Pogo Stick

 Every month, I am so excited to see the creative ideas each person has for the bee.  Bernadette gave a fun challenge for October, and I can't wait to see the finished stripey quilt. 

Pattern from Modern Blocks 

A bit of chedda makes it bedda

Hi Nicole,

Hope you enjoy your red and white with a bit if cheddar blocks. It was fun coming up with something. Ha initially I was worried about makin seams meet etc. because it was for youuuu. Smiles and then I said oh crap wonky is okay lol. So by the second one u was a bit more wonkified. Lol. I did a bit in the first. Hope you enjoy. Dropping in the mail in Monday. (Unless I make it to post office today. 😉)

October Bee Block for Bernadette

Bernadette's given us quite an open brief for our October Bee Block.  Hope this is the kind of thing she had in mind!

I've written a bit more about how I created the block on my blog made by ChrissieD.

Help our Guild win....

Hello MetroMod quilters,
This is a little late in the game, but......The Warm Company has a Facebook Likes & Posts challenge going on for guilds across the country.  The Warm Company are the makers of some well-loved products like Warm & Natural batting, Insul-Bright and Steam a Seam, just to name a few.

We have a chance to win one of 10 full bolts of Warm & Natural batting for our guild. 

All you need to do is Like The Warm Company on Facebook and Post the name of our guild on their wall by Sept 31st.  They are choosing based on percentage of guild members participating, not just by numbers, so we have a great chance even though we aren't a huge group.

Member Spotlight: Lisa Mason

This is a new Q & A series to get to know our members.  Today, Lisa Mason talks to us about her experience as a quilter.

Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and how long have you been in our guild?

 I live in Connecticut, in the burbs, but close enough to the city to hop a train whenever I want.  I am looking at my third year as a member of the guild.  Can’t believe that much time has gone by already.  Last year I downsized and moved to an apartment which has been wonderful except that I miss my garden, so now I spend a lot of time at the park or the beach.  I have one fabulous daughter who is an art therapist and lives close by.   She likes to quilt too, but not as obsessively at her mother.

Have you always been crafty?  What other things do you make?

  I have dabbled in many crafty things.  I was not athletic as a child, so my mother was always trying to find things to keep me busy.  I learned how to needlepoint when I was about ten.  My mother was an artist so there were always projects to be had.  Beading, papier-mâché, painting rocks, macramé, knitting, sand casting, I had a very creative upbringing.  Then at the age of thirteen I asked to take a quilting class.  The class was at a local sewing shop and it was me, and a room full of mothers.  This was right around 1976 when quilting was making a resurgence.  I had quite an education being the quiet girl in the corner listening to all those moms chatter! Back in those days, the tools we had were scissors, cardboard and rulers.  You traced your template on the back of the fabric and cut out the pieces one at a time.  Dark ages I know!

 Where do you sew?

 I currently sew in the corner of my living room.  It’s just me now, so I can leave everything out strewn all over the place, and no one cares.  It is nice to have the sewing machine always at the ready.  The other day a friend stopped by and needed her bag fixed and viola, done in minutes. Haha.

What is your favorite type of project?

Gosh, I love all types of projects.  I love to work on something intricate and complicated; it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.  But then there are other times you just need to do something quick and simple.  I love it when I can make a quilt in a weekend, binding and everything.

What’s your favorite quilting tool?

I would have to say, and my daughter is cringing, the famous seam ripper.  I love it.  I don’t mind when I have to use it, it helps me slow down and be careful.  My daughter hates the seam ripper so much that I kind of smile and laugh when I need to use it.  Does that make me a bad person?

What type of fabrics do you use most often?

100% cotton quilting fabric is ma favorite.  I can be led astray by silks and other yummy fabric goodness.

Who or what inspires you most in quilting?

I love color, the brighter the better.  I love Kaffee Fassett fabrics, he just knows how to rock that color!  I also look to nature to inspire me.  I have a whole file of photos that are just for that purpose.  I love to take pictures of unexpected scenes and think how would I make that a quilt.

What are you working on now?

 I just finished layering my NYC Metro Mod Bee Block top.  I plan on quilting that baby next.  I love the way the top came out, everyone did such a great job on their blocks.  Now I hope I can do it justice with the quilting.              

What kind of projects would you like to tackle in the coming year?

Well, I have everything for a Single Girl quilt for my daughter, but she has a boyfriend now, so does that mean I am off the hook? J I would really like to finish off some tops that I have, I think that I have about seven, but I guess we can all say that.

 Do you have a blog, flickr, pinterest, or other place on the web you’d like to share?

  I blog at theredheadedmermaid.blogspot.com and my flickr link is on that page. 

