Well, as winter seems to be settling in (ugh!!) it is a good time to get busy sewing!! I, for one, have just begun to redo my sewing room. I had been planning this for some time, but was pushed into doing it NOW because of 2 burst pipes behind a wall in the room I call my own.
I finally got a quilt to a longarm quilter!! Why do I love putting the top together only to have it languish for YEARS because I don't want to have to layer and baste and quilt it myself :-(
What are all your projects for the winter sewing season??
The exec of Loose Threads is hard at work planning the second part of our schedule. We will send out the meeting dates and any special notes over the holidays. Remember we are always open to ideas for programmes, speakers, volunteers for the executive, and of course, welcoming new members.
For those members celebrating Chanukah, I hope it has been a joyous time with family and friends and celebration. For our members celebrating Christmas, we wish you the same wonderous times. And for all of us, let us hope 2011 brings all of our hopes and dreams to fruition.
Now I am off to the sewing room to reorganize and do some appliqueing.
Sharon
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Quilting the Quilt
Well, who would have thought a whole evening could go by so quickly listening to a talk on "Quilting the Quilt" ?? Tonight Loose Threads welcomed Phyllis Moody, a longarm quilter, to our guild. As well, we invited members of West End Quilters to the program. It was a pleasure to welcome these women to our meeting.
Phyllis spoke about how to prep a quilt top for the longarm quilter, how she chooses a pattern for the quilt she is working on, and what batting and thread she likes best. She also reminded us how to best measure for our borders!! It was most informative. And thank you to the volunteer bakers - delish, as always!! And to those who brought other goodies, much appreciated.
Our next meeting is our Holiday Dinner, on Monday, Dec.13th. As always, if you need to heat your dish, please come for 6:30. Remember to bring serving pieces should they be required for your dish. Also, NON PERISHABLE food items for Mada, toiletries for Auberge Shalom, and your anonymous financial donation for Mitzvah Meals (the suggested amount is $15, what we used to spend to buy each other gifts).
I am adding a link to Leah Day's site - she is the woman who demos machine quilting designs - a new one for every day in the year!!!!!It is on the links list, but here it is , also: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/
Some of our members have already left for the warmer climates - we wish you a wonderful winter away.
That's it for tonight.
Last thing - Tuesday quilting, on December 7th, from 9:30-3:30. Bring lunch, indoor footwear, and whatever you are working on. The coffee and tea will be ready for you :-).
Until next time,
happy sewing!!
Sharon
Phyllis spoke about how to prep a quilt top for the longarm quilter, how she chooses a pattern for the quilt she is working on, and what batting and thread she likes best. She also reminded us how to best measure for our borders!! It was most informative. And thank you to the volunteer bakers - delish, as always!! And to those who brought other goodies, much appreciated.
Our next meeting is our Holiday Dinner, on Monday, Dec.13th. As always, if you need to heat your dish, please come for 6:30. Remember to bring serving pieces should they be required for your dish. Also, NON PERISHABLE food items for Mada, toiletries for Auberge Shalom, and your anonymous financial donation for Mitzvah Meals (the suggested amount is $15, what we used to spend to buy each other gifts).
I am adding a link to Leah Day's site - she is the woman who demos machine quilting designs - a new one for every day in the year!!!!!It is on the links list, but here it is , also: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/
Some of our members have already left for the warmer climates - we wish you a wonderful winter away.
That's it for tonight.
Last thing - Tuesday quilting, on December 7th, from 9:30-3:30. Bring lunch, indoor footwear, and whatever you are working on. The coffee and tea will be ready for you :-).
Until next time,
happy sewing!!
Sharon
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Welcome to a new season of quilting
Hi Everyone! It has been way too long since I have posted, and as long since I have quilted. Family issues, good and not so good, have kept me from my needle and thread, but now I am back!!!!
Loose Thread's Guild meetings are also back in full swing after our summer hiatus and the High Holidays.
We have a couple of new members and continue to welcome any quilter who might like to join our group.
