Meeting Recap (April 10th, 2021)

Spring with all it's bright happy colors is here! And what great timing to hear from a color master herself - Tara Faughnan. She joined our meeting this past Saturday to talk all about her quilting journey and some of the things that have brought her to where she is today. 

Tara Faughnan - From Cardboard to Instagram

Tara started out by showing us her first ever quilt - one that she created using cardboard templates to cut her fabric. After quickly chatting with her local quilt shop ladies (thank goodness for them) she was introduced to a rotary cutter, rulers and cutting mats and off to the races she went! She was mostly self taught from books and old quilting magazines her mother had given her and she really started out with a focus on design and technique. 

As she played she started to see how different colors and values could create different effects in her quilts - she would use binoculars backwards to stand and look at a quilt to see everything from 'afar' so she could see how the different pieces of the quilt were interacting. "Color gets all the credit, but value does all the work." She may not have known then the words for what she was exploring but she continued to try different things and explore in her quilts. 

While processing the loss of a dear friend and making a 'grief quilt' Tara says she was inspired by her late friend to use ALL THE COLOR, and found she could do so by pairing colors with neutrals and believes this was a turning point for her that changed everything.

As she continued to make quilts she played around with breaking 'rules' with value and color with interruptive patterning. She began to see that you could create visual points of calm with low contrast colors and sections and points of interest with sections of high contrast.

Tara likes to focus on scale and believes that often what really makes a quilt modern can simply be the scale at which a block is created. Often by taking a 'traditional block' and bumping up the scale once can create a very modern look. Also one color palette can look so different from one pattern block to the next and it's this area that Tara loves to play. 

And play it is. Solids can be serious so make sure to use color palettes that make you happy she suggested. She also stressed not to worry so much about making 'bad' quilts - just keep going, play and you will find your way. 

"Be fearless and make ugly quilts!" - Tara

Guild Items Covered:

• No May Meeting - Since we have Tara teaching Workshops in May - there will be no regular monthly meeting.
  
  
• Informal Park Gatherings - We have missed our members so much and we decided to start doing some informal Park Gatherings!
    - We will have a quilt photographer to help you get those beautiful quilt pics.
    - The free table will be back so bring some goodies and take some goodies
    - Chairty Vet Quilt turn in Spot
    - Swap Spot
    - Share Quilts, Stories & Fist Bumps (hugs have to stay virtual for now)
  
  Kirkwood Park Saturday May 8th, 10am - 12pm.
  Tower Grove Park Sunday June 27th at 10am - 12pm.
  
  It's come and go as you please but we look forward to seeing you!
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees Round 2- Our first round of Quarterly Block Bees is wrapping up and round two is now open! It's a great chance to get know your fellow guild members so don't hesitate to join the fun. Check your member email for the link to sign up.
  
  
• Monthly Skill Builder - We love the way that Zoom is allowing us to have some personal one-on-one time with folks and share our skills with each other. We announced that this month's new skill will be making digital quilt mockups. While not a technical 'sewing' skill making mockups can always help you plan for your quilts and making them digitally can be a fun way to explore lots of possibilities and try things you might not have thought of before. We will be learning from the guild secretary and graphic designer Christine Boyd on April 21st from 7-8pm. You can always read more on the Monthly Skill Builder blog. As always if you would be willing to teach a skill please let us know! We have a list of skills or if you have something special to share we would love to hear from you. We will also be recording the monthly sessions and sending them out within 48 hours. 
  
  
• Quilt Alongs - 
  - Fairy Garden Quilt @cozycolorquilts 
  - Nightingale Quilt  @loandbeholdstitchery
  - Connector Quilt   @homemadeemilyjane
  - Sunshowers Quilt   @megancollins_a
  - Pacific Sun Quilt   @xoxsew
  
  
• Save the Date for STLMQG Quilt Show 2022 - July 16 – 17, 2022 - Kirkwood Community Center, set up July 15
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour April 27th 6-9PM come and go as you please - join us to sew or just to chat!
  
  
• Charity Quilt Due to COVID, the construction on the tiny homes is unfortunately running way behind, so we're going to move our deadline back to NOVEMBER. Hopefully, this will allow more people to join in to ensure we reach our goal. We are trying to make 30 Twin XLs and you can learn more on the blog post if you're interested in participating.

Fabric & Pattern Raffle

This month was an exciting giveway - Tara donated two of her patterns to go with two solid bundles provided by Cotton Cuts. Winners were Dottie Vaughn & Heather Dye. 

