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Next Meeting:
March 15, 2008
Cedar Heights Community Center

  Agenda:

  10:00 a.m.
  Block Workshop
  11:30 a.m.
  Business Meeting
  12:30 p.m.
  Light Refreshments
  1:00 p.m.
  Show & Tell/Clean up
  

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

Bring your nametag!!

Coordinator's Corner

March 2008

Our March meeting coincides with National Quilting Day. First proposed at the National Quilting Association show in 1991, National Quilting Day gives quilters the opportunity to reflect with pride in the traditions of quiltmaking and the contributions quiltmakers have made to their families and communities for many generations. Visit http://www.nqaquilts.org/ for more information. March is also Women's History Month. The 2008 theme, "Women’s Art, Women’s Vision” presents special opportunities for us to reflect on our own identities as quilters and artists. Are you an art quilter or a quilt artist?

I heard the bus trip was great! The quilts were awesome; the shopping was wonderful. Everyone left Hampton tired and broke. Thanks Tammie for taking the lead on this project.

This month we will begin working in earnest on the quilt show. Mark June 27-28 on your calendar. Friday, June 27 is set-up. Saturday, June 28 is the show. Remember the success of this show lies in our ability to mobilize our families, friends, co-workers, and church members to come celebrate with us our chosen art form.

Sewfully,
Carol

Quiltmaking is a timeless art. One less thing to worry about.

Fons & Porter Study Group by Carol Williams

The Fons & Porter Study Group is winding down. If you need more blocks for your top, use the blocks from the 2008 Block of the Month series. This month the block is “54-40 or Fight.” You can locate the materials list and directions on www.quilterscache.com. After Block Study, we will explore hand quilting. We will focus on pages 78-86 in the book. (Page numbers may vary slightly depending upon the edition).

UFO projects are also welcome during this time. In July, look for information about the Creativity Study Group.

March is National Quilting Month...

On May 13, 2006, a new quilting bee was formed - the Seabrook Stitchers. "We keep things simple at our meetings," says founder Shirley Hodge. Each person brings the project they are working on, and everyone gets involved if help is needed on a project. "We have show and tell, share patterns and ideas...we seize every opportunity to encourage each other."

A wide range of talents is represented in this bee, including hand and machine quilting, piecing, embroidering, and appliqueing. Some members also enjoy knitting, crocheting, drawing, and painting, as well as working with polymer clay.

The Seabrook Stitchers meet the second Saturday of the month at the Seabrook Community Center, from 1:00-4:00 pm.

The Charm Exchange Jackie Tyson-Hope, Chair

For March the color is black, with either undertones or other black on black combination/background. We have 23 participants this month: Dawn Felix, Deb Sanger, Jackie T.(2), Lisa Lewis, Myra Sumpter, Mia Baker, Cornelia Carter, Pat Johnson, Jackie Stafford, Denise Davis, Linda McKenzie (2), Sandra Benjamin, Barb Wallace, Elsie Houston, Cynthia York, Shirley Hodge, Delores Johnson, Sandy Ealy, Pat King, Maria Teehan, and Candace Green.

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 or hand them to Jackie.

If you signed up but are unable to come to the meeting, please mail your squares to Jackie or have someone bring them to the meeting. Please e-mail or telephone Jackie if you have questions.

Block of the Month Cornelia Carter-Sykes, Chair

For March we're making the Fifty-Four Forty or Fight block (http://www.quilterscache.com/F/FiftyFourFortyorFightBlock.html) from Quilter's Cache. Remember our "each one teach one" motto, so if you find you have a suggestion or pointer for completing the block, please share it with your fellow quilters. (Tip: I used paper-foundation piecing for the star points - Linda)

Murphy's Law of Quilting

• Fusible interfacings always fuse to the iron.
• If you need a yard of background fabric, you will only find 3/4 yard in your stash.
• The seam you meant to rip out is invariably the other one.
• When you are in a hurry, the needle eye is always too small.
• The fabric you forgot to pre-shrink will always shrink the most.
• The pattern you wanted to make again will have one template missing.
• If you drop your favorite ruler, the corner will chip off.
• Whenever the quilting is going well, the bobbin thread runs out.
• The magnitude of the goof is in direct proportion to the cost of the fabric.
• Your lost needle will be found by the person walking around barefoot.
• Seams don't match and you've squared all the blocks.
• The iron never scorches the block until its final pressing.
• The steam iron only burps rusty water on light fabric.
• The sewing machine light usually burns out on Sunday.

Just Sew You Know...

Prescription: Sewing

Is your heart racing or your blood pressure skyrocketing? Try sewing. A clinical study recently commissioned by the American Home Sewing and Craft Association shows that women who sew (both as skilled crafters and home sewers) have a lower heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration rate compared to women who do other leisure activities. "Sewing helps women to relax while they focus on a creative activity," says Beth Mauro, marketing director of the association. "Women who sew tell us they feel sewing is a relaxing pastime, and some say it's better than therapy. There are positive, stress-reducing benefits to be gained from sewing." And the best part is you don't have to get a shot to feel better.

Sew Help Me... Tips to boost your creativity

Clean cover; quick-and-dirty measurements; emergency light box

• To keep your ironing board cover clean when you're doing a lot of fusing, iron a large piece of freezer paper to the cover. Then when you're done fusing, simply peel off the freezer paper and toss it away!

• I needed to get the approximate measurement of my finished quilt, which I usually take with my yardstick. Since I had no idea where I last saw my yardstick, I made an impromptu measuring tool: I took the broom and measured the handle off at 10" intervals, put a bit of masking tape on, then marked it with a permanent marker. This made a rough (and handy!) type of measuring tool that suit my purposes (place marks at whatever length works for you). I always know where my brooms are!

• Carol needed to trace an applique one night and she couldn't use the "pattern on the window" trick because it was dark outside. She made an emergency light box by placing a string of clear Christrmas lights inside a box, and placed a large square acrylic ruler over the top. Bingo! instant light box.

Birthday/Hospitality Dawn Felix, Jocelyn Herbert, and Pat Johnson

The Hospitality Committee will offer light refreshments, i.e., beverage, fruit, cookies; any member is invited to bring items to share.

A Very Happy Birthday to Vinnie Best (18th); Jackie Tyson-Hope (24th); and Winifred Wallace (25th)