Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Welcome to GreatFul Threads 2015.



Welcome to GreatFul Threads  2015.  When you were a child did you ever ponder on what the world would be like “in the future”?  For whatever reason, the year 2025 was always my futuristic date. I was thinking about this last week and realized we are only 10 years away from what I deemed “the future”. If you watch the daily news programs our future is questionable. Although, if you, like me, hide in your quilting studio, only read quilt magazines and only watch quilt programs and quilt classes, our future looks like great fun and I can’t wait to jump in with both feet!!

We had thirteen members attending the January GreatFul Threads meeting. We are so GreatFul (har, har) to Bill and Melissa for hosting our group in the Bernina store for a second year.

The group is still collecting fabric, trim and recycle items for the Children’s Discovery Museum.  We decided to table the Blanket project in conjunction with the CDM due to lack of woman  power.

A retreat at Home Harvest in Trenton, GA is scheduled for April 24-6, cost approx. $140.00. Due to that being the weekend of AQS Paducah, it was questionable whether any members were able to go. If you are interested contact me, we need a minimum of 6 to attend.

National Quilting Day is March 21. Sandi Suggs, in conjunction with Hamilton Place Mall, has planned  “Stitch in the Mall”  to promote quilting and the Chattanooga Quilting Community. Eight guilds will be given a table to set up 2 sewing machines. Each guild will hang 2  36” square quilts ”. Shoppers can admire the quilts, talk to the quilters and get info on joining a guild that appeals to them. Josie is going to design a handout with information about GreatFul Threads. If you are interested in hanging a quilt or sewing, please contact me by February 1.

GT 2015 Challenge will be “Birds”.  Make it whimsical and add text to it. We discussed submitting our challenge to Chattanooga AQS 2016 but found out there will not be a challenge this year or next. In fact the only challenge is at Grand Rapids.  Hmm, was there not enough participation in the past? So, back to our question of  “What size  will our challenge quilts be?”  How about 30” X 36”? If anyone has a better suggestion….bring it on! 

There will be 4 of us going to the Children’s Discovery Museum February 14 to assist with the annual Make it Day. We will be helping the children sew pillows. The Museum needs help from 12:00 to 4:00. That happens to be the 2nd Tuesday of the month which is the day Modern Quilt Guild meets and several of us attend that until 12:00. If you are available and not in Modern it would be great if you could be there at 12:00 to assist and back up will be there as soon as we can grab lunch and get from E. Brainerd to downtown. Let me know if you can and I’ll get you a parking pass.

At the May meeting, in addition to our program we will be creating a multi-media project. Bring a square box, approximately 4” to the meeting. 

I want everyone to know that I used the soldering iron today and cut my synthetic fabric. It cut like butter and was SO MUCH FUN.  It could be addictive. I only burned myself once, my finger slipped but I very quickly put some aloe burn lotion on and it neither hurt nor blistered.  If you need to watch the youtube videos again they were, “Cutting Fabric with a hot knife” by Don McCunn, Fusing Fabric with Jane Davies, and “Craft Ideas with Textile Artist Margaret Beal”

Thanks to Josie for taking pictures and helping with the blog while I’ve been locked out. 

Next month, Vista will be choosing our program videos. This will be interesting to see just what strikes everyone’s fancy!

See you at the February meeting. Be sure to bring in a project you have created by fusing. Don’t forget to add some sheer fabrics you cut with your soldering iron!

Quilt every day, it takes the Winter blues away,

Denise

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Thursday January 22, 6pm at Bernina of Chattanooga, First Meeting of the Year!!!!!!!!!

Next week is our January GreatFul Threads meeting. We have much to discuss and I hope much to show 'n tell.  I plan on getting there early (5:00) to set up the computer with the TV. I will choose our first Youtube video for the 2015 program. 

I do hope this is going to be a good year with a lot of participation. I am looking forward to it and hope you are as well. 

See you Thursday at the Bernina shop. Meeting begins at 6:00.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my art quilting friends. May your stocking be filled to the brim with quilting art supplies. I don't know about you but I think I am going to ask Santa for the gift of time, more time to work on my art quilting! What!  I can sense some of you are shaking your heads...get back you unbelievers of the jolly Clause.  He can give me more time....by hiring someone to clean my house, cook the meals, do the shopping and the laundry. Yea, right, dream on Denise. Well, that's why I'm  good at art quilting, I have a vivid imagination.

I do hope midst all the hustle and bustle  you are finding time to create, it will relieve holiday stress. One thing I am sure of, a few of you are creating some last minute Christmas gifts. I myself have two that need to be finished in two weeks.