If you want to get beautiful fabric delivered to your door and support a local STLMQG member and fabric shop check out Cotton Cuts and sign up today!

Meeting #109 (April 10th, 2021)

The trees are in bloom, we are hearing those lawn mowers fire up and we are excited to see all the positive news about vaccines which can hopefully get us closer to meeting together back in person! Saturday we have the fabulous Tara Faughnan chatting with us - she's known for her use of solids in her modern quilts and the STLMQG is happy to have her. If you are interested in joining - See the 'How to Join' tab if you're not a member but would like to join. 

This meeting will include:

- Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Special Guest Speaker - Tara Faughnan - From Cardboard to Instagram

In place of a traditional trunk show Tara will be chatting with us in the meeting. Here is a little bit about Tara. 

"I draw inspiration from the simple bold geometry of antique quilts, the gorgeous bright colors from textiles around the world, and freedom and spontaneity found in unconventional and improvisationally pieced quilts.  When I look at my current work, I see all 3 of these aspects represented.  I like to use simple geometry, complex color interaction and find the line the exists somewhere between harmony and discordance."

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: Infromal Park Gatherings 

  :: Monthly Skill Builder April 

  :: Tara Faughnan Workshops

  :: Get to Know You Challenge and Swap

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bees

  :: April Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: Committee Updates

  :: Member Updates

- March Skill Builder Prize Winner

- April Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share (time permitting)

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your foundation paper piecing on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.

Meeting Recap (March 13th, 2021)

You know why quilters hate to spring forward? We hate to lose an hour of quilting time! Spring is in the air and March is national quilting month - and this month in our monthly meeting we were talking scraps! Our programming committee put on a great presentation full of ideas on how to help you prevent, manage, storage and organization, projects and donation ideas. 

Guild Business:

• Gail Luther, our treasurer, started off with an update of the guild financials. We are paid up with the Modern Quilt Guild and for those interested there will be copies of the financial documents on the member drive.
• Christine Boyd, our secretary, gave us a brief overview of our membership numbers. We are currently sitting at 146 members with 2 new members joined since our last meeting. We are so excited to see our guild growing even in these covid times. Not a member yet? Anyone interested should check out how to join.
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 
  
  #sewthescrapoutofmarch Tea and Brie IG 
  Summer Sampler Sew Along Swim Bike Quilt 
  

Items Covered:

• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - Quarterly Block Bees - your patterns should be picked! Make sure to email if you have questions and when you have your blocks please post them online and tag #stlmqg4x5bee
  
  
• Monthly Skill Builder - Ever wonder how to do foundation paper piecing?? Well here is your chance to learn - Leila Gardunia will be teaching Foundation Paper Piecing on March 24th from 7-8pm. Prep materials and patterns will be linked in your member emails.
  
  
• The Color of Connections Quilt Ladies will be speaking at our July Meeting as a reminder. These ladies are working to create a nonprofit that connects the modern quilting community, across all colors, ages, genders, and backgrounds. Through this non-profit they will be hosting quilting workshops with vulnerable youth of all colors to sew, foster relationships abd meaningful connection, and also teach self-efficacy and creativity. Learn more on their mission on their site.
  
  
• Tara Faughnan will be speaking April! 
  She will be presenting on From Cardboard to Instagram. As a known master of the modern solid quilts she uses simple geometry, complex color interaction and find the line the exists somewhere between harmony and discordance in her quilts. We are so lucky to hear from her in our April meeting.
  
  
• 
  Tara's Workshop Signups Coming March 18th at 8pm so make sure to check your email! Spots are limited - you will sign up for your top choices and we will email out what you get into along with an invoice. 
  
  Classes:
  Lone Star - Sat. May 1st
  Big Stich Hand Stitch - Sun. May 2nd
  
  $50/class, cancelation policy applies read more about the workshops here.
  
  
• Committee Announcements
  - Get to Know You Challenge and Swap was announced - you will fill out the google form sent to your member email and get to know one of your fellow guild members and then make a mini 12-24" quilt for them inspired by their answers. The deadline to signup is March 20th and your quilts will be due June 27th.
   
  - Jessica Schunke, chair of the charity committee, gave us a quick update on the charity quilts for vets. The deadline is still April 30th but we may see an extension, we will be working on sending out a list of all the longarm quilters that have offered services for finishing these charity quilts.
  
