of most comfort zones,as really scrappy fabric, and totally unco-ordinating fabrics, but we have individually put together our quilts, and we have a mini-quilt exhibition this weekend, shall post about it on Sunday!
Hi Amber! I just read your post over at Stash Manicure, and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it!! Your blog and quilts are lovely!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt group sounds wonderful. It sounds like ya'll will have a fun time! The only thing that I could add is if you ever have a chance to have an "older" quilter speak to your group. jump at it! It is so interesting to see and hear how people used to quilt before todays modern times!! I enjoy the history of quilting and maybe your group would too!
Have a great day!
I always like to look at Oh! Fransson for inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHi Amber, I belong to two groups and possibly 3 here coming up - I love to submerse myself with the people of quilting in all levels, be taught and teach is how I work. I always learn new things even if you think it's something so common chances are someone will think it's brilliant and you'll look like an expert :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck
Valerie
http://www.PastimesOnline.ca/Vals-Quilting/
Charity projects (QOV, crisis nursery, cancer center and safe houses) and annual bus trip (all day including lunch to pre-planned quilt shops with games and prizes along the way),
ReplyDeleteOur guild requires our members to makes 2 premie quilts per year for a hospital. We buy fabrics on sale at Joann's and then have a cutting party to kit the quilts for the members.
ReplyDeleteOther things we have done are swap strips, charms and 10" squares of a certain color or a batik each month. We also have a block lotto where one person is in charge of printing a pattern out for the group each month. We can make up to 3 blocks and they are entered, then our names are put in a hat ( 2 block2 = 2 chances ) and one person is drawn out to win the blocks for that month.
Hi Amber! Your group sounds so fun. My sis in law is a the president of a large quilt guild in Oregon, but it started out with just 4 friends getting together at least once a month to sew and enjoy each others company. One thing they really enjoyed and have kept going even as they grew to over 35 members is a "Fat Quarter Exchange" at each meeting. The idea is to help you diminish your stash or build it up, whichever applies. No one is required to bring a fat quarter but anyone who has gone through their stash some time during the month and found any fat quarters that they have decided they won't use (or maybe it just lost the appeal it had when you bought it, LOL) brings it to the meeting and lays it in a basket. At the end of the meeting, everyone is welcome to go through the basket and take one fat quarter. After everyone has had a turn, they can pick again if they like until the fat quarters are gone. Any leftovers are just put away for the next meeting when someone might decide they really love it. Now that the group is so big, about October of each year, any fat quarters that are left are used in Chemo quilts for the cancer patients at the Hospital in Portland and they have a 'sew in' over a weekend and get some quilt tops ready to donate. When the group was smaller, they just each took a fat quarter and made a couple of blocks of their choice, with added fabric from their stash, then exchanged blocks. She said it was great fun, even when group only had 4 members. Anyway, sounds pretty fun to me. I always see fat quarters I think I can't live without then never use them.
ReplyDeleteI hope you've found some great ideas. As already stated, it's always fun to pick a charity like a women's dv shelter or children's home to quilt for! Happy Quilting.
ReplyDeletewww.aqsquiltnews.blogspot.com
In a former group (there are no groups where I live), once a year we had a plate pot luck. Each member attending had to bring a paper plate, with some sandwiches and cakes on it, tied up with a fat quarter of material. There were different ways of exchanging the plates, but at the end of the evening (usually a Show and Tell) we all went home having had a good supper, clutching a new fat quarter for our stash.
ReplyDeleteIn our 'Stitch and Bitch' group we pay $1 a week and at the end of the year we are donating the money to world vision for sewing machine/s. We also do a monthly 12" x 12" quilt each taking a turn to pick the next months topic - usually a word. It is really interesting to see the different interpretations.
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