Spotlight: QuiltCon 2023 

SAMQG is part of the Modern Quilt Guild and one of the benefits is that you can attend QuiltCon for free.  February is when QuiltCon takes place and is the world's largest modern quilting event that happens over four days and includes workshops, lectures, special quilt exhibits, and a juried quilt show covering twelve judged categories.

The SAMQG is proud to highlight three of our members who had their quilts accepted as part of the juried quilt show.  Congratulations, Leslie, Terry, and Susan. 

Susan Braverman
Partisan

Leslie Tucker Jennison
Fault Lines:  Rock Slide #1

  

Terry Wilder
Nimbly Bimbly

All About April

Rebecca encouraged folks to use their Modern Quilt Guild membership benefits and check out the webinars, free patterns and other options.  She suggested checking out the write up on Quiltcon and the latest webinar on Perfection and Procrastination.

We're looking for a Project Manager for the Quiltcon 2017 Charity Challenge.  This year’s challenge requires participants to work collaboratively to create completed quilts using a predetermined color palette while crafting a design that plays with scale.  You can get more info here. Let one of the board members know if you're interested.  If the guild is going to participate, we must sign up by July 30. You'll have lots of support, but we need a leader/coordinator.

We may have a new meeting location lined up for June.  Our May meeting is at Leslie Jennison's house.  Information on the May Mercado will be on Facebook.  It is open to all members and our current sponsors.

Next retreat will be at Creations' Main House on Labor Day weekend.  You can add Monday if you want.

We're expecting Kim Kight, Cotton + Steel Fabric Designer, to present at the June meeting.  Sarah is trying to work out details for a potential June workshop with double gauze or lawn.  Watch Facebook for details.

Jen held a charity sew-in Friday after the meeting at Mesquite Bean from 10-closing.  Mesquite Bean is sponsoring the bags charity drive for Days for Girls. Checkout Facebook and the blog post for more info.  Everyone who donates a bag gets a chance at Succulence FQs donated by Mesquite Bean.

Bring your bags to the May Mercado; get a chance to win some fabric. 

Jen is still accepting NICU blankets for Threads of Love and will continue to accept bags for Days for Girls, but every 2 months she'll issue another challenge for a different charity.

Sarah J won the April BOM blocks, but she did stack the deck a bit, contributing >20 blocks. She got the Sew Inspired ruler to square them up the 30 blocks she won.. 

The next BOM is called A Quilters Table.  Watch Facebook for details.

Members talked about their inspiration for the President's Challenge.  There is so much diversity in our guild and so many different inspirations in the world.  An album cover, song, painting, person, animated character, book, daughter/artist, movie, and video game were all cited as inspirational items by members.  This challenge, due in August, is going to be something special.  Rebecca will be looking for updates at the June meeting.

Our presentation was on the principles of design by our own Suzy Armstrong. She gave us some theory, some rules, and a lot of examples, explaining how principles of design relate to principles of modern quilts.  It was a very interesting, enlightening, and educational presentation.

March Sew-n-Tell

Once again, I'm a bit behind.  But here's the awesome eye candy from the March Sew-n-Tell.

Sarah has been busy making beauties.

Even her backs are gorgeous.

Here's another from our prolific Sarah.

And another pretty back.

Kelli doesn't share often, but when she does,
she has some amazing quilts.

Kelli finisher her quit from
Victoria Findlay Wolf's workshop

Hexagons everywhere and a
unique binding method from Kelli.

Check out that binding.

Kelli's Improv is Quilt as you Go. 

The back really shows the quilt as you go
and great quilting.

Kelli found a way to really use up a lot of scraps.
Crocheting 2" strips into a bath mat.

Sorry, Can't remember who made this beauty. 

Hopefully they'll let me know.

Elizabeth made this for and auction for
her daughter's class.  Each of the students names

is on the cross in their own hand writing.

Can't remember who made this beautiful Swoon quilt but
I'm pretty sure Jen quilted it.  It might belong to Regan.

This is the back of the guild's QUILTCON

charity quilt for 2016.

