Newtonia Battlefield Quilters

April Meeting

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's a new year for the Newtonia Battlefield Quilters! Our birthday party in March ends the old year, and our April meeting is always a new beginning.

Our officers for the coming year are Lucy, president, Suzanne, vice-president, Paula, secretary and Bobbie, treasurer.

Dues are now payable, too, so bring your dollars to the May meeting so we can plan for the upcoming year and hand out membership cards. Don't forget: many quilt shops will give you a discount when you present your membership card at the check-out stand.

We have decided to simplify our annual planning. From now on, our Spring Retreat will be the first complete weekend in April and our Fall Retreat will be the first complete weekend in October. That way the retreats will be exactly 6 months apart, and we can reserve the building ahead of time without fear of double-booking. Mark your calendars right now, so you won't accidentally plan something else for the retreat weekends.

Two challenges are due in July! Bring your completed center block, any size and any design, and get instructions for the first border; I think this challenge will end in March, but I'm not sure about that, so watch this site for more information. Whenever it ends, the completed quilt will be your very own design and will be yours to keep or give away, as you wish. This is a new kind of challenge, and there was a lot of excited buzz about it. Also, bring your completed "Ugly Fabric" challenge project, and show off your creativity.

Next meeting is May 19th, so get ready for more fun!

Spring Retreat

2011-05-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

There were great things going on at our Spring Retreat on April 8th and 9th. We had a choice of classes in several types of fabric dyeing, including Snow Dyeing, Ice Dyeing and Freezer Dyeing, plus classes in Wrapped Rope basket making, and Grandmother's Flower Garden hexagons (two methods!). The food was wonderful, and we all went home with new treasures and a few extra pounds. Oh, and we added two new members, thanks to Pauline and Paula. It was a wonderful time to 'retreat' from daily chores and responsibilities and have fun learning new techniques. Now we're all looking forward to the Fall Retreat!

Stuff I forgot .............

2011-03-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Spring Retreat is scheduled for April 8 & 9, 2011, from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm at the Fairview Community Building.

Brent McDonald will be at the Fairview Community Building on Friday morning of the retreat and again that evening to work on machines, so bring your machines and have Brent clean and service them while you do something fun - no more making special trips to Joplin or Springfield just to drop off your machine and then having to make another trip to pick it up. This is a really good deal, so take advantage of it.

Each person who attends the retreat is to bring a door prize for each day of attendance.

Mary, Coralee and Bobbie will be in charge of procuring additional and special door prizes; be prepared for surprises!

Sign-up sheets were sent around at the meeting on Thursday evening, and reminder notes were given to everyone, so be sure to do whatever you signed up to do. No excuses! Just be there, do some creative sewing, perform your volunteer obligations, and have fun!

Lucy has agreed to show me how to post pictures on this site, so soon you'll be bombarded with visual treats ............. or whatever you want to call them ..........

Birthday Party

2011-03-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our birthday party was fun, fun! Paula had games organized around the TV show "Minute to Win It". We were divided into two teams, and everybody competed in a game. We had "Spool Measure UP", where two people had to hold a ruler out in front of them and stack as many spools on it as possible, "Press On", in which two people had to pull fat quarters out of a bin, one at a time, iron and fold them. Also played were "Stitch Me In", where two people competed to see how many neat and even stitches they could put in a small piece of fabric, "Thread in the Eye", which had two people compete to see how many needles could be strung on a thread, "Quilt Puzzle Block", which was a quilt block (paper) cut into puzzle pieces that had to be put together, and "Strip Cut", which pitted two contestants against each other trying to see who could cut the most 1 1/2" strips of fabric in a minute . All the games were great fun.

Ann and Rebecca cooked up some great food for us: a noodle casserole, raw vegetables and dips, crackers and cheese, and yummy chocolate frosted cupcakes.

Meeting Canceled

2011-01-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, darn it! The weather has pre-empted our meeting for January, and we have had to cancel it. So, we'll see you all next month with lots of good stuff goin' on!

December 2010 Meeting & Christmas Party

2011-01-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

Our December meeting was our annual Christmas Party. Lucy called the meeting to order and most of the business was dismissed quickly so we could eat and celebrate. Gifts were exchanged and the food was great - as it always is. Our one disappointment for the evening was the exchange of aprons with the Japanese guild; their aprons were held up in the mail, so we didn't receive our gifts from them, but we should have them in time for distribution at the January 20th meeting.

Lucy won the BOM, "Strip Trees". Wonder what she'll do with those blocks? Hmmmm ....

6" squares of bright polka dot fabric were exchanged; January's 6" square exchange will be turquoise blue fabrics.

Mary and Bobbie will bring refreshments to the January meeting - December's Christmas feast will be a hard act to follow!

Be sure to bring your crazy patch challenge projects to the meeting on January 20th. It will be fun to find out how members express themselves in a crazy patch project. Pictures of the crazy patch challenge project will be posted next month, along with pictures of the aprons from Japan, if they arrive in time.

Hello!

2011-01-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

Hello, Ladies! I am going to try to keep up this blog, beginning Monday, January 10, 2011. Please be patient with me!

