October Bee Block: Monkeying Around

After a very busy summer, October snuck up on me. When we started the bee, I was planning and plotting and browsing fabric, but then life caught up with me, and I still didn't have a concrete plan. I looked at my stash, saw all the solids, and saw the traditional sampler quilt I was working on that's made up of all green solids, and I realized I wanted to combine these ideas.

Based on a piece by the amazing Sherri Lynn Wood of daintytime.net, I'd like you guys to help me make a loose and free quilt made up of blocks that are an improvisation of the Monkey Wrench, or Hole in the Barn Door, or Churn Dash (anything else?) quilt block.

I'm going to provide you with a selection of solid pieces, and if you'd like to or need to add some of your own fabric, please feel free to add anything--solids, patterns, textures, any fabric content, whatever.

If you can make a block that's around 12 inches square, that's cool. Bigger, smaller, that's fine too. Don't bother squaring the edges--I'll add pieces as necessary to make all the blocks work together. If you have some usable pieces left over from the fabric I send, please send those back so that I can work them into the final quilt.

The block I made that's pictured at the top of this post is just an example. I made it quickly, without much thought, and I hope you do the same for yours. Just grab some fabric and go! Make one big crazy off-kilter Monkey Wrench, or several smaller ones that make up one block. Close your eyes and grab the next available piece. Everything and anything is going to work.

Do whatever, but don't do it the way you've done before. Monkey around, my friends!

Wagon Wheel for Nicole

I had a tough time deciding between Dresden Plate designs. Love the spokes, love the scallops, love the plain circle. So after seeing all the blocks you guys were coming up with, I finally made a decision that only Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary could make--I picked a block nobody else had made yet!

It was a HUGE thrill for the machine-pieced wheel to come out in an actual circle! The wheel and the center are hand-appliqued, which I thought might be more precise than machine, but it's harder than it looks. And I have a lot to learn about ironing with starch! I'm hoping it will be an interesting addition to all the wonderful blocks you guys have already made.

Saturday October 1, 2011 - First Meeting of the 2011-2012 Year

Hello NYC Mod lovelies...


At our June meeting we decided to make our group official, and form the NYC Metro Modern Quilt Guild, Inc.  Still waiting on the papers from NY State, but we are indeed legitimate.  We are also a Not  for Profit Corporation and that adds its own benefits. 


Officers were chosen in June and although we did not have a huge swearing in party, here is a reminder of who they are.


President - Victoria
Vice-President - Kim H.
Finance/Treasurer - Andrea
Corporate Secretary - Earamichia
Membership Chair - Karen H.
Charity Chair - Jackie R.
Website Chair - Amy D.
Blog Chair - Jessica
Historian/Librarian - Mary B.
Facebook Chair - Daniela


Our dues are $65 annually and they will help fund all of the wonderful things that are happening for our blossoming guild. The dues year begins on September 1, 2011 and ends August 31, 2012.  For those of you that still need to pay your dues, pop on over to our NEW website and sign up.

Bylaws will be distributed to the membership in November for adoption at the December meeting.


We do not have a challenge due at this meeting, but any finished Jay McCarroll fabric challenges, any items that you finished over the summer, Bee blocks, its going to be an action packed meeting, sort of like the first day back to school.


We look forward to seeing folks on Saturday.

Adventures in Applique

Here's my bee block for Nicole. I'd never done applique before, so it was a bit of an adventure. "Why don't these pieces line up right? Oh, duh, seam allowances! Okay, how am I supposed to press the seam allowance open without wrecking the fusible web on the back?"

Answer: don't use a sewing pattern if you're using the fusible method. But a quick visit to Madame Rotary Cutter solved that problem. Once I did away with those extra seam allowances, the rest of the process came together pretty easily.

Can't wait to see the rest of the blocks! I think this will be a beautiful quilt.

What I Did on my Summer Vacation

Thanks to Jessica for getting the weekly conversation started again!  Here are some odds-and-ends from my summer vacation:

I created my first paper piecing tutorial.  It is for a Hanukkah-themed mug rug that features a hidden pocket for hiding chocolate gelt.  Yum!

I traveled a lot, to places such as Lancaster County, Los Angeles, the Berkshires and upstate New York.




