March 21, 2023 Guild Day

 As usual our guild day was a busy one! We had ten ladies present during the day working on comfort quilts. Donna and her helpers were busy doing an inventory of guild equipment ie. irons, ironing boards, cutting mats, rulers, scissors, tapes, power bars, electrical cords, to name only a few items. Needless to say, there was more to inventory than we had anticipated. This needed to be done for insurance purposes.

Four baby quilts were pin basted so members could take them home to quilt. As well, borders were cut for a large quilt so they could be completed and attached next month. Sandra S. machine quilted the purple 3 yard quilt that had waited patiently for several months for someone to complete it.

We were fortunate to have a donation of fabrics that included some panels suitable for baby quilts so they were being pin basted.

Sandra is showing the concentration that is needed for free motion quilting. If you glance away or even think of something not related to the task at hand, your stitching goes wonky!

          That cupboard has more items in it than one could imagine and they have to be inventoried.

                  This little treasure hasn’t seen any use for some time! We didn’t realize it was in there,

Nineteen bags for kids were completed and handed in. These will be donated to Child and Family Services to be used when children are taken in and have nothing in which to carry their personal possessions.

Sheri gave a presentation on Quilts of Valour along with a pattern and red and yellow squares for making log cabin blocks. Once we have enough blocks handed in, we’ll be able to stitch up the quilt tops and prepare them for presentation to wounded veterans.

This is one of the comfort quilts that was completed. My apologies for the poor quality of this photo, I didn’t check it carefully enough!

This one was completed  and donated by a member. Unfortunately I didn’t make a note of who completed it. I had better take more care or I’ll lose my job as a blogger!

This was a donated panel that was quilted by a member after it was pin basted. Someone will certainly enjoy receiving this one.

Peg completed a 3 yard quilt top which we will now be able to pin baste, quilt and bind in our next guild days.

Jill also completed a 3 yard quilt top. Thanks to these ladies we will be adding to our comfort quilt donations.

We had a fair number of show and tell items.

Sandra made an extraordinary find with this piece. A person she knew who was moving, opted to leave this behind. Sandra has a love for all things Christmas so claimed it for herself. Upon closer inspection she discovered the work was signed. It was a piece created by Jan Hall from Thompson.

This little mat in colours of Ukraine was the result of the leaders and enders she used while working on her pineapple blocks.

Sandra is honing her free motion skills as witnessed by this piece. The dahlia is a large panel she ordered and made up as a wall hanging. Each petal of the flower has a different free motion pattern. The result is stunning. She put hanger pockets on every corner so she can hang it four different ways.

                                                      A closer look at some of the quilting.

Sheri used a star pattern that we had used to make a comfort quilt. Rather than using a full 16 patch, she replaced the centre 4 patch with a square of the background colour, a very attractive variation.

This study in pinks shows how a log cabin block can look very different just by putting the blocks together in a different configuration.

                This charming animal quilt is one she made up from a panel. Who doesn’t love animals!

                         What a lovely heart quilt. Sheri has been very busy, and she’s not done yet!

                                        This is Sheri’s version of the Meadowlands block.

                     

                       Her final creation was another panel that became a beautiful quilt for a little girl.

She very generously donated all these quilts to the quild for our comfort quilt donations. Thank you very much, Sheri, lovely work from a busy lady!

My daughter-in-law requested a “snuggle blanket” she could use at the cabin, so I put together this one that has a flannel top and flannel backing. The pattern is Oh My Stars, a free pattern by Pat Sloan, available online.

Melanie stitched up some placemats using a stack and whack pattern using four fat quarters. These go together quite quickly and are very attractive.

Jill finally has that thread collector box she wanted. These little containers are very handy to have beside your machine to collect all those bits and pieces that happen when you’re sewing.

Dallas put together this lovely quilt, but as often happens, after several rows she decided she didn’t like the colour she was using for the sashing, so she took it all apart, changed the sashing, and this was the end result. You made a wise choice, Dallas!

Audrey stitched up “The Jolly Snowflake”, a Fat Quarter Shop pattern. This is a lovely winter themed quilt for her to enjoy.

And this is Audrey’s Presidents quilt! The members stitched 16 patches in bright colours, she threw in some 4 patches she had as well as the whites and voila! A beautiful quilt was born! She is taking this to her daughter where it will grace the bed Audrey uses when visiting there.

Whew! This took a long time to put together, but that’s what happens when you have a busy day. If someone will pass me the information on the member’s names that I missed I will edit the blog to give credit where credit is due! Thank you, see you next month.