Bobbie

May 2010 Guild Meeting

2010-06-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

May has come and gone, so I am posting the news from our May Guild Meeting. We held our monthly meeting on the 20th of May at Paula's home since the community building was already booked. We had 15 members in attendance and Lucy brought the meeting to order. After the business was conducted, the name of the BOM winner was drawn. Paula won the "Wonky" Blocks and Lucy introduced our new Block. "Apron"
She handed out 3 different patterns to be used for the BOM blocks. They are to be constructed of a 12 1/2" block of white or small print pastel fabric. The aprons are to be constructed of bright vintage fabrics and "make them your own" was the statement Lucy made. Embellish to your heart's desire but if using buttons, leave them unfastened so the quilt can be assembled easier. We were told that when we finish the one block and bring it next month, we will get a packet of all the patterns given out that night as well as more of her design.
Our evening theme was "Aprons" through the ages. She brought some of her collection and shared them with us as well as the history of the apron and what they represented through the different eras of time.
Different ones of our group showed their favorite aprons and told about them. Others just told stories of their favorite memories of a person wearing one or what ever made aprons special to them.
We were given our name blocks for our "Name That Challenge" and adjourned until next month.

April Retreat

2010-06-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

We held our Spring Retreat at the Fairview Community Building this year. We liked the size and playground area that it provided for those children who had to tag along with their mothers. I wonder who had the most fun? Humm.
We had great classes on Friday and Saturday as we met together and learned new techniques, made fun and useful projects and shared ideas and food.
The classes consisted of "Celtic Knot" construction, "Needle Tatting", "Place Mat Weaving", "Big Block Quilts", "Day Bag" making, and our own project sewing. I will attempt to put pictures in the slide show to the right to show some of the fun we had there.
"Charm Poker" and "Bingo" were played and wonderful door prizes were won every hour.
Can hardly wait until our Fall Retreat. Who knows what fun and useful things we will learn there.

April 2010 Guild Meeting

2010-06-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

This posting should have been before the last one, but, oh well, I am doing it now.

Our April Guild Meeting was held on the 15th of the month at the Newtonia Community Center. It was our first official meeting with the new board members ready to take on their new jobs. Lucy conducted as our new President. Bobbie, our new Vice President, and Paula, our new Secretary were there to lend our support. Miyuki, our Treasurer, was finishing up school and could not attend.
We were presented with our new "Challenge". We were each given 15 strips of white fabric to write our names on. These will be given out later to everyone so that each person receives one of each member's names. These will be used however we want to incorporate them in a project. This "Name that Challenge" is due for display at our July Meeting.
Our "Whirlygig" blocks were given to a possible new member since there were no names entered for the drawing.
Our new BOM was introduced by Lucy. We are starting out the year with a back to basics, "Wonky Block".
It is to be constructed of Bright scraps in "chunks", "strips", or "strings" with at least one round in black and whites. It is a large block to measure 17 1/2" when completed.
Our program for the evening was on managing our scrap bags. We were given directions on how to cut up our scraps to make them more manageable for use in projects. A fun way to tie in our BOM with our program. So get "Scrapin'".

Vintage Fabric

2010-05-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

This months 6" exchange fabric is "Vintage". Due to my usual guild night jitters and nervousness, I forgot to talk about vintage fabrics. I have been asked just what I mean by vintage fabrics, so here is a very brief definition for those of you that want to know.

Vintage fabrics are fabrics that were produced from 1920's to the 1970's. When Vintage fabrics are mentioned, most of us think of the 1930's feed sacks and their reproductions today, however, this is just a tiny part of the the vast collection of vintage fabrics.
Here are some illustrations of vintage fabric and some links that you can go to to get more ideas of just what vintage is. I bet you have some in your stash or I bet you have a relative that has some you can get your hands on. :o)

1920's

1920's fabrics included linen, cotton, and wool mixed with acetates, rayon and pure silk. Daytime clothing was medium to lightweight in crepes, knits, and light suiting with natural color tones of browns, blues and grays. Evening wear meant silk, in sheer chiffon and denser fabrics boasting of more vivacious colors. Prints for both day and night were common but as small, checks or floral.
The designs of the 20's were those of the Art Deco movement. They were very geometric, simple but dramatic with dark and light contrasts.
Quilts of the 1920s reflected the economic affluence of the decade. Fancy embroidered quilts on hand-spun Chinese silk like this one continued the favorite garden motifs.

1930's

The fabrics of the 1930's are by far the most popular of the vintage fabrics and it isn't hard to see why. During these times of economic hardship attentions was returned to the home and family and the homemaking arts. The whimsical designs and bright array of colors make them eye-catching and fun to work with.
During the 1930's, a quilt revival took place. The need to be thrifty, coupled with a strong need for socialization, brought women from across the country together around their quilting frames. During this time Eleanor Roosevelt ran a campaign for American Arts and Crafts. Her efforts brought a lot of attention to quilting and the fabrics used in it. Quilt patterns began appearing in local newspapers and sales catalogs. Newspapers and catalogs also advertised and delivered the necessary fabric and supplies the women needed.
"It's an ill depression that blows no good... without money for costly diversions, the women have turned to a renewal of quilt making. Many of the household magazines and not a few of the daily papers have quilts and pattern departments and are offering every inducement for the continuation of this most interesting of home-crafts arts."-- Carrie Hall, quilter

World War I also played an important roll in the fabrics of the 1930's. Germany had long held the patents for pastels. This is why the fabrics of the 20's had not been so bright and exciting. With the surrender of Germany came synthetic dye patents and Pinks, Blues, Yellows, Greens, Reds, Aqua, Peach, and Lavender began appearing on cotton goods containing popular designs: flowers, geometrics, conversationals, and Art Deco motifs.
According to Quilt Historian Sharon Newman, author of the book Treasures from Yesteryear, the designs of the previous decade, the 1920's, were smaller, closer together, and overall more dense. But by the 1930's, prints had a bit more space around the designs with white grounds. Some of those trends continued in the 1940's. Fabrics saw even larger designs, more conversationals appeared, and many patriotic or military type themes became increasingly popular.