And the big news...my husband and I are relocating to South Florida!  It's sad to leave New York but exciting to have a new adventure (you can read more about the news HERE and HERE).  I'll miss everyone at the Metro Mod Guild, but I plan on staying active via blogging and through the Quilting Bee (just paid my membership dues).

I am also in the works to start up the South Florida Modern Quilt Guild with some other folks, and we hope to have our first meeting soon!  It will be an exciting opportunity to bring such a wonderful organization to the South Florida community, and I have wonderful experiences and memories to draw from, thanks to the Metro Mod Guild, as we start up the new chapter.  :)

The new view from my windows!

Dresden Plate for Nicole

Here is my Bee Block for Nicole. It was made with assorted scraps from our guild members plus a black from my stash. Couldn't resist adding that little yoyo!

October Bee Block for Nicole

I groaned when I first learned that Nicole wanted us to make Dresden Plate blocks for the October Bee. Now I am so grateful to her for the challenge. It was fun to do and not nearly as hard as I had expected. I will definitely be making more in the future. Hidden amongst the spokes is a birthday message for Nicole. I'll bring the block to our meeting next Saturday. Look forward to seeing everyone then.

Here's what I've been up to!

I have done a very little bit of sewing this past month,

but I am making progress on my cathedral steps top.

 I had to shut down production, because I kept saying, 

"Well I could sew for a couple of hours and then pack . . . 

You know then I don't pack.

 Here is my little sewing chest and my finished fabric crocheted basket!

Love it!  

And here is my entire sewing room, in bins, ready to move to my apartment!

You should never pack all your fabric and pile it in one place!  YIKES!

At least I don't have anyone looking at me funny saying,

"Why do you have all this fabric?!"

Any here is my now empty old sewing room.

She served me well.

On to the next adventure!

Can't wait to see you all next weekend!

Jess you will be sorely missed, AGAIN!!

Let's start talking again!

Hey guild!  How have y'all been?
Next week at Victoria's I'm sure the conversation will be free-flowing, but it still probably won't be enough time to reconnect with everyone after our loooong summer break, so why not get the party started now?

What have you been making this summer?

• Give us a sneak peek of your show-n-tell, or write a post to share all the projects you can't bring with you next Saturday (like the ones you gifted away since the last meeting!).

I for one have had a long long summer which started on 5/22 when I graduated with my MA! (woohoo)
The next day we left for a 5 week trip to Greece..
(picture me quilting on the beach-- I have photos, but I'm not posting any bikini-clad ones here)
I spent the entire trip focused on this quilt, and I'm happy to say it's almost all pieced!

We also visited an awesome Folk Art Museum in a tiny mountain town on the island of Paros.

I asked if anyone in the town still made things, but they woman said no, most able-bodied people had left the village and everyone left was too old.  That's just how it goes, but I'm glad they are making some effort to preserve things. 
This summer I also worked on my guild show submission, and made a Trip Around the World quilt for my cousin's wedding. 

Just last night I finished the backing and basted this quilt (from our February meeting!), and I'd love to show it to you all finished on Saturday, but I've got another wedding to go to, so I won't be there.

See, now you know why I want to get the party started early.. It's killing me to miss two meetings in a row!

So get posting and tell us what's been going on!

("Let's get talking" is a weekly* conversation starter posted by your overly cheerful blog-chair, Jessica.  Guild members are encouraged to write their own blog posts on the topic at anytime during the week, and comments are welcome from all readers. 
* by "weekly" I mean the weeks I remember to post something.  Suggestions for new topics always welcome.  Email me. )

ROAD TRIP?

http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/

Happy 30th Nicole

Round and Round....30 was a wonderful year...Hope you enjoy yours and all the wonderous blessings that come along with it...

A Dresden Plate for You...

Call for entries!

HEY MOD Quilters!

Our October seems to be fast approaching!

Click here for more info on the 

MODERN QUILT GUILD QUILT SHOW  Call for ENTRIES!

This exhibit will premiere at International Quilt Market and Festival, 

October 26–November 4, 2012. We would also like to retain quilts for 

possible exhibition at International Quilt Festival/Cincinnati in April 2013,

and our summer International Quilt Festival/Long Beach in July 2013. 

