Meeting Recap (February 13th, 2016)

February's meeting was hustling as we made several announcements, created Valentine's, and hosted our first Member Trunk Show.  Read on to see what you may have missed or to learn more about upcoming opportunities and activities.

• Casey announced our upcoming swap with the KCMQG.  All dues-paying members are encouraged to participate, and while this is a swap with longer lead times, due dates are very important.  To read more, check out this post which was published last week... [I-70 Swap with KCMQG].

• Angie Henderson jump-started our Member Trunk Show and shared some of her amazing work with our audience.  If you are unfamiliar with Angie's work, check out her IG account (@a.sewcrazy) to learn more.  Thanks Angie!

• Our members then celebrated Valentine's Day by creating one of a kind cards; which were shared with a local assisted living center.  It is amazing what a glue stick, fabric scraps and lots of creativity will yield you.

• Finally, we shared more details regarding several upcoming calendar events.

• SewMeSTL is October 8th - 9th, so mark your calendars. We encourage you to book a room, so you make an entire weekend of it, rather then having to drive home. We will be looking for Workshop Teachers, so watch out for the open call.  Additionally, the Member's Swap/Challenge Committee will be creating a swap that attendees will be able to participate in, adding additional anticipation and excitement to an already spectacular event.  

• We have re-instated our Quarterly Sew-In Saturday's which will now be held at Janie Lou quilt shop.  Jessica, our guild's Secretary, will be managing sign-ups; but for now, mark your calendars for March 26th, May 7th, August 20th, and November 5th. Space is limited, so it is important to sign-up as soon as you receive the email.

• Each June, our guild hosts a Members-Only Roadtrip and this year is no different, although our destination definitely is.  How does Nashville sound?  We will be visiting Craft South, checking out the local cuisine, and offering additional quilt-related activities; all to make your weekend one to remember.  Mark your calendars for June 11th - 12th. 

Thanks to all our members who attended our meeting and helped to make it a success.  We hope to see you in a few weeks, where we will be hosting another Member Trunk Show as well as playing Quilting Trivia.  You might want to brush up on popular fabric lines, quilt industry logos, popular quilt blocks...oh, and Kona Cotton Colors.  

I-70 Swap with KCMQG

The Swap and Challenge Committee is excited to announce the I-70 Swap with the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild! Get to know our sister guild and make connections with modern quilters across Missouri!

For this swap, all dues-paying members who wish to participate need to fill out the SIGN-UP FORM below.  Next, you will create a single 8"- 12" quilt block using your favorite fabrics, colors, and pattern. At the March meeting (March 12), turn in your block along with a printed and completed copy of the downloadable BLOCK FORM below (or mail to Casey if you can't make the meeting--see below for more details). Blocks will be shipped to the KCMQG, where they will be matched up with secret partners who will make a project of your choice out of your block.

At the April meeting (April 9), you will receive a block from a secret KCMQG partner to make into a project for them. (You will have the opportunity to tell us what types of projects you are comfortable making, so don't worry about being matched with a partner who wants something you can't make!) You'll have three months to make the project, which you must turn in to Casey no later than the July meeting so that it can be shipped back to Kansas City. At the August meeting, you will receive a completed project from your KC partner.

A couple of details:

• Because this swap requires shipping between KC and St. Louis, timeliness is important. Please keep an eye on the calendar and hand in your blocks and finished projects by the due dates to ensure that the swap runs smoothly. If you cannot make one of the meetings where we will be turning things in, feel free to email Casey to work out alternative arrangements (casey AT casey-york DOT com).

• Please note that the online version of the form asks whether you will attend the June meeting, but that the STLMQG will not meet in June. Please check this box as YES if you plan to be at the JULY meeting (July 9).

• You will be provided with information about your secret partner's style and likes and dislikes so that you can transform their block into a project that will be perfect for them.

• You are not required to purchase additional materials for the project you make--using your stash is fine. Please do be conscientious, though, and use only high-quality fabrics and other materials.

• Please ensure that your block measures between 8" and 12" square. You should leave your partner's block intact when making it into a project.

• Feel free to post your project progress on social media, and please use the hashtag #i70Swap

• If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Casey!

Have fun making your block, and thanks for participating in this swap with our sister guild!