Last meeting we had Phyllis Moody come and give a demo on the Accuquilt cutting system - I know she has whet some appetites in our membership to purchase one of these systems :-)
Phyllis will be back on the 29th of October to talk about "Quilting the Quilt" - it should be a most informative evening.
Please remember to post your comments and ideas here. I am always eager to hear back from you.
Just one more thing - Roz received this from someone she contacted re: gifts for IQD. Please take the time to visit this site - thanks.
creativeoptionscrafts.com and also their blogspot: creativeoptionscrafts.blogspot.com
Until next time, happy quilting
Sharon
Loose Thread's Guild meetings are also back in full swing after our summer hiatus and the High Holidays.
We have a couple of new members and continue to welcome any quilter who might like to join our group.
Last meeting we had Phyllis Moody come and give a demo on the Accuquilt cutting system - I know she has whet some appetites in our membership to purchase one of these systems :-)
Phyllis will be back on the 29th of October to talk about "Quilting the Quilt" - it should be a most informative evening.
Please remember to post your comments and ideas here. I am always eager to hear back from you.
Just one more thing - Roz received this from someone she contacted re: gifts for IQD. Please take the time to visit this site - thanks.
creativeoptionscrafts.com and also their blogspot: creativeoptionscrafts.blogspot.com
Until next time, happy quilting
Sharon
Sunday, March 21, 2010
International Quilting Day
Yesterday was IQD and Loose Threads hosted its annual event for the 6th year. It was another wonderful day of being with friends, laughing, and sharing.
34 quilters were in attendance and everyone was busy chatting and sewing and visiting from 9-4.
Andrea Torrens was our featured guest this year and she demonstrated how to make a "Hidden Wells" table runner from striped or border fabric - it is such a cool technique. And Andrea is a great instructor!
The rest of the day people worked on their projects, visited with one another, and helped fellow quilters with their work. There was a sale table with wonderful fabrics!
Thanks to the generosity of companies contacted, everyone went home with a door prize and a loot bag - I have so wanted a bobbin tower for the longest time!!
The food table was laden with lots of yummy home baked goodies, as well as lots of other good eats :-)
Thank you to those who brought in non perishable food items for us to donate, and a big thanks to that generous person who donated money in lieu of canned goods.
Here is an email I received from a first time attendee, Marijke:
International Quilt Day with the Loose Threads gang is an experience I enjoyed more than I realized I would. As I left the house before 9 a.m., my husband asked me when I’d be home. My response was “it depends on how much fun I’m having.” Since I didn’t get home until well after 3 p.m., it’s probably safe to say I had fun.
As a quilter who didn’t know a single person who quilted when I began over 20 years ago, getting together with women who share the same passion is a delight. Spending the day with these women is a blessing, a breath of fresh air.
Despite our hectic lives and the time we need to spend on every day things, to see the beautiful pieces of work that we all manage to put together is awesome, in the true sense of the world. You can’t rush a quilt, because it will show that it’s rushed, so quilting is a great way to force yourself to slow down.
For the day, I shared a table with Joyce, Denise, Betty, Debbie and Flora (I hope I got the names right!) and the conversation flowed, ideas were shared and laughter was not far away. I also have something for my birthday list now – a needle threader. I’d never tried one before but once Flora showed me how to use hers, I wanted to walk away with it.
As I wandered around the tables and saw the different projects, I was taken with a desire to try so many different things I’d not tried before – in particular, turning a photograph into a quilt. Our guest speaker inspired me to try new designs for table runners and the door prizes that those around me won showed me new gadgets that I’d not tried before. But seeing them used made me realize that some of these gadgets are pretty cool. Of course, I won a super prize myself that will be used well.
Thank you Roz for contacting me time after time to remind me of the guild. Thank you to everyone for being so welcoming and kind, and you’ve all gotten me hooked on International Quilting Day. See you next year!
Look for photos and other comments about IQD in the very near future.