1940's

WW II heavily influenced the fabrics of the 1940's. With the Occupation of France came drastic changes to the fashion industry. In 1940, 'The Limitation of Supplies Order' was enforced. This meant that the amount of cloth used in an item of clothing was regulated. The shortage of fabric during the war shaped the slim silhouette we recognize from the 1940's.
There may have been less of the fabric to use but they made up for the lack with bigger and bolder prints.

1950's

The end of WWII brought women back from the work force to the home. It was the hay day of the America House Wife. It was also a time of more affluence. It was reflected in the fabrics. Bigger and bolder prints with plain backgrounds changed to bright and multi colored backgrounds. They fabrics also reflected the commercial push of the nation. They show scenes of home and family life in dramatic styles and colors. Bubble gum pink was a popular color at this time.

1960's

The 60's were a turbulent decade. The issues and new ideas made their way into the fabrics too. The commercial fabrics of the 50's gave way to bright florals and nature scene fabrics of the "new" movements. The prints ranged from small tight florals (similar to those of the 2o's only in bright wild colors) to florals the size of dinner plates.
Quilts were still being made in the 60's but mostly by mothers and grandmothers. Young women were finding other things to do and learn about outside the home.

1970's

The fabrics of the 1970's continued on the bright and wild themes introduced in the 60's. They also showed a renewed interest in fabrics and motifs of the past. With the bicentennial in 1976 came a wave of patriotic fabrics depicting early Americana life. The fabrics were also influenced by an ever growing ethnic and cultural awareness. Fabric prints depicting images from other cultures made their way into the fabric departments of stores.
Quilted bed covers officially became "art" in 1971, when the groundbreaking exhibition "Abstract Design in American Quilts" opened at New York City's Whitney Museum of American Art.

I hope this brief lesson on fabrics that qualify as Vintage, helps you in your quest for vintage fabrics for the exchange in June.

2010-03-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to us. Happy Birthday to us. Happy Birthday to us. Happy Birthday to Us. Yes, we had our monthly guild meeting on March 18, 2010 and it was our 6th birthday. My, how time flies. We had 12 members present to enjoy the evening with us.
After the business portion of our meeting, we drew the name of the winner of our "Tulip" BOM blocks. The winner was Mary. Vea gave her last BOM block instructions for the year which is the "Louisiana" block. Since the other blocks for this year have to do with the garden, we are calling this block "Whirligig" since no garden should be without one. It is to be constructed of reproduction 30's fabrics in your choice of color using light, medium and dark tones.

Our last fabric exchange of deep reds were exchanged with the new year colors starting next month. It is a 6" square of your favorite bright color.

The "cookie" challenge blocks were also exchanged and everyone who participated will have a beautiful quilt/wall hanging to finish.
Our program for the night was PARTY since it was our birthday after all. We played "Pictionary:Name that Block". We divided into 2 teams and we each had a turn to help our team win a point by drawing a picture that would make our team members remember a block we had made in one of the 6 years of our guild. Then after refreshments, we played "strip" poker and each had the opportunity to win or lose 2 1/2" strips of fabric. We took home fat quarters of our choice as prizes along with our other door prizes.
The upcoming Spring Retreat will be held on the 23rd and 24th of April. Some of the activities we will be doing include, Celtic Knot Quilting, Scrappy woven place mats, needle tatting, Big Block Quilting, Fast Tote Bag and Book Covers. If none of these interest you, just bring personal projects and work on them. The food for both days will be pot luck. A list of the needed materials for the activities will be posted on our ning.com site. Be sure to let the new Presidency know which classes if any you will be attending so we can have some numbers to go by.
Next month guild meeting will be a work meeting. Bring your own project, Linus project or your scrap bag and join in on the "Slash your Stash" to get those nagging scraps under control. It should be a fun month. See you then.

February 2010 Guild Meeting

2010-03-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Our guild met for it's monthly meeting on February 18, 2010 at the Newtonia Community Building in Newtonia, MO. We had 13 of our members present to share their projects during show and tell as well as receive the new BOM block for March.
Our last month block "Watering Can" was won by Vea. She introduced our new block for March which is the "Tulip" block. It is to be paper pieced using vibrant colors for the tulips and two different shades of green for the leaves. The background is to be cream colored.

Our birthday party in March will be the end of another fun year and the beginning of even more to come. Our business for the night was the nomination of Lucy for our new President starting in April. Also nominated were Paula, who will finish out the 2nd year term of Vice President, and Rebecca to be our new Secretary. They were unanimously voted in. Also announced was the fact that both co-chair positions for project and program are open for someone to fill.
We were reminded about finishing our "cookie exchange" blocks that are due in March.
Our evening program was given by Rebecca. She shared with us the story of the "Dear Jane Quilt".
In 1863 a woman named Jane A. Blakely Stickle completed a sampler quilt. Her name would be unremarkable today except for one thing, she signed her amazing quilt. It is made up of 225 patterns, most of which are only 4 1/2" blocks. It contains 5602 pieces and was completed in 1863. Because she signed her quilt, it was able to be returned to the state of Vermont where they have great documentation of their historical quilts. More information on her life and the quilt can be found at Dear Jane.com.
Our President Rebecca then shared with us her musical abilities with the following lyrics which she put to the music of the song "I Cain't Say No" from the musical "Oklahoma". It was something we could all relate to.