And also, for fun

I came across this tutorial on line and thought,

''Hmmm, this is what our members need!''  IF your feeling 

crafty and don't want to arm wrestle to get a chair....here's a Carry-along-pillow 

that might be nice! hehe... story book fabric is optional... ;-)

http://sew4home.com/projects/pillows-cushions

See you all soon!

October 1st 

10am - 2pm

See OUR MAIN WEBSITE  for more details

--Victoria

Hi Quilt!

The other weekend, I went to Amish country for my 30th birthday.  We stopped by the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum while we were there, which featured a number of beautiful Amish quilts from the late 1800s to mid-1900s.  While I was there, I noticed this quilt:

Amish quilt from the mid-1900s.

It looked very familiar...

David's quilt from last year.

Great minds think alike! 

(You can see more photos from the weekend here and here.)

41 Symbols of Life for David...41..oops 38....ahhh 41 for david

41..oops 38....ahhh 41 for David...okay so as you see from the title...I was all finished, excited and ready to post.  Then when the picture loaded, I did a quick count to double check...and yikes it was only 38...

Then I had to go back...and my printer stopped working, then I finally got a much needed new printer...and sooooo...
(Original Post)  David...I hope you like em...

Okay David's challenge was for his 41st birthday.  So, we had to come up with something that would symbolize 41.

I thought, and thought, and thought.  I thought some more...and I thought about quotes, and words with 41 letters (there are not any in the english language).  I thought and thought even more...and then I thought of one of my favorite symbols (which oddly is not included in his piece...How did I miss that.).  It is an Adinkra symbol that means "Gods Time is the Best Time."  Then I said to myself...self...wouldn't it be great to give him symbols that have meanings that are related to life.  Something for reflection, a bit of learning, a bit of culture (although it is not mine, per se, but a beautiful one indeed).  There are more than 41 symbols, I just picked the ones that I thought would be interesting, inspiring, and empowering...and so for you...David...

41 Adinkra Symbols and there meanings. (it is a bit larger than 12" x 12", but you did not specify a size...smiles)  You can not see the one on top in this picture.  Yes its 41.  whew..David I hope you like it..

The Show...The Show...The Show

Who wants to take a road trip....to Chantilly, VA ... Friday...because our meeting is that Saturday....

I have room for 3...and anyone else with wheels thats interested...we can caravan..early in the am...arriving by about 11...and hanging for the day...grab a bite and head back....



September 29, 30 & October 1, 2011
Dulles Expo Center

Welcome to Original Sewing & Quilt Expo! Get ready for your annual treat, the only event each year where it's all about YOU. Returning just in time to re-charge your creativity, this year’s Expo brings you MORE about quiltmaking, MORE on Stage and in the Classroom, MORE workshops, MORE shopping . . . much more for you to choose from and enjoy. 

Please comment below...

The Perfect Quilt

Here's my piece for the show!

“Practice” is a reminder to myself that the process of creating is more important than the result. It was inspired by a Hindu mantra that I try to remember while quilting:

This is perfect, that is perfect

Perfect comes from perfect

Subtract the perfect from the perfect

And only the perfect remains.

One thing I love about modern quilting is that it’s impossible to make a mistake. Flawlessness is not the measure of beauty; the energy and movement of a design is more important than precision piecing.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy! Sure, you don’t have to worry about perfect points, but making a quilt without any rules can be intimidating. I spent months thinking about how to make this perfectionism mantra into a quilt, trying out several ideas on paper and on fabric before I settled on this approach. Even so, I didn’t know what the quilt would look like until it was done. As a newcomer to quilting, I found this a little intimidating—what if it turned out ugly?—but I think that by trusting my instincts and letting the quilt evolve it ended up being more dynamic and interesting than if I had planned the whole thing out from the beginning.

Quilt for Traveling Show

This is my quilt for the traveling quilt show. The flip of a quarter at our

guild meeting was the beginning of this quilt. See statement below.

GOOD BOY, CHEDDAR!

Modern quilting is the license to explore, the chance to step out of your comfort zone, to stretch and to try new things. I have seen the quilting world explode with wonderful new fabrics, exciting fabric designers coming from unusual backgrounds and many vehicles to acquire fabric. In addition, there is the Internet with its many creative and inspiring blogs. This is the new quilting community; this is the modern way to connect.

