President’s Message
Greetings Sisters of the Thread!
It was great seeing so many of us at the February meeting. Though I didn’t get to talk with as many as I had hoped to, I did see some familiar faces back warming the seats after long absences from the guild. It was exciting to have so many guests join us for the meeting, and from what I understand, Pam Jones brought her own following to hear her lecture and see her extensive Crazy Quilt trunk show. What a joy! Welcome back, Laura Davis, and welcome new member, Rachael Severance.
It was a full house for Carolyn and Kathleen’s crazy quilt workshop that followed, and although we didn’t get through as many sample stitches as anticipated, we all created some pretty impressive foundation blocks to embellish. It’s also quite fun to have the only iron in the room set up at your shared work table, as everyone comes over to disclose their “pressing” matters!
Lorraine Owen was seeing red…as the lucky recipient of the “love month” disappearing four-patch blocks. Congratulations, gal! Carol Sweeden, you are making this so much fun. The TBQ design wall will be “wearin’ of the green” at the March meeting with our Lucky Clover blocks!!
I want to thank Karen Johnson and Dani Lerberg for volunteering to coordinate the Handmade Hugs project for the remainder of the guild year. Thanks gals for stepping up to the challenge. I know there were a few more quilt kits available for quilting if any of you could help us out. Look for Karen and Dani at the Handmade Hugs Table.
Dianna Dunn has also volunteered to sit at the DVD lending library table. Did you know you can check out quilting DVDs from TBQ at no cost? All you need to do is bring them back to the next meeting. See Dianna before the meeting or during break to see what’s available.
We more than tripled our donations to St. Luke’s Community Cupboard food campaign from the previous month and hit an all-time high of 225 items contributed in February!! Woo hoo!! Way to go, gals!! Please continue keep those less fortunate in your thoughts and remember to pick up an extra can or two when you shop. Whatever we contribute IS truly appreciated.
You may not realize that each month prior to the meeting, I sit contemplating which machines I would like to share with all of you. Of course, some of that decision is based on just how much heavy lifting I want to do that particular month. This month, in preparation for new flooring, yet again (that’s a long story in and of itself), I need to pull the machine heads from all the treadle cabinets to make them easier to move…so I’ll take advantage of this great opportunity to share some of my “really old girls” and their stories with you at the upcoming meeting. Is anyone keeping count of how many “members of my choir” I have brought in to date? No it’s not a test…not even a contest.
We’ve welcomed several new members to our TBQ Guild over the past year, and I want to commend the efforts of Norma Kurr and the Newcomers committee for their tireless commitment to putting together our Newcomers’ studio tours and lunch. And as a reminder to our newest members…those of you who have joined the guild since last February, we keep you on the Newcomers list for a year from your join date. You are welcome to join us for that entire year, along with other new members, for an opportunity to meet other members of the guild in a more casual setting, make new friends, and to see what creative talents lie in wait for your viewing pleasure.
Any spring, green, or St. Paddy’s quilts to show this month? That would be a fun Show and Tell, wouldn’t it? I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours! See you soon!
And Sew it Goes…Pedal on, Girls!
Find Joy in the Journey!
Rosemary Carr, President
Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild
Handmade Hugs
Handmade Hugs workshops will be held on the fourth Monday at St. Luke’s from 9:30 am to approximately 2:30 pm. If you want to sew, bring your machine and your basic sewing kit and let’s put the pedal to the metal. We need help with backing, binding, and putting together “quilt kits.” Come join the fun! Bring a lunch if you can stay. A microwave and fridge are available in the kitchen for our use.
Mark your calendars with the following dates:
February 26
March 26
April 23
May TBD (this is Memorial Day)
June TBD
We have several quilts available for pick up at the TBQ meeting to be quilted and bound. If you can’t make it to a workshop, won’t you consider helping on the finishing end?
Programs
Plan to join in on the fun!
March 12th – “Inking Your Fabric” with Lura Schwarz Smith. Lura will present a lecture/trunk show with her award-winning art quilts. Lura has been producing art quilts since 1975 receiving awards both in the US and abroad. She is sure to inspire even the “non-artist”.