It ain't so much a question of not knowin' how to sew.

I’ve finished several things since I began.

I’ve heard a lot of stories and I reckon they're true.

About how girls are strangled by their stash.

I know I mustn't spend into a pit.

But when I’m at the quilt store

I forget!.

I'm just a girl who can't say 'no'

Fabric’s my Favorite thing!.

Whether online or in a store, I like to buy everything.

When my husband asks about my stash.

I’m tempted just to tell a little lie.

But the truth is that it’s piling up.

In rubber tubs that stack up 6 feet high!

I'm just a fool when prices are low.

I never show much restraint

Then the receipt makes me faint.

But how can I be what I ain't?

I can't say 'no!'

Whatcha gonna do when the fabric gets flirty

An' looks really purty?

Whatcha gonna do?

Supposin' that the fabric’s got

Baskets of cherrys, Or roses, or berries

Whatcha gonna do?

Supposin' that you find just the perfect shade of cream

and ya gotta have cream or die?

What’s a girl to do when she feels that way?

Sit down and cry?

I'm just a girl who can't say no,

Can't seem to say it at all.

I hate to pass up a fat quarter

I’m sure I need them all!

For a while I act refined and cool,

As I walk among the fabrics in the store,

Then I think of that old golden rule,

Remember less is never ever more!

I can't resist Kaffe Fasset prints

Or Amy Butler et. all

Soon as I feel of their naps

Somethin' inside of me snaps

I can't say no!

After announcing our upcoming Spring retreat to be held in April and the changing of our April monthly meeting to a work meeting, our meeting was adjourned until our March Birthday Party.

January 2010 Guild Meeting

2010-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Our first Guild meeting of the new year was held on January 21, 2010 at the Newtonia Community Center in Newtonia, MO. We had 14 members in attendance. It was a quarterly Project Linus Work Meeting, so everyone came in and went right to work on these projects or one of their own.
We did take time out to discuss some old business and add in some new business. As well as draw the name of the lucky winner of our BOM "Rosebud" blocks. Bobbie won 12 lovely blocks.
Vea introduced our new block that is another applique' style. It is to be constructed on a 12 1/2" square of any color plaid fabric preferably in earthy or country colors. The watering can is to be of charcoal to light gray fabric with a red heart on it. The leaves and stems are to be made of various greens. Variety to add interest. The Tulips can be of any coordinating color to match your background and greens. We were told to set the bottom of the can a good inch from the bottom of the background square to center it up the best.

We were given the option of taking part in the "Cookie" Challenge. 12 members took up the challenge and received a block pattern. We were instructed to make 12 of the block we received and have them ready to exchange at our March meeting. All 12 of us will take 12 different blocks home from the meeting to make our own quilt. It should be fun.
Another year is coming close to an end. We were asked who wanted to be on the nominating committee to make nominations for President and Secretary for a two year term and Vice President to continue the other year of the two year term presently in progress.
The budget committee had met and presented the group with the new budget for the 2010 year.
We exchanged our 6" orange/peach fabric squares and after our refreshment time, adjourned until next month.

December 2009 Guild Meeting

2010-01-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Our monthly guild meeting for December was our Christmas Dinner/Party. We started the meeting with our dinner. Wonderful food and great socializing.
Then we had our drawing to see who would win the BOM "lady bug" blocks. Marcene was the winner.
Vea then introduced our new BOM for January. It is the "Rosebud" block. It is pieced block to be constructed of light to medium green, blue or teal for the background. The rosebuds are to be made of medium pink, salmon, or peach colors, no brights. The leaves are to be made of medium to light green.
Our 6" "deep blue or purple" fabric exchanges were made. Next month the "Orange/Peach" colors are to be exchanged.
We then did our "apron" name gift exchange. We drew names in October and filled out a questionnaire about our favorite color, our preferences and other information that the person who drew our name used to make our apron. It was fun to see who had whom and what they had designed or made for them. Here is the list of who had whom and the pictures will be in the slide show with the new owner modeling their new apron.
Rebecca had Pauline. Pauline had Mary. Mary had Rebecca. Miyuki had Donna. Donna had Miyuki. Paula had Amanda. Amanda had Lucy. Lucy had Paula. Lucy also did an exchange with our new member, Jessica. They made aprons for each other. Vea had Lynn. Lynn had Suzanne. Suzanne had Coralee. Coralee had Marcene. Marcene had Anne. Anne had Lenore. Lenore had Bobbie. Bobbie had Vea. I think that is everyone.
The last part of our meeting was the drawing and opening of the gifts from Japan. We were all very excited and pleased with our items from them. They were all hand made and were wonderful. We hoped they were as pleased with the items we sent them as we were with their items for us. They had included a short message in Japanese that Miyuki translated so we each had a printed message we could read from Japan.
The evening was fun and enjoyed by all those who attended. See you next month.