Gladys

NORVA display

 During the month of February, the NORVA centre displayed the 24 x 24 challenge pieces that our guild members stitched. Our first challenge was displayed at the last quilt show before Covid, while the second challenge, the tangerine challenge, was to be presented at the next quilt show. That show did not happen so the challenge was postponed until our fall retreat in 2022 at which time we revealed our work. To get a wider audience for our work, we approached NORVA to see if they would be interested in setting up a display. February was the time!

The following three photos are of the tangerine challenge revealed at our fall retreat.

                                From left to right: Sandra S, Lynn, Sheri

                                                         Gladys, Marg, Lorna.

                                                  Cindy, Sandra D., Rae, Patty B.

                 

These seven pieces were from the first challenge that we displayed at the quilt show. There were more than seven , but not all were available for display.

From left to right, top two, Sandra D., Sandra S., bottom, Rae, circular one, Lorna, top two, Donna, Gladys, bottom, Lynn.

On February 18, 2023, a number of us who were available to do so, took part in an Artist’s Talk at NORVA. We were given the opportunity to tell those in attendance what inspired us to do the piece and some information on the techniques used.

Sandra displayed her challenge piece as well as the piece that inspired her. The smaller piece is a hankie that belonged to her mother and the green and orange echoed the flowers on the hankie. She used a specialty ruler to cut the curved pieces for her challenge and spoke on the use of rulers in quilt construction.

Cindy’s piece was a collage of Flin Flon scenes and happenings, Blueberry Jam, bears, rocks, the border location. Each block was indicative of its content ie; bear paw with bear fabric, drunkards path with the blueberry fabric indicative of  the Blueberry Jam festival, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Jets on their respective provincial shapes with Flin Flon’s location shown by the city pin. Every part of the collage had a quilt block that matched it. She spoke about the names of the blocks and their construction which was greatly enjoyed by the audience.

Sheri’s piece illustrated yet another quilting technique. Every Child Matters used paper piecing in its construction. She has since constructed more hangings in this pattern.

Lorna’s piece is entitled “The Moose is Loose”. The technique used by her was taught by Anne Kirby a number of years ago. The picture is traced on six different fabrics, the pieces are cut out and then the colours are rearranged and the picture is stitched back together. We were allowed to use as much or as little of the tangerine as we wished. She chose to use a minimal amount.

Donna’s inspiration was the Winter Olympics. She had seen a pattern in a magazine of winter downhill sports and adapted it to the Olympics by clothing the athletes in Canadian garb.

My inspiration came from my husbands love for fly fishing. I started with a McKenna Ryan pattern and added and changed parts to achieve the correct size for the challenge as well as adding one of my husband’s flies to the end of the line. The technique employed is raw edge appliqué.

We had a lovely afternoon talking about the art of quilting while enjoying coffee and cookies. Thank you , NORVA, for giving us the opportunity of displaying our pieces!

Gladys

Guild Day February 21, 2023

 Hello everyone! Once again we had a busy guild day. People were coming and going throughout the day, but there were 8 - 11 people present at any given time.

We pin basted three baby quilts as well as worked on the maple leaf quilt. One and a half quilts had the binding completed as well as a number of kits made up to be taken home.

      

                                               Deciding on the placement of the blocks!

                                                       Kits to go home for completion.

2023 marks the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the North Star Quilt Guild. At our spring retreat we plan to share a cake in celebration!

Tickets are now available for our spring quilt raffle. The draw will be held May 16 and tickets are available from any quild member for $5.00 each. Only 300 tickets have been printed so be sure to get your ticket before they are gone!

Linda Oke stitched this lovely baby quilt and donated it to the quild as well as the following quilt.

                        There will be some fortunate babies to receive these quilts. Thank you, Linda.

Audrey stitched this baby quilt from fabric donated to us last year. She used the “quilt as you go” method using poly-cottons. Beautiful job, Audrey!

These little houses are the first contributions for the comfort block introduced in January. The pattern is called “It Takes a Village”. We expect to get many interesting little houses as well as trees. This should be a fun project!

Judy stitched this comfort quilt from fabric that had been “marinating” in the cupboard for some time. Some little girl will be very happy to receive this one.

The blocks for this comfort quilt were a bit different from what we’ve been doing for the last while. They went together quite well and will be enjoyed by a deserving individual.

This comfort quilt was stitched from Christmas fabric and will make a lovely addition to someone’s home.

Lorna’s show and tell was the Arts Council quilt raffle quilt which Lorna won! The fabric was from the stash of the late Margie Gibson. What a beautiful piece to win! Congratulations,Lorna!

Heather is one of our beginner class quilters. She completed two quilts! This one was made from fabric she chose from her mother’s stash as the fabric she ordered didn’t arrive in time for the first beginner class. She did the quilting using an even feed foot also called a walking foot. She did a beautiful job!