And at this time, I would like to take the opportunity, on behalf of Barbara, Roz, and myself, to wish everyone a very happy Pesach and Easter. May your holiday be filled with family and friends and peace.
Sharon
34 quilters were in attendance and everyone was busy chatting and sewing and visiting from 9-4.
Andrea Torrens was our featured guest this year and she demonstrated how to make a "Hidden Wells" table runner from striped or border fabric - it is such a cool technique. And Andrea is a great instructor!
The rest of the day people worked on their projects, visited with one another, and helped fellow quilters with their work. There was a sale table with wonderful fabrics!
Thanks to the generosity of companies contacted, everyone went home with a door prize and a loot bag - I have so wanted a bobbin tower for the longest time!!
The food table was laden with lots of yummy home baked goodies, as well as lots of other good eats :-)
Thank you to those who brought in non perishable food items for us to donate, and a big thanks to that generous person who donated money in lieu of canned goods.
Here is an email I received from a first time attendee, Marijke:
International Quilt Day with the Loose Threads gang is an experience I enjoyed more than I realized I would. As I left the house before 9 a.m., my husband asked me when I’d be home. My response was “it depends on how much fun I’m having.” Since I didn’t get home until well after 3 p.m., it’s probably safe to say I had fun.
As a quilter who didn’t know a single person who quilted when I began over 20 years ago, getting together with women who share the same passion is a delight. Spending the day with these women is a blessing, a breath of fresh air.
Despite our hectic lives and the time we need to spend on every day things, to see the beautiful pieces of work that we all manage to put together is awesome, in the true sense of the world. You can’t rush a quilt, because it will show that it’s rushed, so quilting is a great way to force yourself to slow down.
For the day, I shared a table with Joyce, Denise, Betty, Debbie and Flora (I hope I got the names right!) and the conversation flowed, ideas were shared and laughter was not far away. I also have something for my birthday list now – a needle threader. I’d never tried one before but once Flora showed me how to use hers, I wanted to walk away with it.
As I wandered around the tables and saw the different projects, I was taken with a desire to try so many different things I’d not tried before – in particular, turning a photograph into a quilt. Our guest speaker inspired me to try new designs for table runners and the door prizes that those around me won showed me new gadgets that I’d not tried before. But seeing them used made me realize that some of these gadgets are pretty cool. Of course, I won a super prize myself that will be used well.
Thank you Roz for contacting me time after time to remind me of the guild. Thank you to everyone for being so welcoming and kind, and you’ve all gotten me hooked on International Quilting Day. See you next year!
Look for photos and other comments about IQD in the very near future.
And at this time, I would like to take the opportunity, on behalf of Barbara, Roz, and myself, to wish everyone a very happy Pesach and Easter. May your holiday be filled with family and friends and peace.
Sharon
Sunday, February 7, 2010
last meeting
great job updating our site, Shar. Thanks so much. Looking forward to our meeting with Diane Shink speaking, as well as our upcoming International Quilt Day.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
YoYos
Loose Threads quilt guild meeting on February 1st found us busy at work - it was a full evening which included guild business, Show & Tell (see the pictures below) and a demo by Sharon on 3D hamentaschen (see the photo of a postcard) made from a fabric yoyo. And in addition to the fabric hamentaschen, we also made flowers from yoyos! It was a fun meeting with great comaraderie and sharing of ideas.
Last Sunday, 12 of us had the great pleasure of attending a workshop with Debby Kemball. It was a really fun day. For those of you who are afraid of applique, Debby is the perfect person to take a workshop with. A spring date is in the works for Debby to return to give the workshop to those unable to attend the first one. Her methods are very liberating! In the near future, check the links at the bottom of the guild blog home page for the list of suppliers Debby recommends. Look for photos of our member's completed, special "Seven Species" project in future posts!
We have our "Open Studio" next Tuesday, Feb 9, at 12:30 P.M. Bring lunch, a snack, a friend - invite someone who is a quilter, knitter, crafter to join in an afternoon of sharing and creating.
