Wednesday, December 2, 2015

December 12 members-only potluck

The December BMQG members-only meeting/pot luck will be Saturday, December 12 from 1-3 at Rebecca's home in Newton.

Members received an email earlier this week with location detail.  If you didn't receive the email, please contact us.

Don't forget to bring the following:
  • your show and tell
  • a wrapped gift for our Yankee Swap.   (handmade or purchased for less than $20)
  • a snack to share.  (guild will provide drinks)
    • last names A-M bring a sweet snack
    • last names N-Z bring a savory snack

See you December 12!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

November 21 - bag swap reminder

This is just a reminder that we will have our zippered pouch swap at our next meeting, November 21st

Bring your pouch (wrapped up please) and we’ll have a fun, random swap. You will also be entered to win one of four packages of zippers from ZipIt

Open Wide Pouch, via NoodleHead (link here or below)






















In need of some inspiration?  Check out a few free tutorials below,  for some popular zippered pouch patterns. If you have any other favorite tutorials, feel free to share them in the comments or on our Facebook page. 

Free Tutorials: For those looking for ideas for some great zippered pouches, here are some great tutorials available for free:

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Members: see you 10/4 for Jacquie Gering!

Looking forward to seeing all active members at our Sunday, October 4 meeting, when we'll welcome the amazing Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio.   (1- 3pm at Fabric Place Basement)

Please note that this meeting is for paid members only.   Non-members may attend, for a $10 door charge.  Non-members also have the option of joining BMQG at the door, for the $30 prorated 2015 rate.

via Tallgrass Prairie Studio

















Jacquie will have 100 pounds of her quilts on hand, and will share her artistic journey -- from her beginnings as a maker, to becoming a quilter, and now a modern quilter, designer and author.  She'll discuss her roots, how her family inspires and influences her work, and demonstrate through her quilts how she has developed her unique voice in modern quilting.  

via Tallgrass Prairie Studio






















We will have a show-and-tell following the talk.  Please limit yourself to one item, as we expect turnout to be high and want everyone to have a chance to show.

See you all October 4!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Better late than never! - August BOM

August came and went before we were able to post our lovely August BOM from Patrice.



Please see the links above or below to Patrice's tutorial.   See you in a few weeks!




Sunday, August 30, 2015

Fall zipper bag swap


via Alidiza































With several challenges ongoing through the Modern Quilt Guild, we decided to forego a challenge for the guild this fall and instead launch a swap. With that said, we’re excited to launch our 2015 swap today – the zippered pouch swap. With such great participation by members in our zippered pouch challenge at retreat, we decided that a zippered pouch swap would be a quick, easy and fun way for members to participate in a great swap.

On to the details…

The premise: Make a zippered pouch using modern fabrics. That’s it! Because you won’t know who will receive the pouch we ask that you refrain from using holiday-specific fabrics.

Size: There isn’t a specific size requirement, but we ask that you make something larger than a coin purse. Basically, make something that you would like to receive. Be creative!

Deadline: The November 21st meeting

Delivery: The swap will take place live at the meeting. Bring your item wrapped up to the meeting. We’ll randomly draw numbers associated with pouches to determine what pouch you’ll go home with. Swapping at the end of the meeting is allowed.

Added Incentive: ZipIt has graciously offered up four prizes for our swap. Those that participate will automatically be entered into the drawing to win a prize package of zippers. 

Zipit has also provided a discount for all members. Please check your email for the discount code, which was mailed to you on August 30.


Saturday, July 18, 2015

July meeting - rainout

Unfortunately, due to the wet grass and 40% chance of rain, we are canceling our July 18 outdoor meeting.

Please keep your eyes on email for a possible informal meet-up later this month.

Stay dry everyone!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy Fourth of July! July BOM by Kaesmene

Kaesmene, who blogs at Kaesey, has a perfect block for the Fourth of July.  It's rainy and grey here in Boston so make a pinwheel or two to cheer yourself up and celebrate!



Happy Fourth!

