11th Anniversary Postcard Swap

We’re reviving the Winter Postcard Flurry for Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild’s 11th Anniversary this June!

Since we’re celebrating VMQG, we’ll be swapping postcards made using the guild logo colours and incorporating modern quilting design elements. Mail from quilty friends is the best mail!

Sign ups will run from April 19th to April 30th. You’ll get your partner’s mailing info by May 5th, and then you’ll mail your postcards by June 1st at the latest. At our anniversary meeting on June 21st, we’ll have a special show and tell to share all of the postcards that we received.

The VMQG logo Kona colours are Nightfall, Kumquat, Aloe, Wasabi, and White. You can use prints as well as solids, but they must read as the logo colours.

Modern Quilting Design Elements include: Use of negative space • Minimalism • Bright and graphic color palettes • Improvisational piecing • Alternate Grid work • Asymmetry • Modern traditionalism • Pixelization

This is a great tutorial from our February speaker Sarah Ruiz, and it’s the one most people followed for our Winter Flurry Postcard Swap, but there are other ways to make postcards too! Zak Foster and Amanda Nadig are currently coordinating a postcard project on Instagram that’s a bit different than ours, but you might find the #postcardquiltwip hashtag inspiring to check out. They’re making postcards that are fabric adhered to cardstock, instead of the multi layered quilt postcards that Sarah Ruiz makes, and both options are great. Whatever style you decide to make, just focus on keeping it modern, and if you go with the simpler cardstock route, try to incorporate some stitching as well, so that it’s still kind of “quilty”. Whatever you do, have fun with it!

(And once you’ve made your postcards, feel free to share them on social media. Use the hashtag #vancouvermqgpostcards so that we can all admire your work!)

Modern Mini Showcase Challenge

The theme for our Modern Mini
Challege is: West Coast Modern

West coast modern can be interpreted in many ways — west coast landscape, architecture, furniture, weather, neighbourhoods, lifestyle… it can be abstract or literal, whatever inspires you as a modern quilter living on the west coast.

For some visual inspiration, check out these boards on pinterest…

West Coast Modern inspiration

– west coast colour inspiration

– west coast modern architecture

– west coast modern furniture

– west coast landscape and
imagery

West Coast Modern Mini Quilt
inspiration

– Modern mini quilt inspiration

– West coast inspiration

– Colour, concept and technique inspiration

Modern Mini specifications (your quilt MUST comply in order to hang in the showcase)

– Maximum perimeter: 80” total (for example 20” x 20” x 20” x 20”, or some other combination of measurement on 4 sides that does not exceed a total of 80″)

– Mini quilt must be made with solid colour fabrics only (no prints)

– Mini quilt design must feature elements of the modern aesthetic — design characteristics adopted by the modern quilting community:

use of negative space

solid coloured fabrics

alternate grid construction

improvisation

minimalism

bold geometric design

modern traditionalism (a new interpretation of
traditional blocks)

– Must have a 4” sleeve sewn on to the back of the quilt to accommodate quilt show pipe display

– Must have a label on the back identifying the maker’s name and quilt title.

The modern mini quilts will have their own distinct display area at the show. A “Viewers Choice” ribbon will be awarded to the modern mini challenge quilt that receives the most votes from visitors to the show. This voting will take place on a mini challenge quilt-only ballot and be separate from the main showcase voting and ribbons.

Modern Mini Challenge quilts will be registered using the same quilt showcase registration process as all other quilts for the show. This process will be outlined next month (April) and made available in May.

**The showcase committee reserves the right to jury modern mini challenge quilts in the event that registration exceeds exhibition space.

Deadline for submissions: June 30,
2018.

Stash Building Swap Round 2

A Stash Swap is a great way to add variety to your stash! Last June, we swapped fat quarters of low volume fabrics and it went so well, we’re going to do it again.

At our February guild meeting, we’ll be swapping fat quarters of TEXT FABRIC!

What’s a text fabric? It’s a fabric with text, either words or letters, printed on it. Pretty simple, right? The fabric you choose should be a MODERN text fabric, where the letters or words are the MAIN FOCUS of the print. So that fun map print with scattered words written on it? Not really a text print. The print that shows quotes from Anne of Green Gables? Totally a text print!

Here’s how the swap works –

You bring a gallon ziplock bag clearly labelled with your name with 4 fat quarters in it.

(the fat quarters in this photo are from the low volume stash swap, but prepare your text fabric FQs the same way!)

Each person can bring up to TWO bags – that means 8 fat quarters, but keep them in separate bags for ease of swapping.

These need to be MODERN text prints. Please bring fabric of a quality that you would like to receive.*

Please limit the variety of prints per bag to two, for ease of swapping. (ie, please don’t bring 4 different fat quarters in one bag!)