This is the quilt Heather made with the fabric she ordered. The late arrival of the fabric gave her the opportunity to try both the beginner quilt patterns. These quilts are called “three yard quilts” because that’s all you need to construct a quilt top.

Donna completed her baby rattle quilt so now it will be added to her “tickle trunk” for the next baby girl that needs a quilt. Lovely, Donna!

My show and tell was a wall hanging I made for my son’s birthday. This is a McKenna Ryan pattern and is raw edge appliqué. It is titled Early Riser. Thank you to my husband for the fly!

This concluded the evening of a busy day. Quild days are always entertaining as well as a good day visiting with friends as we work!

See you next month!

Gladys

Guild Day, January 17, 2023

 Our first Guild Day of 2023 was a busy one. We worked on comfort quilts during the day, trimming blocks, constructing a few more, putting tops together and making up kits for members to take home and make up. A number of completed quilts were turned in.

This four patch quilt was pieced by Audrey and quilted by Lorna. Someone will be very happy to receive this one.

                            This lovely three- yard quilt was stitched start to finish by Sandra D. 

A number of years ago the members made up squares depicting various bugs. There were unused blocks in existence so this creation was put together by Evelyn and quilted and completed by Glenna. If you look closely at the second from bottom row you’ll see the name of the quilt, quite appropriately “Cuddle Bug”!

The comfort block for this quilt was demonstrated by Lynn. We all loved the way it worked up in shades of teal with black and white. This will be used for our spring quilt raffle. Tickets will be available soon and can be purchased from any of our members for $5:00 each. The draw will take place on May 16.

We had a good turn out for our meeting. There were fewer Show and Tell items but since we’ve just come off the holiday season that can be expected. 

Judy used a book with patterns and templates from our Guild library to stitch this wall hanging for her camper. The mirror is quite high on the wall and not very functional so rather than removing the mirror she will cover it up. What a great idea!

Sheri treated herself to a half yard bundle so used some of it to make these simple but attractive placemats.

Sheri shared her tangerine challenge with us before turning it in to be taken to NORVA where it and all the other members’ challenges will be displayed during the month of February. She titled this “Every Child Matters”.

Lynn stitched this stunning Hyalite Star quilt for her friend. It was quilted by Nadine in a feather pantograph. 

Our comfort block this month is called “It Takes a Village”. With little houses and trees, it should make an interesting quilt.

The weather is getting colder so it’s perfect for stitching! See you on UFO day!

Gladys

January 7, 2023

 Happy New Year everyone! I hope your holiday season was joyous and happy and filled with family and friends! 

We are heading into the new year with our first UFO day of 2023. The turnout was excellent and the day was busy with many projects. 

Audrey held the third beginner class and it was exciting to see how their quilt tops were coming together.

     Laura’s top features bee fabrics and is coming together beautifully. Her pattern is the “Dash” pattern.

              

                         Stacy is at the pressing stage. She chose blacks and white for her background.

                  The reds pop with the black and white background in this “Stepping Stones” pattern.

                       Heather has one top complete and is at the pin basting stage with a second top! 

                       This is her interpretation of the “Stepping Stones” pattern.

Tara’s top uses shades of teal, pink and coral.nIt’s interesting to see the colour choices the ladies have made. All are different and all come together beautifully.

                                    We are looking forward to seeing their completed quilts!

                           There were a number of our regular members in attendance as well.

Donna was busy quilting a baby quilt for a little girl. She is a well organized lady and attempts to keep a girl’s quilt and a boy’s quilt in her “tickle trunk” all the time so that when she needs a baby gift she is prepared. What a great idea!

                                   Sandra and Sandra were busily working on their projects.

Rae is preparing blocks for her next project. She is travelling to her winter home soon and is so organized that she doesn’t have to take numerous bins of fabric, just the pieces she has prepared.

                                 Before leaving for the day she showed her completed quilts.

 

This lovely three-yard quilt is one she is donating to the guild. The Christmas colours are enhanced with a poinsettia pantograph in red and green variegated thread. Thank you for your donation, Rae. Someone will surely love it!

This eye catching quilt is sewn with a homespun style fabric. It was beautifully quilted by Michelle from Mami’s quilt shop.

 

              This quilt is stunning in black and white. The quilting was again by Michelle from Mami’s. 

   

               If any of you are interested in perhaps stitching one of these quilts, Rae sent a photo of the patterns so you would know what they were.

                             

                                                      

         Safe travels Rae. We are looking forward to seeing what you will have accomplished while away.

Unfortunately I was not able to have photos of everyone who was present today, but suffice it to say, all are closer to that “Yay! I’m finished!” point.

Hope to see you all on Guild Day!

Gladys