November 2009 Guild Meeting

2010-01-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our November meeting was held at the Newtonia Community Center on November 19, 2009.
We had 11 members and a prospective new member in attendance.
Our mini quilts for our Japanese gift exchange were due tonight. We had 13 of our members participate in this activity where we made mini quilts or other useful small items to send to Miyuki's mother's guild in Japan. They are making small gifts for us in exchange. We are excited to see what our gifts might be.
The "Gardener's Hat" blocks were won by Coralee.
Our new block that Vea introduced was the "Lady Bug" block. It is an applique block to be constructed on a 12 1/2" background square of dark blue or purple. The body of the lady bug is to be or charcoal or black fabric with green leaves and brown for the stem. The wings of the lady bug are to be bright polka dots. Blanket stitching around the outside in coordinating colored thread is the requested finish.
Our 6" "earth green" fabric squares were exchanged. Next month is our "deep blue or purple" color exchange blocks.

We were reminded that our gift exchange at our December meeting is our apron challenge. We will have our roast beef Christmas dinner and everyone is requested to bring food items to go with it.
It is hard to believe that next month is our December Christmas Party.
Our program for the night was presented by Bobbie. She shared with us some Pioneer stories on quilts made by these great, hard working people. Books are available that give more great stories of these great ancestors.
We had several ladies share some Personal Projects with us . Lenore showed her quilt from the book "100 wishes". It was kites surrounded by 5" squares.
Suzanne showed a Christmas table runner and a "wall paper" quilt.
Bobbie shared items that she made at retreat ans well as a quilt she calls "Venetian Dream".
Pauline also showed her items made at retreat and a quilt made from her blocks when we were doing the "Mystery Quilt" with Rebecca. She used her own design in setting the blocks together.

Meeting was adjourned until next month.

October 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-11-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Our October meeting was filled with "show and tell". Our "Harvest Bounty" challenges were due so everyone who participated was able to show how they used their fat eighths of fruit and vegetable fabrics. Check out all the neat ideas that our ladies came up with in the slide show to the right.
Our October "Sunflower" BOM blocks were won by Lenore. Vea introduced our new BOM for November. It is the "Gardner's Hat". She request that the background be chocolate brown and that the hat can be straw or golden tan colored. The hat band can be of any color, but the flower is to be white.
We received a new challenge that is due in December at our Guild Christmas Party. We were assigned to draw a name and using that person's information page, create an apron just for them. We will exchange these as our Christmas gift exchange.
We discussed our upcoming Fall Retreat to be held on November 6 & 7 at the Newtonia Community building. The theme for our retreat is "In the Kitchen" and the mini classes are going to be items that you can use in the kitchen. Donna is going to show how to make a cute "Candy Cane" table runner and how to make "continuous prairie points".

Bobbie is demonstrating the "Log Cabin" style hot pads. Mary is showing how easy place mats can be to make.

Lucy will help us make "butcher style" aprons and Paula is going to help us make "casserole carriers". A fun "Auction" will be held on Friday night and a "block buster party" on Saturday night.

It should be a fun two days and all are encouraged to attend.
There was also a Project Linus meeting held on the 30th of October. Marcene had a fun quilt called "Bears on Parade" for those who attended to work on.

Our next meeting will be held on November 19, 2009 when our Japanese exchange "mini quilts" are due.
Until next time, keep smiling and quilting.

September 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-09-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Newtonia Battlefield Quilters met for their monthly guild meeting on September 16, 2009 n Newtonia, MO. We had 13 of our members present to enjoy the meeting and evening together.
Pauline won our "Hollyhock" BOM blocks. Our October block is to be the "Sunflower". The background is to be a pale green print or plaid cut in 12 1/2" block. The petals are to be various yellow prints with dark brown center.
We will also be exchanging yellow/gold floral prints 6" squares.
The program of the meeting was book reports on our favorite quilting books. Several were described and new techniques were shared from these. Lucy's favorite book was a great story which she read to us. During show and tell, Bobbie showed us her tablecloth that she made from her fruit and vegetable fabrics for our "Harvest Bounty" Challenge due in October. She will be out of town and wanted to show it to the guild. Very nice, Bobbie.

The Newtonia Fall Festival is Saturday the 26th of September and we will be involved in helping and enjoying this day. Everyone is welcome to attend and take advantage of the activities and food that will be presented there. Come by and see our booth with our lovely raffle quilt and yard sale.
That is all for now.

August 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-09-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

It is already September so I guess I need to get on the ball and get August meeting posted before our September meeting arrives.
We met on August 20, 2009 at the Newtonia Community Building in Newtonia, MO. We had several members absent, but enjoyed visiting with the members who were in attendance.
Paula won our "Butterfly" BOM blocks and she received some really pretty ones. Next month BOM is the "Hollyhock" seen here on "country red" background. The flowers are to be made in yellows or pinks and detailed centers with "french knots". Up to 3 flowers can be used, more would make the block crowded. Outline stitch in like or contrasting colors to give the desired look you want.

The "jewel tone" 6" fabric squares were exchanged and we look forward to next month when we will exchange "tone on tone florals".
The program part of our meeting was presented by Rebecca.
She introduced some of us to the technique of "Mola". I can see how this would be a beautiful, but involved project.
This technique involves the layering of different fabrics and the use of needle turn applique'.
It is really pretty when finished, so those that are up to a larger challenge are welcome to try it.
Our Newtonia Fall Festival is coming up on the 26th of September. Our raffle tickets are on sell for the two sided quilt that was made as our fund raiser for the year.
We were also reminded that our "Harvest Bounty" challenges are due in October. Be working on your fruit and vegetable fabrics.
That will wrap it up for now. Our next meeting is on September 17, 2009. Our assignment is to bring our favorite "quilting book" for our annual book report meeting. Check back next month.