One way to relieve holiday stress is to think about the upcoming year. For example, Karen Dewhirst needs you to be at the Children's Discovery Museum on Saturday, January 3 from 9:00 - 11:00. You will be helping the children sew together a monogrammed pillow or bag. Nothing to prepare simply show up and work with the children using the sewing machines for two hours. Let me know if you are available and I will put you on the list along with my name.

Have you had a chance to get on YouTube and find an art quilting demo, our 2015 GT program?  At our meeting in January, I will have one chosen, after we watch and discuss we will then  pass around a sign up sheet for the year. You might find something that strikes your fancy that would be appropriate for a certain time of the year.

I'll be honest, my husband and I are hosting our annual Book Group Christmas party Tuesday night. My upstairs sewing room looks like an F-4 tornado hit it! Someone always ask to view my latest project, So, I am  asking you, the blog reader, the following question, Should I.....

1. Put my two cats upstairs and tell them, "I'm sorry but my cats are locked up there and I'd rather not get them any more upset than they already are."   OR
2. Stay up all night tonight cleaning and straightening. (problem with this solution is eventually I will stop cleaning and begin sewing, solving nothing).   OR
3. Tomorrow I should forget cleaning the rest of the house, which looks doubly clean compared to the sewing room, and clean the sewing room instead.      OR
4. Take them upstairs regardless because,  a messy sewing room is an artist at work, be proud of my accomplishments. I could perform this problem solution  only because my sister, Psyleeta, is not coming. If she was coming this solution would not hold snuff!

Help me solve my dilemma by voting for what you think I should do.

Don't forget about our March 12, National Quilting Day. We need each GreatFul Thread member to make a 36 X 36" art quilt to be hung on the clothesline in Hamilton Place Mall. If I remember correctly one will be chosen to hang OR they will rotate off every hour and another hung in it's place. Either way...Fun, Fun!  Any theme or color can be used.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Denise

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Re-cap of October's meeting

What a full and final meeting for the 2014 year of GreatFul Threads.

Jackie Cory won ribbons on her work submitted to the Mount Olive Quilt Show and the Tennessee State Fair. Both she and Delores Dady have quilts in the upcoming Folk Art show at Reflections Gallery. There will be a reception to meet the artists Nov. 6 from 4-7:00.

Jackie will be teaching a second Altered Book class on Nov. 12 from 11:00 – 2:00. Call Reflections Gallery to sign up, 423.892.3072.

Several ideas were suggested for projects  with children at the Discovery Museum. It was decided that GreatFul Threads will work as a group with the children 3 times during the year.

Liza Blair of the Discovery Museum suggested an art project for next year during AQS. This project will involve a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Because any group applying for this grant must be a 501 C3, GT will have to work with a group that is.

A retreat has been set at Home Harvest Retreat April 24-6 in Trenton, GA. Details will be determined in 2015.

The program for 2015 will be art quilting videos on YouTube. The Bernina Quilt and Sew studio is set up with a big screen TV so the videos can be viewed as a group. Members will make a project using information learned from the video and bring a completed project  the following month.

Brenda Cregger volunteered to be the Children’s Discovery Museum Liaison. Her job will be to communicate with  Karen Dewhirst and Liza Blair concerning programs and events that involve members of GreatFul Threads.

2015 Challenge for the year will be art quilts around the theme “Bird”.

Sandy Suggs has planned an event at Hamilton Place Mall in Center Court inviting all guilds in the Chattanooga area to participate. Two members from each guild will be sewing on personal projects while others will be answering questions and selling tickets for a raffle quilt. Funds retrieved will be donated to a local charity. All members of GT are asked to make an art quilt of their choice 36” X 36" by March 1. Two quilts will be chosen  from each guild to hang on a clothes line in the Mall at Center Court during this event. Purpose of the event is to promote quilting in the Chattanooga area.

The Self Portrait Challenge was accepted by 8 members. They were fantastic as can be seen by the  pictures. Thanks to Sharon and Linda for taking pics.

Thursday, November 6 guild members will meet for a day out to Yates Bleachery in Flintstone, Ga. We will then  go to Samaritan’s Thrift Shop in Ooltewah with lunch in between. Vista Mahan will send out driving directions. If you are interested in going please contact me so













 we can arrange a time and place for carpooling.

Thanks to all for making 2014 a wonderful art quilting year! A special thanks to Bill and Melissa Klingensmith for being our host this year and in 2015.


