Modern Coffee Klatch

 I am a member of the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild. The modern quilt guild movement has been welcomed here with open arms!

Our guild meets once a month On the 2nd Thursday of each month; but additionally we are meeting up for coffee on Saturdays all over the Fraser Valley. We've named our group the Modern Coffee Klatch.  It is a casual meet up, open to anyone, to talk about modern quilting and meet the members. Also a great way to check out coffee houses all around the valley!

And the Show n TELLs are really great too!

FVMQG Destash

Our Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild will be hosting a member 'De-Stash' at our next meeting.  This gives each of us the opportunity to go through our sewing rooms, baskets, workshops, closets in search of fabrics, notions and other related items that we wish to purge, bring them into our meeting for a 'scrap exchange', any fabrics and notions not claimed will be donated to local church groups looking for fabric donations! 

I chose this Saturday morning to take a good look at my scrap bags!  Oh My!!  This is harder than you would first imagine.  I found it necessary to look through each scrap... (I know) before deeming the bag of scraps worthy of donating.

It surprized me what I couldn't part with, and what I tossed on the heap!  Old vintage looking cottons and prints (some of them stained!) well those I could NOT part with. Yet I tossed many lovely new fabric charms and remnants without a second thought.

Here are the bags of scraps that I will be bringing to our 'De-Stash' in April.... oh someone could make several lovely 'string quilts' with these cottons!  There are at least a dozen zip-loc bags STUFFED full.

This feels good; my sewing room is a little less weighed down... and during this process I re-discovered a few fabrics to add to my Fat Quarter collection.

HAPPY SEWING ALL !!

Spring SEW-IN

The Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a Spring SEW-IN  Saturday, April 21st from 11:00am until 5pm at the University of the Fraser Valley campus in Abbotsford. We will be in room B121 (just down the hall from the cafeteria).
If you’re looking for some social sewing time then treat yourself to an open sewing time with other quilters / sewers to work on your own projects in a blissful atmosphere of quilting and chatting! We supply the tables and chairs, irons, cutting mats, and tea or coffee. Donations of treats are always welcomed!
WHAT TO BRING: You need to bring your machine, projects, extension cord, power bar, tools, and lunch/dinner. Please feel free to bring a friend! There is something very satisfying about spending an afternoon in a room full of whirring sewing machines and other creative people. We are extending this invitation to all of our guild members, other guilds and sewers/quilters in the valley and lower mainland!
There is a $5 drop-in fee for this SEW-IN. The room booked is large, bright, sunny with lots of windows.  Also there is  a nominal fee for parking at the University of the Fraser Valley; $2 for 4 hours.
Please contact Darlene (darlene.rosner@ufv.ca) (that's me!) to register.

ScrapQuilt found @ Pleasant Home

Ode to Saturday & my quilty week

Another rainy Saturday morning; but I will take it.  A great chance to stay in and putter around the house.  But I must admit that the temperature outside has warmed up and although the back yard is very soggy I do have a bit of the 'gardening bug'.  I can see my herb garden come back to life along with many weeds that need to be pulled..... ah another weekend.

This week was another quilty week:

This bunting draped on our bookcase was designed by Cynthia Frenette, a member of our Modern Quilt Guild. Our guild will have a booth this March 23 - 24 for the Creative Stitches show at Tradex in Abbotsford. Love that font! These will decorate the booth. Plus we will be displaying many quilts, handing out buttons, business cards and keychains!  The show will be a wonderland for the modern sewist.  Come check it out!

Here are some of the lovely fabrics that showed up in my mailbox this week!  Do you notice a trend? Seasonal influences perhaps?  Dreaming of summer? Yes, yes, yes!  But I am in love with the line of fabric by Choe's Closet "Fruit Cocktail".  (bottom bolt)  very vintage vibe - the colors are lovely.

And I wanted to include a picture of my lovely magnets that I won as a doorprize at our Thursday night guild meeting.  These are handmade by another talented member of our Modern quilt guild, the fabulous Amy Dame.
Today, on this rainy Saturday I plan to work on 'rug mug' designs for an upcoming 'rug mug' swap with the Vancouver Modern quilt guild.  I have a few ideas.  One is based on this lovely photo:

I love scrappy quilts. I made a smaller version of this quilt last year and I have always wanted to make individual blocks.  Check out the link to Freida's Hive for the tutorial.  I love the block!
Other rug mug ideas.....

This lovely was featured on Pleasant Home.  Love whirligigs!

This beauty from Flossy Bossy (on Flickr)

Basically, any block from this fab book.  Every project is a 'keeper' in this one!  Really good.

Happy Sewing All !!