Fat quarters can be either US or Canadian, either size is fine. If you bring Canadian size FQs, be aware that you might receive US size FQs back.

When you arrive at the February meeting, there will be a table set up to drop your bag(s) off. Amy, Michelle and Holly will swap the fat quarters between the bags, and after the meeting, you’ll come back and pick up your bag, with 4 new FQs in it!

Easy peasy, right? We’ll do what we can to make sure you don’t get the same print back, but please feel free to swap among yourselves if you end up with something you already have.

*It’s not fun, but we reserve the right to not swap your fabric if it doesn’t fit the guidelines. We have to be fair to others who do.

New Program for VMQG!!

the Vancouver Improv Sampler

We’re really excited to announce a new program for VMQG, a Vancouver themed Improv Sampler.

This will be in addition to the Block Lotto and the Round Robin, and we’d love it if you’d play along. We encourage you all to try it for a month or two even if you don’t think improv is your style. We really hope that the Vancouver Improv Sampler will help us all to grow in our improv and our creativity!

HERE’S HOW IT’LL WORK –

Every month there will be a new image to be inspired by. The images are of different landmarks or sights in Vancouver and the general area. We’ll show you the picture at the meeting, and we’ll post it on the guild website.

You’ll look at the image and see what inspires you about it. The images are carefully selected to have a variety of shapes to play with as the year goes on, and the complication level will increase a little bit as well as we all build comfort with improv. You might pick up the large shape, or you might focus on a small detail and play with it. It’s your project, and it’s up to you!

So yes, this is your project. You’ll be making blocks each month and keeping them, but we’re going to ask you to bring them to meetings as we go along. We’re going to put up a second design wall next to the Block Lotto, and we’d like you to bring in your blocks to show them off by putting them up on the wall every month. We think that’ll be a good way to learn from each other throughout the year, and maybe to inspire others to participate too.

This is YOUR project, but we’re also intending it to be a sampler of sorts. Feel free to use whatever techniques you’d like, but keep in mind that in the end, the blocks will all go together. To aid in that, and also to make it easier to display them every month, we’re going to suggest making 12.5″ unfinished blocks. There may be some months where you aren’t inspired to make a square block, so we suggest blocks that are divisible by 6″ for those months. That means you might make two blocks that are 6.5″ x 12.5″ that month instead, or one block that is 6.5″ x 24.5″, and that’s fine.

Before you get going on the sampler, you might want to think a bit about what fabrics you use, and if you’re going to continue to use the same fabrics all year long. If you’re feeling lost about what fabrics to choose, Amy at Diary of a Quilter and Angie at GnomeAngel both have great blog posts about where to start when choosing fabrics for a long term project (a quilting bee and a sampler, respectively). It’s going to be so interesting to see what everyone’s colour and fabric choices are, and how different landmarks can be expressed through different prints and colours.

We’ve added a tab to the navigation menu at the top of the page for Vancouver Improv Sampler, just like we have for Challenges and the Round Robin. When you mouse over the title, a drop down menu will pop up with a link to each month’s post. If you want a refresher on how the Improv Sampler works, click on the title to go to the Vancouver Improv Sampler page.

Oh, and one more thing – this isn’t like the Round Robin, where other people are counting on you, so you can’t skip a month or take a break. For the Improv Sampler, you can do whatever you want. If you’re not interested one month, skip it. If you’re super inspired next month, make two blocks. If you don’t have time until your summer vacation and want to catch up then, go for it and make 6 blocks in one month. The important thing is that you have fun!

Nametag Challenge!

We’ve done name tag challenges in the past (in 2010, 2012 and 2015) but the last time was almost 3 years ago! New members have joined us since then and we’re sure some of you would like an update.

We’re inviting everyone, new and returning members alike, to start off 2018 with a brand new name tag.

Your name tag can be anything you like, but you want it to be legible and something that you’ll actually want to wear. You can use hand or machine embroidery, fmqing, applique, very tiny paper piecing, whatever will work to write out your name.

Please wear your new nametag to the January 2018 meeting!

If you’re not sure where to start, Saltwater Quilts has a basic tutorial here, or this website has a great paperpieced pineapple block that is sized perfectly for a name tag.

If you need some inspiration (and more tutorials), check out the Pinterest board that Amy created, or scroll down to see some name tags by past and current VMQG members. (all photos by former member Sonja)

Scrap Swap Round 3!!

It’s time for another round of the Scrap Swap!

(items swapped in 2012)

To participate:

Bring a sandwich sized ziplock bag full of scraps to the October meeting. Your bag should contain around 2 fat quarters worth of scraps.