The tutorial for Kaesmene's block is here:  https://kaesey.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/pinwheel-fourth-of-july-block-for-the-bmqg/

Friday, July 3, 2015

June Block of the Month: Rails and Ladders



Sorry this is a few days late!  To make up for it, this one is a two-fer.  This "pattern" will make two coordinating "rails and ladders" improv blocks.

This is an improv-style block based on a rail fence pattern, so there is no cutting list.  All you'll need is a nice big pile of scrap strips ranging from 1" to 3" wide and about 12" or longer, in three colors.  They don't even need to be straight/ even.  Great for using up  scraps!  Here is my pile of strips:



Using each of the two colors separately to make two rough blocks, arrange the scraps in a "rail fence" pattern alternating each color with white.


Sew together into a large block, and do the same with color 2.



Trim these to roughly 2" NARROWER than you want them, width-wise, and about 2 - 2.5" LONGER than you want them, lengthwise.  (Note:  I'm not very fussy about block sizes for improv quilts, but if you want these to finish to a perfect measurement it's probably better to add/ subtract 3" and then trim to size at the end.)

Now, cut a strip from the bottom of each block, across the stripes, approximately 2-2.5"  in width. Again, these cuts needn't be perfectly straight -- they look good a bit wonky.


Do the same for the other color block, and sew a strip of white down the side of each strip.


Now we are going to open up our "rail" blocks to insert these strips.  Choose the place you want the "ladder" to be inserted and open the seam.



Now sew a contrasting "ladder" strip into the "rail" block, press and trim.



Then do the other one.  These blocks look cool sashed in white, and arranged with the "ladders" going in different directions.




Thursday, July 2, 2015

July Meeting Details


Join us in this VERY SPOT on Saturday, July 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 (ish) for our June meeting and outing.  We will meet at FAN PIER PARK which is located right on the Boston Harbor behind the Moakley Courthouse in the Seaport District. 

Bring a picnic lunch or snack; there are also take-out food options nearby including Starbucks, Flour Bakery, Bon Me, and Au Bon Pain near the Children's Museum, and if you prefer to come early to eat (and drink) sitting down, there are several great restaurant options nearby as well including Babbo, Legal Harborside, Rosa Mexicana, The Barking Crab and many many others. 



This location is easily accessible/ walkable from South Station on the Red Line and Commuter Rail, Aquarium on the Blue Line,  and State on the Orange.   There is ample paid parking as well, though it can be quite expensive.  Metered street parking exists -- but don't count on necessarily finding a spot.

If you're planning to make a day of it, this spot is also walkable to downtown, the ICA and to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, where Janet Echelman's aerial installation "As if it were Already Here" is on view.

Hope to see you all there!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Belated May Show & Tell

Without further delay, below are our show-and-tell pics from our May color theory meeting.

Stay tuned for our June recap, as well as our June/July BOMs....

Kaesmene led off show-and-tell with a new baby quilt finish, as well as a raffle quilt she created for her childrens' school, completed with the assistance of the kindergarten students.  Kaesmene also showed off a linen bag she made, which is an Anna Maria Horner pattern



























Stephanie completed a flying geese quilt using a free pattern from the Art Gallery website.  She also showed off a recent Noodlehead poolside tote finish.

























Diane brought this reversible flannel baby quilt, intentionally designed to provide age-appropriate choices as the baby ages (genius).


























Elise showed off her latest finish, an intricate gridded mini which she worked on at retreat.




Susan completed this "alpha baroque" quilt and a charming pair of "Owl and Pussycat"-themed baby quilts for friends with newborn twins.


























New member Marilyn brought in pieces from a longtime UFO for advice on sashing.


























Judy riffed on a Carolyn Friedlander dinosaur quilt pattern to create this custom dog quilt using raw edge applique.   The dogs are all modeled from real-life 4-legged friends!


























New member Nancy shared her beautiful "Sail away from safe harbor" nautical quilt.




Gwen completed this stunning Anna Maria Horner "color dot" quilt that she worked on at retreat.

























Stephanie did a Noodlehead pose for her Noodlehead tote finish!


