Sewing Retreat on Lake Michigan....

Here's a note copied from Facebook about open spots at our planned retreat. Imagine sewing for several hours then taking a break watching the waves pound the shore in October....

Facebook         Kathy Criger Nelson and Holly Stockley posted in Grand Rapids Modern Quilters.     Kathy Criger Nelson October 8 at 9:43pm Grand Rapids Modern Quilters have a weekend retreat planned in Grand Haven October 30 thru November 1st. We have room available for daytime quilters. We have a large room available for sewing on Friday from 10-? and Saturday from 9-?. You are welcome to stay as late as your want. We are asking for $10.00 per day per quilter. The venue is providing large tables and chairs. You would want to bring extensions cords, machine, your project, and anything else you use. We will have a designated cutting table with a large cutting board. Bring your cutters. There will be two ironing boards but feel free to bring a small one for next to your table if you like. Lunch is going to be a snack type food potluck. Dinner will be out at a restaurant or you can stay and sew. The venue is Christian Reformed Conference Center http://www.crcg.org. The Gathering center is where we will be sewing. Email me prior to thursday if you are planning on attending so we can set up enough tables for everyone. After that you can call me 616 258-4886. CRCG www.crcg.org     Like     Comment     Share         View on Facebook     Edit Email Settings         Reply to this email to comment on this post.         This message was sent to grlady1950@gmail.com. If you don't want to receive these emails from Facebook in the future, please unsubscribe. Facebook, Inc., Attention: Department 415, PO Box 10005, Palo Alto, CA 94303

Word is getting around that GRMQ

is the place to be on the first Tuesday of each month.  I walked in about 10 minutes before the start time and had to shift some beautiful quilts to sit!  How great it is!

I think at one point there were 25 quilters waiting for the meeting to begin.  It was a very good meeting as well.  It is amazing the talent  we have among our ranks.  

 Jan offered to present a quick lesson on threads.  Oh, boy!  It's no wonder why the quilts she has shown at previous meetings look so beautiful.  While looking so professorial at the podium, she took over like the pro she is.  Her employment with Superior Threads equipped her and anyone she coaches with so much knowledge.  With her various samples from Connecting Threads, Coats & Clark, Aurifil and Sulky she led us through the thread selection maze.  Quick notes include:

• Staple:  at the length of the fiber being twisted.  Longer the better for strength.
• Egyptian cotton:  not necessarily grown there, but seeds from the plant called Egyptian cotton produced the fiber;
• All of us who have inherited thread from our mothers and grandmothers know this but can't dispose of them - thread has a shelf life.  Old thread - throw it out.  I do use it sometimes when sandwiching a quilt...if it doesn't continually break while basting.
• Rayon thread is not colorfast and most likely melts under a hot iron typically used in quilting;
• Mercerized thread will not shrink - a good thing.
• The biggie:  the numbers on the spool.  Visualize weighing a pound of thread- the more thread needed for 16 ounces the thinner the thread (high number); likewise the thicker thread has a lower number since it takes less to make a pound.
• When machine quilting, a sewer can use any type of thread and the top and bobbin threads do NOT have to match weights.  Jan prefers to quilt with polyester thread because she likes its appearance.
• The main criteria for selecting a thread to use should be the impact on your sewing machine.  The lower number threads are thicker (takes less to make a pound) will lint more than the thinner threads(higher number).  The lint accumulating in the bobbin area can be very difficult on your machines performance.  
• Metallic threads:  must, must, MUST change the tension on your machine to 0 or less than 1 and despite what the store clerk may tell you, a number 90 needle should be used.
• Needles:  while the new titanium COATed needles cost a bit more they lasts longer - the finish protects the needles from chips.  
• The groove on the needle faces you....so the thread has a path to follow (likewise, the flat side to the rear);
• Jan also indicated that thread should feed into the machines' tension disc from a vertical position and not a horizontal angle.  Her visual used a roll of ribbon unwinding.  Try it at home at both angles - you'll see that the horizontal angle twists the thread, while the upright angle do not. 
• Link for more information:  Superior Threads

Pictures of our creations and hard work on the next blog.

