Uhuru Quilters Guild home page

Next Meeting:
August 18, 2007

  Agenda:

  10:00 a.m.
  Fons & Porter Study Group

  11:30 a.m.
  Business Meeting

  12:30 p.m.
  Refreshments

  1:00 p.m.
  Show n Tell

Note:  Please turn all cell phones to vibrate during the meeting.

Coordinator's Corner

August 2007
Have you been spending productive quality time in your quilting studio? Fall is going to be a busy season for Uhuru. WE NEED QUILTS!!

• Quilt Appreciation Month (September 1 – 30): Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC. Rachel Cassiman, the Visual Arts Librarian, has planned a month long display which she hopes will become an annual event. Both Daughters & Sons of Dorcas and Uhuru will be exhibiting. For this exhibit, quilts must be no longer than 40” on any side and must have a 4 – 5” sleeve. If you have a quilt appropriate for this display, please download from the Uhuru website and fill out the Quilt Registration form. Bring the completed form and the quilt to the August 18 meeting. A registration form must be completed for each quilt.

• Uhuru Exhibit (September 27 – 29): The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, Chantilly, VA. There are no size or theme restrictions, but quilts must have a 4 – 5” sleeve. Again download and bring a completed Quilt Registration form for each quilt. Quilts for this venue will be collected at both the August and September meetings.

• Trunk Show (October 6): Largo-Kettering Library, Upper Marlboro, MD. This exhibit is in conjunction with a book talk given by Rosemary Reed Miller, author of Threads of Time. There are no restrictions on size or theme. Wearable art would be great! Quilts will be collected at the September meeting.

Don’t forget the county fairs, the 2008 exhibit at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Dr. Mazloomi’s call for quilts—due August 30. These are opportunities for you, the individual, to shine. One of those UnFinished Objects (UFO’s) haunting your studio would be perfect. Make a commitment to yourself to finish one UFO. See you (and your latest completed project) at the August meeting.

Sewfully,
Carol

Around the room, lickety-split
Nice quilt display, wasn't it?

Fons & Porter Study Group by Carol Williams

This year our workshops will be formatted as study groups. One group will mainly focus on learning the skills featured in Quilters Complete Guide by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter in order to improve our piecing and appliqué techniques. We will be following the skills-based curriculum. Feel free to join in at any time.

At the August meeting Carol Williams will lead us as in learning about English paper piecing in order to complete the Baby or Tumbling Blocks block. Try your hand at Windblown Square, Spiral Diamonds, Lemoyne Star, Lone Star, North Carolina Lily, Cross & Crown, or Schoolhouse. In the Guide (revised edition) the page for the Baby Blocks block is 161. The pattern is on page 169. Whether you wish to complete the block by hand or machine, you will need

• ¼ yard each of three colors: one light, one medium, one dark
• Freezer paper OR sheets of 8.5 x 11” paper. We are going to cut it up so it can be old flyers, etc
• A ruler with the 45º, 60º, and 90º angle lines, marked.
• Basic Sewing Kit [hand sewing needles, pins, thread(s) to match and/or neutral, scissors and/or thread snips, seam ripper, rotary cutter and small mat, ruler, pins, glue stick, pencil, tweezers, thimble]

Machine Piecing:

• Sewing machine in good condition with feet (open toe, quarter inch, etc.)
• Power strip and/or extension cord
• Extra machine needles

There is probably some neat, handy gadget that I’ve forgotten. What’s listed here is enough to get us started. Bring your questions and helpful hints. They are for the good of all. Volunteer teachers and guides are needed for upcoming sessions. Each one teach one.

Note: We did discover a supply of the pattern book, Americana Sampler, which is no longer in print, through a bookseller on Amazon.com. When last I checked, the price was less than $10.00 for both the book and shipping.

The Charm Exchange Cornelia Carter-Sykes, Chair

For August the fabric will be Red and Black, 14 members have signed up: Jackie Stafford; Jo Mimms; Deb Sanger; Evelyn Holland; Sandra Ealy; Jackie T; Shirley Hodge; Willie Mae Miller; Gloria Thomas; Lisa Lewis; Pat King; Mia B.; Myra S.; and Cornelia Carter-Sykes.

To see the complete 2007 Charm Square schedule, as well as a description of each month's selection, visit the Charm Squares page.

Cut 6-1/2” (six-and-one-half-inch) squares of 100% pre-washed cotton (please make sure that the size and quality of your squares are what you yourself would like to receive). Please remember to cut off the selvedges before you cut your squares. Place squares in a baggie with your name on it, and put it in the "Charm Squares" basket.

If you have any questions, please e-mail or telephone Cornelia. If you have signed up and then are unable to come to the meeting, please mail squares or have them delivered to the meeting. If the number of exchanges is small enough, charm squares will be sorted and distributed before the end of the meeting.

Birthday/Hospitality The Hospitality Quintuplets: "CC" Campbell-Flowe, Dawn Felix, Jocelyn Herbert, Pat Johnson, Deb Sanger

The Hospitality Committee would like to offer light refreshments, i.e., beverage, fruit, cookies. Any member is invited to bring items to share. When the refreshment period begins, please put away all quilts and materials. This will prevent any damage to your valuable items. Upon completion of the refreshment period, please dispose of unfinished food and drinks before we open Show N Tell or continue a workshop. 

When you bring food, please assist in the cleanup after refreshments have been served. We want to ensure that the room is back to its original order before leaving the Center. Thanks! 

