Meeting Recap (September 10th, 2016)

We were pleased to see so many people at yesterday's meeting, and while it seems we covered a lot of ground, the discussions were worthwhile.  Please take a few minutes to make sure that you didn't miss anything that was discussed.

• Jessica, our Secretary, announced that we have 106 members...YAY!! She also announced the dates for the next Hand-Sew Happy Hours; which will go out again in a separate email in the next few days.

• Are you participating in our Crayon Challenge?  The due date is our November meeting, so you have lots of time to get working on your idea.  Rules are here (Crayon Challenge).

• SewMeSTL will be here before we know it, and the Member's Swap/Challenge Committee announced an exciting swap for attendees.  Check out the official announcement here (SewMeSTL 2016 - Announcement)

• The first of our Show & Tells for the day was our Quilting Bee Showcase; which provided lots of inspiration to those in a bee, or looking to start one.  You can find most if not all of the quilts shown on our STLMQG Instagram page.

• We discussed The MQG and the recent stumble, what's next, how our members can and should get more involved, etc.  If you would like to reach out to The MQG, this link will provide you with multiple ways to get in touch. 
• If you would like to get in touch with our Region 3 Rep, Andrew, you can do so here.  In all situations, we just ask that you "play nice", and provide constructive opinions that will create helpful dialogue for the betterment of our guild, The MQG, and the modern quilting community.  We are all in this together!

• Our second Show & Tell for the day was titled First & Last: which was an opportunity for our members to show how they started, how they have grown, how their aesthetic has changed, etc. Just as before, most if not all of the quilts shown, can be found on our STLMQG Instagram page.  

• It is that time again to start prepping for 2017 as it relates to Officer Elections.  If this sounds like something you would be interested in pursuing, please take a few minutes to read through the responsibilities.  If you are interested in being a candidate, please send an email to stlmqg@gmail.com
• Our election is held every November, when there are candidates available to vote on. While we will accept candidates for all of our positions (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer), please note that the Treasurer position will be vacant next year as Rene is stepping down to pursue her position at Nathanial Reid Bakery.

• Our final Show & Tell for the day was our normal, bring what you have recently completely, what excites you, etc.  Those photos can also be found on our STLMQG Instagram page.

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Finally, there were several other important; but side discussions or announcements that were made, and we want to be sure that you have the information and links, so please see below.

• Tech Shop: As Casey announced, this new venture for St. Louis is an opportunity for Makers of all sorts to get together and work on machinery they may not usually have access to, including things from a long-arm and sewing machines, to laser-cutters, 3-D printers, a wood-working shop, etc.  If this is of interest to you, check out their website (TechShop). 

• We had a few newer members ask about modern fabrics, designs, etc.  Here are a few links to get you started.
• 100 Days of Modern Quilting 
• What is Modern Quilting Fabric (from Craftsy)
• The Modern Quilt Guild // Gallery

Remember, we do not have a meeting in October, as it is our annual in-town retreat...SewMeSTL.

We hope to see you there!!

SewMeSTL 2016 - Announcement

Please join your fellow St. Louis MQG members at the third annual Sew Me St. Louis weekend, where there will be lots of laughs, lots of quilting and lots of opportunities to make some memories.

Saturday, October 8th 8am – Midnight

& Sunday, October 9th 8am – 5pm

Drury Inn & Suites Brentwood

8700 Eager Road

Brentwood, MO 63144

:: All Day / All Night Open Sew ::

:: Workshop Opportunities ::

:: Swaps, Raffles & More ::

This event is open to current St. Louis MQG members and registration is a courtesy, so we know how many to expect. The link was sent out via email on Wednesday, September 7th; but please note that there is room for all of our members.

The cost is $40 a person; which helps to cover the rental cost of the ballrooms and our Teacher's fees. Payment is due at the door via Cash or Check, so please come prepared.

And as always don’t forget to use #SewMeSTL and #STLMQG on social media.

New to our guild and interested to see how much fun we have had in the past, check out the hashtag #sewmestl on Instagram.

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Your registration secures a place for you in the All Day/All Night Open Sew Room. It’s a large ballroom fitted with standard-size tables, chairs, access to electricity, and way more fun than you can imagine. This communal room is where everyone will be hanging out, chatting, quilting, hand-sewing, knitting, etc. until midnight on Saturday and then again until 5pm on Sunday.