  
• Getting Scrappy
  
  Scrap Prevention
  - Don't Overbuy
  - Make an After Quilt
  - Make a Pillow Case for your quilt
  - Set aside 15-20 mins a day to sort 
  
  Scrap Management
  - 6 Drawers Organization
     • Red + Pink
     • Orange + Yellow
     • Blue + Green
     • Purple + White
     • Black + Grey
     • Brown + Neutral
  
  Scrap Projects
  - Improv Block
  - Fabric Postcards
  - EPP
  - Hexies
  - String Blocks
  - Lip Balm Holder
  - Luggage Tags
  - Collages
  - Crumb Quilts
  
  Batting Scraps
  - Don't forget to save these and Zig-Zag stitch together into larger pieces for use in quilts
  - Cut into smaller square for make-up pads
  - Dusters / Mops
  - Pillow Stuffing
  
  Elimination
  Find local places to donate your scraps 
  
  The full powerpoint & resources have been shared on the member drive - links in your email.
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour March 30th 6-9 - we would love to see you there!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts Robyn Passig was the winner of both Kaffe Fassett fat quarter bundles!

Meeting #108 (March 13th, 2021)

Are you swimming in scraps? Saturday we are going to help you out! Come hear tips for managing, organizing and putting your scraps to use.  See the 'How to Join' tab if you're not a member but would like to join. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

If you have a scrappy project or a scrap storage hack that you love - please grab them to share with #STLMQG members in our breakout rooms.

Things we're going to cover - 

  :: Scrap Prevention

  :: Scrap Management

  :: Scrap Organization

  :: Organizing Tips

  :: Scrappy Projects

  :: Elimination

  :: Donations

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: Monthly Skill Builder March 

  :: March Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: Tara Faughnan Presentation & Workshop Details

  :: Swap/Challenge Committee Announcement

  :: Committee Updates

  :: Member Updates

- February Skill Builder Prize Winner

- March Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share (time permitting)

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your English Paper Piecing on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.

Meeting Recap (February 13th, 2021)

The first month of 2021 is behind us - is it just us or does January always feel like the longest month of the year? We had a great time with our first skill builder session learning about chain / web piecing and this past Saturday we had our first speaker of 2021. Suzy Williams joined our STLMQ zoom meeting to chat and we loved hearing some fabric picking tips! 

Suzy Williams

As a local Missouri girl, Suzy chatted with us about becoming more confident when you are picking fabrics to go in your quilts. Some highlights of her presentation included thinking about where your quilts will live, who they will play with, will they be on a bed, living room, will they be in a basket with other quilts or be used on your couch to snuggle under?

Suzy talked to us about going on a Color Quest - how to take all the information we constantly are absorbing from the world around us and putting that into a bank to pull from. From there she talked to us about picking one fabric you LOVE and building from there.

Picking fabrics for quilts can feel stressful, and maybe you feel like you need to include EVERY fabric you love to make it the best possible but Suzy suggests editing yourself - picking solids and textures that compliment that one fabric and try to use as many solids (or blenders - fabrics that read as solids) as you use prints. Use your color palette inspiration as a diving board. When you are feeling overwhelmed, Keep it Simple. Monochromatic does not mean boring. Find something that inspires you and go with it. 

Suzy also covered some tips about choosing backing. Backing is half the quilt - keep in mind how it will be used, and think about maybe mixing up fabric choices. If this quilt is going to be keeping someone cozy maybe flannel on the back would bring that extra cozy touch. Maybe it's going to be used outside? Try canvas!

We all make bad quilting decisions but it's still important to trust your gut - you have innate creativity and it is good! Listen to it and have fun, remember you are going to make lots of quilts in your life so you'll have an opportunity to try lots of things.

Notes and colorways are in your email if you want to learn more!

As a guild member Suzy generously given all active members the choice of one of her newest patterns, Thrive & Gather. And as a compliment to Suzy's presentation we have secured some discounts from online retailers so you can put your new confident fabric picking skills to use. Links with details will be in your email.

Guild Items Covered:

• March Meeting - We all have them. Some of us store them in a giant bin, some of them are nicely sorted by colors. Some of us might even admit that we are hoarding them.  What are they? What are these things? SCRAPS! The programming committe is going to help us decide just what to do with these little bits. 
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - Emails for the Quarterly Block Bees have been sent out if you have any questions for your bee mates don't hesitate to reach out. Bees are a great way to get to know your fellow guild members so don't hesitate to connect with each other. 
  