July Guild Meeting

2009-07-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

Our monthly guild meeting was held in Newtonia on July 16th. We had 12 members and 4 guests there. It was our quarterly Project Linus meeting so different ones brought their sewing machines to work on this or their own projects. We worked on weighted blankets for children with Autism or ADHD/ADD. More information on these blankets and how they can help is available through your local Project Linus Chapter.

Lucy won our Amish Basket BOM blocks. This could be a very beautiful quilt..

Next month's BOM block is the Butterfly. It will be a pieced block.

Vea described how she wanted this block to be made. Pale neutral pastel background, 2 bright pastel colors for the wings and black or charcoal grey for the body. The antennae can be added by machine or embroidery.

We had several Linus BOM Flip Flop blocks turned in as well as the Faux Paper Pieced Star blocks. Very nice.

Before our Linus work meeting began, we shared with the group the Sweet Treat Bags that we made as our May Challenge.

Another challenge that we were given in June was a "scrap bag" challenge. We each drew a number that corresponded with a bag of scraps. We were then to take the bag home and make something with all the pieces. Some were harder to use than others since they were so very tiny.

We then received a new challenge that is due in October. We each were given 4 fat eighths of fabric that were printed with large fruits or vegetables. It is called our "Harvest Bounty" Challenge. We have to use all of the fabric in a project of our choosing. More fabric can be added to it as desired.

The Raffle quilt for the September Fall Festival in Newtonia was finished and we took pictures of both sides. It is a fully reversible quilt and it was machine quilted. Very beautiful. We will be selling tickets to earn money for our guild's needs for the coming year. The top is made of blocks that the guild members pieced. The back is just as bright and lovely. Quite a treat to look at.

June Guild Meeting.

2009-07-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Our June Guild meeting was held on the 18th and we had several members in attendance. We received the word that our raffle quilt is at the quilter's and we should have it back soon to take pictures and start selling tickets.

Rebecca Lesue won our Honey Bee BOM blocks.Our new BOM for July is the Amish Basket. Solid colors are to be used for this and black is to be used for the background.

Our Project Linus BOM is the Flip Flop. We are to make one or more of these blocks to turn in to be made into a linus quilt.

Lucy started our Program part of the meeting with a drawing to give away all the larger prizes left over from the retreat.

Then Rebecca showed us how she does Fauz Paper Piecing. Those that make the blocks and bring them back will get to see how they are set together in a linus quilt.

We had Show and Tell with several personal projects and linus projects shown.

The BOM bylaw rules were reviewed so we better understood when and how often we were eligible for winning these blocks.

Our meeting was adjourned until July 16th.

2009-07-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

It was great.... We had our Retreat on June 12th and 13th. It was supposed to be a "mini" retreat, but we had so much to do, I prefer to call it just a Retreat. Several projects were worked on and some were even completed. The most fun was had by those who participated in the Hand Dyeing of fabrics. I may be bias since that is the main thing I did and had a wonderful time doing it.

We had fun with the basics of hand dyeing and ended up with 9 beautiful colors and a black. Each one is unique and beautiful.

We then played with soy wax and tried our hand at "batiking". Some of these are quite lovely and unique too. We stamped the wax onto the fabric with household items such as potato mashers, empty thread spools, cookie cutters, and even a wire whip. After the wax dried, the fabric was placed into one and sometimes 2 colors. After the fabric set for several hours, the wax was removed to reveal the great designs left behind by the wax.

Then we tried a couple of methods using shaving cream. Both of the methods using this were great at giving soft colorful pieces of fabric. The one method has the shaving cream in a layer on plastic and you add the dyes to other shaving cream and apply it however you wish to the shaving cream layer. Then you lay your fabric on top of this and let it set before removing it to dry.The other shaving cream method has the fabric "painted" with the dyes and the shaving cream is added on top of the dye and allowed to dry. Such beautiful fabrics to play with and use in other projects. Just how do you choose which ones and how to use them. Hmmm.

Anyway, we also had a class on making tote bags. Aprons were made, quilts started and some finished. But most of all, we enjoyed getting together, chatting, sharing ideas and enjoying the yummy foods that come with such a group of ladies.

Our next retreat is scheduled for November 6th and 7th this year.

Mini Retreat

2009-06-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

Our Spring Mini Retreat will be held on June 12 and 13th. Although it looks to be a regular retreat with the many items we are going to have available to work on. A Scrappy Bag, Stripy Table Runner, Baby Quilt, Large Quilt, and Apron are the fun projects available. Lucy is going to instruct us Friday in Basic Hand Dying. On Saturday, we are going to have fun with shaving cream as we try our hand at this type of Hand Dying as well as maybe some Batik work.
We are also going to have a rummage sell. Everyone is to bring items they want to donate for sale and the money will go into our budget for future projects.
Everyone is to also bring Pot luck dishes for us to snack on as we spend time together sharing fun times and ideas. We will meet from 9 am until 9 pm or whenever everyone wants to go home. The retreat will be held at the community building in Newtonia. See you there.