Design Wall

Oh what a difference a 'design wall' makes!  

If you are wondering....'design wall?', what I refer to is that I finally pinned up some quilt batting (bamboo) onto the wall of my tiny sewing room - a large piece, approximately 70 x 96 inches.  So pretty big!  I imagined that it would be tucked behind the door, but it is much bigger than that.

I am working on my Dead Simple quilt', a la Lily's Quilts.... I picked my palette, which was a bowl of fruit!  Apples, oranges, bananas in a basket... chose my fabrics from my stash and cut up 300+ charm squares.  Then I began to put my charms on the design wall.... surprisingly, I edited out all of the yellows (banana) and added more reds, oranges and neutral linen squares.... It is very different experience, planning out my blocks on the wall instead of in my mind.   I am still playing with the size, but I am beginning to like what I see. These Dead Simple quilts are so fun.

And of course since I have changed up my palette, there will be many cute yellow charms ready for a future project!

HAPPY SEWING ALL !!

Sewing Loot

Our Modern Quilt Guild met last Thursday; always inspiring.  Our meetings are scheduled to last two hours but I have noticed lately that slowly we seem to be reluctant to call it a night!
There is just so much information, inspiration, show n tells and 'buzz' to take in; sometimes two hours  just isn't enough time.
Besides it took me another hour or more once I got home .... wow. I had many quilts, colors swirling around in my mind.... I couldn't get to sleep right away.

So here it is Saturday morning, and I have laid out all my 'loot' from our guild meeting. My awesome doorprize from Happy Sew Lucky; my fat quarter swap (monthly event - so fun); my Meadowsweet fabrics from our dear Eryn Trent Fraser, plus custom designed fabric to make bunting for an upcoming Sewing show.

 Just in time for Valentine's Day.... beautiful bunting from Happy Sew Lucky.  This is getting sewn today!  And some really sweet Anne Taintor coasters (love Anne Taintor)

I brought a few spools of Aurafil thread that I purchased at the Bent Needle in Mission BC last weekend.  Aurafil thread is so lovely to sew with!  I am a true fan. Besides one of my resolutions for 2012 is to learn more about threads and needles... (really). 

 One of our members (Eryn) is a self proclaimed fabric hoarder, who occasionally 'purges' fabrics from her vast collection.  These are some of the lovelies that I have taken off her hands.  LOVE.

 And many members of our guild, belong to other guilds (myself included) and we do like to reach out to support each other.  This is my raffle ticket for the Langley Quilters' Guild.

Happy Sewing All.

Door prizes

It has been awhile since I placed an order of books to be shipped by mail.  I seem to be getting into the habit of reading online.  I said that I never would do it, but I find that I do, and all the time. But there is something satisfying about holding a book in my hands, especially a craft book!

The book "Pretty in Patchwork" was a door prize at our Modern Quilt Guild retreat which I did not win. But I was sure to include it in this order.

This is to come (in the mail!). Three of these books I have looked at front to back and they are 'keepers'.  The book by Elizabeth Hartman of www.ohfransson.com fame, I am sure will not disappoint.

February quilt retreat

 Sunday night... so tired, but I spent the weekend at our modern quilt guild retreat.  and yes, I need to put my laundry load into the dryer; unpack my sewing machine and my sewing supplies. But as I am stretched out on our sofa, laptop on hand... I am posting a few pictures. So enjoyable and now sorry that it is over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Inspiring.

Countdown to Christmas - week three

Oh this month is progressing very quickly! I am crossing off events on my December calendar very quickly.... two guild December holiday celebrations - check.  Family Christmas Get-together dinner - check!  It seemed that I looked forward to these Christmas events for so long, and in a blink they have passed.  Tomorrow will be our departments' potluck luncheon & after that Christmas break is one week away.  I haven't wrapped any of my gifts nor have I completed my gift shopping!  Today I am home with a bit of flu/headache, etc.... Not being very productive today. Hence this post midweek!

On a bright note, I have begun my Christmas baking, and hub is my taste tester.   These lemon tarts, maybe a little tooooo tart, will be goodies for hub to eat.  Good, but perhaps a little less lemon zest next batch.   I have made butter tarts (& stashed them in the downstairs freezer) and up next are my whipped shortbread - always good.

 

Another bright note; look at this really sweet bag that Barb from our FVMQG made for me!  She embroidered my name on the handle - I love it.  Plus it is reversible too.  And look at the sweet piece of fabric she gave me!  Thirties inspired and turquoise - LOVE - LOVE 1930's fabrics and especially turquoise.  Thanks Barb, now I must think of something good to spring on you in the New Year!

Christmas is definitely in the air.   Merry Merry all !!