Sunday, June 19, 2016

Dr. Phillips Library Sew Day - June 2016



Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Details for Quilts for Pulse Donations

Hello ladies and gents! The outpouring of love and support we have received is nothing short of incredible and we are overwhelmed with it. There aren't words to describe how we felt knowing that this sort of atrocity happened in our backyard and now, no words to describe how supported and loved we feel with the help of all of you. Let me start by saying a simple Thank You. When I try and look for words that are better than that, I cant even come up with any because none would suffice. 
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

I know there have been a ton of questions asked and I've waited to answer some of them because honestly i didn't have the answers. Or I had the answers but was waiting to double check them, or get an answer from someone else, or was busy at work. I had to work at my salon all day yesterday, so was fleshing out the details between clients. But the good news is a LOT of details have been decided and figured out.  Any other news will be posted here so please stay tuned. Any questions you have after this post please ask. I'll answer anything I know and get the answer to anything I don't.

1. Where do I send this stuff? 

All mail will go to my salon. Its a commercial address and that mailman will probably hate me a bit since he's a walking mailman, but he's super fit and may just like the extra weight in his mailbag ;) Please send all mail to the following:

Alissa Lapinsky
c/o A List Hair Salon
106 South Woodland Blvd
Suite B
DeLand, FL 32720

Please include a full sized piece of paper with your name, guild if a member (even not modern guilds!), what you've sent, and location so that I can (attempt) to keep track of everyone who helps.

2. I'm not a member of a guild, can I still help??

Ummmm....YES! This is a project that I started so that anyone who isn't scared of a sewing machine can do. I didn't want it to just be our guild, as a matter of fact I'd love any and everyone who could possibly help, to do so.

3. What if I can't make a whole quilt?

Than make a block, even one block will help. Send in some binding, send some backing fabric, send some money (we will need it for postage as some victims families aren't in the area), just repost or share in solidarity, give us a virtual high five or hug. It all helps.

4. I already have a quilt that is rainbow-y and made with love, can I send it?

Do you seriously think I'm going to say no, don't give me a quilt??!! Because I won't. Send it. Please send it, we need a lot of quilts. While I offered a specific block, it was mostly bc of its size and simplicity so more people could take part in this.

5. Can I use a block other than the one you showed?

By all means, do your thing. I chose the block so everyone could take part. I know there are plenty of heart blocks out there and feel free to use anything you'd like. I only ask that your quilt includes a heart or hearts of some sort, and that its mostly brights and/or rainbow. I chose brights and rainbow to represent not only the LGBT flag, but also ALL of the different people affected by the event. I also want them to be cheerful, and want the recipients to know that these are created with love, given with love, and in using them, they will be covered with love. I want them to be comforted knowing that even strangers care and that they did not go through this without the support of others.

6. How big should my quilt be? 

I'm asking for quilts no smaller than 48x60, and no larger than a twin sized. If you're off a smidge, please don't worry. The quilt police wont throw your quilt back at you and tell you you're horrible. We will accept them all. I just don't want some people to get small lap quilts, and some to get queen sized monstrosities.

7. Whats the due date?

We are asking for blocks to be sent BY August 15th. We will need what is most likely a LOT of time to sew all these blocks together, so the sooner we get them, the better! Finished quilts obviously take a bit longer and we are asking for those by September 15th.

8. Where are these things going?

My original thought was to the survivors in the hospital. Than it grew and I thought maybe to the victims families as well. Now I think we will have enough to even give to first responders that were on the scene, police officers, nurses, doctors, hopefully anyone that wants one. If there are leftovers, they will be given to either The Center, an LGBT community center who is pretty much ground zero for the help, and also the Zebra Coalition who focuses their efforts on LGBT youth. Hopefully any and everyone affected will receive a quilt if they want one. We are still making contacts, so if you are personally affected by this please email me at alissalapinsky@gmail.com so we can work to get one to you!

9. Anything else I should know??

Please tag your completed quilts or send a tag with a completed quilt top! I'd like each quilt to have two tags, one for who created it, and one for the general quilty movement :)
Our mothership, The (national) Modern Quilt Guild has compiled a nifty information page for us that they have shared with all their members, and it includes some other blocks that may inspire you as well as a few forms. One form is to fill out if you're planning on sending so we have at least a vague idea of how many blocks/quilts we will be receiving, and one is a form that you can fill out to send in with your submission. 


Also, know that you are making a difference! Each stitch gives someone a bit of love, and even one block helps. Keep on stitching and I can't wait to show everyone all of the quilts!

-Alissa :)


Monday, June 13, 2016

Donation Quilts for Pulse Orlando Victims

Donation Quilt Information for Pulse Orlando Victims

First and foremost I want to thank each and every one of you for offering your help. I can't even believe this happened in our town, and am so thankful for any and all help you're willing to offer. As a quilt community we all love to give and love to help others, and a quilt drive was my immediate thought. Any survivors need to know they are loved and how better to accomplish that than by literally covering them in a quilt covered in hearts, and made with love?!