The idea for my dog quilt came out of a monochromatic block challenge to make a block using the color Cheddar – that warm yellow orange color. Right away I thought, wouldn’t it be fun and challenging to make a yellow lab in that cheddar color using non-traditional fabrics like dots, stripes and checks. It was a bit ambitious for the block challenge but an idea was sparked for future use.

I like the iconic (and tacky) nature of those dog paintings where the canine is king. I tried to translate that feeling into my quilt in a modern way. This was a true stretch for me: finding an image, drawing up my own pattern in the fractured Ruth McDowell style, and finding the right fabrics that would give the value, perspective and quirkiness I envisioned.

For the dog’s head I used 5 fabrics to create the values of light, medium and dark. Some appliqué and satin stitching was added for definition. With the background I used a group of intense blues and greens to create the foliage surrounding him. I wanted the background to be as powerful as the dog and to radiate out of him, suggesting the majestic nature of this being.

In this piece, I was able to design, sew, poke fun and stretch. All in all it was a great exploration and journey!

P.S. For the record: I don’t own a dog. I have one cat at home and he’s not too happy about this quilt.

"In Balance"

Fabric is the medium in which I make art. The Modern Quilt movement has offered me boundless connections to others who also love to create with fabric. There is great enthusiasm and appreciation of all styles.
When I am in my studio, a particular piece of fabric will grab my attention. Scraps of pieced fabric from other projects beckon. A composition develops. I observe, and make visual decisions about what is beginning to happen.
Here, I began to think about how to visually balance an asymmetrical composition. I enjoyed knowing the confines of the piece to begin with. Limitations help stimulate the creative process.
Not all is cerebral. There is the endless joy of color, pattern, and texture that quilt making brings to me, and the communal spirit of Modern Quilting.

Tile Quilt on Tour

I claim to be a modern quilter, because I am using modern materials - fabrics, threads, tools, and embellishments. Although I have been quilting for many years, I am always taking classes and looking for new techniques and tools to add to my work. To me, modern quilting is about picking and choosing which skills and techniques to draw from and giving myself permission to try new things. I do not wish to replicate the past, but neither do I want to break from it completely.

Tile quilts, a tradition dating back to the 19th century, presented a new exploration for me personally. I took a class on tile quilts and created this needle turn applique block. The pattern comes from a new book, Tile Quilts Revival: Reinventing a Forgotten Form by Carol Gilham Jones & Bobbi Finley. It was a new canvas to work in some bold new Kaffe Fassett fabrics and play with the effects of grays and brighter colors. In this way, it represents what modern quilting means to me, so I chose to use this block for my quilt.

In contrast to the traditional roots of my block, the graphic background is a new Japanese fabric I picked up at a recent quilt show. I liked the quiet, subtle shades that made the quilt "pop." To complete the effect, I have machine quilted with metallic thread.

The social aspect of quilting is important to me. I enjoy the collaboration of both quilters and non-quilters to help me put together design elements and celebrate the unexpected. I had originally planned to use the stripe fabric for a binding but wasn't happy with the effect it had. However, as I was showing my work-in-progress to my cousin and a friend who were visiting, they remarked on the similarity of the stripe swatch to paint chips or selvage color dots. That inspired me to include the stripe piece in my composition.

Although my quilts are a current expression of color and design thinking, they are a result of a long tradition. The quilting tradition is a continuum, and I am...here now...

Sun Thoughts

Quilting to me has always been about the fabrics. I grew up in a family of traditional quilters and would always imagine my mother and grandmother’s quilts with fabrics of my choice. I moved away and started traveling and collecting fabrics from all over the world. My first few quilts were simple traditional patterns. I joined the Modern Quilt guild last year looking for a better way to showcase my fabric pile, and was amazed by the absolutely stunning quilts that were being made. On a whim I decided to sign up for this quilt show having no idea what I would do. To me, Modern quilting is not using a pattern, and I had never done that before. It was always so intimidating! I knew that I would have to just dive into it, and the smaller sized quilt was the perfect chance. I decided to go with a sun themed quilt because I had some sun flavored fabrics lying around. I first created a design board online (pinterest.com) of other sun quilts, then I got my creative juices flowing using Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s method of “making fabric”. I worked the quilt bottom up and knew I needed some texture for my sun. The silk taffetas are probably my favorite in the piece. I am surprised at how much I like this now that it is finished, and how easy it was!

