Quilt Trip to DC
Post shared by Tamara of FolkQuilts. Please see her instagram post for more photos of this exhibit.
A group of us from the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild had the honor of experiencing We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.—and it was unforgettable.
To stand among the works of so many Black women quilt artists, to witness their visions, their stories, their brilliance gathered in one space—it was deeply moving. Every quilt offered something powerful: a memory restored, a truth laid bare, a lineage honored.
I left nourished, inspired, and full of gratitude.
May 2025 - Quilt Show Prep
There are many factors to consider when entering a quilt for a show. Our own member Vivian Benton walked us through the considerations for putting a quilt in a show, with many tips for how to win awards.
Vivian describes what judges look for in a well-made quilt.
Vivian walked us through piecing, pressing, quilting, binding, labels, and judging standards. Our goal this year is for more members to enter quilts in shows, and this presentation gave us all the encouragement to enter our quilts into upcoming shows.
Vivan brought many examples and one lucky member won a quilt!
Show and Tell
April 2025 - FPP and Lettering
Our April meeting had more than 30 people in attendance. We’ve been gaining new members each month. We’re almost at 70 members!
Q1 Challenge - Alternate Grids
The first quarter challenge for Alternate Grids was due. We saw some great entries with a variety of alternate layouts.
There are many potential Sewcial events in the works. Contact Rose at the programs email if you’re interested in any of these activities: Quilt Book and Notion Lending Library; Quilt Buddies member partnerships; a trip to the Sue Spargo workshop in Ohio; overnight trip to Washington, DC to see the quilt exhibition at the Renwick gallery. Check the meeting slides for more details.
Kona Color of the Year Cards
Service Project
We will be doing a service project at the retreat. If you want to contribute to the project outside of the retreat, you can donate materials or finished pillowcases.
We will be using the Burrito Pillowcase Pattern to sew standard size pillowcases to be donated to patients at Children’s Hospital.
Video Tutorial and Printable Pattern:
https://hellosewing.com/how-to-make-a-pillowcase-burrito/
Participation is voluntary*
Contribute by donating fabric and/or by sewing a pillowcase
Fabric requirements
27” X WOF
11” X WOF
2” X WOF
Show and Tell
FPP and Lettering with Becky
Custom Pattern Design
Becky walks us through a hands-on demonstration of turning letters into FPP patterns.
April programming was all about foundation paper piecing design with our own member Becky. She’s been doing FPP for a year, and designed her first pattern after she decided to alter a commercial FPP pattern she was sewing. She stepped us through the basics of how to sew an FPP block. Teen she walked us through how to use software to design a block based off a picture. We finished up with members taking a stab at designing FPP letter blocks in the software.
The presentation was informative and you can check out the details in the slides - available in the members only section.
2025 Q2 Challenge- Foundation Paper Piecing
Create a quilted item using Foundation Paper Piecing. This can be a bag, quilt, or other item. Completed (quilted and bound) quilts due at the July 13th Meeting.