On Feb 15, Diane Shink will be presenting "Antique Aprons" and we hope to have members of the Co-Op Quilters joining us.
And on March 20 we have International Quilting Day.
Here are the promised photos of our Show and Tell and the postcard - enjoy!
Last Sunday, 12 of us had the great pleasure of attending a workshop with Debby Kemball. It was a really fun day. For those of you who are afraid of applique, Debby is the perfect person to take a workshop with. A spring date is in the works for Debby to return to give the workshop to those unable to attend the first one. Her methods are very liberating! In the near future, check the links at the bottom of the guild blog home page for the list of suppliers Debby recommends. Look for photos of our member's completed, special "Seven Species" project in future posts!
We have our "Open Studio" next Tuesday, Feb 9, at 12:30 P.M. Bring lunch, a snack, a friend - invite someone who is a quilter, knitter, crafter to join in an afternoon of sharing and creating.
On Feb 15, Diane Shink will be presenting "Antique Aprons" and we hope to have members of the Co-Op Quilters joining us.
And on March 20 we have International Quilting Day.
Here are the promised photos of our Show and Tell and the postcard - enjoy!
Until next time, enjoy every moment you have and do something nice for you!
Sharon
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Looking into February
Well, Monday night was our last meeting for the month of January - again, I ask, where does the time go? We had a guest come to ask us our opinion about batting. The discussion was an interesting one, and the overall consensus was that we are all pretty busy with our lives and that perhaps the company would be better served hiring people to test their batting. The final outcome is that the rep will probably send us batting squares, as part of a kit, to test, and in the future, she will send us batting for our community projects.
On Sunday, January 31, some of us have signed up for a class with Debby Kemball - we will be using her new pattern, Seven Species, that Debby designed for us. I have begun a list for those interested in taking this class in the spring. If you would like to take this class, please let me know asap, as it is limited to 12 people.
On Monday, February 1, I will be demo-ing how to make 3D fabric hamentaschen. For those members who do not celebrate Purim, I have found another project that incorporates yoyos.
On February 15 we have Diane Shink coming to talk about antique aprons. We have invited the other west end quilt guilds to come to the meeting.
Have any of you thought about what you might like to see the guild do next year? Have any of you thought if you might like to take a position on the executive? Please be in touch with me or Roz or Barbara to discuss your ideas.
On a sad note, we mourn the passing of Gail Flicker, an original member of Loose Threads Quilt Guild. Gail was a talented artist and a warm, kind woman. May her family and friends be spared further sorrow and may she rest in peace.
Please leave a comment after you read this post, so that I know I do not write in vain ;-)
Sharon
On Sunday, January 31, some of us have signed up for a class with Debby Kemball - we will be using her new pattern, Seven Species, that Debby designed for us. I have begun a list for those interested in taking this class in the spring. If you would like to take this class, please let me know asap, as it is limited to 12 people.
On Monday, February 1, I will be demo-ing how to make 3D fabric hamentaschen. For those members who do not celebrate Purim, I have found another project that incorporates yoyos.
On February 15 we have Diane Shink coming to talk about antique aprons. We have invited the other west end quilt guilds to come to the meeting.
Have any of you thought about what you might like to see the guild do next year? Have any of you thought if you might like to take a position on the executive? Please be in touch with me or Roz or Barbara to discuss your ideas.
On a sad note, we mourn the passing of Gail Flicker, an original member of Loose Threads Quilt Guild. Gail was a talented artist and a warm, kind woman. May her family and friends be spared further sorrow and may she rest in peace.
