Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Sew-In this Saturday!

Just a quick reminder... we are having our Sew-In this Saturday, December 2nd from 12pm to 5pm in Verdun.


There will be space to work on handwork as well as space to work on machine sewing (you can bring your own machine or use one of the ones on site). There is a mid-arm quilting machine you can rent time on, as well! Craft de Ville will be open and there is a sewing machine repair service on site too, if your over-worked machine needs a little bit of love.

Come for a quick visit or for the whole afternoon... enjoy a hot drink and some quilty conversation.

In preparation for our December meeting ornament swap, Stacy will be demonstrating the method for making a folded star ornament. Bring along a few fat quarters of your favorite fabric and make a few to give as gifts (or to keep for yourself). See you on Saturday!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

November meeting minutes

November 2017 Mtl MQG Meeting Minutes
November 14, 2017 at 7pm SouthWest Mission, Verdun, QC

Quick points of business:
  • Welcome - any new members or visitors welcomes and introduction 
  • December meeting will be holiday potluck - please bring a seasonal treat or snack to share with the group 
  • How many plan to attend sew-in on Dec 2nd about 8 people. 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Skill Builder 2017-18 - Log Cabin block by Isabelle Jean

The Log Cabin quilt pattern is one of the most beloved and recognized of quilt designs. Log Cabin quilts first made their appearance in the United States in the 1860s during the Civil War.
Early Log Cabin blocks were hand-pieced using strips of fabrics around a central square. In traditional Log Cabin blocks, one half is made of dark fabrics and the other half light. A red center symbolized the hearth of home and a yellow center represented a welcoming light in the window. Some stories have also been told which suggest that during the Civil War, a Log Cabin quilt with a black center hanging on a clothesline was meant to signal a stop for the Underground Railroad.

How to sew a Log Cabin Block
To sew a traditional log cabin block, start with a square. Sew "logs" to each side of the block going clockwise (or counter clockwise) until you reach the size needed.


You can choose to make your logs any size you want and you can pre-cut each piece before you start sewing, or you can cut as you sew.

To make a 12.5" traditional log cabin block, start with a 2.5" square and sew 1.5" "logs" to each side until you have a 12.5" block. Remember to piece your block so that one half is dark and the other light.

Once your blocks are done, you can choose from a wide variety of layouts.

To modernize the log cabin block, you can:

Play with negative space
By Pasqualina at pasqualinathisandthat.blogspot.com

Play with bright solids
Periwinkle Quilting and Beyond
Play with improv
By Izzy (me!)
For more log cabin inspiration, check out the Pinterest board I created.
Another one by me
If you choose to make your own version of the modern Log Cabin block, be sure to share it on Instagram with the hashtags:

#mtlmqgskills and/or #mtlmqgskillbuilder

Monday, November 13, 2017

November meeting reminder

Just a quick reminder... our next meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday November 14th at 7pm.


If you are participating in the 1-hour basket swap, please make sure to bring your finished basket in an opaque bag for the blind swap. Bring a basket, leave with a basket!

We will be having a talk by Cinzia on quilt labels, and we will be wrapping up the Square/Strip-based block section of the skillbuilder challenge with a presentation from Izzy on the Log Cabin block. If you have blocks to contribute to the charity quilts, please bring them to turn in.

Tomorrow's meeting is also the deadline to pay fees for the Memory Quilt workshop... if you have signed up for the workshop but not yet paid your fees, please make sure you do so before leaving.

Hope to see you tomorrow! :)

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Member Spotlight: Fiona Nanson

Here we go with another Member Spotlight! This month, we are featuring our Guild Secretary: Fiona Nanson.

Your social media coordinates (blog/website, Facebook, Instagram, etc):

Fi Nanson on Instagram and Facebook. No blog or website.


What did you study in school and/or what do you do for a day job?

I studied Neuroscience. I teach and research Psychology and Neuroscience specializing in autism.


How long have you been quilting?

A long time…but off and on…I made my first quilt about 16 years ago. I made a denim and flannel rag quilt (my ex still has it).  I made a whole bunch of rag quilts, while I was working on my thesis. I made a Christmas tree rag quilt, a Mickey Mouse rag quilt and a strawberry rag quilt to name a few. Then I made a quilt for my ex brother in law's wedding gift. It was a pixelated sunset. It was beautiful. I cannot for the life of me find a photo of them. Following the sunset, I didn’t make another one for a number of years. I make a lot of clothes from wedding dresses to skorts and PJs. I often have a list that has been requested that tends to push my quilt projects down the list.





What first got you interested in modern quilting?

I was looking for inspiration to get back to quilting and stumbled on to a modern quilting magazine. I liked everything in it.


How did you find the MMQG and why did you decide to join?

I was looking for a quilt class in Montreal in English that wasn’t too traditional. I found the website and the rest is history.



Whose techniques/style/philosophy do you most admire in the modern quilting community?
I love bright colours. I love the idea that you don’t have to follow the rules when you are making something. I adore the creativity. The idea of taking something that has guidelines and rules and making it your own.


Do you have any favorite quilting related social media accounts that you follow?

Honestly, no. I follow several but I don’t have a favorite other than the people from our guild. I know those people so those are more interesting.



Where do you look for inspiration or ideas for your quilting projects?

I make quilts for other people. I have never kept one for myself. I know silly but true. So when I start, I have an idea for that person.


What is your favorite project that you have completed?

I love my Eskimo quilt. I love Inuit art. My mother has a have a collection of sculpture and Inuit art that she has bought and been given. I adore all of her pieces. I made the Eskimo quilt for her after we visited an artist in the north. It means a lot to both her and me.



What would you consider to be your quilting ‘superpower’?

Procrastinating…..I have so many things planned, started, but unfinished it must be a super power.


What is your favorite part of the quilt making process? Why?

The planning and design, the finding the fabrics. I love drawing them out planning them but, I have a hard time finishing….I get there but it tends to take me a long time… I think I hate binding so much that that is really what holds me back.



What project or technique is next on your “to try” list?

I am working on a “dimensional quilt”. It is like paper origami. All the shapes are squares it is enterally created by folding and the squares into curves, triangle and rectangles. It is fun, confusing but fun. I am also going to hand quilt something I have been working on for a number of years. It is all being done by hand and I hope to have it finished this winter.



What is the best quilting tip or technique you’ve discovered?

The binding techniques from our guild members. If I had not learned from Cinza I would never have bound the quilts. I am looking forward to adding the new ones from the last meeting to my next finishing…when I get there.


What is the best bit of quilting advice you’ve ever received?

Mistakes are just a part of the design. It has helped me with so many projects. I am a perfectionist 99% of the time and learning to accept errors as part of the quilt.



Describe your creative process in three words:

Embrace the entropy.


Describe/share pictures of your creative space:

Nope…I moved this summer it is not set up in a way that I feel I can show to others.