We are happy to report that food and drink is allowed in the large ballroom, so as before we would like to encourage our members to consider bringing something to share with the group, whether it is a batch of brownies, veggies, fruit, etc. Otherwise for your main meal, consider ordering a pizza, or checking out any of the fabulous restaurants in the surrounding area for lunch and/or dinner.

Basket Raffle:: We will have at minimum 3 baskets of goodies, so bring a few extra $$ should you wish to take a chance.

Scrap Swap:: The rules are simple, bring in a Quart or Gallon bag filled with scraps and take home an equal share from the large pile. Just remember…we are a modern guild, so this is not a time to unload your upholstery and/or traditional fabrics.

Social Media Prep:: Are on Instagram? Be sure to follow along with us @STLMQG starting Monday October 3rd, as we will be posting prompts each day encouraging you to play along. Things like “Show Us Your Machine”, “Packing Up”, etc.

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Paper Bag Swap:: The Member's Swap/Challenge Committee has created an excellent "Blind Swap" for us this year.  All SewMeSTL attendees can participate, just grab a standard brown lunch bag, or bring the below items to the event and we will have bags on site.

• Each participant will put together a "mini-bundle" of four coordinating fat quarters (so everyone knows a least a little about what they are getting).

• Each participant will also include a small item ($0-10) that they Can't Live Without when sewing: chocolate, tv or music recommendations, small notion, etc.--no need to spend additional $ on this, the point is to be creative and share with the rest of the group something fun about your own sewing habits. Participants will include a little note with their name and their reason for choosing the secret item they did.

Participants can drop off their sealed bag of goodies when they arrive, and choose another bag at their leisure during the course of the event.  This will be done via the honor system, and we ask that members Do Not Peek and/or swap out the bag they choose for another (unless of course you accidently grab your own again...they will all look the same).

 

See You There!!!

Meeting #67 - September 10th, 2016

Hello Modern Quilters,

This Saturday's meeting will be our last before our annual in-town retreat, SewMeSTL.  We hope that you'll join us on Saturday where we will be showing off lots of quilty Show & Tell.

Date: September 10th, 2016
Time: 10am - 12:30pm 
Location: The Heights
*Childcare available, please see info here*

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Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
     :: Membership Information
     :: Financial Information
     :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Crayon Challenge Continues (Rules HERE) 
                *It's not too late to play along, you can pick up crayons at the meeting.
-Quilting Bee Showcase : Please read below to see how to participate
---Break---
-The MQG discussion
-First and Last Show & Tell : Please read below to see how to participate-Event News
-Regular Show & Tell
-Mix & Mingle

 

-------------------------- FYI ------------------------------

:: Quilting Bee Showcase -- As a continuation of our Quilting Bee discussion, this month we invite all of our members who have been or are participating in a Quilting Bee (either as part of the STLMQG, online, etc.) to bring up to 3 finished quilts and/or completed tops to show the variety of quilts that can be created as part of a bee.  

:: First and Last Show & Tell -- With each completed block, finished quilt or swipe of that seam-ripper we are continually learning and growing.  This month we want to see just how far you have come.  Participation is easy, please bring in an early example (possibly the first quilt you made) of your work, and a more recent example that you are proud of.  Let us share in your growth, hear what tricks you have learned and what you still want to improve upon.  

:: If you do not wish to participate in one of the Show & Tell's above, we will definitely still have time to have a regular Show & Tell.  

See You Saturday !!

Meeting Recap (August 13th, 2016)

I honestly don't know how we fit everything into August's meeting; but we did it.  Just in case you missed something, read on.

• Our Crayon Challenge is well underway, if you need to check out the rules again...here is an easy to find link (Crayon Challenge).

• The weighted lap pads were all collected by the Charity Committee and will be distributed accordingly.

• The members who participated in the i70 swap received their items from our sister-guild in Kansas City.  Missed the reveals, be sure to visit the hashtag #i70swap on Instagram.

• Our Member's Trunk Show showcased the talents of Laura Cox.

Thanks Laura @xomadewithlove for sharing your work with us today...it was great to see your progression. #stlmqg #quiltersofinstagram #supportoneanother

A photo posted by St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild (@stlmqg) on Aug 14, 2016 at 5:12am PDT

• Four of our members (Jamie, Chrissy, Gina and Jessica) participated in a panel discussion on Quilting Bees 101.  Thank You Ladies!

• The QuiltCon Charity Quilt Committee showed off the inspiration for our entry into QuiltCon 2017 and will be looking for assistance to help with piecing the blocks.

And all of that fit into 2 1/2 hours...barely!

Our September meeting isn't very far off, we hope to see you there.