December 2024

 Our December meeting includes a potluck, a gift exchange and good company.  We met on a beautiful sunny fall day at Bobbie’s house.  Unfortunately, Deanna Alice and Mindy were not able to make it but hopefully we’ll catch up with them in the future.  First Tuesday of the month seems to work out very well with everyone’s schedules so we will keep that for the future.  The next meeting will be held at Bishops Ranch on Jan 7 since most of the members will be there.  Sorry, but I will not be able to attend the Jan 7 meeting.  I hope the others who are not at the quilt retreat will be able to find a ride for the meeting.

Joan

Joan started us off with two quilts. The first uses fabric from her stash which she cut into 10 inch squares or layer cakes.  It’s a good way to tame your small pieces into standard sizes.  She cut the squares in half and used sashing and borders to complete it. Very good use of her stash.

The second quilt is made from a pattern that Deanna gave her called Totally Tulips from Missouri Star Company.  She said it was very easy to make with good tips to make it easy.  Nice use of colorful fabrics.

Bobbie

Bobbie decided to start a new quilt using these fabrics that she picked out.  She is going to change the pattern a little by putting skinny lines in the bigger triangles.  I think she should use the black and white lines fabric for the small triangles.

Arleen

I attended the Bay Quilts open house in October which highlighted the upcoming workshops in the next few months at the quilt shop.  I liked the broken grid quilt made by Stacey Sharman who is having a class in February at Hello Stitch.  Instead of taking the class, I figured out how to make the quilt.  This is how it came out.  I found it a very easy pattern and very scrap friendly.  You start out by cutting strips of 2.5” from your length of width about 42 inch fabric.  I started off with all my red fabric.  With some white fabric you cut strips in 2, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75 and 3 inches. So in various widths. Then you stitch three strips of say red on each side of the white. Iron.  Use a 10 inch ruler and set the ruler on the diagonal with the white strip on two corners. You should be able to get three 10 inch squares, 4 half triangles and 4 smaller triangles.  Cut the squares on the diagonal (not the white diagonal).  The block consists of four of these triangles.  Sew the smaller triangles together to make more triangles.

Sandy

Sandy wore her show and tell.  Her vest.  She made this 20 years ago and it still fits.  She started with a grey sweatshirt which she cut off the sleeves and the side seams. I think she stamped, painted, added triangles and quilting.  Bias stripes were used for the sleeves and raw edges.  She overlapped the side seams and used zigzag to close the seam. Ingenious.

Marty

Marty showed us two quilts.  The first was inspired by Deanna’s floral quilt.  She sorted through her fabric and pulled out all her fabric with flowers.  From 22 inch fabric, she cut 2.5 inch strips.  With two fabrics, this will make a 16 patch block.  Nice.  I have to try it.

The second quilt is a disappearing 9 patch. She used 3.5 inch patches of floral fabrics.  I think she said she had about 100.  She put a white square in the center to make make the highlighted center.  Now, I want to try this one too.

Mary

Mary finished the sticks quilt top and the baby quilt for Megan which she showed last month.  Just in time for the baby to arrive in Scotland.  Yeah such a good feeling to finish a project on time.

We all enjoyed the potluck of handmade food.  Chinese chicken salad, crab mold with crackers, Greek salad with feta, chicken rice casserole, banana bread and lemon squares.  Just enough to make us all full with lots of leftovers to take home.

The white elephant gift exchange went well.  Nobody wanted to steal anyone’s gift.  As Sandy said we were all just happy to get a nice gift. I was tempted, but like Sandy just felt so happy to get a gift.

Thank you to Bobby for hosting the quilt therapy meeting.  You are so gracious and easy going that we all had a good time.  Mindy said she would like to host the February meeting.  I would suggest Mindy hosting but at Bobbie’s house.  Just a suggestion. The February meeting with be at Feb 4 at 130.

I just got the email from QuiltCon that my quilt was not selected.  There were 2,269 submitted with 460 chosen.  Too bad.  It would have been nice, but I’ll keep trying.

November 2024

 We met a Bobbie’s house on a beautiful Indian Spring sunny day.  Bobbie has a new gate code which got us into the garage.  Sandy was the only one missing and she was missed.  We discussed changing the day of our meetings to the first Tuesday of the month to try to entice Alice to rejoin our meetings.  Everyone is free on that date, so December 3 is the first meeting with the new date.  The time will be changed from 1:30 to 1200 noon on that day to accommodate the potluck at Mindy’s house.  The January meeting will be held on January 7 at Bishop Ranch at 1200.  Since 6 of the members are at Bishops Ranch on that day, it was decided to meet there.  It’s about an hours drive from the Bay Area so hopefully those who aren’t at BR can drive up for the meeting.

Marty

Marty started us off with the EBHQ block of the month.  Starting with  four 7” squares sewn together, they were cut 2 inches from the center and repositioned and sewn.  The second piece was cut on the diagonal and then redone.  Very cool.

The next project showed a new technique to make flying geese.  The demo included instructions and a size chart for for the geese.

The 16 patch quilt top was started from a conversation with Ewa at drop in.  The pattern is Bonnie Hunters Garlic Knot which she says is an overlapping 2 fabrics. Beautiful layout.

