Have yourself a merry....

In December, we come together to celebrate the season, share company and great food! The annual party was well attended, and all went home with smiles and full tummies! (too full for some of us)

With sincerest apologies  to the ladies who brought some really nice work - what follows is the show and tell from the meeting.  I forgot my camera, so had to make do with my phone. 

Elaine Lemley used a McKenna Ryan technique for the background on this, but the Luna moth and moonflowers are her design

Nancy Ellers is still doing a lot of work with fabrics donated to her.

Nancy dipped a toe into the modern quilt waters using striped fabrics for these two tops.

When Nancy can't sleep, she knits, so made these two afghans.

 All of these items will be donated to cancer treatment center.

This quilt will be a gift for Nancy's brother. 

 Joann Flynt showed off this quilt made for her by John Rolle.

 Debbie Vosburg took a class to learn how to make this wool felt tree.

 Carol McNally was given the center panel, then added stars made by guild members for this community service quilt.

 Susie Spicer made this star table mat from a Missouri Star pattern.

 Susie took a class called curves and swerves to make this table runner.

 Then Susie took a class using Quiltsmart panels to make this doable size Double Wedding Ring runner.

 Susie loves the free table, because she finds great stuff like the fabrics she used in this small quilt.

 Elaine Ross was inspired by the hibiscus in her garden to make this quilt for the"up close and personal" challenge in another group. 

 Elaine used a "metatron's cube" to illustrate the theme of "converge" for the NYS quilter's consortium challenge.

 Connie Grimsley is helping a friend make this memorial t-shirt quilt for a friend.

 There were plenty of ties to choose from in her friend's collection, so Connie made this wallhanging as a remembrance.

While she was at it, Connie made a pillow using her stepdad's ties, with a cow in the center for the dairy he owned, as a gift for her mom.

I promise to do better next month when the challenge quilts are due!!!  'Tis the season of naughty or nice, so use those thoughts to make your entry!

Have a happy Christmas, everyone.

In November When it Turns Chilly...

There was a little bit of snow on the ground the morning of the November meeting. To quilters, snow means the beginning of quilting season!  (what else do people do in the winter?)

Hopefully show and tell inspires everyone to work on their own projects!

Nancy Ellers will donate this to the Lipson Cancer Center

Nancy made these two for the St Mary's quilt ministry

Nancy made these for the "Little Hats for Big Hearts" event in February.

Nancy made several of these chicken pot holders

Nancy made this as a gift for a fellow guild member's family  member who is battling cancer

Sincerest apologies to Mary Ellen, and to all of you who didn't get to see these up close!  Mary Ellen made these houses as part of the "Global Murmurs" exhibit.  They are really special and very well done!  I hope she will show them next year!

 Mary Ellen's quilt representing her granddaughter was also part of the Global Murmurs exhibit

Mary Ellen bought the cyanotype fabric from Elaine Ross and went right home to put it into a table runner.

Mary Ellen's snow scene was part of the gem show with RAFA  (I wish you could see how it sparkles!)

Carol (sorry I missed her last name)

Carol made this from blocks  family members signed, then she embroidered.

Lori Anderson made a bunch of pumpkin pincusions

Lori's star ornament

Lori made gifts for some of her fellow bigfoot hunters

A table runner Lori will give as a hostess gift.

A panel Lori found online to be a gift for her daughter

Nancy Schrader is enjoying making these seasonal door quilts

Connie Grimsley and her sister visit a Ben  Franklin store in (South Dakota?  Nebraska?) when they visit family. The store does an annual challenge, in which Connie entered  this small quilt.  Ig won an honorable mention in the piecing category.


I'm very sorry- I had a "senior moment" when I went to each demo station and I didn't get pictures.  The demos were all well prepared and interesting!  If you ask them, I bet they'd share with you:
Lorraine West made scrappy  strip-pieced leaves
Mary Ellen Casey showed how to make ornaments using a circle attachment.
Nancy Ellers shared a curved piecing technique for an apple core quilt
Shirley Lapp showed how to make a portable design surface.


Mary Kozub reminded us that time is running short to make your entry in the "Naughty or Nice" challenge- due at the January meeting.  Surely this time of year there is plenty of inspiration for naughty and/or nice!  
Remember challenge rules:
Quilts can be no larger than 180" circumference.
Quilts must have been made for this challenge.
Up to 2 entries per person.
Home dec and apparel welcome!

