Lizzy House is coming!

Please join us for our Lizzy House weekend!

Meeting/Lecture: Friday November 13, 6:30 pm. (Please note this will replace our scheduled meeting onNovember 19) Free for FWMQG members, and non-members attending one of the workshops, $5 for non-members. Please invite your non-FWMQG friends to attend!
Our Meadow Block workshop is full, but we do have spaces available in block printing - please help us spread the word! Tell your friends who aren't guild members or are members of another guild! Help us fill the spaces so we can continue to have awesome workshops like this!
Meadow Block Workshop: Saturday November 14, 9-5
Block Printing Workshop: Sunday November 15 9-5. 
Both workshops will be held at Sew Fabricated in Pantego, TX (Arlington). Lunch is on your own both days. Exact times will be announced this week.

Please note that registration is very limited for both of these workshops. Registration is now open to non-FWMQG members. We will be offering a payment plan, since these workshops are more costly than previous workshops. Each workshop will cost $100 for members, and $115 for non-members.  (Please note that payment plans must be paid in cash or check only. If paying in one lump sum, you may pay using PayPal.) 

September Meeting

Last night's meeting was a whirlwind of activity. Let's recap:

We voted unanimously to increase our yearly dues and to formally adopt the VP of Communications and VP of Events as a part of our governing board as written in the bylaws . The board continues to work on revising the bylaws. Once that task is completed, the proposed changes will be voted on by general membership and the bylaws will be permalinked here on the blog in their entirety for reference.

Heather Pregger gave us a lesson on quilt photography. Heather is an accomplished quilter, having had quilts accepted in many shows, magazines and exhibitions. Her steps for good quilt photography:

1. Hang the quilt on a non distracting background (solid white, grey, or black)
2. No visible body parts
3. Make sure the quilt is hung square
4. Use a tripod and a timer on your camera for the clearest picture
5. Level your camera with the middle of the quilt to maintain proper perspective
6. Lighting is key. Use two sources of color true lighting pointed at the quilt from opposite directions.
7. Ensure that all edges of the quilt are seen in the photograph
8. Take lots of pictures in the largest size (max pixels) your camera offers.
9. Save originals and modify copies to the event's speicifications

We had the big reveal of the #FWMQGrainbowminiswap. Members work most of the summer on a rainbow mini quilt for a secret partner. So many amazing quilts were made for this swap. A huge thank you to Ann and Jenn for coordinating the swap for the guild.

Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs designed the March 2015 MQG quilt of the month. She graciously provided a B&W coloring page of her quilt 'Use Your Illusion'. We spent some time socializing and coloring in our own designs. It was super fun to see how we individually interpreted the quilt design. Thank you so much for the inspiration Cheryl!

Time for Show And Share

 Kristi finished her baby size Math Class quilt from the Natalia Bonner workshop we had over the summer.

Maureen shared this gorgeous quilt she is working on for her sister. I adore the pieced garden back (complete with chicken coop!!)

Jenn shared several of her recent quilts. The first two are free patterns she designed for the Moda Bake Shop. The third is called Trellis Crossroads from Lindsay Conner's Modern Bee Book and the last is an original design featured in Fons&Porter Easy Quilts.

More pictures will be uploaded to the guild's Instagram account @fortworthmqg later today!

Tonight's Votes

Good morning all! I wanted to check in with you all, and go over the things you may have missed if you weren't at our August meeting.

This evening we will be holding two votes. We will be voting on a proposal to raise dues to $40 beginning next year. This will allow us to plan more programming for the guild.

We are also proposing to redefine the current VP position to VP of Membership and Outreach, rename the social media chair as VP of Communications, and add a VP of Events. I've included the job duties the board has delineated for position below.

There will be time for discussion prior to the vote, so please bring any questions you may have.

Also, we'd love it if you could bring colored pencils tonight for a special activity! We hope to see you then!

Vice President of Events:

In charge in the President’s absence.

Coordinates with treasurer to collect money and maintain sign up sheets for guild events.

Plans special events, including workshops, lectures, trunkshows, and retreats.

Coordinates with other MQGs for special events.

Works closely with other VPs as needed.

Vice President of Membership/Outreach

Communicates with guests and potential members

Maintains membership records and directory

Oversees charitable projects

Works closely with VP of Communications on Guild Promotion

Vice President of Communications:

Is the public face of the guild.

Maintains all social media accounts.

Maintains guild information on community site.

Administrates guild blog.