May 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

On May 21, 2009, the Newtonia Battlefield Quilters met for our monthly evening meeting. School was out for our area that day, so we had a few more members there that had been unable to attend much during the school year. For some of us, summer means that it is time to relax and work on those projects that have been nagging at us all winter. To others, it is the busy time of year with children under foot and outdoor activities calling to us.
The evening was brought to order by our Vice President, Marcene. The old business of the raffle quilt was dealt with quickly as a unanimous decision was made to have it machine quilted by a lady in Anderson who has done some quilting for some members of our group and does a really great job.
New business was discussed such as our mini retreat coming up in June and Project Linus meetings to be held and where.
Our day meeting was set to be held at Lucy's and our evening meeting was to be hosted by Lynn and to be held at the community building. Both meetings were well attended and we worked on the new Linus BOM from Marcene called "Pretty in Pink". Doll dresses appliqued on squares. Even though the one she showed us was yellow and not pink.
Anyway, she was quite busy since our April meeting because she assembled and finished 9 quilts from the "Orphan Blocks" that everyone turned in.
After showing her finished "Kite" BOM quilt made from the March blocks, Donna won the May "Daisy" BOM blocks.
Vea presented our new BOM "Honey Bee" block. She encouraged us all to stretch our imaginations by making two blocks, one to turn in and one to keep. The one we keep could be made by coordinating the fabrics each month so they all have one or more of the same fabrics.
The evening program was on "quilts are not just for beds." Lucy introduced the meeting with her "mini" quilts from different quilt exchanges. Bobbie showed some of her vintage "bonnets", some hot pads, and mini quilts. Pauline modeled her vest made from quilt blocks. Paula showed her guild bag as well as a diaper bag she made for her niece.
We were reminded that our "bag" challenge is due next month and that more details would follow on our Mini Retreat.
We adjourned until next month.

I will try to post some pictures later. Technical difficulties.

April Guild Meeting

2009-04-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's April already. Springtime is finally here. With it comes the beginning of a new year at the Newtonia Battlefield Quilters Guild. New officers, new program and project chairmen with new ideas, projects and challenges.

Rebecca opened our meeting and invited everyone to start working on their projects they had brought with them. Some were working on Project Linus items and others were finishing up BOM or personal projects.

Throughout the evening, we received new information for the coming year. The winner of the BOM "Koala Bear" was drawn and Suzanne was the lucky winner of these adorable blocks. Vea presented the new block due

next month. It is a "Daisy".It is a 12 1/2" block that is to be machine appliqued blanket stitch in matching thread so it is less visible. Our 6" fabric exchange squares are set up to coordinate with the blocks we will be doing each month. The color for next month is "pale green".

We also were able to preview the top and back of the raffle quilt for this year's fund raiser in September. Yes, it is April and the top and back are finished and ready for quilting. Because they are both pieced in different designs, it will need to be machine quilted.

These blocks for the top went from this:

To this:

The back was pieced by Coralee and looks like this:Two lovely quilts in one.

We had 8 quilts and 7 weighted blankets turned in for Project Linus. We also had 1 larger quilt finished and donated for our stash of quilts for the community emergency needs.

Were given our first "challenge". It is a purse or bag made from jelly roll strips from our personal stash. It is from the "Moda Bake Shop" web site and we are to make it uniquely our own color or design. Good Luck to everyone who is willing to take on this first challenge of the year.

Marcene introduced a new "Project Linus BOM" project for this coming year. She will introduce a new block each month for those who want to make these for quilts to be turned in the Project Linus program.

Come join us for the fun that is planned for the coming year. See you there.

Monthly Guild Meeting

2009-04-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

It is time for our quarterly "Project Linus" work meeting. Ladies, bring your machines, "Linus" projects and come join us at our monthly Guild Meeting. We will meet this coming Thursday night, April 16, 2009 at the Newtonia Community Center starting at 6:30.
We will be getting our first new BOM for the year by Vea. Bring 18 - 6" squares of your favorite "Pastel" fabric for our fabric exchange. See you there.

March 19, 2009 Guild Birthday Party

2009-03-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Us. Happy Birthday to Us. Happy Birthday to Our Quilt Guild. Happy Birthday to Us.

Well, we turned 5 years old this year. The Newtonia Battlefield Quilters are just like any toddler, trying to grow and learn. Grow we did as we had two new members join with us. We wish to welcome Donna and Donna to our guild.

Our President, Rebecca, took care of the new business of replacing Paula as Vice President with Marcene. Then, Bobbie as Treasurer with Miyuki. Vea is our new Project Chairman with Lucy as Vice Chairman. Rebecca announced that she will be the Program Chairman since she didn't have any other volunteers.

The night moved on with the drawing of the name for the winner of the BOM "Kite" blocks. The winner was our new member, Donna. Coralee then shared with her the last block of her year that will be due next month. It is a darling "Koala Bear" that is to be paper pieced.

Suzanne led our group in a game of "Quilting Jeopardy". She had wonderful prizes that went along with the answers. We soon realized that some lacked knowledge in the areas that others were very knowledgeable in.

Birthday Cake and Ice Cream by Marcene and Paula were served and after door prizes were chosen, we adjourned until next month when our new Project and Program Chairmen will be in place and ready to lead off our new year. See you then.

Guild Birthday Party

2009-02-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

Suzanne wanted me to post this notice for our upcoming Guild Birthday Party. Come join us as we turn 5. See ya then.

February 19, 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-02-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Our monthly meeting for February was held at the Newtonia Community Building on the 19th. Our meeting was opened by Rebecca and the business dealt with. Among that business was the appointment of a nominating committee to come up with the two people to fill the Vice President and Treasury vacancies next month. I cannot believe another birthday of the Newtonia Battlefield Quilters Guild is upon us. I believe we will be 5.

