Painter's Canvas: A Mission Possible

There has been alot of chatter and excitement behind the scenes at the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild, all of which has lead to a wonderful opportunity for those members who chose to accept a "Secret Mission".

I am here to reveal the big secret; but I want to start by saying that none of this would be possible if it wasn't for Elizabeth, one of our wonderful members who happened to run into Laura Gunn. 

If the name rings a bell, it's probably because you have come across Laura's fabric collections (Lantern Bloom, Poppy, Magnolia Lane and Painter's Canvas).  Lucky for us, Laura lives right here in St. Louis.

Michael Miller Fabrics will be showing her new lines Magnolia Lane and Painter's Canvas at the International Quilt Market in less then three weeks.  Laura contacted our guild and proposed a crazy idea.  Would any of the STLMQG members be interested in making a modern quilt using her Painter's Canvas line.  The quilts will be photographed, shown at market and later returned to the owner.  Of course the answer was YES!where do we sign up.

Five brave souls accepted the challenge to make a lap-size quilt in two weeks and are hard at work planning their design and selecting their color palette as we speak.

The "Secret Agents" as I like to call them are none other then...

Mary Claire 
Jamie Mueller
Lynne M. 
Juli Ann D.
and Me, Kristy Daum

Keep a lookout for in-progress photos popping up on Flickr and on our blogs.

In the meantime, rush on over to check out Laura Gunn's fabric collections and her blog.  Let's show this local Gal and Fabric Designer extraordinaire some love!

Magnolia Lane

Painter's Canvas

Paint in My Hair...Laura's blog

Colette Pillow Photo - sent to us by Laura Gunn

Virginia Pillow Photo - sent to us by Laura Gunn

And if you have read this far, I encourage you to visit our Flickr page NOW, RIGHT NOW
to learn how you could meet Laura Gunn.  Look for the Discussion Topic: Secret Mission Part 2

Flickr, Flickr, Who hasn't visited Flickr lately...

STLMQG Members...

If you haven't visited our Flickr page in a while, I encourage you to get on over there.

St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild

Not only do I give information on how to sign up for our Sew-In Saturday (which is Saturday, May 7th); but there is a special discussion thread you won't want to miss out on.  Hint Hint Nudge Nudge

-Your Politely-Nudging President

Kristy

Meeting Recap (April 9th, 2011)

What a wonderful group of quilters we are!  I hope everyone enjoyed April's meeting and is already looking forward to May!

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my not-so-formal style, flushed face, and jabber in Kristy's absence.  =)

Gotta shout out a huge thanks to our Who's Who volunteers (Laura, JuliAnn, Tracy, Jamie, Cindy, Linda, Rene, and Cara)!

Here's a quick re-cap of our meeting:

• Make sure to stop and take a look at Nancy's Member Spotlight.  You can scroll down to the next post or click here.  If you'd like to be a part of our ongoing Member Spotlight just let us know!

• We had over 35 members attend May's meeting, including four new members!  Welcome!!  We are now up to 58 due paying members!

• Remember to mark your calendar for our guild's 1st Sew-In Saturday (May 7th, 9am-6pm at Brown Shoe Company in Clayton, MO).  This is an opportunity for due-paying members to get together, work on an unfinished project, start something new, and be inspired by what your fellow guild members are making. 
• Sign-ups will begin online, Saturday April 16th and will be open through Saturday April 30th.  Reminders will be sent out to everyone so you don't forget about this fun opportunity!

• The Modern Quilt Guild has announced their 3rd Challenge!  Click here to check it out!!

• Our awesome guild members made 28 star blocks for Moda's Just One Star  effort!  Way to go ladies; I am so thrilled with the turnout for this great cause!  I'll be mailing our blocks off on Monday.  If you didn't have a chance to make a block, there is still time; details can be found at the Just One Star link above! 

• I know I learned a lot during our Who's Who of Modern Fabric Designer's presentation.  Our volunteers did a great job and we had lots of fabric eye candy to drool over!  If you'd like to look at our presentation again or easily access all the link's, please click here to download!
• A special thanks to Patty Young for generously sending along Hummingbird Quilt patterns for everyone and thanks to Cindy for contacting her!
• Here are the questions and answers I asked Denyse Schmidt (that she kindly answered) but didn't include in the presentation document:
• Why a resurgence in quilting and sewing these days?
• I think these things are very cyclical, and after the overall slickness and high design of the 90's and early 2000's, it doesn't surprise me that we are in the midst of an interest in handcraft. I think it has to do generally with a reaction to the nature of our culture. Everything seems to change and evolve so quickly these days, and much of what we experience today happens remotely. Making something with your hands is  a direct, slow experience that is counter to our drive-through, virtual, fast-paced environment. To be involved in the origins of objects we use every day, and bring a personal connection and authenticity to the things that surround us, is an antidote to the shortcomings of the world we live in today. 
• Some of my favorite fabric designers?
• I love Anna Maria Horner's designs and color sense. She has lead the way for the rest of us designers in utilizing new substrates – it can take an enormous amount of energy to push the manufacturers to explore new products, and she's been tireless and consistently positive.  Heather Ross is a great friend and I love her fabrics. They tell an entire story and I love her sense of humor. Fabrics from Kokka are consistently fabulous, and I love using many of the reproduction fabrics (such as Barbara Brackman's civil war prints).
• What is inspiring me to create right now?
• Besides deadlines? I went to see the Red & White quilt show that was on view at at the Park Avenue Amory in NYC recently. The exhibition, organized by the Folk Art Museum, featured 651 red and white quilts collected by Joanna Rose. Her husband organized the show for her as an 80th birthday celebration. I've always loved the graphic simplicity of two-color quilts, so this show was like candy.
• Anything we need to be looking forward to from you?
• I've just about completed work on a new book, due out next spring with STC Craft. It features twenty traditional quilt patterns. This might be surprising to my MQG fans, but my designs have always been rooted in traditional patchwork. In fact, part of what inspired me to start my business in 1996 was that the antique quilts I felt drawn to – quilts the seemed very modern to me though they were over a hundred years old – were not being made by contemporary quilters. Books and patterns featured traditional designs, but they didn't have the simplicity or austerity of the originals. I wanted to show that quilts – especially traditional designs – could feel very modern.
• I'm also looking forward to getting back on track with our own DSQ patterns this year, releasing more patterns for McCall's, and continuing to design more fabric! 