Sign-Up Form 

Block Form

Meeting #62 - February 13th, 2016

Hello Modern Quilters,

Love is in the air this month, and what better way to share our collective admiration for quilting, then by getting together with some friends for another entertaining and educational meeting.  We have several announcements to make, and loveliness to share, so we hope to see you there. 

Date: February 13th, 2016
Time: 10am - 12:30pm 
Location: The Heights

   =================================================================
Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
   :: Membership Information
   :: Financial Information
   :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Swap with Kansas City Begins (Announcement & Sign-ups)
-Member Trunk Show = Showcasing the talents of Angie Henderson
-Group Activity (Participation Info Below)
---Break---
-2016 Calendar Announcements
   :: SewMeSTL
   :: Quarterly Sew-Ins
   :: June Roadtrip
-Show & Tell
-Mix & Mingle

 

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

::  Ready for a group activity?  This one will test your creativity and there might even be a yummy prize involved for one of you. To participate all we ask is that you bring a pair of fabric scissors.  Additional items you may want to consider, although they are not required, include a hand-sewing needle, thread, decorative ribbon or ric-rac scraps, or other small embellishments you can sew on by hand.  The theme is Valentine's Day, so think Red, Pink, White and Black.

:: Let's see what fun modern quilty things you have been working on. Please limit your Show & Tell to 3 items per member.  Additionally, in an effort to ensure we have time for everyone, please make sure you give us the abbreviated story.  

:: Interested in starting a project; but unsure what to make.  Come and take a look at our Quilting Library, donated by Lucky Spool.  Members can check out one book a month, with the understanding that it will be returned the following month.

:: Remember the Freebie Table  rules have changed. Whatever you bring that is left over at the end of the meeting, you must take back with you, or dispose of accordingly (throw it out, donate to Goodwill, etc).

See You Saturday!!!

Meeting Recap (January 9th, 2016)

January's meeting was a quiet beginning to an exciting year that is to come.  If you were not in attendance or want a closer look at any of the info that we discussed, here is a recap.

• Members signed up for committees and emails have gone out to those who were interested. We look forward to what the Charity Committee and Member's Swap/Challenge Committee put together for us this year.

• We announced a monthly Member Trunk Show starting in February, giving members an opportunity to share more then they would at a typical Show & Tell. Angie Henderson (@a.sewcrazy) will be starting us off in style in just a few weeks.  

• Thanks to a donation by Lucky Spool, the STLMQG library has been created.  Monica, our guild VP, will be running our library, so if you have any questions or want to check out a book, be sure to ask her at our next meeting.

• As January is the customary month to make resolutions, we thought it would be fun to ask our member's to create Crafty Resolutions.  It could be anything related to quilting, sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, so on and so forth.  We just asked that it be measurable, so something like "reading more crafty books" would not suffice...but "reading 5 more crafty books" was acceptable.  We collected the index cards and will break them back out in December of this year to see how well we all did.  

• Did you know that we have STLMQG logo items?  Check out our STLMQG shop to pick up a totebag, t-shirt, mug, etc. 

• The Officers have several educational, challenging and fun things planned for this year and will begin announcing some of them during our February meeting.

Are you on Instagram?  We are...check us out.

Meeting #61 - January 9th, 2016

Hello Modern Quilters,

Now that the holidays are over, and you are getting back in the swing of things, we want to welcome you to the start of another great year with the St. Louis MQG.  Let's see those things you have been working on over the break, and let's discuss what you AND we have planned for 2016.

Date: January 9th, 2016
Time: 10am - 12:30pm 
Location: The Heights

   =================================================================
Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
   :: Membership Information
   :: Financial Information
   :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Committee Sign-Up 
   :: Member's Swap/Challenge Committee
   :: Charity Committee
-Quilting Library (c/o Lucky Spool)
-Member Trunk Show Sign-Ups *See below*
- FIND SOMEONE WHO game
---Break---
-Quilting Resolutions
-2016 Activities
-Show & Tell
-Mix & Mingle

 

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

::  Let's see what fun modern quilty things you received (fabrics, books, notion you've been eyeing) or what items you made during the holiday break.  Please limit this to 3 items per member.  Additionally, in an effort to ensure we have time for everyone, please make sure that you give us the abbreviated 2 min story not a dissertation :-)

:: The Freebie Table  is changing this year. Starting this January, whatever you bring that is left over at the end of the meeting, you must take back with you, or dispose of accordingly (throw it out, donate to Goodwill, etc).  We will no longer be collecting and bringing back the leftover items month to month.  Also, please be respectful of your fellow members and don't bring "junk" to begin with, this is an opportunity to part with things that you no longer love; but think other members might want.

