Saturday, January 24, 2015

DMAQG Auction Quilt Project Details

A big thank you to everyone at the January meeting who voted and helped hash out the details of our next group project, and to Leila, who prepared these photos & diagrams. Here we go!

If you weren't at the meeting, here's the back story: The Des Moines Area Quilters Guild holds an auction every August to raise funds for a few major women's charities. It is customary for small groups to contribute items to the auction for sale and now that we're a small group, we will be doing the same. We decided on a modern quilt we will work on together, everyone contributing blocks and various members pitching in to assemble and finish it (let us know if you would like to volunteer for any of the finishing work in the comments below!)

The pattern we decided on for the blocks is the Half Square Triangle {Scrappy Strings Style} Tutorial, Blooming Poppies has a nice tutorial for the basic design. Leila drew this diagram for the layout of the blocks (which is subject to change based on how many blocks we get back)



Please click the link and follow the tutorial with the following changes:
  • Cut muslin and background fabric 14" square.
  • Use light blue, medium blue, navy, teal, or turquoise for the string fabrics.
  • Use only one color of string fabric per block (ex. multiple prints of navy).
  • Strings to be cut a variety of sizes from 1" to 2.5" wide.
  • Use linen colored, cream or light gray low volume fabric for the background.
  • Leave the blocks a little larger than 12.5" (we'll trim them square before construction)
  • If you follow those directions, you will get two blocks. 
  • Please leave a comment on this post with how many blocks you will contribute.
  • Blocks are due at our April 16th Meeting
Here are some examples of fabric choices to help you visualize fabric selection...












Monday, January 19, 2015

DMAQG Newcomers Group

As a reminder, if you are a new member of the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild due to our recent change in guild status, you are eligible to attend the DMAQG Newcomers group. Its a small group you only get to go to for one year and it will be a good year! You'll get to meet all the officers, learn more about the guild (the stuff that everyone assumes you already know!), and best of all, just have another opportunity to get together with quilt-y friends!

The first meeting of the 2015 Newcomers is tomorrow night. 6:30 p.m. at the Urbandale Library, Meeting Room B, 3520 86th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322. They meet every THIRD TUESDAY January through October.

Bring Show and Tell and wear a nametag.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Meeting Details for January 15, 2015

Our next meeting is on January 15, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. at the West Des Moines Community Center, 134 6th Street, WDM (in Valley Junction) [click for map]. It is in the first block of 6th street, just north of Railroad Blvd and there is a good sized parking lot right next to the building.

Activity:  Garage Sale Swap

Everyone bring fabrics & supplies in baggies, marked with garage sale prices and your name. During the meeting, we will spread everything out and go shopping. Anything you want to buy, you will find the member and exchange money or, as in the past, swapping other comparable items is A-OK!

There will also be a free section for stuff you just don't want anymore. Don’t worry about marking those.

Remember to bring cash to the meeting so you can buy some new stuff!

Auction Quilt Project

We will also be preparing for a new group project! As part of the DMAQG, our small group will contribute to the August Charity Auction with a group-made quilt!  Please scour your files and favorite websites for free/readily available block patterns that would work well for a group project. The steering committee has already been discussing some ideas, so we’ll bring those, combine & evaluate all the options, take a vote and discuss the details such as color scheme and fabric choices.

The meeting is next week already, so see you soon!

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Happy New Year & 2015 Schedule

Happy New Year!

We are looking forward to another year with our Modern Quilt friends!  Our group is changing a little, but staying the same a lot this year too!  A small steering committee met in December to talk about our ideas for the new direction as a small group of the DMAQG and activities for meetings in 2015. We welcome all members' input as we move forward, especially as you will notice there are some holes in the calendar. Let us know if you have any ideas!!

We will continue to meet on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., now at a new and consistent location! West Des Moines Community Center, 134 6th Street, West Des Moines, IA [click for map] Below is a list of our tentative topics for the coming year. I will send out more details closer to each meeting date. Every meeting we will also have show and tell by all, bring whatever you are working on (and remember, works-in-progress just as acceptable as finished pieces!)

Looking forward to a great year with our Des Moines Modern Quilt GROUP!
-Emma Thomas-McGinnis, new website admin

January 15, 2015

Garage Sale Swap
Bring Block Ideas for DMAQG Charity Auction Quilt

February 19, 2015

Prepare Challenge Fabrics & Distribute

March 19, 2015

Leila Gardunia & Her New Book!

April 16, 2015

Pin Cushion Swap

Turn in Blocks for DMAQG Charity Auction Quilt

May 21, 2015

Reveal Your Challenge Piece

June 18, 2015

tba

July 16, 2015

Hand-Stitching Together Evening, bring your own project

August 20, 2015

tba

September 17, 2015

tba

October 15, 2015

Get Ready for Christmas, Bring Ideas to Share

November 19, 2015

Holiday Party & Gift Swap