Inspiration: My Solids Challenge

What inspires your designs?  Why do you choose the colors or the patterns that make the cut?  And where do you find them?  Everyday life?  Magazines?  Blogs?  Dreams?  Do you create your own designs or do you stick with traditional blocks?  A little something in between?

A recent Pinterest find inspired the design and colors for my solids challenge.  I love geometric patterns.  You can find them everywhere!  And I love creating my interpretation of something beautiful I see.

For the solids challenge, I found this picture from Anthropologie's Flickr stream:

























The colors are beautiful, the lines are perfect for some half square triangles, and overall it's pleasing to my eye.  So I decided to mock it up in Microsoft Visio.  I started to play around with some of the colors, swapping greens and yellows for the oranges and pinks (someday I'll create something with the fiery hues).  Cropped out some of the bottom and left bits that I didn't want to mess with and here's what I came up with:

I liked it but something just wasn't right.  The orderly side of myself needed some sort of symmetry or pattern for it to work.  The last column (#7) jumped out as something that could stand on it's own.  Yellow, blues, berry, and gray.  Can't go wrong with that!  What else?  Column #5.  Balance.  Opposing directions.  Hmmmmm...  How do I make this work?  Get rid of the random green.  Rotate the yellow HSTs on column #7.  Put them side by side.  I think we're on to something.  Now I need a pattern.  

Shove #5 and #7 together and throw them on the far right side ("Original Set").  Make a second set of these two columns but add one HST square to the top of #7, cut off the bottom square.  Add one HST square to the bottom of #5 and cut off the top square.  Repeat this pattern, incrementing by one, to two more sets and here's what we have:

Move the columns to meet at the top and bottom, in effect shifting each up and down to create a flow in two directions.  Here's what you end up with:

A design that I can live with.  Whatever!  It's a design that I LOVE!!!  It's new.  It's fresh.  It reminds me of '80s ski jackets.  Hmmmm...  But it's totally mine and it's something I want to see on my couch or drug out into the yard for Spring picnics.

Check out more of my quilt inspirations on Pinterest.  Tell us what inspires you?  Or where you pull your designs from!

February Meeting

Get ready for the next MQG Fabric Challenge!  Introducing the Michael Miller Fabric Challenge!

Refer to our "Challenges" page for our modified guidelines and click here for more info on the national challenge guidelines.  To participate in the national challenge, post your pictures on the Community site Fabric Challenge forum located here.  Look for the sticky threads up top for WIP and finished pictures.

Community Service Projects

We discussed three 2014 community service projects that we'll be accepting contributions for throughout the year:

• Pillow cases
• Orphan blocks to assemble for quilt donations.  
• Economy blocks with bright kid-friendly prints.  You could fussy cut novelty fabric for the centers.  Please follow this tutorial so we end up with identically sized blocks!

We are also accepting donations of batting and backing fabric.  And if you would like to assemble or quilt the finished blocks, let us know!

Half-Square Triangle Demos

In support of the February HST star block, we did demos of four different ways to create HSTs.  Here are some links to refer to for more information:

• 2 HSTs at a time with details on trimming to size via SewManyWays
• 4 HSTs at a time via SewMamaSew
• 8 HSTs at a time via SewMamaSew
• 18 HSTs at a time (paper-pieced) via KatiesQuiltingCorner (great for tiny HSTs!)
• HST specialty tools and good writeups on each via ConnectingThreads
• Some HST math tables for 2 and 4 HSTs via BlossomHeartQuilts

Show and Share

February Meeting Agenda

FWMQG February Meeting Agenda

February 20, 2014

• Welcome!  Please sign in!
• Guests
• Membership report
• Treasurer's report
• New logo
• Ice breaker
• Any remaining Riley Blake submissions
• New fabric challenge!!!
• Committee meetings
• BREAK
• January BOM sharing
• February BOM reveal
• HST workshop / demos
• Announcements
• Show and Share
• Participation prizes!

Announcements

Upcoming Programs and Events

• March 2, 5pm - 9pm:  Sewing Sunday @ Madtosh Crafts.  Due to Spring Break, moving to the first Sunday for March only
• March 4:  Sewing at Lisa Yarost's on the first Tuesday of each month (see Lisa for more details)
• March 7 - 9: Dallas Quilt Show @ Dallas Market Hall, theme is Modern Quilts
• April 11 - 12: Carthage Quilt Show - Piney Woods Quilt Festival

Solids Challenge

Only solids,quilted, 15”x15” at least. All challenge items should be created for the challenge and finished by the due date.

If you have an announcement to submit, it must be sent to the board no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting. Other announcements for the newsletter should be sent in by the 5th of the month.

Quilt by Tara Faughnan

Modern quilting can be defined in many different ways depending on who you ask. However, there are some characteristics that appear time and time again as belonging to the style of Modern quilting. One of the staples is the use of solid colors to yield a high contrast, graphic design. Do you quilt with solids or have you been hesitant to try? Here's your chance to challenge yourself to try something new. The FWMQG is having a solids challenge due at our March meeting. The item must be quilted and finished and at least 15” X 15” in size. Here are a few links with inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. Have fun!

Lizzie's Quilt in Solids board

Solid Quilts on Pinterest

Simply Solids Bee on flickr

January Meeting

Our first meeting of the year was a busy one! We saw many beautiful quilts and other projects from our Riley Blake Challenge.

Click here for more info on the national challenge guidelines.  If you participated in the national challenge, log in to the MQG site and post your pictures on the Community site Fabric Challenge forum located here.  There are two sticky threads up top for WIP and finished pictures.

We voted on a new logo, which can be seen in our header above, and on our facebook page.
We kicked off the BOM program with a wonky star block. Find all of our BOM posts here.
Our first challenge of 2014 was announced - solids!  Click here for the challenge rules. The challenge is due at the March meeting.
And finally, many gorgeous quilts came to show and share.
Stayed tuned for more BOM info and a post spotlighting our first challenge, full of ideas and inspiration!

Show and Share

January Meeting Agenda

FWMQG January Meeting Agenda

January 16, 2014

• Welcome! Please sign in!
• Jenn welcome & board member introductions
• Icebreaker
• What we will do in 2014
• Guests
• Treasurer’s report
• Social media places to find us
• Riley Blake Challenge Show and Share
• Logo presentation and vote
• BREAK - pay dues, sign up for committees
• BOM year challenge
• Wonky Star Demo
• Challenge
• Prizes for Riley Blake
• Announcements
• Show and Share
• Drinks at Central Market after meeting

Announcements

Solids Challenge

Only solids,quilted, 15”x15” at least. All challenge items should be created for the challenge and finished by the due date.

Retreat is Jan 31-Feb 2 at the MD Resort in Aurora, Texas. Cost including tax is $200 which includes all food and snacks, use of the big 1500 square foot room and a single room. See Sharon to sign up.

If you have an announcement to submit, it must be sent to the board no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting. Other announcements for the newsletter should be sent in by the 5th of the month.

New Meeting Location!

Good afternoon, Guild Members,

If you were at the September meeting, it was announced that we have a new location for our guild meetings. Beginning Thursday, October 17, we will be meeting at the UNT Health Science Center at the Carl E. Everett Education and Administration Building (EAD), Room 719. This building is located at 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX. In addition, there is secure parking directly next to the building. We are very thankful to UNTHSC for allowing to meet at their location without charge.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks so much and see you soon!!