Quilts will hang in the Richmond Memorial Library in February.

Next month is the annual Christmas party.  You will all need a dish to pass and your own table service.  Remember to think brunch when you choose your dish to pass, and please bring a list of ingredients to put with your dish. 

Three fabulous days!

It was time for our national teacher, Laura A Cunningham, to visit in October; a time members who had signed up for the classes had long awaited!


The First class was called "Free Motion 101and Beyond"

What a treat to enjoy Laura's work up close!























We didn't believe her when she said we would learn everything on this quilt in the beginner class.

  After a brief lecture regarding the basics of free motion quilting, Laura demonstrated her technique before sending us all to our own machines.

Later, we were treated to a bonus demo of doing ruler work on a domestic machine.  Remember- Safety first!

This is a sample of some of the ruler work Laura has done.







Laura calls her practice pieces "dirty laundry".  She brought plenty of them along for us to admire and get personal demos on any of the designs she has done.

Practicing new designs on a whiteboard helps you develop smooth lines when you get to your quilt!



















Here are some up close looks at what we did in class.

PJ Edelstein

Martha Lorshbaugh

Kathi Everett

The second class was called Paisley/ Feather/ Zentangle Fusion




















This is one of Laura's pieces using this design technique.  Still a work in progress.

Using freezer paper, we learned about the design process.

Then we headed to our machines!

Laura's quilts were again on display and, during breaks, it was great to get some personal lessons on her techniques.











After lunch we all gathered for a critique session, where ideas for how to enhance, complete designs and finish the pieces were discussed.

Here are a few of the works in progress from class.

Tracy Jachimowicz

Melanie Tubinis

Chris Kuehl

Kathi Everett

And a group shot!

On Saturday, Laura shared some design inspiration with the guild during her lecture.

Sometimes you have to remember to think outside the block.

The ladies present who took classes shared what they accomplished.

Everyone seemed very happy with what they did!

We let Laura go first so she could travel on for a brief vacation, but then she wanted to stay to enjoy our show and tell.

Nancy Ellers made herself a new hat in fall colors

Nancy made this Jacob's Ladder with donated blocks and fabric for Community service

Nancy finished a UFO that only needed binding!

And staying with the seasonal theme, Nancy made a leaf quiltlet

Lorraine West is still enjoying the small embroidery projects.

Lorraine also did some wool appliqué

Irene Bow- from a pattern called "Railroad Tracks"

When Irene said she wasn't sure she liked this now that it's finished, Laura offered to take it off her hands!

Eula Serrino made a quilted baby gift using an alphabet panel

She's adding this fabric book to the gift.

Kathi Everett used upcycled silk fabrics to make this beautiful runner to be given as a housewarming gift

Chris Kuehl's grandchildren wanted to sew, so she taught them to make string pieced blocks

Chris turned some of the blocks into a small quilt to give to the parents!

Shirley Lapp's beautiful Log Cabin variation....

...and pinwheel quilt.

Susan Rathbun made a skinny quilt to hang in a skinny window.  The ArtCGirlz are doing  embellishment  projects, so Susan figured if you're going to embellish, you should do a LOT of it!

Chryl Doody pieced this 9 patch quilt for Community Service

Cathy Judkins finally got this put together from a kit she took back when Melanie and Mary Anne were doing Community Service!

Terry McGuire spent most of the summer making this!

Terry also reminded us that donation quilts should be called "cuddle quilts" since the word "charity can have negative connotations.

Nancy Schraeder worked with her nieces to make this quilt as you go tree skirt to be a gift for their mom.

Nancy's cute Jack O'Lantern

Nancy made this as a thank you gift

Nancy took a class with Jack Edson, who visited the guild last spring.  He provided pictures to work from.  Nancy named her quilt "Susan, more than the artist's wife" in honor of the woman in the picture.

Sandy Shufeldt also took the class with Jack Edson.

Mary Kozub finally has new slippers!

This is the smaller version of Mary's zigzag quilt.  There will be a tutorial soon for those who wanted to learn the technique.

Apologies to any projects not pictured.  Sometimes, in spite of my best efforts, I cannot get a decent picture of what is shown.  Omissions are never intentional.

At the November meeting, we'll be enjoying a "Demo Derby", with techniques shared by members.