A Very Happy Birthday to Jocelyn Herbert (3rd); Lynora Williams (5th); Jomimms Bolden (14th); Maria Goodwin (27th); Carol Williams (27th); and Sara-Jane Goodwin (31st)

Sew Help Me. . .
Tips to boost your creativity

Make your own variegated thread...

You can make your own variegated thread in any two- or three-color combination you need. Simply thread your machine as usual with all of the threads, through a #14 sewing machine needle. If necessary you can put each of the extra spools onto a cone thread holder that you can get from JoAnne’s or Hancock’s. Also, using an empty (duh!) mayo jar or coffee mug near the back of your machine works. You can use either regular 50-wt thread or embroidery thread, which is thinner. This adds great texture to the surface of your quilt.

Handy seam presser for quilt blocks

A wallpaper seam roller is also a great tool for pressing paper-pieced or regular quilt seams if you don't want to use the iron. You should be able to get one at your favorite hardware store for under $3.00.

Just Sew You Know...

Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson

If you were/are a Simply Quilts fan and miss them from HGTV, you can watch Simply Quilts videos on the internet at http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_qlt . New episodes are scheduled to air every week.

Two Book Reviews

"Art Quilt Workbook: Exercises & Techniques to Ignite Your Creativity," by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston - Explore art quilting techniques with this step-by-step primer. Exercises help you explore new skills and apply those skills to a small, finished quilt. Techniques include fabric collage, thread painting, innovative piecing, and photo imagery on fabric.

"Quilting by Improvisation: Exploring Curves, Openwork and Dimension," by Vikki Pignatelli - Follow Vikki as she leads you on an exciting journey through an array of quilting revelations. Discover surprisingly stress-free techniques to tame curves and sharp angles that anyone can master. Explore "no rules" improvisational methods to incorporate dimension and texture in your quilts. Transform the ordinary into unique and distinctively shaped quilts with innovative fast finishes and faced bindings. Pattens are included to get you started on your quest for total freedom and self-expression in quiltmaking.

Quilt Characteristics
excerpted from an article by Robert Cargo

Both historic and contemporary African-American quilters choose styles and techniques either individually inspired or based on previous models. Two distinct characteristics have been identified: the Afro-traditional and the Standard-traditional. Some quiltmakers work exclusively in one style, some in both, and some may mix the two together in a quilt.

Afro-traditional characteristics are typical of the construction techniques and patterns found in historic and contemporary African textiles -

• Constructed in vertical strips; strips often divided with vertical solid bars
• Imprecise lining up of horizontals (In Africa there is a prohibition about horizontal seams)
• Blocks are often varied in size
• Borders do not need to be the same; can often be more elaborate than the body of the quilt
• Pattern is improvisational, often multiple patterns - more value placed on surface design than on quilting
• In Log Cabin quilts, chimney is often in the corner
• Noticeable color contrasts
• Common African patchwork patterns are hour glass, half square, roman stripe

Standard-traditional quilts utilize construction techniques and patterns found in historic and contemporary European/American traditional quilts -

• Generally constructed in blocks
• Regularity of pattern and precision of technique are highly valued
• High value placed on quilting itself, emphasizing the number of stitches per inch
• Borders are regular
• In Log Cabin, chimney is in the center

2007 Block of the Month - "Twelve Days Of Christmas" Renea Bailey, Chair

View the lyrics of "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" by clicking the link at the left.

Web sites and books on Applique:
http://www.quilt.com/HowTo/AppliqueHowToPage.html
http://quilting.about.com/od/appliqutechniques/Learn_How_to_Applique.htm
http://www.roserushbrooke.com/how-to-applique-1.html
http://www.quilterscache.com/StartQuiltingPages/startquiltingfour.html
“The Easy Art of Applique: Techniques for Hand, Machine, and Fusible Applique” by Mimi Dietrich & Rox Eppler
“Hand Applique with Alex Anderson”
“The New Applique Sampler: Learn to Applique the Piece O’Cake Way” by Becky Goldsmith, Linda Jenkins

Get your Uhuru T-shirts, key chains, buttons, pins, blocks, etc.! The Membership Chair has T-shirts in sizes ranging from XS to 5X, a size is waiting for you for only $15.00. We have the collector’s Uhuru pin - quilting guild pins are highly collectible items...we are only going to stick you for $6.00. Key chains, name badge holders, scissor holders, call it what you may, for only $3.00. Bag up all these goodies with your Uhuru Bag for only $10.00. 

With the number of new members joining, they’re going fast.

Mark the big sale -  Mark the big date - August 18, 2007
Sheryl Smith, 2007 Membership Chair

U R Sew Welcome!

...And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. - Titus 2:7

Each One, Teach One – Uhuru Brochure

Above is a scripture passage and Uhuru's motto, “Each One, Teach One.” As I combine Uhuru’s motto with the passage from Titus, I am reminded why I joined Uhuru 7 years ago: the integrity and seriousness of our teaching to help each other express the creative force that dwells within us from the Creator as a fiber artist. 

When I add a new name to the Uhuru roster, as Membership Chair I rejoice that our guild must be doing good works to attract so many new followers. I see the smiles of our new members, the returning smiles of our continuing members and the smile of our youngest member. I see our beginning and I see our future.

As we pass the half-year mark, I would like to take this time to thank so many wonderful ladies who have made Uhuru the guild it is today, and the guild it will be tomorrow. Each will motivate, celebrate, and collaborate with one another.  Each one will teach the other that in the name of sisterhood and neighborhood, we are each other.  Thank you new and old members.  U.R. Sew Welcome!  

Sheryl Smith, Membership Chair