How it works:

– Participants brings one sandwich sized ziplock bag of scraps to the October meeting. Your bag should contain around 2 fat quarters worth of scraps.

– Everyone who brings a bag will take a bag and use it to make a gift for the owner of the bag.

– Gifts should be something small, like a zippered pouch, simple tote, mug rug, potholder, needlebook, notebook cover, pincushion, etc. People have gotten a bit carried away in previous swaps, but that it definitely not required!

– The only fabric you can add to the scraps you receive is SOLIDS.

– Bring the finished items back to the December meeting, along with any leftover scraps.

If you’d like to participate, please bring a scrap bag containing AT LEAST 2 fqs worth of fabric to the October meeting. Pick your favourite prints, because you’ll be getting it back, all sewn up into something just for you! When you get to the meeting, Amy and Holly will give you a very short little questionnaire to fill out and tuck inside your bag. Make sure your name isn’t visible, because this will be a secret swap!

(Scrap Swappers in 2015)

Can you help out with Maker Faire?

As many of you know, the VMQG is participating in Maker Faire again this year, June 10th and 11th. This will be our 7th year at the Faire and we’ve been there every year since it started in Vancouver!

We need help in two different ways – volunteers, and quilts to display.

If you’d like to volunteer, you can sign up RIGHT HERE. We especially need volunteers for Saturday, June 10th, but we also have a shift available Friday night (for set up) and Sunday afternoon. Volunteering in our booth is a great way to share your love of quilting with others, and don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to check out all the other amazing booths too!

If you’re not able to volunteer, you can still help us represent our guild by lending us your quilts.

We always have a nice crowd happening at our booth and what we need from our members is a selection of modern quilts to display.

(It’s important to realize that people might be touching your quilt. If you’re not ok with this, then please don’t contribute a quilt for display at the booth.)

Feel free to lend us quilts in varying stages of completion, so that we have examples to show people of how quilts are put together, and remember that quilts that are “geeky” in any way are always incredibly popular!

If you’d like to have some of your quilts on display in our booth, you can bring them to the Jacquie Gering lecture on Friday, May 26th at MEC Head Office, 1077 Great Northern Way, Vancouver.

Amy will be at the lecture to receive your quilts. If you aren’t able to attend the lecture, but have the perfect quilt for our display, feel free to email our 2017 Maker Faire coordinator Mel at makerfaire@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca to see if arrangements can be made. Quilts will be returned at our June guild meeting.

Jacquie Gering will be here soon! – CANCELLED

Jacquie is co-author (with Katie Pedersen) of Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts, author of Walk: Master Machine Quilting with Your Walking Foot, and a leading figure in the modern quilting movement known for her dynamism as a teacher and for the improvisational energy of her quilts. Jacquie is co-founder and former president of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild, and she just ended her term as chair of the Board of Directors for the worldwide Modern Quilt Guild. In 2014, the International Association for Creative Arts Professionals named Jacquie its Teacher of the Year, in recognition of her outstanding ability to nurture students’ creativity and to inspire them with the joy of modern quilting.

Her lecture on Friday, May 26th, “Quilting Modern: Honouring Tradition,” will lay out her personal journey as a quilter, from her Mennonite roots to her explorations as a modern quilter. Lecture tickets are $15 for VMQG members and non-members alike, and tickets will be available at the door.

The doors open at 6:30, and the lecture starts at 7pm. Come join us at MEC Headquarters, 1077 Great Northern Way, Vancouver. The venue is wheelchair accessible, has free parking in the back, and is very close to the VCC-Clark skytrain station. We hope to see you there!

Stash Building Swap!

Several people have mentioned to us that they wish they had more variety in their stash, especially among low volume prints, since they look so great mixed together.

So! We’re going to try something new, and if it’s a success, maybe we’ll do it again!

At the June anniversary meeting, we’ll be swapping Fat Quarters of low volume fabrics.

What’s a low volume fabric? Low volume fabrics are often described using words or phrases like muted, low contrast, low key, and quiet. They’re light coloured fabrics that will show up as a solid or as a near solid if you were to take a black and white photo of your fabric stack. They usually have a neutral coloured background, and the prints are not super bold or loud. Low volume can be tone on tones, or it can be subtle prints. For more ideas about low volume, along with some pictures to help understand, check out this colour theory 101 and low volume post (scroll part way down for the low volume section), this post on Craftsy, or this blog post that shows some samples of quilts made with low volume prints..

Here’s how the swap works –

You bring a gallon ziplock bag clearly labelled with your name with 4 fat quarters in it. (see photo above)

Each person can bring up to TWO bags – that means 8 fat quarters, but keep them in separate bags for ease of swapping.