Produces monthly newsletter

Works closely with other VPs as needed.

Rainbow Mini Quilt Swap

Don't forget that your #FWMQGrainbowminiswap project is due at the September meeting!

Check this mini out on Lily's Quilts here.

Are you still looking for inspiration? Check out our inspiration Pinterest board here. Instagram pics of your progress with #FWMQGrainbowminiswap so that we can follow along. Look for regrams of member work on @fortworthmqg on Instagram and on our Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing what you create at our meeting on Thursday September 17th at 6:30pm.

June Meeting and Workshop with Carolyn Friedlander

We had a wonderful meeting in June with Carolyn Friedlander as our special guest. She brought many of her quilts and talked about her planning process, color, and her passion for slow stitching.

Carolyn talked us through her new Block of the Month quilt. Slow stitching greatness

The Aerial Grove quilt is on my personal bucket list

Focal is a study in color and bringing the focus to the border

Alturas used a large scale panel across multiple appliqued pieces

 We saw some awesome quilts during Show and Share:

Partner information for the FWMQG Rainbow Mini Quilt Swap has been passed out. Quilts are due at the September meeting. If you have any questions, get with Jenn or Ann.

June BOM blocks are: 6, 10, 25, 35, and 48

Don't forget that the deadline to enter the Trinity Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show is July 17. Click here for more information.
 
On Friday we met at Trinity United Methodist Church in Arlington for the Facing East workshop with Carolyn. We worked from her first book: Savor Each Stitch

Carolyn reviewed color theory and gave lessons in foundation paper piecing and hand applique techniques. She talked about the inspiration behind her designs and gave us insight into her process. We had some technical difficulties in the beginning. Too many irons = blown circuits :) We relocated the ironing stations down the hall and started creating. We had friends join us from Dallas and San Antonio. It was a day full of fun, laughter, and lots of sewing!!

A trail of threads leads to the ironing station

Facing East blocks completed

FWMQG and Carolyn Friedlander

Natalia Bonner Workshop Recap

 A little over a week ago we gathered at West Freeway Church of Christ in Fort Worth to workshop with Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt. Her new book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Blocks was released in May. All of the quilts in the book are modern intrepretations of the log cabin block and have instructions for making quilts in three different sizes. There'a a bonus section with matching throw pillows and shams in the back!

Available on Amazon

We spent our morning session working on our choice of three quilts, all built from the same block: Math Class, Stacked Up, and Incline.

This table was having too much fun

Raeann's Texas Tech themed Math Class quilt

Ann's Alison Glass Incline quilt

Kristi's Rainbow baby Math Class quilt

 After a lunch break we all started work on the Typhoon quilt.

Working hard or hardly working?

 

Just a few more seams to go

Rhonda's pretty purple Tyhoon baby quilt

Christmas themed baby size Typhoon quilt

Kristi's baby Tyhpoon

Natalia is incrediby personable and a great teacher. We had a workshop participant who is very new to quilting and Natalia spent a good deal of one-on-one time with her helping her understand how to read her pattern and cut her fabric. If she found herself without something to do, Natalia frequently offered to press seams and help lay out blocks for us. She came prepared with goody bags that included a whistle, which we were to blow to celebrate successes and mistakes. Each blow of the whistle was rewerded with a FQ prize.

We enjoyed our time with Natalia and benefited greatly from her expertise. Follow her on Instagram @nataliabonner and on Twitter @PieceNQuilt.

FWMQG and Natalia Bonner

March Meeting Agenda

March Meeting Agenda

Welcome

Guests

Reports

Icebreaker

Upcoming Fabric Releases

Iron Demo

Alphabitties

BOM (layout)

BREAK

Quilt Con Class/Lecture Sharing

Discussion/Vote

Announcements: 

QC Challenge due May

Trinity Valley Quilt Show

Slow Stitch Saturday This week

Sewing Sunday April 12

Austin MQG Retreat April 10-12

Sassy Southern Sewing Retreat July 29-Aug 1

Show and Share

Door Prizes

Drinks/Dessert/Dinner at Central Market afterwards!

January 2015 BOM

We are very excited to begin our new BOM for 2015! We are using the Moda Building Blocks pattern, and working on a few blocks each month. For January we completed blocks 1, 13, 23, and 33.

Great blocks ladies! If you haven't picked up a copy of the pattern yet, Fat Quarter Shop has them in stock, as do numerous other online shops. 

February blocks are 2, 11, 27, 42. 

March blocks are 3. 16, 24, 44.