However, I'm going to repeat a"conversation" I  posted several weeks ago on use of the FriXon pens.  At a meeting I showed the shadowing that can occur using these pens on the right side of the fabric.  While I do use the pens, now only on the wrong side,  several persons defended their use since their experiences hadn't soured.  Please read this posting, as Jenny K Lyon talked with the manufacturer of of the pens.  All You Need to Know on FriXon pens.  The new news on this issue for me was that washing doesn't remove the gel.  She too, expresses some frustration over this issue.  Many of you may think similar to me that your quilts are not heirloom or quality for a show.  But as women, mostly, don't discount the value of your time and efforts (we do it far too often).  Well, well, that's my rant for today.  Keep up the good work and deeds that all quilters do!

Meeting Time

Where does the time go!  Our monthly GR Modern Quilters meeting is Tuesday, October 6th.  Of course, we meet at Kuyper College on the East Beltline between Three and Four Mile Roads.  7pm

I just received an email from Kathy Nelson who is planning our retreat in October.  Since there have been a few cancellations, if you're interested in attending just go to the Facebook page for Grand Rapids Modern Quilters.  You'll never get a better price for a lakefront stay on Lake Michigan unless you own a property or a rich grandma!

Last Friday turned into an absolutely beautiful day.  After years of pining to be able to pack up and just go to the beach.....I did, with dogs in tow!  Enjoy!

 Normally these dogs hate the water, but they had fun this day.

 This picture shows Meg, my daughter's dog, drinking down the lake, the other dog, Bernie is the only that requires a pit stop on the way home.  He just thinks the lake is just one big water bowl.

 Kruse Park, Muskegon, MI

The envy of Chicagoans!

Beehive Time

We had our monthly meeting last night.  Kat was our Queen Bee this month.  She chose the snowball pattern.  However, since her family loves science, the top three snowballs were to be scrappy in teals and the bottom balls - scrappy in grays.  Her plan is to intertwine the blocks, 16", to represent the DNA molecule.  Here are some of the blocks she received.

 Becky is explaining something important to Kelly.

 Greta shows us her block.

Kat, being the queen wears her tiara from her wedding, relishing her blocks.

Kelly was Queen last month.  She not only had her quilt top assembled, she had it quilted as well.

I was Queen several months ago.  I had an inspiration delay as I changed the pattern a bit.  All in all, it turned out very cool.  

 I played with decorative stitching around each block.  I also utilized another QAYG method.

 To add interest the blue flanges were added in various lengths and in varying places on the blocks.

 My fellow beehive quilters make the most adorable signature labels.

Here's the  back:  a mixture of the circles, bright green and dark blue with matching sashing connecting the blocks.  Thank you everyone!

It's been a while, but have been busy....

The last week or more we have had beautiful weather in West Michigan.  It's hard to settle down and sew when the temps are in the mid 70's, dry and clear skies.  The Fallsburg Art Festival, sponsored by the Lowell Arts Council was held a week ago.  While the morning started cool, it was perfect for walking among the art booths.

The quilt shown is the raffle quilt for the art council.

 The stitching was just gorgeous.

The New York Beauties circled the entire quilt.  

While many beautiful works or art were shown at the festival I found this artist, Bechler Pottery,who specialized in ceramics and tiles.   The first two shown below are my favorites.  I would love the top ceramic greet my guests by hanging outside in my covered  front porch area.  I identify with this person....he said that his best customers are counselors....not high school kind but mental health types.  Oh my!

More of his work, created in Traverse City can be found here.

I can be inspired by his work.....

Follow this link for some beautiful modern Japanese Quilts

No Put on with Jenny Doan

I've tagged along with friends who have a membership in a guild group to hear a guru (gura?) on quilting or other hobbies.  It's always interesting to watch people and who have achieve a certain level of fame and how the person handles it.  I had the privilege to meet and have dinner with such a leader in a quilting movement.  I left the dinner thinking what a diva she is....granted she's done far more than I ever would do,but what an ego!  While her designs and products are leaders in the craft, she neglected to put on her game face.  Well, Jenny Doan, the face of Missosuri Star Quilt Company is quite the opposite.  You just want to hug her and bring her home to dinner, meet the family and pet the dogs.  The "game face" is an important belief of Jenny's.  They have several young people employed at a their now mega enterprise.  She teaches them no matter what is happening in your personal life, put on a game face not only for our customers, but just do it anyway.  What a great philosophy and life lesson for all of us!