Thanks Lisa!  You look great, can't wait to see you next month!
If you'd like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, please send your completed survey and some photos to Jessica at jessunderquilts (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Finished Bee Quilts

Here's a labor-intensive bee quilt I finished today.  I probably should have taken pictures as I went along putting this together.  It is made from 24 blocks - all from two Modern Blocks bees on Flickr based on the book Modern Blocks.  In the book, the block is called 'Stone Cathedral.'  I supplied the solid gray background and each member sewing in their choice of pink 'windows' and gave me small squares to use when putting the blocks together.  What surprised me about this quilt was it's weight.  All that folded fabric adds up.  All it needs is a label.

I tried to get some better photos of my New York Beauty quilt since I finished the binding and label.  I have it hanging in my living room.  I love looking at it.

 The quilting was done in yellow thread.

I'm not the biggest fan of hand-sewing, so I kind of cheat by catching two sides of the label when I sew on the binding.

Member Spotlight: Mary Bakija

This is a new Q & A series to get to know our members. Today, Mary Bakija talks to us about her experience as a quilter.

 

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been in our guild?

I live in the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, where I write about my area, and a few others. By chance, I found out about the very first guild meeting the night before it was held, and so I showed up then, and haven't stopped.

Have you always been crafty? What other things do you make?

Yes, always. It goes way back to things like crocheting scarves for stuffed animals, but since "adulthood" I most notably spent good, expensive college credits on a puppetry class (where I made the "cat burglar" pictured). After college I was living in Northampton, MA, where I found knitting--it's impossible not to find it there. I also got back into crocheting, and then a few years ago I picked up quilting.

Where do you sew?

I'm lucky to have a second bedroom which is big enough to sew in, but not quite big enough to baste a quilt larger than about twin-size.

What is your favorite type of project?

 

I like to make quilts that are repetitive and useful. If someone is going to be able to nap under it, and possibly be lulled to sleep by its hypnotizing pattern, I'm satisfied.

What’s your favorite quilting tool?

I do a lot of hand-quilting, and after trying out easily a dozen different kinds of thimbles, I settled on the Nimble Thimble. But it's definitely settling. While they're the best I've found for me, I don't like the fingernail hole because I don't have nails and the needle often sticks me through it, and they wear out too quickly--I might go through two while quilting a full-size quilt. So I waited until they were on sale someplace and bought about a dozen. Since I work slowly, those should last a while.

What type of fabrics do you use most often?

Solids, because I'm not good at making decisions, and trying to choose between a billion patterned fabrics could give me an aneurysm.

Who or what inspires you most in quilting?

My fellow quilt guild members, both in this group and in the Quilters' Guild of Brooklyn. You guys are unbelievable--creative, varied, and endlessly inventive.

What are you working on now?

Too many things. First and most importantly, the very next thing I need to make is a block that is overdue to a fellow guild member (sorry Andrea!). I've got some amazing blocks from a quilting bee that I need to assemble, I've got some small green shoe fly blocks that I need to make more of, and so on. But I'm going to have to put those things aside because I've got some friends who are having a baby soon, and some others who are getting married in the spring, and they need gifts!

What kind of projects would you like to tackle in the coming year?

If I can finish the baby and wedding quilts before 2014, I can't tell you how excited I'll be.

Do you have a blog, flickr, pinterest, or other place on the web you’d like to share?

 

You can find pics of works in progress (and if I'm lucky, ones that are finished) on Flickr, where there are also lots of pictures of the cats and dogs I stalk in my neighborhood.

 

Thanks Mary!!  I've missed you~  can't wait to see you next month!

If you would like to be featured in the member spotlight, please email your survey and photos to jessunderquilts (at) yahoo (dot) com

Block4Greer

It's in the mail, icy side up! I loved your hand printed and dyed fabrics. Good job you're going to sash these as I seem to have left a lot exposed at the edges (it was easier to trim to the right size that way).
Great fun!

mandymunroe.wordpress.com

Confetti for Greer

My first incarnation of the confetti block was pieced very improvisationally with many scraps, and only after I was done did I realize that this wasn't what Greer was looking for. Ooops. Luckily I had enough backing fabric to make a second block with fewer seams. I'm not trying to over achieve by making two blocks, just fixing what I did wrong in the first! I'll put them in the mail soon.

What I'm workin' on.....

I am getting addicted to Kaleidoscope Blocks - here is what I am working on today.

I am going to sew the blocks together today to make the body of the quilt and then think about what to do (or not do) about the borders.

John Kubiniec

NYC TAKEN!

 NYC MOD TOOK MANHATTAN!

Denyse Schmidt was wonderful. Her Q.S.O.S was really great to hear how this creative woman has made her mark. She has a dance history and she gave us a bit of flat footen' while Alan played the Fiddle!

Our members took home the goods! LUCKY!!!

 John won some goodies!

 Yolanda won TWICE IN  A ROW!

David scored some fabrics! (hope your feeling better)

 And Meeting Karla Overland, Owner of Cherrywood fabrics!  

We grew up not that far apart in MN, so you know we had a lot of chat about!

Check out there fabulous new brights!

 Chris and Mandy

 Andrea and Victoria

Earamichia, Emily and Dolph.