  
• Monthly Skill Builder - We had such a blast connecting with you guys in January and sharing how chain/web pieicing works and seeing everyone post your pictures on Instagram. We announced that this month's new skill will be English Paper Piecing. We will be learning from the fabulous Leila Gardunia on Feb. 24th from 7-8pm. You can always read more on the Monthly Skill Builder blog. Zoom gives us a great way to break down some of those more elusive skills and give everyone a chance to ask questions while we all try these skills in real time. If you would be willing to teach a skill please let us know! We have a list of skills or if you have something special to share we would love to hear from you. We will also be recording the monthly sessions and sending them out within 48 hours. 
  
  
• Tara Faughnan - With our meetings being on Zoom and changing up our workshops with Tara we reached out to see if she would be up for moving the traditional 'trunk show' to a virtual session and she's going to be our guest speaker in April! She will be presenting on From Cardboard to Instagram. 
  
  Tara's Workshop Signups Coming March 18th at 8pm
  Lone Star - Sat. May 1st
  Big Stich Hand Stitch - Sun. May 2nd 
  $50/class, cancelation policy applies read more about the workshops here.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Color of Connections Quilt Ladies will be speaking at our July Meeting - "Where there is colorful connection, there is beauty, in our quilts and in our communities." These ladies are working to create a nonprofit that connects the modern quilting community, across all colors, ages, genders, and backgrounds. Through this non-profit they will be hosting quilting workshops with vulnerable youth of all colors to sew, foster relationships abd meaningful connection, and also teach self-efficacy and creativity. Learn more on their mission on their site.
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour February 16th 6-9PM come and go as you please - join us to sew or just to chat!
  
  
• Charity Quilt Jessica Schunke reminded everyone of the April 30th deadline for quilts for the new veterans community project. Quilts need to be Twin XLs in size and you can learn more on the blog post if you're interested in participating.

Guild Reminders:

• International Quilt Museum - as a member of the STLMQG we have access to the International Quilt Museum based in Lincoln, Nebraska, which as the single largest public collection of quilts in the world. A special "portal" has been created to provide additional internet resources like special downloads and virtual programs. Instructions and login information will be provided in your email
  
  

Amazon Smile STLMQ Guild is an easy way for you to support the guild everytime you shop at no cost to you. Shop through our charity link and .5% of your eligible purchases will get donated to the guild. Turn on Amazon Smile through your settings and look for the "Modern Quilt Guild Inc." Select the club located in St. Louis.

• Zoom Use Please remember the STMQG Zoom account is available for any guild member wishing to use for quilty-gatherings. Just email stlmqg@gmail.com to get things set up.

Fabric Raffle

Thank you Cotton Cuts for these beautiful spring-time FQ bundles of Art Gallery Aquarella, Noreen Schneider & Susan Hoernschemeyer are our lucky winners this month!

If you want to get beautiful fabric delivered to your door and support a local STLMQG member and fabric shop check out Cotton Cuts and sign up today!

Meeting #107 (February 13th, 2021)

Hey there quilty friends! We made it through the first month of the new year and I think we are all ready for this month's speaker. We are so excited to be hosting Suzy Williams of Suzy Quilts, an incredible pattern designer, teacher and modern quilter. This will be a members only meeting so make sure you're signed up. See the 'How to Join' tab if you're not a member but would like to join. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Special Guest Speaker - Suzy Williams

Suzy Williams will be talking about choosing fabrics to go with patterns. Suzy, founder of Suzy Quilts, is rooted in a deep love for the heritage and tradition of quilting and a desire to craft unique, contemporary textiles. With a BFA in visual communications, Suzy uses her graphic design background to transform conventional sewing into a fresh, personal interpretation of minimal, modern design. Suzy has provided the guild with your choice of patterns so make sure to check your email for the link to get yours.

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bees

  :: Monthly Skill Builder February 

  :: February Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: Online Fabric Shop Discounts after Suzy's Presentation

  :: Tara Faughnan Presentation & Workshop Details

  :: International Quilt Museum, Amazon Smile

  :: Committee Updates

  :: Member Updates

- January Skill Builder Prize Winner

- February Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share (time permitting)

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your chain/web piecing on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.
:: Check your email for the link to fill out the survey for the Suzy Quilts pattern that you want! 

Meeting Recap January 9th, 2021

We've made it to 2021! And this past Saturday we had our first STLMQG meeting of the new year and it was a smashing success! We had a chance to use the breakout room feature on Zoom and it was a wonderful opportunity for our members to have a little more one on one time with each other and share some laughs with fun things they found in their sewing rooms. We are so delighted to have you back with us this year you are our quilty people. 