My idea is hearts in bright, rainbow colors to represent everyone affected, and obviously represent the love we are sending them. We will be using a tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew to make 10" blocks. And I ask that the quilts be no smaller than 5 blocks wide and 6 blocks long. You're more than welcome to make them larger, I'd just like to keep them at the very least lap sized.


This is the tutorial I'd like us to use, and once more, a varying, rainbow of hearts in bright colors, with a low volume background. I think the 10" blocks will make the sewing a bit quicker, and give us more quilts for the victims. You can put the heart in rainbow order or not, that is up to you, but i would love for you to put a tag on the quilt so that the recipient knows who made the quilt for them.

The recipients will hopefully be the survivors and victims families, and those directly affected by the shooting, club owner, etc. I have multiple emails out, and will be updating everyone with more detailed information as I receive it. That includes where to send them. I'm trying to decide where a mass amount of mail will best be received ;) I'm thinking at my salon, since its commercial, but I'll post that info in the next day or two! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP! There is literally no way our guild could get this done without your help, and I want you to know how much we appreciate it! If you have any other questions please let me know, until then....sew on!

Alissa Lapinsky :)
President Orlando MQG

***Additional information (due dates,address, etc) will be posted the morning of Wednesday, June 15th****


We will be making that big one in the back....because we all have big hearts, right??!!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

June Meeting Minutes


MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Maitland, FL

President Alissa called the meeting to order; 55 members and 3 guests were present. The new members and guests introduced themselves.
TREASURER’S REPORT

Joan asked those who have recently joined or renewed to ask her, if they had not yet received a gift and membership card, so she could give them those items today.

RETREAT REPORT

Marge announced that the OMQG retreat this year will be one day longer than last year’s, Thursday-Sunday, November 3-6, at the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring, where it was last year. The cost is $75.99 per room (either one king bed or two double beds) per night, with payment due to the guild in advance. If anyone would like to spread the cost over months rather than making one payment before the retreat, Joan will accept partial payments. Marge noted that continental breakfast is included in the room fee and there is a great restaurant next to the hotel. There is also a handy small quilt shop run on the honor system by Granny Sue in a room adjoining the retreat space. Rather than the guild’s paying an overall tip to the hotel, a tip may be added to room fees. Alissa volunteered to solicit items for swag bags for those attending.

EDUCATION

Education Coordinator Ede reviewed upcoming classes, including Christa Watson’s class on September 24th, Machine Quilting with Style, which will be held at the Bernina Sewing Center in Lake Mary; the price and registration will be available at the July meeting.    She said that Amanda Jean Nyberg of Crazy Mom Quilts is seeking other area guilds that may be interested in offering her classes, to reduce the travel costs, and asked members with contacts in other guilds to let her know so she can pass the information along to Amanda Jean.  She noted that we will have classes given by our members MarySo. and Frank, which have not yet been scheduled, and Jacquie Gering is coming to teach and give a trunk show next March 17-19.  

Alissa announced that she is going to send a Google survey to members about the possibility of members sharing a rented house in Savannah while attending QuiltCon 2017 next February. She is looking for someone willing to act as “house mom” to organize details as well as determining the level of interest of members in pursuing group housing. There is concern about parking; there is a ferry from downtown to the Convention Center. Someone said parking is $5/day at the Center, and someone said the ferry is $20 a day. Alissa noted that it is a walkable city, if you are close to the downtown, but parking is an issue.

RAFFLE BASKET

Linda, who won the Raffle Basket last month, returned it filled with new items, including a number of patterns and several sets of interesting fabrics. The basket was won by Kayla Deskins.

UFO LOG
UFO Coordinator Kelly reminded members to give her their list of UFOs to add to the UFO Log, or add them themselves at the website, and to let her know as UFOs are completed.

GUILD LIBRARY           

Yanick brings the guild library of quilting books to each meeting. See her to see what is available and to check out books, which must be returned at the following month’s guild meeting. She reported that people have been very good about returning them on time. She also said a number of books have been requested by members, and she will be requesting funds to purchase them.

LAS VEGAS MINI QUILT SWAP  -   #vegasmeetsorlandoswap

Tanyia collected the last three mini quilts for the swap with the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild.

DEMO #1

Debra described and demonstrated a number of tips for keeping quilts square, noting that keeping quilts square is a choice but, if you wish your quilt to be square, you need to take care at all stages throughout making your top so it ends up that way. She said first to maintain a consistent seam allowance width, whether ¼” or scant ¼”, which includes considering the impact of thickness of your thread. She demonstrated how to correctly attach borders to avoid unevenness issues by measuring length (and width) 3-5 or more places (edges, center, and other places as appropriate depending on size) and using the median length as the length for borders on both sides. Mary So. advised that (1) borders should be cut on the lengthwise direction of fabric, for less stretch than if cut crosswise, and (2) to sew with the longer piece on the bottom to ease the two pieces so they end up the same length. Debra said to square the corners of the quilted top before binding.

