Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I thought you might get a little smile out of this poem...

Twas the night before Christmas, And the quilts were not made. The threads were all tangled, the cookies delayed. The stocking weren't hung, the pantry was bare. The poor weary Quilter,  was tearing her hair. Stacks of fat quarters,  tipped over in streams. Visions of Log Cabins  had turned into dreams. When what to her wondering eyes should appear, But a bus full of quilters with all of their gear. They went straight to work with just a few mutters, Sorting and stitching and brandishing cutters. The patterns emerged from all of the clutter, Like magic the fabrics arranged in a flutter. Log Cabins, Lone Stars, Flying Geese & Bear Tracks Each quilt was a beauty- even the backs! Her house how it twinkled, her quilts how they glowed. The cookies were baking, the stockings were sewed. Their work was all done, so they folded their frames, And packed up their needles, without giving their names. They boarded the bus, and checked the next address. More quilts to be made, another quilter in distress. She heard one voice echo, as they drove out of sight, Happy quilting to all and to all a good night! ~Author Unknown

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick reminder of our Christmas Social/Turkey Dinner on Tuesday Dec. 9th.  Social hour begins at 5p.m. with dinner served at 6. Following that will be Show and Tell and some wonderful entertainment, and we are aiming to be done by 8p.m. That should get us all home safely before the impending storm begins to become problematic. If there are any major changes in the storm forecast, check here for updates, but as of now, it's all systems GO!

Thread Talk and More...

It's been a while since I have posted an article by Bob Purcell, President of Superior Threads. In most of his newsletters, there is an educational component on threads, needles, or something related to stitching and he graciously gives permission for these articles to be shared. With the holidays approaching, I'm sure most of you will be feeling some increased tension as you try to get all the Christmas preparations done, as well as some special sewing projects. This article contains a link to some really useful info on tension- thread tension, that is, not personal tension! And, if you're the sort who likes to add a little glitter and glitz to your Christmas projects with metallic thread, there's some helpful info on sewing with metallics  on a longarm as well. The article is below. And here is a link to some Tips for Successful Stitching with Metallics on your home machine.

There are some new entries of beautiful quilts in our For Sale section, and all are hand quilted. Have a look! If you know of someone who's looking for a beautiful quilt, please tell them about our "listing." Just click on the "For Sale" sign on our sidebar to view them all.

You can click here to see all the winners of the International Quilt Festival held recently in Houston. Just click on the first quilt photo, for a larger view of all quilts. You will notice one of the winners is Margaret Solomon Gunn of Gorham Maine; you may have seen this quilt or some of her other incredible works at Maine Quilts.

Our November meeting is just days away- see you all next Tuesday night, Nov. 18th, back at our usual meeting spot on Johnston Avenue.

And now, from Bob, Thread Professor and self-certified Threadologist:

		EDUCATION:  Why does Thread Education matter?
		I was having a splendid conversation with a prominent quilter this past week and we discussed education as it relates to the industry. With the explosion of Pinterest, Craftsy, Etsy, YouTube, and other websites, there is an endless amount of education available. These online resources didn't exist just a few years ago. The digital age has revolutionized our industry and we expect many more advancements to come in the near future. We strongly encourage all to spend time studying and constantly improving skills. There is an immeasurable benefit to learning and knowing all aspects of your machine, needle, thread, and notions. We are strong advocates of thread education and will continue to emphasize education, service, and quality as our top responsibilities. We've recently released several articles, videos, and infographics such as Understanding why Egyptian-grown cotton matters, how simple quilting with Metallic can be (even on a longarm), and why Tension control is so important in getting a good stitch. As we learn more about the products we use and why we use them, we will not only excel in our passions, but we can teach the next generation and pass onto them all the knowledge we've gained.  We take extreme care in the quality of our threads, needles, and notions. We have the highest standards for both the raw materials and the manufacturing.  A large portion of our website is devoted to Education. You will find 100+ educational articles, 100+ educational videos, tutorials, and reference guides. We have released two infographics which explain in detail the selection and processing of materials and how they are turned into thread.  They are fun to read and full of useful information.  Please share them with your friends and you will sound like an expert.  For continuing education and announcements, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and pin with us on Pinterest.