Karen brought some gifts she finished this month, including several mug rugs years in the making.








Allison also had a tote finish in May.


























Rebecca shared a Noodlehead tote finish,  and a  carpenter's square quilt, started at retreat, which is the 2nd of two quilts made for her twin nieces' June bat mitvahs.


June meeting summary will be up soon.  Stay tuned!


Thursday, June 25, 2015

QAYG for Project Linus

Members - be sure to check your email and our charity page for details about our next charity effort, Quilt as You Go blocks for Project Linus!

(... and stay tuned for details about our July 18 meeting, which will be a casual picnic and hand-sewing get-together at a beautiful park in Boston....)


Tuesday, May 26, 2015

May BOM

Rebecca provided our May 2015 block of the month tutorial, a carpenter's square with woven colors. Jump over to Rebecca's blog for the full tutorial.   Can't wait to see who's brave enough to take on these tiny pieces!

via Parsley is the New Black





Thursday, May 21, 2015

Gather Here sewing day

The BMQG sends BIG thanks to our good friends at Gather Here in Cambridge, for so generously hosting our members for a Project Linus sewing day on May 17.  

Thanks also go to the members of our charity subcommittee for coordinating this day and this project, and to our members who turned out!  See below for some recap photos showing the beautiful quilts coming together.

Stay tuned for updates on this effort, and future opportunities to participate in charity initiatives with the guild.








Monday, May 11, 2015

See you this weekend!

via Etsy




















Join us this Saturday, May 16, for our May meeting, where we'll discuss color theory and its applications in modern quilting.  Meeting will be 1 - 3 pm, at Fabric Place Basement.   Don't forget your show and tell!

Also, please join our charity committee this Sunday, May 17, from 12-6 pm, for a drop-in charity sew-in at Gather Here in Cambridge.   Come help us to piece, baste, quilt, and bind the 4 quilts we've assembled for Project Linus.  

See you this weekend!

Saturday, April 25, 2015

April BOM!

April's Block of the Month comes from new member Terri Ann, whose gorgeous blog is Childlike Fascination.






You can find the tutorial on her blog here!

Terri Ann's other  patterns are available on Craftsy, and she runs the site Quiltalong.net, which is a FANTASTIC resource for quilters, where those who like to quilt in good company can find all kinds of ongoing quilt-alongs, both paid and free.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Quilts for Boston

It's hard to believe another anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings has rolled around.  When we put out the call for help we never imagined we would receive more than 2000 blocks from around the world.  Since that time we have stitched away turning those blocks in to quilts that would bring a big hug to those affected by this horrific event.  When all was said and done we were able provided more than 100 quilts.

There was no way we could have accomplished so much without the help of so many people.  Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who contributed to the effort.  At the risk of forgetting someone, we'd like to give special thanks to the following:

Andover Fabrics, Robert Kaufman, Quilter's Dream Batting, Fresh Squeezed Fabrics, Pink Castle Fabrics, Pink Chalk Fabrics, and Sew Fresh Fabrics for providing us with fabric, thread, batting and other supplies needed to produce all these quilts.

Gather Here, Quilter's Way, and Laurena's Longarm for hosting sew-ins, donating quilting time on their longarms, and donating fabric, thread and batting.

Weeks Ringle, Melissa Averinos, Nadine Villani, Quilted Horse DesignsBits N Pieces for donating their time and talent to quilt many of these beautiful quilts.

Members of the JacksonvilleMQG  and Seacoast MQG who graciously took blocks and returned them to us as finished quilts.

Helen and Karen who produced the fabulous brochure that was delivered along with each Quilt for Boston.

Tina for designing our Quilts for Boston label and Caitlin Topham for having it printed for us at Spoonflower.

All the members of the Boston MQG who helped coordinate this effort, donated supplies from their own stash, delivered quilts, pieced, quilted, bound and labeled quilts and worked so tirelessly to make this project a success.

The amazing quilting community for sending us their love in the form of quilt blocks.


 You can view all of the finished quilts in our Quilts for Boston flickr group.