Traveling Show Submission

I've been busy (moving, for example) & haven't been keeping up with this blog but today I made time ... loved looking at all the show pieces & reading statements ... now I really want to see them all in person & together!

Serendipity

We have all experienced the serendipity of finding something relevant when we were not expecting it. That, in a nutshell, is how this quilt was created.

I began with a technique called “making fabric”. This is the process of selecting and randomly sewing together small scraps. (You can see this in the four quadrants.) Could I use the “made fabric” to frame some free cut rectangles? Yes. Could I join four of them and contain them cohesively? Yes. This exploration, especially the last one in which I chose strong repetitive patterns for the joining strips, was a good start. The strips were “fussy cut” – meaning I cut these parts out of a larger piece of fabric. It was a conscious design decision. It was at this point that I thought this piece might be a good one for this show and I began to pay attention to the required size dimensions. Next I focused on the sunburst. What inspired this idea? The design elements and color in the joining strips simply morphed. For some symmetry but with some variation, I repeated the idea and the colors in the spikes at the bottom. The side borders fabric was chosen because it seemed to expand the piece. The multi-colored pieced header and corner blocks were leftovers from other projects and seemed to fit this one well. The most surprising aspect of this quilt was the binding. At first I couldn’t decide between light/dark and print/solid and so the piece sat for days. Then in a “flash” I knew it needed to be pieced with solids that complemented the borders. My last touch was to hand-stitch in a few places until it felt finished.

I equate the phrase “modern quilting” with pushing your own boundaries … trying something new in every new project … being committed to creating rather than re-creating. I consider my piece in this show “modern” because I made my own design decisions instead of buying a kit or copying a quilt someone else designed. My fabric choices were based on what I had on hand. I did not go out and purchase “x” amounts of a coordinated line of fabric.

What I like most about this quilt is the color and the color-interactions. I think that this piece is a joyful expression of a process that I find fulfilling and I am honored to share it with you.

One of These Things...

Done with my quilt for the show! I've been a little busy these days, and working on this was has been a nice stress-reliever, giving me a lot of time to think about the idea of "modern" quilting. Basically, what it means to me is how great you all are. Hope that come across in the quilt! Title and explanation follows:

"One of These Things Is Sort of Like the Others"

I don't think there's much of a difference between "modern" and any other quilting. The base is the same for everyone: A desire to create something. From there, the varieties of quilters are endless.

I tried to express this idea with a repeating pattern of 48 pinwheels, all in shades of yellow. They're all the same at base, with slight differences. Then there's one pinwheel that, again, is similar to all the rest at base, same shapes, same shades, but slightly different, with a little burst of polka dots. That's the confetti of the "modern" quilter--the excitement that surrounds trying new techniques, sharing ideas, and encouraging friends. It celebrates each person's desire to create something, and their success in finishing it.

If there's any difference to "modern" quilting, it's the way we strive to celebrate anything different, while still honoring the things that make us all the same.

Antiquated Updated

"Antiquated Updated"

In order to define what “Modern Quilting” is, I started by making 4 quilts.  Each one of them only had parts of what I might consider modern, like making things up as I go, using up what I have, incorporating bold prints, adding in some odd element here and there. But not one of them had everything I was trying to express. Then I looked around my studio, and literally, grabbed a block out of a bed size quilt I was making.  It included scraps, odd angle piecing, solids, prints, old and new styles of fabrics, brights, lights and darks. It had everything in it that defined “modern” for me, it was truly a piece that shows the way I work.

Every one of the quilts I make are modern.  The process for me is modern. It reflects what needs to come out of me creatively. Everything I bring to the quilt, is modern.  It reflects my history of learning to quilt, who I was inspired by and why I continue to quilt.  Most of my work is based on my grandmother’s crazy quilts, and I think this piece shows, that all though the technique has been around for ages, it can have a bright new spin no matter what era it is. - Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Under the wire!

So I just finished my quilt for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo traveling show that the guild is doing! Nothing like having a good deadline... Here's the "backstory" I submitted. Having finished it, I would add that free motion quilting seems very modern to me as well!

-----
My quilt's "Backstory", or what does "Modern Quilting" mean to me?