This is the front of the guild's QUILTCON charity

quilt for 2016.  Sarah J posted the story behind this

on our Facebook site in case you missed it.

This queen size quilt is by Jen.

This baby size quilt is by Jen.

Pieced quilt back by Jen.

Jen made this from the BOM blocks she won.

She has more blocks still to sew together.

Cathy made this for Kristen's baby.

All washed and crinkley and ready to deliver.

Dates to remember and February meeting notes

Here's some of what you missed if you weren't at the February guild meeting.  Here's some dates to put on your calendar.

February 1 - March 30 -- SAMQG quilt along for the Deep in the Heart of Texas Road Trip QAL originally hosted by My Fabric Relish.  Not too late to join in.  See pictures below.  Contact Christine Robbins or go to the Facebook group and ask to join.

February 14 -- The Journey to Modern Art Quilting bee will meet at Landa Library (233 Bushnell Ave, San Antonio, TX  78212) from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

February 19-22 -- QuiltCon at the Austin Convention Center. 

• SAMQG meetups at QuiltCon.  All are welcome to get together daily for lunch on the second floor from 12-2 p.m.  Bring your own lunch.
• Thursday, Feb 19 @ the Mohawk (912 Red River Street) is a Dance Party hosted by Moda.
• Dinner Meetup will be Friday evening.  Sarah Rodriguez will announce the details on Facebook.
• Saturday, Feb. 21 from 7-10 p.m. @ Speakeasy (412D Congress Ave.) is a Region 2 QuiltCon party hosted by the Austin MQG.
• You can download the QuiltCon app at your App Store -- it'll help you track your schedule and know what's going on at QuiltCon.
• You can pre-order merchandise and pick up at QuiltCon -- T-shirts, Totes, Jamberry Nails and the 2015 QuiltCon Giveaway Quilt Pattern (as well as other things) are all available now here.

February 25 -- Allison announced she'll be speaking about modern quilting on behalf of the guild at an event at San Antonio College on Feb. 25.  She'll be posting more details on Facebook soon.  But you'll be able to hear her in person if you'd like.  It's from 10:50 - 12:30 at the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center.  San Antonio College is at 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212-4299.  A map of the campus is here.  There will also be an exhibit of quilts at the library on the fourth floor of the Moody Learning Center.  Allison provided five of her quilts for the exhibit.  The library is open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. but Allison will provide more details on the exhibit on Facebook.

March 5 - Next SAMQG meeting will be a QuiltCon De-brief -- share what you saw or hear about what you missed. 

March 12 - June 27 -- Call for Quilts for the Modern Quilt Guild showcase at International Quilt Festival 2014. Details will be available here very soon.

April 17-19 -- Spring Retreat at the Main House (next to Creations Quilt Store) in Kerrville (1021 Main, Kerrville, TX  78028).  Cost is $165, which includes breakfast and lunch each day with dinner to be coordinated among the participants.  There is space for 24 participants but 12 have already reserved their spots.  Let Sarah Rodriguez know if you want to join in.  $55 deposit holds your spot.

April 30 -- Deadline for submitting entries for the special exhibit of modern quilts at the Texas Quilt Museum.  Details are here.

Here's some other things that came up that you might have missed.

We have established a Sunshine & Shadows contact for the guild.  Mai Long volunteered to take on the task of showing the guild recognizes what's going on with its members who are having difficulties or celebrating successes.  We need everyone to help out by letter Mai know what's going on with your fellow guild members so she can express our well wishes to them during sunshine and shadows.

Sarah Jimenez requested that guild meetings be declared a "NO SELF DEPRACATION ZONE."  Don't tell us what's wrong with your quilt, don't tell us you're not good at what you do or you're disappointed with your results.  Just show us what you got and let us celebrate your finished with our monthly sew-n-tell.  All are beautiful and your work should be appreciated unconditionally.

There will be an auction among guild members of the travelling quilt that the late Patty Villarreal worked on.  Sarah Jimenez will host a silent auction via Facebook.  All proceeds will go to "Any Baby Can," the charity Patty supported.  The quilt will not be quilted and you are welcome to do what you'd like with it if you are the lucky high bidder.  It will come with additional fabric that can be used as backing if you wish.

