Royal City Quilters' Guild
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NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Three Willows Church
577 Willow Road, Guelph
6:30 Library and Membership Open
7:00 Guild Meeting Begins
Reminder to bring:
Name tag
Cash for 50/50, workshops
Comfort quilts and BOMs
Food bank donation
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February Program - Demonstration Night
We have a special treat for you! Our February Program has not one, but six demonstrations. Get ready to learn from the extensive experience of your fellow Guild members. The theme this year is hand-sewing.
This years' Demo Night will be organized differently from past years. You will choose the demonstration you would like to attend when you arrive. You will not move from group to group; instead you will have 45 minutes at the one technique/demonstration you have chosen. Groups are limited to 10-12 participants. Arrive early to secure your choice. Kathy MacKinnon will be on hand to help with sign-up.
Demo Night Choices:
Machine Applique - Susan Harrington
Basic Beading - Jackie James
Bead Making and Beyond - Judy Eckhardt
Needle Felted Applique - Mary Hopkins
Hand Quilting - Nancy Wells
Embroidery - Nancy McNab
The Guild has been given permission to use both the Sanctuary and the Willow Room for this event, which will allow us to space out the groups and to help members hear the presenter. Three Willows Church will not be charging us for the use of this extra space. As a thank you to the Church, please bring a non-perishable food donation to the Chalmers Community Food Bank. Donations can be left in the shopping cart outside the Church Office.
Show and Share
Please bring your hand quilted, beaded, embroidered or appliqued quilts along with their stories. We want to see them!
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Member Spotlight
Guild Member: Carolyn Davidson
Photo: Lillian Davidson, Carolyn's Mother
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Carolyn's mother, Lillian Davidson, taught her to sew. Carolyn’s first quilt was a 4-H project in a club led by her mom. Carolyn didn't quilt again until she had graduated from university in 1985 and made a blue and white log cabin quilt as a wedding gift for her roommates.
While working at the University of Guelph, Carolyn met Helen Martin (RCGQ member) who took hand quilting to work with her to stitch during breaks. This inspired Carolyn to take a workshop at Wooden Hill Quilts on Surrey Street. True to the era, that quilt was a hand-pieced, dusty rose and blue quilt-as-you-go sampler that is still not finished all these years later.
Today Carolyn likes to work on collaborative quilts. She and Laurel Marsolais (RCQG member) began a quilting friendship after meeting in a running group. They got talking about quilting and books. They were enjoying the conversation so much that they both stopped running and started to walk so that they could talk more easily. They haven't run together since, but they do love to quilt and read together.
The quilts Carolyn is proudest of are a series of five lap quilts she made with her mom, Lillian, between 2004-2009 after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. By the time they were working together on the last quilt Carolyn would stand behind her mom and they would feed the fabric through the machine together. Lillian loved working on those quilts - and so did Carolyn. Those five quilts have homes with Lillian's grandchildren and nephew.
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Comfort Quilts
Visit the website for quilt sizes and important information about fabric choices.
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Block of the Month - Building Blocks Wonder
Fabric Requirements/Supplied – Kits are available this month at the Outreach Table. Each Kit will have the supplies for two 9½”x9½” square blocks.
Use a scant ¼” seam.
PLEASE DO NOT TRIM BLOCKS.
Press all seams open.
Four 3½” squares
Four 6½”x3½” rectangles (background fabric)
Two 9½”x3½” rectangles (background fabric)
We have chosen to use 3 different fabrics.
One block is the mirror image of the other block in the kit.
If you are using your own stash please use, 2 solids and a coordinated print.
Piecing Block Pattern
- Block A – Sew the two – 3 ½” squares (print & yellow solid) together, this is the base unit. (Diagram 1)
- Add 6½”x3½” print to the base unit, making sure the 3½” print square is in the bottom left corner. (Diagram 1)
- Add 6½”x3½” solid yellow to the left hand side of the unit (the yellow will be attached to the print fabric).(Diagram 2)
- Add the 9½“x3½“ solid yellow piece to the top of the unit. (Diagram 3)
- Block B is the mirror image of Block A, using the green solid fabric for the two background pieces. (Diagram 4)
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January Program Highlights
It was a pleasure to hear Celeste Campion speak about her passion for South Africa's shweshwe fabric. When she last visited the RCQG she was just launching her business, Meerkat Shweshwe. Much has changed for her in the past few years. Celeste has expanded her business and in addition to the online shop she now offers kits, patterns, and quilting lessons at her studio in Elora.