The  Lighthouse Quilt Guild in Grand Haven, MI sponsored Ms. Doan's visit to West Michigan....they hit a grand slam as far as I'm concerned.  While I opted to not take classes either of the two days offered, I'd seriously reconsider classes again if Ms Doan were to visit anywhere nearby.  She started her presentation to the nearly filled auditorium of Lakeside Middle School (quite large for a middle school) at 6:30 after about 10 minutes of giving away gifts.  Jeny's formal presentation stopped at 9 pm.  Then she took questions from the audience for at least another 15 minutes.  If that wasn't enough she promised to stay on stage to answer questions personally and sign books "until the last person leaves".

Oh my goodness!  What a story of a company forming and GROWING from the ashes of the Great Recession to being named the Best Small Business in America.  She referred to the company, started by her children, to keep mom and dad out of their basements - since they had been literally wiped out in 2008!  Six of her seven children own and operate the Missouri Star Quilt Company.....all from a simple comment from her techie son:  Hey Mom, you should do a tutorial on quilting for You Tube" seven years ago.  Apparently, You Tube is about 8 years old! Below, I've referenced a couple articles explaining the company's story

Jenny Doan's You Tube tutorials are absolutely the best!  From the tutorials came The Block, their quarterly magazine (sans subscription cards flying out and advertisements), then came the connection that any quilt can be made form pre-cuts, to having five quilt stores in western Missouri with five more opening soon and five more in design!

After relaying much of this amazing story she and Ron-a Vana, her husband, demonstrated her quilts, all from pre-cuts and how their templates are incorporated.  For those of you considering a either a road trip west or even to Kansas City (a world series will be playing soon at the Kaufman), their home is about 45 minutes north.

A hearty thank you goes to Around the Block Quilt store in Portland, MI for bringing MSQ books, templates and other goodies to the presentation.  Neighbor Judy and I arrived at the school around 5 p.m. and the cash register was already cha-chinging.  Those ladies definitely had lighter boxes to take back to Portland.

Oh, in case you're wondering about more take away info from the presentation:
            a) trust the fabric combinations in the pre-cuts, don't pull out fabrics you may not like
            b) all of MSQ templates, unlike other company templates, are designed especially for pre-cuts.
            c) check their website for the combos on pre-cuts and how many make the various size quilts....

Jenny's presentation was just too packed with information to relate all of it....you just had to be there.....

Oh, and after all the laughter - she knows quilting and quilters and of course family dynamics, she had us almost in tears at the end.  When her first video went out she thought her audience would be working women.  Little did she know the impact she had on persons confined to their home for medical or mental health issues.  She turned that compliment she received unto us...and all at the good we inadvertently do.  She says there is no better and far reaching hobby or career than quilting.....golf doesn't do that, now does it....she told us.  Our quilts and the pillowcases touch hearts far and wide.  She too, was almost in tears!

Wall Street Journal article:  Wall Street Journal article
White House Visit:  Visit to White House

We were first!

Some times in life you have to make your own good karma.  Last week when I receive an email from my friend Caroll about going to the Stitched Studio side walk sale on Monday morning I was shocked!  Of course I'd help her maneuver on the east side of the river to East Paris, south of Cascade!  Well. lo and behold we were first.....!  Oh what fun we had.  Some of SS fabric was 70%, yes 70% off.  Well, those fabrics we bought a yard of more!  The remaining and most of the fabrics were 50% off, but what a selection.  We saw our new friend, Polly, who is one of our Beehive Block of the Month friends.  Soon we had a crowd and how Michele and Kat kept track of who had which fabric was amazing.  The sale goes until tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept 15....oops....quarterly tax day.  Do you think Uncle would mind if my payment came in old fabric?

 I have been drooling over these Moda solids with texture.  The decision on which to purchase and how to use them pushed me away as I never had a plan.  Still don't have a plan but they are so gorgeous.  We were all amazed that they had been in the store at it's grand opening!

 These three fabrics are begging to be made into a satchel similar what I had made in 2014.  Caroll keeps telling me a woman can never have too many bags.

 Last year Stitched Studio had a Marushka doll fabric that was going to be my flight bag for Russia.  While the trip was great, the bag never happened.  The above fabric make a great lining, even though it's not a Russian theme, but playful like the dolls.

Michele indicated that this remnant, a good filler fabric, is organic.

The staff had just finished the quilt top for the appliqué block of the month, very, very modern.  Check out their website for other cool BOM's and the new fabrics that helped out by emptying the shelves.  Carolyn Friedlander's block of the month is here.  The screen shot below is only one of the cool blocks to be completed.