Kathleen Bond
Program Chair
Workshops
March 12 and 13 ~ Lura Schwarz Smith @ $55 – “Inking Your Fabric”
1 1/2 day class
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Monday, 3/12 – 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 3/13 – 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Currently there are 19 signed up for this class. We can take one more student. Your $$$ will guarantee your space in class! Call me ASAP if you want this last space!
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Learn successful tracing, shading and inking onto fabric, working from your own photographic paper prints. Fun, effective drawing exercises enhance your skills. Using textile inks, markers, pencils, and other surface design materials, discover how to achieve realistic imagery in your art quilts.
No prior art experience necessary, but those with an art background will learn specific applications for achieving beautiful imagery on fabric.
STUDENT SUPPLY LIST
- 8 ½ “x 11” or 8″x 10″paper prints of your photos, or drawings of a similar size (your own, to avoid copyright issues) in any subject matter, for drawing and shading with inks on fabric. Bring a variety of images – choices are good! Our exercises in shading work best with a face at least 4” or larger, if working on a person.
- Use the clearest, best prints you can to get the best information. If working from smaller, vintage photos, scan these and bring prints of the larger size, for ease in tracing — bring originals for reference.
- Do not bring framed photos as the glass makes it difficult to trace detail accurately.
- At least 4 sheets of 8 ½” x 11” non-bleed muslin pressed to freezer paper (note Dot Test instruction page for testing fabrics for bleed ability). Bring another fat quarter or half-yard of muslin for spare, in case needed.
- OPTIONAL: other fabrics such as commercial prints that you wish to ink or mark on, in colors that suit your project. (Check fabrics with Dot Test!)
- Pencil and paper (computer paper is fine)
- Sharpie Ultrafine Black Marker
- Lightbox (students may share)
- OPTIONAL: We will be working a great deal with the Tsukineko All Purpose Inks, with the Fantastix applicators, as well as the Fabrico Textile Markers made by the same company. If you already have them and wish to bring them, you can bring them or any Prismacolor colored pencils, textile markers, etc. that you may have. This is OPTIONAL as I bring enough to share in class, but sometimes it’s nice to have your own. The basic kit fee will still apply as I supply many materials as well as the class inks, markers, etc. to share.
- Supply Fee: $8 Kit: includes sample Fantastix applicators, Prismacolor pencil, sample non-bleed muslin, write-on transparency, instructional handouts, and use of class inks, etc.
THE DOT TEST: TESTING FABRIC FOR BLEEDABILITY IN INKING
In working with textile inks, choosing the right fabrics will make your inking process MUCH more enjoyable. Fabrics vary widely in their bleed ability when inks, markers and other wet media are applied. For any detailed work, finding fabrics that do not bleed will allow you to put your ink where you want it to go – and to stay there!
Because the greige cloth, or base fabrics, seem to change even with known fabric lines, I recommend you get in the habit of testing each fabric before you buy or use it. This is what I call the Dot Test.
Get a textile marker with a medium tip – Pigmas and Microns are too small a point to give you an accurate, useful test. Get a medium tip TEXTILE marker (paper markers will not work!) such as a Fabrico Textile Marker. Place the blunt tip on the fabric surface, hold it there, and count slowly to 5. Lift the marker. What you want is a nice, clean dot the size of the marker tip – if you see a bleed or halo of ink out from the marker tip, that fabric is a bleeder and I don’t recommend using it for inking. Test your fabrics at home, and take the marker with you to your fabric shops. They can give you a tiny swatch to test – after all, you just need the tiniest snip to dot test. A little bleed can be worked with, but as you test you will see how results will vary. Do yourself a favor and use fabrics that won’t bleed much. Later, as you get accustomed to the process, you can probably work with more of a bleed.
We will be using muslins for some exercises. The bleached muslins bleed more than the natural finish ones, but test and see if you find one that isn’t too bad if you really want a whiter surface. It’s also very rich to work on commercially printed or hand-dyed fabrics, as the inks are translucent and so are very nice over a base color or texture. If you have a hard time finding a good textile marker at your local shops you can find many colors of the Fabrico Textile Markers along with the other Tsukineko inking supplies at www.jukeboxquilts.com.