Local Show!

Just a reminder that the Elm City QG Show is on this weekend. Let's get out and support our sister quilters! They've put together a lovely display at Gibson Memorial Church at 183 Gibson St. on the northside. There's lots of parking in behind the church. Vendors, refreshments, a special table of goodies by Grandmothers Helping Grandmothers and LOTS of quilty inspiration! Here's a tiny taste of what you'll see...

Odds and Ends

Did you attend any quilt shows this fall? One of the recent ones was in Charlottetown PEI and Lee M. sent me a photo of the "Quiltmobile" which was parked outside the show. Can you imagine driving around in this? There'd be NO hiding the fact that you are a quilter!! lol Lee commented that a lot of work went into this "quilt" as it was a "custom fit" with "cutouts" for the brake lights in the back, velcro so that the doors can be opened/closed, etc. Truly a labour of love. Thanks Lee for the photo. (photos taken of the show are not allowed to be "published" - sorry!)

Speaking of shows, the International Quilt Festival in Houston is wrapping up today. This is the 40th Anniversary of this event- and 40 years means Ruby. To celebrate there is a special exhibit of red and white quilts and you can view some of them by clicking here... Trust me, it's well worth the visit! And how nice to know that there is a Maritime quilt included in the exhibit- a red and white Log Cabin called "Log Canada" by Amherst's Karen Neary! You can see it here. Way to go Karen!   :)

And just for fun - I'm sure you've seen some of the online quizzes which tell you which "whatever" you are, by answering a series of questions. I found one one which tells you which Quilt Block you are! Try it by clicking here.

Did anyone take photos during the Hilary Rice workshops? If so, could you send me a few to post here?
And I hope someone will take some photos at Retreat and send them on to me too.. I haven't received any the past few years...

Quilt On!

It's "Hilary Rice Week" at FQG!

Just a reminder to all members, our meeting on Tuesday night is not at our usual venue. Remember this month we are very fortunate to have a special evening with textile and mixed media artist Hilary Rice. She will be presenting her Trunk Show "Along the Silk Road" for us at 7p.m. at the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre on Regent Street, in the auditorium. It is open to all, come and bring a friend. Admission $5.00 per person.


You can review a list of the workshops Hilary is teaching here. There are still some openings in each of the four workshops. Registrations will be taken on Tuesday evening, and right up until the beginning of each workshop. If you are interested in tomorrow's workshop, contact LaVerne asap at 459-5324

Updates...

A huge THANK YOU to those who attended the workday on Saturday to work on Community Projects. A good number of pillowcases for Transition House were completed, as well as a few Christmas tablecloths for Wheels to Meals. So thank you to all who attended and worked hard all day, as well as those who could not attend but dropped by to turn in what they had done at home. I could not attend as I was teaching on Saturday, so thanks to Monica W. who sent me this photo, showing some of the pillowcases that were completed.
EDIT - Wed. Oct.1.- 70 pillowcases have been delivered to Transition House and Gignoo House - they were gratefully and joyfully received!   :)



Again, I apologize for not being able to photograph the program and Show and Tell at our September meeting. Thanks to Lee M. who sent me this photo from her phone of Mary B's beautiful Storm at Sea quilt. Mary does such lovely work and we are so happy that she continues to travel from Grand Manan to attend our meetings! (She gets the prize for travelling the furthest distance!)

If anyone who brought projects for Show and Tell in September has a good clear digital photo of your piece(s) please send me the photo(s) and I will add them to our Show and Tell Gallery.

There are some new quilts listed in our "Quilts for Sale." Be sure to check them out, and if you know of someone who is looking to purchase a quilt, please consider directing them here!


I hope you've been able to attend a Quilt Show or two in the last few weeks- there have been several nearby- KV's annual show, and both Sussex and Calais this past weekend. If you are travelling to Nova Scotia this coming weekend, you might be able to take in one or both of the following shows - one in Halifax and the other in the Mahone Bay area. I cannot get the IWK Show poster to load here but the info is all on the sidebar. Below is the poster for the Mahone Bay Guild's show.

Meeting tonight!