Please leave a comment after you read this post, so that I know I do not write in vain ;-)
Sharon
Sunday, January 10, 2010
International Quilting Day
Hello fellow Loose Threads members.......sign up has begun for IQD, which, this year, will be on Saturday, March 20. For those of you who have attended in the past, you know what a wonderful day this is. For our new members, IQD was started by me several years ago and we have continued since, with Carolyn and Gloria following as co chairs for 2 years, and then Roz, Ruth R and I as co chairs for the past 2 years, and the 3 of us are back again for this year. We have guest speakers and loot bags and door prizes. It is a day filled with quilting, comaraderie, lots of food, and just plain fun. Imagine a whole day with no phone, no kids, no cooking - just sewing and being with like-minded friends. Be sure to let Roz know that you want your name on the list - there are only 30 spaces available, and it is first come, first served.
Also, this Tuesday, Jan. 12 is our "open" studio - we have the chalet all day. You can bring anything you want to work on. Bring your lunch and snack.......the kettle will be on.
Have a good week.
Sharon
Also, this Tuesday, Jan. 12 is our "open" studio - we have the chalet all day. You can bring anything you want to work on. Bring your lunch and snack.......the kettle will be on.
Have a good week.
Sharon
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Welcome 2010
Are you as surprised as I am at how quickly time is going? Even as we begin our meetings again for the second half of the 2009/10 season, the executive of Loose Threads is already planning for next fall - wow! We have some fun ideas brewing and are ALWAYS happy to have suggestions from our members. As a matter of fact, the exec would be thrilled if someone would like to take on programming for the next season.........any volunteers??
In spite of the cold and yucky weather, the turnout for our first meeting of 2010 was well attended. We had some beautiful show & tell, which is always inspiring. Most of those in attendance worked on their own projects, and some of us worked helping others.
The sign up sheet for International Quilting Day, which is March 20 this year, was passed around. Please be sure to let us know if you want to be included in this fun-filled day. Space is limited to first come, first served.
We have some very interesting meetings coming up. We have a rep from a batting company coming to talk to us and my understanding is that we will be a "test" group for the product. Diane Shink will be coming to give a talk on aprons......now, I can hear some of you asking how much can there be to say about aprons, right? Well, the feedback from people who have heard this talk is great and they have raved about it! Do you have any old aprons?? Please bring them to the meeting to share with all of us. We invited the members of the Co Op Quilters to join us for this special meeting.
I am in the process of working on teachers and dates for next fall for workshops - is there a teacher you would like to have come to Montreal to share her/his expertise with us? Please let me know and I would be happy to make the contact. So far I have Elaine Quehl and Lonni Rossi in mind. We could always ask Sharon Stroud to come back up - she is so much fun! Google any of these 3 women and check out their sites.
Please remember that you can always call or email me with any ideas or suggestions or comments you might have about the guild.
Stay warm and tread carefully out there - it is slippery (hope your back feels much better soon, Barbara).
Until next time, happy sewing.
Sharon
In spite of the cold and yucky weather, the turnout for our first meeting of 2010 was well attended. We had some beautiful show & tell, which is always inspiring. Most of those in attendance worked on their own projects, and some of us worked helping others.
The sign up sheet for International Quilting Day, which is March 20 this year, was passed around. Please be sure to let us know if you want to be included in this fun-filled day. Space is limited to first come, first served.
We have some very interesting meetings coming up. We have a rep from a batting company coming to talk to us and my understanding is that we will be a "test" group for the product. Diane Shink will be coming to give a talk on aprons......now, I can hear some of you asking how much can there be to say about aprons, right? Well, the feedback from people who have heard this talk is great and they have raved about it! Do you have any old aprons?? Please bring them to the meeting to share with all of us. We invited the members of the Co Op Quilters to join us for this special meeting.
I am in the process of working on teachers and dates for next fall for workshops - is there a teacher you would like to have come to Montreal to share her/his expertise with us? Please let me know and I would be happy to make the contact. So far I have Elaine Quehl and Lonni Rossi in mind. We could always ask Sharon Stroud to come back up - she is so much fun! Google any of these 3 women and check out their sites.
Please remember that you can always call or email me with any ideas or suggestions or comments you might have about the guild.
Stay warm and tread carefully out there - it is slippery (hope your back feels much better soon, Barbara).
Until next time, happy sewing.
Sharon
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