Plea for Pillowcases

In response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week, here is a "Plea for Pillowcases" for the children in Newtown, CT. It is being coordinated by two quilt shops. 

Pillowcase made with Bugalicious fabrics from Blank Quilting.

Send pillowcases to the following locations by the deadlines listed:

By December 23,  send to: 
     Log Cabin Fabrics, 1145 Route 9W, Selkirk, NY 12158  or
By December 27,  send to:
    Quilter's Corner, 312 Danbury Rd., New Milford, CT 06776.

Please contribute as you are able.

A Novel Idea

What a terrific meeting this month!  First, we had some great show-and-tell:

Then we had the big reveal of quilts for the Novel Challenge.

Each participant was instructed to open their book to a certain page picked at random and write down the fifth sentence on that page. The challenge was to use that sentence as inspiration for a small quilt using whatever technique(s) they wanted.

Some sentences seemed to be more challenging than others (I thought mine was the worst), but we had a lot of fun and everyone did a great job on their quilts. This is certainly a creative group!  Here are all thirteen quilts with their makers and sentences:

 Linda Smith
Book: Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins
Sentence: ‘Isn’t that a disgustingly romantic way for a scientist to behave?’

 Pam Graham
Book: White Out by Ken Follett
Sentence: ‘The four kids ate quickly, they retired to the barn to watch a DVD movie called Scream2, leaving six adults around the table in the dining room; ___ and Ned, Olga and Hugo, Daddy at the head and Kit at the foot.’

 Becky Troxler
Book: Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger

Sentence: ‘She would have the results of Mary’s test.’

Sharon Griffith

Book: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Sentence: ‘Then you’ll be more comfortable.’

 Cristy Clark
Book: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Sentence: ‘He began to rush his other customers by shouting at them and no one objected to his harassment.’

 Beverly Herron
Book: Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Sentence: ‘The first fine day I assembled my three eldest sons and put my design into execution.’

 Ginny Csiszko
Book: Murder at the Washington Tribune by Margaret Truman
Sentence: Well, well,” Michael said smiling.”

 Joanna Lienti
Book: Stiff by Mary Roach
Sentence: ‘Each cadaver was outfitted with strain gauges and lead cells in its heel and ankle and clad in one of six types of footwear.’

 Sherry Baldwin
Book: The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini
Sentence: ‘A muscle worked in his jaw.’

 Veronica Hofman-Ortega
Book: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Sentence: ‘They had grown up among movie stars, but to them Jobs was a true celebrity.’

 

Vista Mahan

Book: One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
Sentence: ‘But of course I remember that in one way I lost the lynch pin years before, not long after I acquired the date book.’

 

Ginny Minninger

Book: Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund
Sentence: ‘Had I been married to Artois, I would not find myself eighteen years old and still a virgin.’

Janet Suber
Book: Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robins
Sentence: ‘You prepare to scream.’

Guild Challenge: A Novel Idea

Inspired by a sentence in a book (or novel), members of the Choo Choo Quilters will reveal their 2012 Challenge Quilts at this evening's guild meeting. Any quilting technique or combination of techniques could be used to create a small quilt approximately 18" square.

2012 Guild Challenge: A Novel Idea

Earlier this year, guild members were asked to bring a book or novel to the guild meeting. Participants were instructed to open the book to a specific page, paragraph and sentence and create a quilt inspired by this found sentence. Some of the sentences will no doubt flex the imaginations and tap deep into the creativity wells of the participating quilters.

Join the Choo Choo Quilters for this Guild Challenge exhibit tonight, October 15, at 6:30 pm. Refreshments will be served and visitors are welcome.

September Meeting Pictures

The meeting started off with a sumptuous display of refreshments that were as tasty as they look.

 

 

Next was show and tell. We saw a lot of completed cuddle quilts from the workshop.

Great work gals!

 

 

 

 Here is a beautiful signature quilt

 

A lovely disappearing nine patch

 

 

A hand-quilted Autumn quilt just in time for the season.

 

 

 

Vista shared with us the results of her quilting thread experiments.

 

 

 

More cuddle quilts . . .

 

 

 

 

 

A quilt from the Pat Wys workshop 

 

 

another cuddle quilt in progress

 

 

And a beautiful sewing room quilt

 

 

 

Bill, owner of the Bernina shop presented a great talk about sewing machines, explained about how the stitches are actually made and the problems lint can cause in your machine. I learned quite a bit.

 

 

 

Then Vista talked about the Sweet Sixteen free-motion quilting machine, including some of the tools that make quilting easier and tips on how to practice stitching different patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, she demonstrated just how simple this wonderful machine makes quilting, especially with the stitch regulator engaged.

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone was invited to take a turn on the machines, which made a perfect finale for the evening.

 

 

 

It was a delightful evening.

The pouring rain even let up slightly so we could get into our vehicles to head home.