Carolyn Edwards
Workshop Chair
Ways and Means
Do you have any UFO’s you have lost interest in or wish you hadn’t started and probably won’t finish? Well, you can bring them to me at our March, April or May TBQ meeting. We are having a UFO Silent Auction at our June 11th meeting. The more UFO’s we have the more fun it will be. So, as you are spring cleaning your quilting studio remember to support TBQ by donating those projects you really don’t want to finish.
Yvonne Blitch
Ways and Means Chair
Block of the Month
Thank you to all who participated in the February BOM, Lorraine Owens was the lucky winner of 24 red and white blocks! Let’s see what she does with them. Lorraine is very imaginative in her quilting and I know it will be another wonderful work of hers.
Ok, so now we are looking for a bit of Irish Luck, watch your emails for the March BOM, using 2 greens, light and dark, and a cream! Please remember to use a 1/4″ seam, press and do your best stitching…
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Till then, stitch away.
Carol Sweeden
Block of the Month Coordinator
Company Store
Ladies remember spring cleaning. Bring your donations. Help the guild.
Lorraine Owen
Company Store Co-Chair
Friendship Groups
A member expressed an interest in starting a hand quilting group, if anyone is interested please contact me and I will put you in touch with that member.
By My Hand-Hand Embroidery has a day and time change, now meets on the 3rd Friday 12:30-3:00 at Central Sewing (same location).
Machine Embroidery group has disbanded, they no longer meet.
Laura Stone
Friendship Groups Chair
Quilt Camp
We are excited about the upcoming Quilt Camp. There are 11 spots available.
2018 Day Camp OR Overnight Camp
Held at the Residence Inn by Marriott, Highway 69, Prescott. Quilt Camp runs 8:00 am Monday, April 2, 2018 thru 8:00 pm Wednesday April 4, 2018. Check in time is 8:00 a.m. Lunch will be catered in. $100 full amount for all three days of Day Camp. No partial days are available.
Please fill out the bottom form and return it to Suzie Fields at the March guild meeting with your $100 payment to secure your spot. This payment is nonrefundable unless we can fill your place with someone on the waiting list.
FOR OVERNIGHTERS: For Discount Room Rate of $94 per night contact TBQ member Erin Sullivan. The discount rate is only available if reserved through the link provided if you make your reservation by March 23, 2018.
Suzie Fields
Quilt Camp Chair
Prescott Adult Center Exhibit
Dear Norma, the party is almost over. Your quilts will be hanging out at the Adult Center for only a couple more weeks, but wasn’t that a party! 🙂 Thank you so much for lending TEN of your oh-so-beautiful quilts for exhibit in the Atrium. It was a gorgeous display. And a little birdie told me that the viewing public has had a ball looking at your quilts…and picking out their favorites! That’s what we like to hear!
Next up, it will be SPRING, SPRING, SPRING! If we have talked about one of your quilts being in this display, I will be in touch with you before the March meeting…and it will be easiest if you can bring your quilt(s) to the March meeting–that’ll make the “hand off” easier. And if there is anyone out there who is just dying to have their spring quilt in this display, call me! I’m pretty sure we can make that happen! Thanks ever so much for all the support I get in this effort. You are really appreciated!
Quilt Sizes Needed:
LARGE: from 60″ to 90″ wide, any length. (Need SIX,)
SMALL: from 45″ to 60: wide, any length. (Need FOUR.)
Quilts for Sale
Continuing with the effort initiated last TBQ Guild year by Pat Armstrong, if you have a quilt or quilts you’d like to sell, we are working on making that happen. When the TBQ website is up and running again, a “QUILT FOR SALE” form will be on-line. Until that time, Carolyn Edwards will have forms available. Just get in touch with her. A 4” x 6” photograph will be needed in addition to the completed form. The completed form along with the photograph will be kept in a binder at the Reception Desk at the Adult Center. Your Quilt for Sale does not have to be hanging in the Atrium in order to be for sale. You will name your asking price, and all proceeds will go to you.
Carolyn Edwards
Adult Center Quilt Coordinator
Chamber of Commerce Exhibit
Come and enjoy the new display of quilts at the Chamber of Commerce this month. Quilts have been on display continuously since April of 2009 and is a shared task between Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild and Mountain Top Quilters’ Guild.
Kay Wentworth
Chamber of Commerce Quilt Coordinator