• I think everyone loved the mug rugs we exchanged and I encourage everyone to take a picture of your new goodie and add it to our Flickr group! 

• Show and Tell was awesome, as usual!  Here are some links to patterns or quilt-a-longs that were mentioned or shown today!
• June Bug by Thimble Blossoms 
• Amy Butler Gum Drop Pillows
• Amy Butler Stash and Dash Bags
• Colorbrick Quilt
• One source for printable hexagons (there are many more)
• Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt

• The Noodle Fabric Swap Game is coming to our May Meeting!  Remember to bring FIVE 5 inch by the width of fabric strips (selvage to selvage) with you in May to participate in a fun swap!  You can bring five of the same strips or five different ones; it's up to you!  We'd love to see some fresh modern fabrics so bring the types of fabrics you'd love to receive!

• Our next meeting is Saturday May 14th at Bindings, Borders, and Squares Quilt Shop!  Hope to see you there!

Member Spotlight #5

Name: Nancy Lee

Flickr Name:  sewingnancyl

Blog:  www.withthreadinhand.blogspot.com  and  www.tenacresandapond.blogspot.com     

Area of Town:  Troy, MO but rehabbing our retirement home in Williamsburg, MO

Misc: Married with two married daughters and one son still at home and 5 grandchildren

What brought you to the STLMQG?

---I saw a message on the Quilted Fox newsletter that there was to be an informational meeting…I called a friend and we decided to check it out.I am so happy we did..I am so inspired at every meeting..

Do you participate in other guilds or bees?

---I belong to one other guild, Pike-Lin Quilt Guild in Clarksville, Mo and a redwork embroidery group.

When did you start quilting?

---I taught myself to sew in 1972 when my husband and I used our first tax refund money to buy me a small cheap sewing machine, pins and a pair of scissors. I made a pair of “slacks” (that’s what you called pants back then) out of brushed denim.. Not knowing what I was doing I pinned the pattern on, cut them out and sewed them together following the pattern instructions. No one told me that brushed denim had a nap to it so when they were finished, one leg looked darker than the other. ( they did fit perfectly though!!) I haven’t made an item of clothing since. Years and years later I made a baby quilt for my sister’s second child.  No one told me that gingham probably wasn’t a good choice of quilting fabric and all the seams just shredded as soon as it was quilted… I never could fix it.. Then my sister-in-law took me to Paducah 15 years ago during the Quilt Show I was overwhelmed, but fell in love with the large applique and Primitive style of Pat Sloan and Jan Patek .…and then a few years ago I stumbled across Oh’Fransson and I was hooked.  After finding the modern movement I was surprised to find that I had slowly been integrating the modern fabrics into my stash without even realizing what I was doing....

Why do you quilt?

---That’s like asking why do I eat?

What was your most recent fabric purchase?

---I bought some RJR solids in light gray and dark gray for my next quilt…and I just won ½ a layer cake of Sherbet Pips with a pattern and I can’t wait to use them.

 What is on your "I want to make this" List?

--- My list changes every time I browse through flickr…I would however like to finish the Civil War Love Letters quilt I am making my husband. It is 121 paper pieced 6 inch blocks and I am working on the sashing…

What is something you struggle with?

---  Finishing…I have so many UFO’s…Once I bargained with myself to not start a new project until I had finished a UFO…but it didn’t work.. I am such a pushover.. And I can't make anything that is stuffed ... they always come out looking weird..

  What do you do when you aren't quilting?

---  I love to do hand embroidery and read.  My husband thinks I like to drywall and paint..but he would be wrong..

ooo-----------------------------------------------------------------------ooo

Here are some photos that Nancy wanted to share with you

 

Meeting #8 -- April 9th, 2011

Hello Modern Quilters,

The weather has finally turned and it looks like Spring is here to stay-YAY! 
I am so excited for all of wonderful things that our group has planned for this Saturday's meeting and I know that it will be lots of fun with Mary Claire at the helm.  So grab your nametag, hop in the car and head on over.


Date: Saturday, April 9th
Time: 9:30am-Noon
Location: St. Louis County Library -Oakbend Branch
842 South Holmes Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63122
Map

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Agenda:
-Welcome & Guild Business
-Special Announcements
-Moda "Just One Star" Blocks info here
-Mug Rug Swap Reveal
-Who's Who Program
-Show & Tell
-Next Meeting Date (May 14th), Location (Bindings, Borders & Squares Quilt Shop)
-Questions/Comments
-Closing Remarks
-Door Prizes
-Mix & Mingle

**Remember to bring your "Just One Star" blocks, something "Modern" for Show & Tell if you would like to participate, also don't forget your Mug Rug (and the person to whom it belongs to).

**Finally, don't forget your handmade nametag so you are eligible for Door Prizes.