It's finally here- the day we've been waiting for! Tonight is our first meeting of a new year. Remember we have a new start time - 7p.m. Don't forget to wear your nametag if you have one, and bring your mug for refreshment at break. I know tonight's program will be wonderful- Geraldine Gordon does beautiful work and is always full of tips and helpful hints. We are certainly looking forward to her presentation!



Check out the list of Upcoming Shows on the sidebar. There are a number of shows in the next 10 days- the amazing annual show by the KV Guild in Quispamsis opens this Thursday at noon and runs for three days. Next weekend you have your choice of which direction to travel- Sussex, Antigonish NS or Calais Maine. You'll find a show in each location! Check the listing on the right for all the details. I recently added another Show which did not make the newsletter deadline. (Wouldn't you know it? I received the info the day the newsletter went to print...) If you are heading to Halifax between October 2nd and 4th, check out the quilt show and sale at the IWK Health Centre - again, the details are on the sidebar. Also that weekend is the Mahone Bay QG Show  - sounds like a good reason to head to Nova Scotia for a few days!!
If you know of any other upcoming shows this fall that I have not listed, please let me know and I will add them to our list.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

Congratulations to two of our members who won prizes in last week's NB Exhibition! Jeanne Kaye S. had ten entries... and won TEN ribbons!! Well done Jeanne Kaye!!

Can you believe this? She even had color-co-ordinated ribbons!!! A blue ribbon on a blue quilt... a red ribbon on a red quilt....  You are too much JK!!!!







Jane G won the Grand Champion ribbon on her Spools quilt!!
















Wow- awesome Jane! Such an impressive ribbon on an impressive quilt!






Well done ladies! You have made us all proud!!

Gearing Up and Hilary Rice!

September is here! We'll soon be back together - won't it be great to see each other and "catch up" on summer news and quilting projects! Your Executive has already met and there are some exciting things in store for you all this year! Remember our meeting night is the THIRD Tuesday of the month (the date will always fall between the 15th and the 21st) and also remember our new meeting start time is 7p.m.
If you haven't renewed your membership for this year yet, our Registrar Linda G. would love to hear from you.

One of the first exciting things on this year's schedule is a visit from Textile Artist Hilary Rice of  Stirling, Ontario. There are still a few spaces left in each of her workshops. Info and contacts for registration follows below:

October Workshops with Textile Artist Hilary Rice

Be inspired, learn something different and challenge yourself to be innovative with new techniques under the guidance of fibre artist and professional teacher Hilary Rice when she visits New Brunswick in October.  Sponsored by Fredericton Quilters’ Guild, these hands-on workshops will build confidence in using the techniques while exposing participants to broader possibilities.  Definitely a fun opportunity!  To see examples of Hilary’s work, visit www.mestudios.ca. 

 

Easy-Peasy Curves — The Basics of Top-stitch Curved Piecing

No more sewing only straight lines!  For confident beginner & beyond, produce a small landscape and be introduced to embellishing ideas.  Tuesday, October 21.  Kit fee: $50 

 

 

Imagine & Create — Embellishment Techniques for Art Quilters

With the mastery and exploration of an assortment of embellishment techniques, you can design and create anything!  For anyone with an adventurous spirit, emphasis will be on an imaginative approach to the creation of innovative works with input from an experienced fibre artist.  Wednesday-Thursday, October 22 – 23.  Kit fee: $10 

 

Funky Tricks & Techniques — For Textile & Mixed Media Artists

Learn a smattering of fun techniques applicable to a variety of artistic endeavours, such as transfer foiling, silk paper making, metal work and toner transfer.  For all people, all ages.  Friday, October 24.  Kit fee: $20

 

 

Quilting with Metal/Mettle or Everything you wanted to know about metal appliqué but were afraid to try

Instruction will be given on the entire how-to involved when working with metal as an appliqué accent - anneal your chosen metal, see demos of embossing and colouring, use a blowtorch!  For those with an adventurous spirit.  Saturday, October 25, 2014.  Kit fee: $20

 

Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and are being held at Willie O’Ree Place.  Cost is $60 for FQG members and $65 for non-members per day + kit fee. 

To register, contact LaVerne or Lee.