These need to be MODERN low volume prints. Please bring fabric of a quality that you would like to receive.*

Please limit the variety of prints per bag to two, for ease of swapping. (ie, please don’t bring 4 different fat quarters!)

Fat quarters can be either US or Canadian, either size is fine. If you bring Canadian size FQs, be aware that you might receive US size FQs back.

When you arrive at the June meeting, there will be a table set up to drop your bag(s) off. Amy will swap the fat quarters between the bags, and after the meeting, you’ll come back and pick up your bag, with 4 new FQs in it!

Easy peasy, right? We’ll do what we can to make sure you don’t get the same print back, but please feel free to swap among yourselves if you end up with something you already have.

*It’s not fun, but we reserve the right to not swap your fabric if it doesn’t fit the guidelines. We have to be fair to others who do.

A Perfect Scant ¼” Seam Allowance

The VMQG guild executive recently asked me (Krista) to give a presentation on accuracy. Whether you tend to make measured, traditional style blocks or you prefer improv quilting, maintaining a scant 1/4″ seam allowance will lead to neater work, more resilient seams, less bulk to quilt through, blocks that fit together and the satisfaction of pointy points where you want them.

Both beginners and experienced quilters alike can benefit from a seam allowance tune-up. You’d be surprised how many people have struggled for ages, wondering why their measured blocks don’t end up the planned size. The test doesn’t take long and once your seam allowance is established, you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of blocks that fit together as your patterns intend, without distortion from stretching short edges or puckers from gathering generous ones. Refresh your accuracy by performing the simple test below and remember that you’ll need to repeat this on ALL of your machines (because, ahem, a few of us sew on more than one machine). If you are sewing a project using bulkier fabric such as Essex linen, or fine fabric such as lawn, it would be a good idea to repeat this test with the actual fabric being used for the project!

BUT WHY “SCANT”? Quilt blocks are measured to the 1/4″ based on side-pressing of seams within the block. A scant 1/4″ seam is necessary because we need to allow room in the pressed-over fold for the piecing thread as well as the one or two threads of fabric on the edge of the fold. A fine, 50 wt piecing thread takes up very little room in seams, which is one of the reasons the Aurifil brand is so popular with quilters.

5 STEPS TO A PERFECT

SCANT ¼” SEAM ALLOWANCE

1. Accurately cut five 2 1/2″ squares of pressed, quilting weight cotton. Measure with your quilting rulers, not the cutting mat.

2. Using your normal piecing thread, sew the squares together along side seams, creating one long strip unit.

3. Press seams flat to set stitches, then press seams all to one side in the same direction.

4. Measure the unit by placing your quilting ruler on top of the strip. It should measure 10 1/2″.

5. If your strip is less than 10 1/2″ long, then your seam allowance is larger than a scant 1/4″. If your strip is greater than 10 1/2″ long, then your 1/4″ is too scant.

TROUBLE-SHOOTING

My strip is larger than 10 1/2″ long

confirm pieces accurately measure 2 1/2″ square
confirm seams are all pressed to one side in the same direction (NOT OPEN).
fold over the last square and re-press the seam flat. Place your ruler on top of the right edge, aligning the edge of the ruler with the edge of the fabric. Your stitches should be visible just to the right (or inside) of the 1/4″ ruler line. If you can see fabric between the 1/4″ line and your line of stitches, then your seam is too scant.

This seam is just a hair too scant because you can see fabric between the 1/4″ line on the ruler and the line of stitches.

My strip is smaller than 10 1/2″ long

confirm pieces accurately measure 2 1/2″ square
confirm from the right side that the fabric of each square is fully pressed out over the seam
fold over the last square and re-press the seam flat. Place your ruler on top of the right edge, aligning the edge of the ruler with the edge of the fabric. Your stitches should be visible just to the right (or inside) of the 1/4″ ruler line.If your stitches are under the 1/4″ line, then you’ve sewn an exact 1/4″ seam, not a scant one; you need to decrease your seam allowance by about 2 thread widths. If your stitches are fully to the outside, or left of the 1/4″ line, then your seam allowance is too generous (big) and adjustments to decrease it need to be made (move needle one notch to the right or adjust your seam guide closer to the presser foot).

In general, as I’ve had students perform this test in workshops, it appears that many manufacturer’s 1/4″ patchwork feet with fence guide attached on the right side of the foot are actually a bit generous. If you have one of these feet, hold it up to the light. Can you see daylight between the edge of the foot and the fence? If so, chances are that the edge of the foot is actually the scant 1/4″ and the fence it a true 1/4″.

Good luck! Let us know how you make out in the comments and leave any questions you may have there as well. I’ll try to answer questions in subsequent comments, so check back.