Since her last visit to the RCQG she has taken another trip to the Da Gama Textiles factory. It was wonderful to hear about how important the fabric is in South African culture, and about the positive economic impact as it is wholly owned in South Africa and provides employment, and programs throughout the country to support micro businesses.
Celeste shared new samples of quilts made with shweshwe that show the versatility and beauty of the fabric.
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Barbara Riggs and Pat Gadsby - Photo by Carla Victoria Buela, Snapd Guelph.
Our January RCQG meeting was highlighted in Snapd Guelph this month (yes, again!).
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Library Update
There have been 23 donated books added to the library. Please come and browse through the library and sign out a book or two.
Don't forget to check out the sale table and the free box. Those books need to be diminished.
Book Spotlight: Dazzling Diamond Quilts gives you options for making diamonds with ease in both classic, traditional settings and more contemporary patterns. Whatever style you prefer, this book has it covered with ten projects.
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Membership Update
Royal City Quilters Guild welcomed five visitors to our January meeting. If you know someone interested in quilting, please invite them to join us at a meeting. February is a good time to join. The membership fee drops from $40 to $25 for the rest of the year. Bring a friend!
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Congratulations to Maura Laplander who won the December raffle quilt. It was pieced by Wendy Oskam and long armed by Joan Hett.
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Studio Art Quilt Conference
For the first time, the SAQA conference will be held in Canada. Not only is it being held in Canada, it will be in Toronto from March 19-22, 2020. The theme of the conference is moSAiQA - a reflection of the many diverse global, artistic, ethnic and cultural elements that make both SAQA and Canada wonderful. According to the website, the conference is full, but there is a waiting list. The conference’s 13 vendor market has been specially curated for art quilters and will be open to the public on March 19 from 10am-6pm (and includes RCQG’s own Anne Peters!).
If you miss the conference, a selection of quilts from Atlantic Canada on the theme of Canadian Identity (juried by SAQA) will be on display at the Colour with a U exhibit at Homer Watson House in Kitchener-Waterloo from March 31-May 1.
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There are many other events nearby. Here is a snapshot.
Click the buttons below for a complete list of happenings.
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Program Volunteers
Many hands make light work. Volunteers are needed each month to help our guest speakers set up before guild meetings, and to take down afterwards. If you are able to help, please contact Patricia Donovan, or just come ready to help.
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Workshop Information
Come and visit the Workshop team to see samples and sign up for a workshop or two (cash or cheque accepted). If you have any suggestions for future workshops, please let us know.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:
Magical Pinwheels, Sherri Hissy - Wed, Mar 11 / $60
Hummingbird in Flight, Kerry Burke - Sat, May 30 / $50
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Past Presidents' Mystery (PPM): A Day of Quilting
This RCQG event is held each year on National Quilters Day. This year it falls on March 21, 2020. Signup for this event began at the January Guild meeting. Space is full, but a waiting list has been created.
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Show and Share from January
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Kathy Wagner: "Scrap Dance Tango" (left), pieced and domestic quilting by Kathy.
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Sharon Neve-Gray: "Jungle Walk" by Hair Brained Designs. applique and long arm quilted by Sharon.
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Julie Service: "Ties for Father's Day", includes enamel pins and medals in honour of her father.
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Lesley Buck: original design, English paper piecing.
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John Brans - His first quilt!
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Pat Gadsby: "Nana"s Prize Miniature Quilt" from Eleanor Burns book Nana's Garden. Domestic quilted
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Joan Hett: "Ornamental" pieced using quick curve ruler
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Diane Kirk-Benincasa: Comfort Quilt
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Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Visit our sponsors by clicking their advertisements.
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Questions or comments about the newsletter?
Email: newsletter@royalcityquiltersguild.ca
Any member of the Guild may submit content for the newsletter by sending it to the email address above.
Please note that submissions may be edited for clarity and length.
Newsletters are published on the first Tuesday of the month, one week before the RCQG meeting.
All content must be received on the Sunday nine days before publication.
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