Wrapping up a year of stripping

After kicking off our 21st year as a guild with a program on lasagna strip quilts, and our annual Cuddle Quilt workshop that featured 2.5" pre-cut strips, the Choo Choo Quilters wrapped up the year with a quick demonstration of yet another strippy possibility.

Beverly shows the block layout for her  Jelly Roll Jam quilt.

We also enjoyed a diverse Show and Tell from our talented and very prolific guild members.

Becky's 3-dimensional turkey wall hanging is perfect for the season. 

Kim showed this festive little holiday dress with an embroidered ribbon sash.

This is one of a series of art quilts that Delores has created. 

The blocks for this album quilt were a surprise gift to Joanna.
She hand quilted this quilt and the backing and batting are both wool.

Veronica shared a quilt that she free-motion quilted for a local quilt shop. 

Vista created tree ornaments by repurposing men's neckties.
A wonderful memento. 

The following photos from past Show and Tells illustrate the inspiring array of quilterly eye candy the Choo Choo Quilters share and enjoy at monthly guild meetings. From antique and vintage finds, treasured heirlooms and rescue quilts, to modern, contemporary and art quilts, the quilts and projects shared during Show and Tell showcase a variety of hand and machine techniques in styles from traditional to trendy—and everything in between!

This antique log cabin quilt top dates from 1903.

Left: Guild members examine the hand workmanship and variety of fabrics.
Right: the back of each of the log cabin blocks is dated.

A label that was sewn to the back, documents the quilt:
"Mary J. Stagner, 426 W. Gorham St. 1903"
"729 different pieces"

Another vintage "Trip Around the World" quilt.
Take note of the zig-zag border.

Dawn (left) shows her version of the quilted basket.
Dawn (right) rescued this colorful little quilt from a yard sale.

Juanita (left) shows us her quilted table runner.
This tree skirt was made by Ginny (right) for a niece.

This modern style quilt top was made by Janet (left) in a Denyse Schmidt workshop.
The blocks were free-form cut with a rotary cutter—but without a ruler!

Veronica used free-form strip piecing techniques to create this quilt.
It is free-motion quilted.

The Choo Choo Quilt Guild is a friendly, low-key guild that tosses traditional meeting protocol to the wind (sorry, Mr. Roberts and your book of Rules). Our membership is comprised of beginning quilters as well as those with more experience—all willing to contribute, share, support and assist each other. Member teams take turns welcoming visitors and presenting monthly meeting programs—so that no individual member is overwhelmed (or overburdened) with all the guild responsibilities (we like it that way!)—and everyone has an opportunity to share some aspect of the quiltmaking experience with the group. Visit our Blog Archive to see what we've be doing for the past 4 years and stop in at a future meeting for a visit. Until then...

Happy Holidays from the Choo Choo Quilters! 

See you in 2014.