March 2024 Recap - Getting your UFOs to the Finish Line!
Ever started a project with excitement, only to abandon it half way? We have all been there! Our March meeting tackled how to finish UFOs (UnFinished Objects), and our last Quarterly Challenge of the year will challenge us to rediscover our old projects and finish what we started!
President: Shared last details for our May Retreat, and closed registrations at the end of the meeting. Also shared details of our March Sew Day, which are wonderful opportunities to disconnect and spend time with friends quilting!
Updated on our QuiltCon quilt Sweater Weather, which was donated to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh
Treasurer: Updated on the financials for the guild, and requested our members submit suggestions for fundraising via the Treasurer e-mail; reminded members that everyone is welcome to attend our monthly Leaderships Meetings via Zoom
Social Media: We are launching a new portion of the website focused on Pittsburgh Area Quilt Services; any members who have suggestions to add should e-mail the Social Media chair
Program: Our guild has signed up to the Global Quilt Connection Sampler Platter, and we will all have access to six hours of demos on April 13 and 14, and for 72 hours after the live sessions
Our Show and Tell is always a great opportunity for members to share! We had members share their experiences and tips at QuiltCon, and shared their UFOs and recently finished projects!
Our March program was Getting our UFOs to the Finish Line. Mary led us through some reflection on why we don’t finish our quilts (everyone had their least favorite part of quilting to share) and what we could do with projects we lose interest in. We talked through how to find, inventory and commit to finishing our UFOs. There is a new resource on the Member Only part of the website to help you track and complete your UFOs!
We are also asking for volunteers for the next few programs; themes include:
June Round Robin - Favorite Ruler
Quilted clothing
Pixel quilting - Nicole and Pam
Quilt design apps
Quarterly Challenges:
The next meeting (April) is the final deadline to submit your 1st Quarter Challenge (Temperature Quilts). After that, we will move to our 2nd Challenge (Scrap Quilts) - we are looking for a quilted item from leftover “scraps”, using modern characteristics; you can use a maximum of one new / non-scrap fabric.
Our 4th Quarter Challenge will be on finishing UFOs - you have until May 5th to submit your UFOs, and bring them to the guild or submit via photo by Jan / 2025. This is the link to submit your UFOs: Click Here for Link.
February 2024 Recap - All About Scraps!
February is usually a drab, post-holidays blues month, but it took a whole new hue at our latest meeting! It was nice to see the display of colors, as our members showed their latest projects, and brought in their scrappiest quilts!
President: Shared the details of the Retreat (May 3-5th, at the Crestfield Conference Center in Slippery Rock, PA; prices range from $140 for day-retreat with food and no accommodations, to $275 for a single room with accommodations and food included); Registration and Payment are due on Mar. 3rd - register now via the Jan 29th e-mail link, or by clicking “Members Only Content” on the top of this page and “Event Registration”
We also voted for the destination of our community quilt (“Sweater Weather”), which is going to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, a local non-profit that works to “promote the health and well-being of infants and children”
Social Media: We will continue to win tickets for the year-end drawing, with two changes: (1) no more paper tickets; tickets will be tallied digitally and (2) a new prize of $200 that can be used towards the retreat or a gift certificate
Program: Asked our members for facilitators for upcoming programs, including: June Round Robin - Surface design (twilling stitch, big stitch, embellishing, couching, fabric painting), Quilted clothing, Pixel quilting, and Quilt design apps
Our February program was All About Scraps, and Mary facilitated discussion on how to store and use scraps! There was a lot of discussion in the room, from how much fabric to save, to how to use it, to differences between traditional and modern scrappy quilting. Thank you so much Mary!
We also asked our members to bring their scrappiest quilts, and look at all the beauties they brought to share:
Quarterly Challenges:
Our 1st Quarterly Challenge is Temperature Quilts, and the last day to bring yours in is on the April meeting
Our 2nd Quarterly Challenge is Scrap Quilts, and we want to see them from May to July. We are looking for a quilted item from the leftover “Scraps” from past quilt projects, utilizing modern characteristics. Your quilt can have a maximum of one new / non-scrap fabric.
As I look ahead to the coming months, I do so with gratitude for the inspiration that our guild brings into our lives. Until the March 3rd meeting, Happy Quilting!
January 2024 elections and recap
January’s meeting included a visit from the Heinz History Center, our elections, challenges and a Quilt Market review.
Hello and welcome 2024! We had a great meeting with elections for new officers, a speaker from the Heinz History Center and a review of Quilt Market in October. Because of a last-minute Covid diagnosis, I missed the December meeting/sew day, so I have a few updates there, too.
Eric Lidji from the Heinz History Center came to talk about an upcoming exhibit (September 1, 2024 through April 2025) featuring the work of local quilter, Louise Silk. Silk’s journey from 1970s textile artist and home ec teacher are on display as well as today’s works that are more personal and comprised of family clothing. It promises to be both deeply personal to her and to speak to the creative soul in each of us. Lidji explained that the first half of the event will be creating stitched pieces that will be added to exhibit for public display and the second half will be where the public can take the tiny pieces home with them. You can see examples on Silk’s Instagram account, @silkquilt. The name of the group of volunteers who will be piecing and stitching these small works will be BubbeWisdom Stitching Circle. If you are interested in participating, get the email from Mary pghmqg.programs@gmail.com
· President: The new officers for 2024 are Connie in Membership, Luiza in Social Media, Mary in Programs, Cheralee in Treasurer and Michele as President. Congratulations to the new officers and thank you to the 2023 officers: Mary, Gail, Jen, Erin and Cheralee. The retreat drawing winner was Zsofia!
· Membership: We now have 60 members, with 16 new members joining in 2023!
· Treasurer: A year-end update was shared and you can find that in the meeting slides in the Members-Only Archive. Our dues to the MQG increased because our membership grew as well.
· Programs: Weaving challenges were due at this meeting! The 2024 challenges were also shared – Q1 Temperature Quilts, Q2 Scrappy Quilts, Q3 Color Challenge and Q4 UFO Challenge.
Nicole and her mom, Kim Nixon, from Sewing Original Stitches treated us to a Quilt Market review. Quilt Market is an industry show for shops and professionals and showcases new products, new lines, etc. It happens twice a year, with one event always happening in Houston and the other rotating throughout the country. New products they brought to share were TenSisters Easy Piecing Grids, OdiShine glitter gel, and fusible scrap tape. Kim noted that handsewing’s presence at Quilt Market is on the rise, and also that some noted quilters are retiring. We really enjoyed learning from a shop’s perspective about choosing the range of products to offer. Thanks so much to Nicole and Kim!
December notes: The Meet Me At the Point charity quilt was donated to the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. It looks like everyone had a great day sewing and the swap of thread catchers was a festive success.
