July 2009 Newsletter

Hi One and All, Meeting was brought to order by Randi. Yup she was back and in charge - oh we do thank you God. Our meeting was not the same without her. Linda said she finally got caught up on the minutes for the blog and of course as luck would have it she couldn't get it posted for what ever reason - you know computers. Our delightful Virgo, Margie said there are now 42 days till September. Meaning summer is almost over??? Didn't it just arrive a week or so ago???

Linda was enjoying her hand work finishing an adorable baby quilt for a baby that was born in May - not too late. Not late at all actually someone said you have up to a year - was that Dawn? So you’re doing fine Linda. Nice job by the way, colors are beautiful.

Oh by the way, Linda said now that I am taking the minutes she has the spare time to sew. But she does take the pictures along with Randi.

Randi asked if we would mind being guinea pigs for a trial run on a Windy Moon retreat game. Sounds like fun and prizes were brought up - well if we're gonna play we should have a few benefits right? We are guinea pigs, right? So everyone remember to bring a fat quarter as a quilt bingo prize next month. The Windi Moon retreat will be in Virginia City in March 2010.

Silver Springs Entertainment and Arts Quilt and Fiber Arts Show is in October. We can display or have our quilts judged. It seems this is a small show but eager participants. At least the Bees are eager. Randi would like Tricia and I to loan our quilts that the group made for us and we both agreed. We need to put a sleeve on them though. That is 3" hanging sleeve. It cost $5.00 for the first entry and $4.00 each for additional quilts you enter. Linda will see the applications are at our next meeting for us to fill out and then we need to have the quilts at the Sept meeting. They are actually looking for as many quilts for display or judgment and any other means of art that we are willing to allow them to display.

Rita finally finished her sewing room. She said she is ready to do some producing now and we can look forward to many wonderful creations. Rita brought up the Sisters, Oregon trip she took and how it literally changed her. She started off by giving us fat quarters from there as they are noted for their retro fabrics at the Stitching Post Quilt Store. Anyway, there are beautiful and we thank you for remembering us. She got an unexpected surprise in that she had signed up for the Gee”s Bend Lecture and found the workshop had an opening and she jumped at the opportunity not knowing what was coming. She had brought the picture she was doing for her sister and needed help in finishing. She got much more than she bargained for. She said there were 12 women there and there was one daughter and one grand daughter from the original women. They each took a class participant and worked with her during the class, one-on-one. She had Miss Lucy Minges (forgive the spelling). Rita showed her the scrap bag of clothes from her nieces that she planned to use in the quilt and Miss Lucy said " Honey you need to give these to those chillins who needs 'em" what else you got there?" So out came more fabric scrap - more or less junk to Rita and then Miss Lucy started ripping and tearing and said 'Honey SEW!" And so Rita sewed and Miss Lucy ripped and Rita sewed and Miss Lucy ripped and soon it was huge. And when Rita looked at it she THOUGHT, didn't say, but thought “My sister will wonder what I was smoking if I give this to her.” So it is to be finished and so is the large quilt. But Rita said Miss Lucy left her with this... "You needs to get on down on yor knees and ask God to get rid of them demons in yor life." And Rita says this class was really a gift from God. It has helped her immensely. Gee's Bend postage stamps featuring their quilts

Rita also got to a class by Paula Benaminson on African Stamping and she loved it. They got to use real wooden blocks from Africa to stamp with and then she attended another class taught by Cindy Needham regarding needles and thread etc. for machine quilting. Wow! what a learning experience. Tricia and Margie were or are into stamping with veggies... maybe you two would like to do a class or demo for us???

We talked about the Shop Hop for this year - remember if we all do it we stand a much better chance of winning the big prize - Retreat in Tahoe for 10. Randi gave Rita a belated thank you for doing the class everyone loved so much.

Linda was showing us the baby quilt when asked about her quilting ideas for this one, she said she keeps a notebook of ideas all the time and then when she goes to quilt something she goes to this notebook. She says she constantly thinks about what or how she will quilt a quilt as she works on it. It kinda drives her crazy. But she says she doodles and as ideas pop up she writes them all down.

Dawn is taking a Free Motion Quilting class at Windy Moon and what beautiful leaves she did on this quilt she brought it. Wow! She said they were told to doodle the leaves on a dry eraser board over and over and over and over until the motion is in your head, then when you go to do it on the machine it is right there. No thinking - second nature. During her class, she was taught that you need to do these leaves without moving your fabric around and she was surprised but we gather that is to make other challenges easier in the long run if you learn this first. It really was beautiful - she conquered the leaves - her teacher better give her an A! She did this beautiful quilt for her boyfriend’s nephew and wrote words all along the border. Words a young man should know - on e of those words was respect - but as she was writing it she realized it was wrong and so without ripping it all out what else could she use - reptile and so another work was added.

Randi showed us photos of the quilt she made for her nephew Todd, he really liked it but it seems a son was a little upset and made it known he needed one like everyone who had one.

Peggy made a machine cover that was truly beautifully done. However, it seems the colors were not to her liking - she was using scraps. The opinion of the Bees however was the colors were great, very complimenting.

And I, Carol, showed towels Helen helped me do or actually did for me for my bathroom. I'm doing it in black and white and with a Paris theme. I had a lamp in the shape of the Eiffle Tower and so thats where I began. Its coming along nicely. The towels are great. Thank you Helen.

Our dinner tonight was created by our twin sisters, Tricia and Peggy - it was great. And our dessert was delightfully refreshing Hagen Daaz mini Ice cream bars. Next month dinner by Rita.

Also homework from Rita for us. We are to draw an object where you put the pencil on the paper and look only at the object. Do not take the pencil off the paper nor your eyes off the object till you finished eyeballing the object. I guess you draw it with your eyes like your hands and pencil were attached to them.

Also Tricia and Margie brought up some ideas about Calico cats and 3 chromosomes and Down Syndrome Kitten/ Do a quilt pattern with those chromosomes.

Who has worked on their Challenge quilt yet? Carol has almost finished hers. Everyone else seems to have their fabric and know where the pattern is located so they too will have theirs started right?

The big helpful hint for machine quilting is doodle and go over the pattern by tracing - repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.

Linda won’t be with us next month she'll be camping - have fun! See the rest of you on August 17th. Have fun sewing and drawing! Don't forget your homework!

Keeping Bzzy!

Carol G.