:: We are looking for 9 STLMQG members to participate in a new monthly program called "Member Trunk-Show".  The key is that you MUST actually make modern quilts/projects, since we are after all a modern quilt guild whose motto is "All Modern All The Time".  This program will give 9 members the opportunity to share a little bit more about themselves, show more of their work then is allowed during Show & Tell, as well as what future projects they are working on, etc.  Obviously, if you are a pattern designer or long-arm quilter who also makes quilts yourself, you can mention your business; but this is NOT a sales pitch.  To qualify, you must have been a member of the STLMQG for at least 1 full year and have a clear understanding of what modern quilting is.  Sign-ups will occur during the meeting, don't be shy.

See You Saturday!!!

Meeting Recap (December 12th, 2015)

Saturday's meeting, our last of 2015, was filled with lots of information and opportunities, here are some things you may have missed, or want to review further.

• Interested in participating in The MQG's Fabric Challenge "Sashing Stash" beginning in early 2016?  The registration email will be sent by The MQG on December 19th, 9am central. As always there are more members then they have available fabric to give away; but that doesn't mean that if you miss the "free fabric" you can't participate, as this fabric is available at several shops, so check in with them to see if they will carry it.  All of the rules and registration details can be found at this link : Get Ready for the Riley Blake Fabric Challenge Spring 2016!

• Another opportunity that is available to all modern quilters, or those looking to work on their modern techniques is Lucky Spool's Mighty Lucky Quilting Club. This subscription based club focuses on challenging you with design concepts in the quilt making process.  The challenges will go out each month via email, and participants are encouraged to share their progress on social media using the hashtag #mightylucky . To check out the top-notch Quilters who will be leading these monthly challenges and to learn more about the club, check out this site : Mighty Lucky Quilting Club. For our STLMQG members, be sure to check your email about a potential savings on the yearly subscription price.

•  We played a quick game of "Yes/No" to see how our members stacked up against one another when it came to answering simple questions like : 
• I have been known to keep scraps smaller then 2" x 2"
• I am part of a quilting bee
• I have brought travelling projects to meetings, kid's events, on vacation
• Etc.

• Our main event, our annual Fundraiser, drew lots of excitement as our members took a chance at taking home lots of goodies including patterns, fabric bundles, notions, books, and even gift certificates.  Rene, our Treasurer, is still tallying what we brought in; but first estimations show that it was a profitable day; which will go a long way towards our events and activities in the coming year. To see some of the items that our members won, be sure to check out the hashtag #stlmqg on Instagram.  Thanks again to all those who donated items, as this annual event could not happen without you.

On behalf of the Officers...

Thank You, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

Meeting #60 - December 12th, 2015

Hello Modern Quilters,

This month we would like to reflect on the year, celebrate all of the good times we have had, the new friends we have made, and new quilting challenges we have taken on.  We hope that you will join us as we close out 2015 with our annual fundraiser; which is sure to be a blast.

Date: December 12th, 2015
Time: 10am - 12:30pm 
Location: The Heights

   =================================================================
Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
   :: Membership Information
   :: Financial Information
   :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Officer Introduction
-I Have Game
-Collect remaining items for Fundraiser
---Break to Setup Room----Pay 2016 Dues
-Fundraiser Event
-Show & Tell
-Mix & Mingle

 

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

::  Please, please, please do not forget your dues!! They are $40 and can be paid by cash or check (made out to the STLMQG).  All dues must be paid by this meeting, so that we can get final numbers into The MQG.

:: Are you new to our guild and haven't had the pleasure of participating in our annual Fundraiser...check out this link from 2013; which breaks it all down for you.  Want to participate, don't forget cash or your checkbook, and a pen/marker; which makes ticket writing easier on you.  For those who donated items, you'll be given your tickets during the break.

:: Don't forget your modern Show & Tell projects, fabrics, books, etc.  Let's be inspired!

See You Saturday!!!