Denise

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Last GT 2014 Meeting

Thursday evening, October 23, is our wrap up GT meeting for 2014. We will be making our plans for next year. The  Self Portrait Challenge is due, time is almost up. If you have not started yours yet....GET CRACKIN'!

Be sure to bring your challenge, basket technique, and show 'n tell.

See you at the Bernina shop,

Denise




Sunday, September 28, 2014

Recap of September meeting

Fantastic September meeting of GreatFul Threads. Thanks to all who attended, the tables were full with current members and  visitors, Jane Indyke and Susan Asendorf, who we hope will come back. It was especially good to have Brenda Cregger back with us. We have missed her fearless, hold no embellishment back, just do it approach to art quilting!  Sandi also returned after a whirlwind year of AQS  and  Chattanooga Visitor Bureau business. The group expressed appreciation for her hard work, dedication to quilting and the city of Chattanooga.  Sandi wants everyone to know that deadline entry for 2015 AQS Chattanooga  is May 1. Get online to read  categories and size requirements. Karen Sperry’s quilt was videoed by AQS to be used in advertisement for the Albuquerque, New Mexico show. You just never know what good things will happen when you enter a show!

Jackie Cory is the new coordinator for the Heritage Quilt Trail. This is the organization that puts those lovely, painted quilt blocks on the side of small businesses, non-profit agencies and family farms. If you or someone you know might be interested, send her an email for more info.

Congrats to all our members and friends who had quilts in the show and hanging in the many venues around Chattanooga. What a thrill it was to see your work hanging in a new environment being oohed and aahed  by admirers who might never have seen it otherwise. 

There is a new business open in Ooltewah next to Chattanooga Quilts called Tinker Fairy Cottage. It is a vendor booth store similar to the E. Brainerd Merchants Warehouse. Be sure to check these stores out, you will appreciate the hand made merchandise.
Some of our members have rented booths.

October is the due date for our 2014 challenge, “Self Portrait”. It’s not too late to begin and finish. Rules are as follows:
1.50% must be pieced or appliquéd
2. sleeve on back
3. size 11” X 14”
4. can be interpretive, real or abstract

Karen Dewhirst, Science Manager from Childrens Discovery Museum came to inform us about the new “Make It Room”. Five new sewing machines plus a die cut machine have been purchased. They need volunteers to work one on one with a child at each machine. They also need fabric scraps and clean items that can be recycled into craft projects. Karen is looking for simple sewing project ideas that will be good for both boys and girls.

We have had such a good relationship with CDM this year, I would like it to continue  and make the museum our community outreach project. Each of us would like to see our craft continue into the next generation and this is an ideal outlet to accomplish that goal.

I would like everyone to come up with one simple sewing project and get it to me within 2 weeks. I will forward those to Karen. She needs to have her budget projections  for 2015 and will need to estimate cost of supplies. Get me that one idea on or before  October 13 and I will forward those to her.  Next I would like everyone to start saving your fabric scraps, notions, empty spools, buttons, 2 liter bottles, pine cones, seed pods, bottle caps, anything you look at and think…hmm, you could do something fun with this.

The official “Make It Day” program is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2015. Put that day on your calendar, and let’s spend Valentines’ Day doing something we love, sewing!  Once Karen gets our simple project recommendations we can work with her on setting a schedule for days we can  be there to volunteer throughout the year.

If the museum agrees, I would like us to make another quilt with the children that can be hung during AQS 2015. Be thinking about a simple block the children can make (maybe one using the die cut machine) We will need to schedule those workdays into the calendar also.

October is our last GT meeting for 2014. At that meeting we will finalize our 2015 program, challenge, officers, retreat, meeting location and time.

Denise


Linda Smith's circle floor covering

Jackie Cory used crayons to make the pear design

Linda's crazy quilt Christmas tree

Kim Callaway and her work from an AQS class

Those are Miriam Duncan's hands behind this beautiful paper piecing


Miriam, that really pops!

The pic does not do it justice, it was beautiful and the butterflies were so well made.

Miriam's compilation of techniques she drew from the basket this year

Fabric folding

It was a long drive from Dayton, thanks Jane Indyke for making the trip.
1 of 9 art quilts mounted on wood in a nine patch square.

Sandi Suggs and her Ruched pillow. 

Lovely on the sofa for Fall

Welcome back to GT Brenda. 1 of 3 aquarium quilts

Great use of Michael Miller MQG challenge fabric

Beautiful job on the jellies

Detail of thread play on Brenda's Aquarium otter quilt

Denise painted with Rit Dye using a glue resist to keep it from spreading