The Quilt Alliance House Challenge Quilts were hung up at City Quilter, and member BetteAnne has hers here too. Top row third from left.

Thanks BetteAnne!

And last, eye candy! Denyse's quilts from her latest book.

Such a fun day!  

Thanks MOD members for being the largest group to be represented!

Victoria

Member Spotlight: Tina Marney

This is a new Q & A series to get to know our members.  Today, Tina Marney talks to us about her experience as a quilter.

Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and how long have you been in our guild?
I‘m originally from Manchester in the UK, and have been living in the States since 2003. I’m a scientist currently wrapping up a PhD in Molecular Biology. I’ve been a member of the guild for about a year.

 Have you always been crafty?  What other things do you make?

My mom taught me how to sew, embroider and knit when I was little but I only really started taking crafting seriously about 8 years ago. I started my crafty resurgence with knitting, moving on to crochet, past needle felting and finally on to quilting. I’ve made maybe a dozen quilts and given them all away. I’m also a photographer, I mostly specialize in performance photography but I like to dabble in just about everything. If it’s in front of my lens, I’ll shoot it.

Where do you sew?

 I have a large six-seater dining table in my apartment. One end is for eating, the other for sewing.

What is your favorite type of project?

This blanket is my favourite project to date. It took me over a year to knit from sock yarn scraps on size US1 needles. I went through a phase of miniaturization of component pieces of large items but currently I’m focusing on simple projects, especially in my quilting.

 What’s your favorite quilting tool?
My walking foot. No more puckers!

What type of fabrics do you use most often?
Quilting cottons.

Who or what inspires you most in quilting?
I’m pretty active on both flickr and pinterest and I get most of my inspiration from there. People all over the world are making beautiful things and putting them out there for you to see.

What are you working on now?

I’m making a quilted baby blanket for either my sister or my cousin. I’m currently in the phase of not knowing whether it’s hideously ugly or awesome, which will decide the eventual gift recipient (I’ll leave it up to you to figure out who gets what!). But since it’s a surprise there are no pictures.
Because I’m crazy, as soon as I finished my first sock yarn blanket I cast on for a second using all my leftover yarn. It is very close to completion but I’ve stalled out knitting the edging. Picking up and knitting 20 rows of 500 stitches will do that to you.

What kind of projects would you like to tackle in the coming year?

Finishing my lab work, writing my thesis, defending said thesis and then sleeping. Lots of sleeping. I also want to make a quilted growth chart for my future niece/nephew, but that might have to wait a while!

Do you have a blog, flickr, pinterest, or other place on the web you’d like to share?

I blog over at http://othersideofthepom.blogspot.com/ and my photography can be found at tinamarney.com

(In my natural habitat)

Thanks Tina! 
Who's up next?  I don't have any questionnaires with photos that I can post this week, somebody, send me something QUICK!
~jess

Greer's Block

Here's my block for Greer.  This was more of a challenge than it initially looked.  Margaret was right -- trying for few seams was not an easy task.  Hope you like it, Greer.... will get it off in the mail soon.

Lucky Bee 13

                                             Confetti Block for Greer

For me the challenge in this block

was putting as many pieces as possible 

into the block while not joining a

blue strip to another blue strip, and

making it a 13x13 square.

Harder than it looks!

Member Spotlight: Mandy Munroe

This is a new Q & A series to get to know our members.  Today, Mandy Munroe talks to us about her experience as a quilter.

 Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and how long have you been in our guild?

 I moved to NYC from the UK last September and joined the guild at the December meeting. I learnt

to quilt when I lived in New Jersey in 1992.

 Have you always been crafty?  What other things do you make?

Yes, my Grandmother taught me to knit, crochet and embroider and she had a bag of wool and fabric scraps I was allowed to use at any time. At the moment I’m knitting a scarf and upcycling some shirts into cushion covers but I also create art pieces for exhibition and design projects for magazines.

This piece was a commission for a school in Kent, UK. The fabrics were dyed by the children.

Where do you sew?

On the dining table at the moment.

What is your favorite type of project?

Quilts, but I like variety! This scrap quilt was great fun to make.

What’s your favorite quilting tool?

Probably my rotary cutter. Having a smooth edge to sew makes everything so much easier, especially with curves.

What type of fabrics do you use most often?

Quilting weight cotton.

Who or what inspires you most in quilting?

Nancy Crow was a huge influence when I started quilting in the ‘90’s, she gave me the confidence to piece improvisationally. Now it’s the fabrics that get me going.

What are you working on now?

 This paper pieced New York Beauty I started 2 years ago! I’m just binding it so it can be used at last.

Do you have a blog or other place on the web you’d like to share?

www.mandymunroe.com for my art pieces and my newer blog: mandymunroe.wordpress.com

 

 

Thanks Mandy!  Can't wait to see you at our next meeting.

If you would like to be featured on our Member Spotlights, please fill out the questionnaire I sent you and email it back to me at jessunderquilts at yahoo dot com ASAP!