There was a question about “elbows” created when cutting lengthy strips; Alejandrina advised letting fabric drape and lining it up so sides are even, not necessarily along the crease from the bolt, before cutting; Alissa advised using one of the paper-cutter-like fabric cutters with a rolling blade; others advised using a carpenter square from Home Depot, a 60” drapery ruler from Calico Corners, or a folding ruler that opens to a large square corner.

LUNCH

The group meeting for lunch after the guild meeting was going to Miller’s Ale House at 17-92 and Lee Road.

BLOCK OF THE MONTH

June’s Blocks of the Month were won by Shan.

Patti presented the Block of the Month for July’s meeting. Directions are available on the guild blog.


DEMO #2

Beth demonstrated printing on fabric using shaving cream, which she uses mostly for making special background fabric. She described and demonstrated how to spread and level shaving cream on a flat surface, drop color (Dy-Na-Flo, acrylic paints, or alcohol inks) on the shaving cream, draw something pointed through the color and cream to create whatever design and amount of mixing you want, lay white fabric (she uses regular prewashed white muslin) on the cream, then scrape the foam off of the fabric with a flat edge (she used a cake icing tool). The remaining foam can be reused with more color added or as is for less color. You can let the fabric dry or iron it dry; it can be washed and does not run. Beth further showed a stenciled piece and explained how to use a stencil by spray-basting the stencil to the fabric before spraying on colored paint or ink and noting that you can spray baste on one stencil, apply color, and then spray baste another stencil on top and apply additional color, showing a sample in which she had added stenciled spots to a stenciled cat.

GIVEAWAYS

At last month’s meeting, Tanyia presented a challenge offering two coloring sheets, with permission of Diane Bohn, who designed them for her Celestial Star pattern. Two members among those who returned their sheets colored, Mary and Patti, won one of Diane Bohn’s patterns in random drawings.

Another random drawing was made for a Suzy Quilts pattern, for which Alissa was a pattern tester. That pattern was won by Kelly, who will get her choice of two.

CHARITY PROJECTS

Charity Coordinator Sharleen reported that the Sewing Studio has donated fabric for more Heart of Hope pillows, which was a one-month challenge project for the guild, which is being extended another month. She solicited requests for more kits from members on the guild blog, and those were distributed before the meeting. The pillows will be accepted through the July meeting, when someone will be here from University of Florida Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health to accept them. In addition to the Sewing Studio’s donation, the guild provided the first fabric and labels, and Fairfield donated the stuffing. Instructions are on the blog.

Sharleen also reported that she has collected about 25% of the 70 quilts we hope to collect by December to donate to the House Next Door, which provides counseling to children who have been sexually abused. They ask that quilts be 48” x 60” up to twin size, but smaller quilts will be accepted because they counsel children of all ages.

Beth has 15 quilts with backs that need quilting, but in spite of a possibility arranged by Kate of members meeting one day to quilt them at Wandering Stitches, quilters had to be certified on their machines to do so. Members discussed it and decided to get the quilt sets from Beth to finish at home, so she will have them available at coming Sew Days and meetings for those who will quilt them. Marge offered to bind them.

SHOW AND TELL


Riley Blake Challenge Quilts


REMINDERS

Remember to let Joan know if you have recently renewed or joined and have not yet received your membership card and gift so she can get them to you.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 am.

UPCOMING EVENTS

·      June 1 – QuiltCon East 2017 course catalog posted online
·      June 6 – Sew Day, 10-4, Maitland Public Library
·      June 18 – Sew Day, 10-4, Dr. Phillips Public Library
·      June 25 – QuiltCon East 2017 member registration
·      July 6 – OMQG Guild Meeting
·      August 3 – OMQG Board Meeting, after the guild meeting
·      September 24 – Christa Watson class, “Modern Quilting in Style,” Bernina Sewing Center, Lake Mary
·      July 1–November 30 – Quilt entry for QuiltCon2017
·      TBD – Mary So’s class
·      TBD – Frank’s class on dying fabric
·      February 23-17, 2017 - QuiltCon East 2017, Savannah, GA
·      March 17-19, 2017 – Jacquie Gering trunk show and 2 days of classes

July Block of the Month





This month's Block of the Month I'm calling the Staggered Steps block. The tutorial is found on the Spoonflower blog: (they call it a free piecing quilt block). We are making the one with the strips of fabric like the one above.

http://blog.spoonflower.com/2013/10/free-piecing-quilt-block-tutorial.html


Since we are focusing on scrap busting this year, it's a scrappy block and we are going to use white fabric with our scraps (I used Kona white but any true white will do). I used bright jewel tones because they reminded me of summer!  The block will be 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" when finished. I have also included an example of a quilt made from the Staggered Steps blocks sewn together.

Enjoy your BOM and happy scrapbusting!