Deanna

Deanna showed us two projects.  The first used up her floral fabrics into 2.5 inch squares of 16 matching dark and light floral colors. Such a sweet use of florals.  This will be a children’s quilt

The second is her Irish chain quilt.. she used her walking foot to quilt diagonal lines.  She then put on her free motion quilt to put stars in the blue centers. Very nice.

Arleen

I showed 3 tshirts and 4 baby quilts.  My friend asked me to liven up her plain tshirts with fabric.  I used Japanese scrap fabrics and put wonder under to iron it on and then free motion quilted around the fabrics.  I think it came out nice.  I got the Sashiko fabric from drop in.

The four baby quilts let me practice on the houndstooth pattern, bow tie pattern, walking foot quilting, serpentine quilting and Baptist fan quilting.  I was able to use the charms and baby fabric from Betsy’s stash.

Mindy

Mindy showed us the stocking for George that is almost done and the start of her own stocking with the felted wreath.  So intricate.  She brought her Hexie quilt which she has been working on with hand stitching.

Bobbie

Bobbie is continuing to hand sew and embroider her boro pieces onto squares.  She found an ombré pattern fabric which would be a good background.

Joan

Joan has been fabric hunting and found these beautiful grunge with gold highlights.

Mary

Mary has two projects.  The first uses her sticks or leftover scraps which she sews into long strings.  She is thinking of adding more sticks, but it is coming along nicely.

The second project is a baby quilt for her neighbor Megan. She made an owl fabric backing.  The front has four animal blocks which she surrounded with four patches and complimenting fabrics.  Nice layout.

We talked about finding a longarm quilter and Hello Stitch was recommended because of their computerized quilting and reasonable prices.

Thank you to Bobbie for hosting and making the delicious SaraLee apple pie with Hagen Daz vanilla ice cream.  So yummy.

October 2024

 Today we met at Mary’s house on a hot and sunny day.  Everyone was wearing either a cool dress or shorts.  After the heat wave we’ve been having, it was nice to get into the cool house.  Marty was the only one missing.  The next meeting will be at Bobbie’s house on November 4 at 130.

Mindy started us off but unfortunately forgot to bring her show and tell.  She did find Bobbie’s lost phone so Bobbie was happy to get it back.  She told us about her broken dishwasher and recommended Mikes Appliances in Pinole.

Mary

Mary was next and showed us three projects.  The first was from a kit for children’s quilt.  It was quilted in a serpentine S but it came out as ovals on the second pass.  I’m going to have to try that quilt pattern.  The second quilt came from a 2004 Jane Herlily Block of the month pattern.  At first she didn’t like the color but we all agreed that it came out very nice.  The third is an old project that she completed.  She’s not sure which class this was started in.  It looks like she took 4 same sized fabrics and cut three gentle curves then shuffled them.  I think it looks great, but Mary is thinking of cutting it up and making a tryptych.

Bobbie

Bobbie was next and is working on 12 small 4.5 inch squares of hand embroidery on cut up fabrics.  She is  using Susan Brandeis Stitching book which says to choose the stitch design first and then choose your fabrics and design. 

Joan

 Joan is working on her Sisyphus quilt and has decided not to quilt it herself. She is looking for a long arm quilter since Melissa said she is too overbooked and won’t be able to accept it until after the holidays.  I think the border she added really pulled the colors together.

Her next project has something to do with a lighthouse.  Mary was able to find a lighthouse picture for inspiration.

Sandy

Sandy showed us her new project.  She was thinking of naming it Circus Circus.  Someone suggested 3 Ring Circus.  She chose the colors first.  Although she doesn’t like the colors, they do work well together.  You can see the influence of Maria Shell and the improv classes that she’s been taking.  Well done.

Deanna

Deanna had two projects to share.  The first was a layer cake that she had.  I think the pattern was from The Fabric Patch.  She said something about putting two fabrics right sides together, drawing a diagonal line and sewing on each side.

The second project was an Irish chain quilt.  She found a dog fabric for the focal center and surrounded it with the red and white checkers.  Nice.  How did she get her points so straight. Pins.  She pins everything.

Arleen 

I had two projects.  The first is the same pattern as the red and blue silk quilt.  I used a layer cake of brights and a layer cake of whites.  For an 80 x80 quilt, I used 84 10 inch squares and some leftover 2.5 purple strips.  The batting is a 80/20 from Joann’s.  After using the Quilters Select which is a lighter batting from The Batty Lady, I found it harder to quilt a large quilt with the thicker batting.

The second project is the same pattern from Sarah Nishiuras workshop.  This quilt uses yarn dyed leftover fabrics.  It has a homey feel with all the neutral colors.  I’m thinking of using bright colored threads to quilt it.  Thanks for all the suggestions.

We discussed some challenge options which when we make the final decision will be due at the May meeting in time for the Alameda County show.  Limited to 80 inches.  Here are some ideas

1each person bring an ugly fabric to be swappped

2 black and white and 1 color

3 only use 2 fabrics

4 opposites attract.

5 pick a word that starts in RE. Rebel, refinish, redeux, restless, remember, repose, reveal, renaissance, reverberation, rebound, etc.

Thank you Mary for hosting this month.  We all enjoyed your delicious peach cake with vanilla ice cream.  The cold water and seltzer water was just right for a hot day.