Quilting appeals to me because I love putting fabrics together in pleasing patterns. I particularly like making my quilts for someone in particular, and I often ask them to help me choose patterns and fabrics, so I know I am making something they will like. I really enjoy quilting when I find fun funky fabrics. I usually buy extra yardage of fabrics I really like so that I can use the "scraps" for other projects! Quilting becomes especially "modern" for me when it dares to be asymmetrical, incorporating something creative beyond traditional triangles.

The idea for this quilt came to me while I was nursing my son Lars, who was about to turn three weeks old at the time. I wanted to do something in blue and green for his room, and he happened to be wearing a nightshirt with stars on it- I was taken by the rhyme "Stars for Lars" and decided I wanted to make him some stars. I have made several "window" quilts, showing a landscape scene of some kind, as if you were looking out a window. With this quilt, I wanted
to create a skylight looking out into the night sky.

I originally intended to "practice" my star design with these particular fabrics, planning to use two other fabrics in the final creation. I pieced the first star at night, when I couldn't see the colors too well- and when I woke up the next morning, I decided I liked this color combination better! Then I decided the scene needed some curves- and I have been wanting to learn how to
piece curves better- so I turned to some instructions on the internet (how modern is that?) and started creating a moon using a technique I had never used before. Lars was born the day before a full moon so I decided to leave the moon a complete circle rather than the usual crescent. In the end, "modern quilting" to me means quilts that are being created now! When this show is over I look forward to hanging this quilt in his bedroom.

September Dresden

Enjoyed some holiday weekend sewing time yesterday with the challenge Nicole gave us for the bee. I've never made a dresden plate or sunburst block before. I went to a couple of books and magazines and found one I liked. It also happens to be from Sarah at Material Obsession.
The method of cutting a wedge shape and sewing the top edge in half to create the point is so practical and simple. I had fun pulling lots of scraps and arranging the color movement around the circle. Surprisingly, the "plate" was easy to topstitch on my machine. I did go ahead and hand applique the circle - it was faster and easier for me to control.
Can't wait to see the different versions from this month's challenge - so many ways to go with this!
Nicole.... hope you like this one;) I think you're going to have a LOVELY and really special quilt.

SNOW/CROCUS

Hi all!
I finally figured out how to add to our blog - I think. My statement follows.

I have always loved the art of collage. It offers endless possibilities because so many techniques and materials can be joined to create a cohesive design. Modern quilting means that I can collage with fabric, batting, and threads as well as a plentiful array of other materials. It means that I can apply my painting, drawing, and photographic skills to my collections of discards and textiles. I have been able to explore new styles of expression using the quilting vocabulary of stitches and layered textiles purely for their design possibilities without having to consider functional qualities of traditional quilts. Through my personal approach to modern quilting I am able to express my love of nature through a very rich tactile language.

It has been my ongoing challenge to find innovative ways to translate both my paintings and photographs to more abstract textile pieces. A special challenge in this project was to create a sense of snow’s softness and reflective qualities. A protective sheet of thin translucent styrofoam in my bag of collected discards was an exciting find. It spoke to me, becoming the perfect batting, diffusing the blues of my hand dyed backing that showed through textured Japanese papers. By combining it with fabric softening dryer sheets I was able to achieve dimension, another favorite quality in this piece. In my paintings such dimension is an illusion on a flat surface. Here it is a relief surface rich with fiber textures.

This first project of creating a snow effect with textiles, stitches, and paint took a few turns along its journey as each step led to several new possibilities. Exploring different ideas simultaneously by working in a series allows me to keep moving forward without backing up to retrace my steps. In one companion piece I used a single layer of thin opaque bamboo batting for a flat surface of snow. When I discovered that it neither came close enough to the desired snow effect, nor showed off the crocus, I explored the alternatives you see here, adding a contrasting flat sky behind the crocus. In yet another piece I dye painted snow for a whole cloth quilt. It was pretty yet too painterly and lacked the visual interest of my textured textiles.

I am pleasantly surprised with this mixed media version of SNOW/CROCUS. It feels modern to me because I have used contemporary techniques and materials in a very personal expression of a landscape, my favorite nature theme. It looks nothing like a painting or like any photograph I could take. Its qualities are unique to the art of quilting.