Guild Business:

• Gail Luther, our new treasurer, started off with an update of the guild financials. For those interested our year end P&L Statement is located on the members drive. We are set up well this year for any financial decisions we want to make this year.
• Christine Boyd, our new secretary, gave us a brief overview of our membership numbers. In 2020 we hit an impressive 175 members, and in the last year we gained 21 members, six of which joined in December alone. We are currently sitting at 133 members. Anyone who has joined and is interested in joining should check out  how to join.
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 
  
  - Rebecca Bryan Modern Triangle BOM - Wildflower 
  - Corinne Sovey Playground Skillbuilder BOM 
  - Murder Mystery Quilt
  - Leila Gardunia Patch Party BOM
  
  - Alderwood Studio - New Direction Quilt Along
  - Then Came June - Campfire Glow Quilt Along
  - Kielys Quilt Room - Evolve Quilt Along
  - Quilts From the Attic - Shoal Quilt Sew Along
  - Slice of Pi Quilts - Exploding Heart QAL
  
  - Lo & Behold Stichery - Beginner Quilting Academy

Items Covered:

• Committee Sign Ups - Biggest of thanks to all our members who have signed up to help out the guild. If you are still interested in signing up, please email us at stlmqg@gmail.com and we can get you signed up.
  
  
• Zoom Use:
  - Please remember the STMQG Zoom account is available for any guild member wishing to use for quilty-gatherings. Just email stlmqg@gmail.com to get things set up.
  
  
• 
  International Quilt Museum - as a member of the STLMQG we have access to the International Quilt Museum based in Lincoln, Nebraska, which as the single largest public collection of quilts in the world. A special "portal" has been created to provide additional internet resources like special downloads and virtual programs. Instructions and login information will be provided in your email.
  
  
• Amazon Smile STLMQ Guild is an easy way for you to support the guild everytime you shop at no cost to you. Shop through our charity link and .5% of your eligible purchases will get donated to the guild. Turn on Amazon Smile through your settings and look for the "Modern Quilt Guild Inc." Select the club located in St. Louis.
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - We are introducting a guild Quarterly Block Bees - a great way to get involved and meet new folks in the guild by picking a pattern and a color scheme and joining with others to make blocks to complete a small sized throw. Check out this blog post to learn more and look for the sign up link in your email.
  
  
• Monthly Skill Builder - our president Lilo Whitener-Fey introduced an exciting new activity for 2021 to replace the block of the month for this year to help make the most of meeting through our new online tools - Monthly Skill Builder. Since many of us learn best hands on this is a great way to utilize zoom as a way to learn new skills/techniques. Check out this blog post to learn how you can learn new skills and win prizes. We'd love to hear from you if you'd be willing to teach a skill - please reach out and let us know. Our first month will be taught by our lovely leader Lilo and she'll teach us everything you need to know about chain piecing your quilt tops. First Zoom will be Wednesday, January 20th for 7-8pm be on the lookout for the zoom link in your inbox.
  
  
• Committee Announcements
  - Jessica Schunke, chair of the charity committee, presented our first charity project of 2021. We will be making quilts for homeless veterans tiny homes project being built in North City. Learn more about the 30 Twin XL quilts we want to donate by Friday April 30, 2021 and what you can do to help. 
  - Jessica Schunke also showed us the beautiful result of our QuiltCon charity quilt from 2020. Be on the lookout for more information and pictures of the final project as it debuts at QuiltCon in February.
  
  
• Scavenger Hunt - We broke out into groups of 4-5 in the breakout rooms to 'hunt' for some fun sewing items including, smallest ruler, oldest fabric, the greatest number of scissors and most disastrous pin cushion. We saw some beautiful old fabrics found that some we are averaging near 20 scissors in our sewing rooms! 
  
  
• Feburary Meeting will feature a chat from Suzy Williams on picking fabrics for your quilt patterns. We will be getting a FREE Suzy Quilts pattern and we've have worked with 2 online quilt shops to secure discounts following the meeting to put your new fabric picking skills to use. February’s meeting will be member only, so we suggest that you get signed up!
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour will continue in 2021 - first meeting is January 26th form 6-9 - zoom link to come in your email.
  
  
• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts Gail Luther & Judy Parham are going to enjoy some fat quarter bundles of Alison Glass's new Art Theory.

We'll keep you updated through emails and on social of all the fun things coming for the rest of 2021. We can't wait for more fun times ahead, take care, stay safe, wear your masks and we hope that we will get back to seeing each other soon.