February BOM -- Leslie won the February blocks.

BOM for March meeting - Susan Andrews has taken over the Block of the Month program and showed the next block to be brought to the next meeting. Instructions will be pinned to the top of Facebook soon.

SAMQG TX Road Trip QAL

 

 

 

 

Hotels are already available for the 2016 QuiltCon-West in Pasadena, CA, and for 2017 QuiltCon-East in Savannah, GA.

If you haven't already, please fill out the Survey so we can continue to improve the guild and ensure it meets the needs of its members.

If you're interested in advertising, please contact Jen Eskridge.

If you missed the meeting, you also missed the presentation by Shannon Brinkley.  I'll post a separate blog about that very soon.

What's in store for 2015

Here's just some of what you can expect in 2015:

January - We installed our new officers, celebrated our 5th anniversary, completed our first mini swap, selected the winner of the Road to Madrona quilt, got to see the travelling quilts, took a peak at the Habitat for Humanity quilt, and received the president's challenge. There will be a "Texty Trapunto" workshop from Jen Eskridge this month too.  And the Journey to Inspired Art Quilting will be making modern trees at their bee.

February - Shannon Brinkley will be at the guild to talk about her modern applique technique.  She'll be doing two workshops as well (Friday and Saturday of meeting week).  Shannon Brinkley has come up with a fun way to turn all those small scraps you've collected into one-of-a-kind quilts using her simple collage technique and raw-edge appliqué.  She's best known for her book Scrappy Bits Applique which includes 8 projects with find detailed sizing charts, photos and illustrations of the techniques she uses.  The Friday workshop will be an animal applique class called Menagerie and the Saturday workshop will be the world map class called Around the World.  You can see examples on her website (www.thebottletree.net). We will also begin taking registrations for the April retreat.  And many of us will be going to QUILTCON.  And the Journey to Inspired Art Quilting Bee will be learning about Sashiko/Japanese quilting

March - This meeting will be a QUILTCON de-brief.  We'll all share with each other what we saw and learned and talk about how those quilts inspired us.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to see those quilts made by our fellow members that did and didn't make it to the show.  And the Journey to Inspired Art Quilting Bee will be focused on fabric painting with inktense pens. 

April - Allison will be providing a presentation at the meeting called "Show us your solids." The guild retreat will be this month from Friday at noon on April 18 through Sunday at 3 p.m. on April 20.  Some might use this to work on their president's challenge quilt. And the Journey to Inspired Art Quilting Bee will be working on embellishing designs printed on fabric.

May - The annual Modern Mercado will be held in May once again.  Guild members will be able to rent tables for $10 each and set up a cross between a flea market and farmer's market to sell extra fabric, notions, patterns, books and magazine.  Consider this a great recycling time.  Recycle what you're done with and get a little cash to put back into the economy and buy new supplies and inspiration to get creative with this year. And the Journey to Inspired Art Quilting Bee will be learning Hawaiian quilt techniques. 

June - Round Robin demo days will be held at this meeting.  Come and learn from fellow guild members all their secrets to great free motion quilting.  We have some experts in the guild and you'll be able to rotate through at least four demonstrations and pick their brains to improve your skills.

Well, that's the first half of the year and hopefully enough to help see what a great deal you're getting by being a member of this guild, though recognize things are always subject to change. And there will most likely be Scrappy Bee get togethers and other workshops not yet finalized. But in case you are still questioning the increase in dues, we'll also be having Anna Maria Horner and possibly Latifah Saafir visiting the guild and sharing their knowledge during the second half of 2015. 

In September we'll be taking nominations for officers for 2016 and that's the month our president's challenge quilts are due.  In October we'll be voting on those new officers and approving the budget for 2016.  And of course December will be our annual Christmas party.  And I'm sure there will be lots of great workshops, charity sew ins, bee sew togethers and imagination will flow freely.  Hope you'll join us for the whole year. 

Much creativity will be seen in 2015!!!