Anyway, the meeting was fun. Coralee introduced our new BOM block. It is a "Kite". It is to be made with a soft blue background, bright colors for the kite and a cute tail made by "couching" a ribbon.

This darling quilt can be made with 15 Kite blocks or even with just 13.

We learned what "Couching" is and how to do it in our program part of the evening where we had "Thread play" by Suzanne. She told us a little bit about what types of thread pertained to what type of project we were working on. She covered silks, mono-filament, and heavier metalic to name a few. Needles were also discussed before she went to her machine to show us "Bobbin work".This is a process where you wind the heavy thread loosely on the bobbin. The top thread is of normal sewing weight. Then you sew your pattern on the wrong side of the fabric so that your bobbin thread shows on the right side of the fabric. It really makes a striking design.

"Couching" is made when you place a narrow piece of ribbon on your project and zigzag across it to hold it in place.

Vea showed us how to free hand quilt on our sewing machines using the darning foot. Tips on how to use special tools such as fingertip grips and or gloves to maneuver the fabric while moving it through the machine, were given.

Thanks to Suzanne and Vea for a fun and informative night.

Mary won our "Pink Dogwood" blocks, 30 quilts were turned in for Project Linus and a delightful snack was served and enjoyed by all.

Next month is our Guild Birthday Party. "Geometric" design 2 1/2" strips are for our fabric exchange and we will learn what our last BOM block for the year will be. Dues of $12.00 are due and after payment is received, each member will receive their new membership cards. New officers and committee members will take over in April. See you in March.

February Guild Meeting Update

2009-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Our February Meeting will be held on February 19 @ 6:30 pm. We will meet at the Newtonia Community Center.
Join us for a night of "thread" play. If you would like to try "bobbin work" or practice "Machine Quilting", you may want to bring your sewing machines. This is not a requirement, only a suggestion if you want to do "Hands On". You will learn new things either way.
**If you want to practice bobbin work, you will need:
Tear-Away Stabilizer
68 mm Metalic Thread (thick)
Coordinating or same color regular weight thread for top
Open toe or darning foot for your machine
Sample fabrics
**If you want to practice machine quilting, bring your quilt "sandwich" (top, batting, backing) that you want to practice on. This can be a pattern quilt design or free motion.
Please come and join us. See you there.

January 2009 Guild Meeting

2009-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Already 3 weeks into the new year. My how time flies by.

Our January Guild meeting was a combination of our regular meeting and a work day Project Linus meeting. Several brought their sewing machines and worked on projects. Rebecca had Lenore read the minutes from our last meeting in December and Bobbie give us the treasurer report. Paula reported on the Project Linus group that meets in Neosho. Our group was thanked for donating blankets to the Joplin Chapter. We are working on Fleece blankets with crocheted edges, weighted blankets, receiving blankets, as well as quilts. Keep working ladies. The community recipients love the blankets.

Lenore won the BOM "American Beauty" blocks and we were given our new block assignment. It is the "Pink Dogwood". "All machine applique. No seams," says Coralee. The blocks are made of soft or light pinks on muslin 9 1/2" square with a yellow center.

The commitee for the Fall Festival Raffle Quilt has met and purchased the fabrics and worked to get kits made for the blocks to assemble. We were shown the 2 blocks that we are being asked to assemble, since all the fabrics are there and ready to sew. We were asked to sign for the blocks we can promise to have finished by our February meeting. Our next meeting will be held on February 19, 2009 at the Newtonia Community Building. We will be working with "decorative threads". Our March meeting will be our Guild Birthday Party. A new year will start in April with Program, Project, Vice-President and Treasurer positions filled with new people. See you in February.

Report of December Guild Meeting 2008

2009-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009 Everyone!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I know that my year ended on a much happier note than it started with.

Those who attended our December meeting/Christmas Party will tell you that it was a wonderful evening. The food was great; business was kept to a minimum; table decorations were pretty(Marcene did a great job); and all of the mini quilts were beautiful.

We had exchanged names earlier this year and we were given the challenge to make a mini quilt at least 12" X 12" but no larger than 18" X 18". I hope everyone was as pleased with their's as I was. Pictures of the evening and of each quilt are shown in the slide show to the right. I enjoyed the thought, effort and skills that were put into each one. Of course, I think mine was the prettiest one there. Thanks Miyuki. We need to challenge ourselves like this all the time.

We drew names for BOM and door prizes. Pauline won the "Tall Pine Tree" blocks from last month. This month's block is an "American Beauty" variation. Some paper piecing is involved. We were encouraged to make 2 since they finish at only 6" square.

Upcoming events include our next scheduled Guild meeting on the 15th of January. It will be one of 4 meetings that we will use as work meetings for Project Linus. Bring your machines, fabrics, fleece and any other item you may need to work on some of our projects to be turned in to Project Linus.
Hope to see you all there.

November Posting

2008-12-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Holiday season is upon us. Several of us took advantage of our Fall Retreat, that was held on November 14 and 15, to work on some projects that need finishing before Christmas arrives.

The slide show to the right will show some of our members hard at work on theses UFOs or some worked on the aprons and hot pads that were presented. I know that at least one of the aprons made there is a Christmas present so it worked out great.

Those present had an enjoyable time. Good food was enjoyed by all and it was great just to get to stop, relax, eat, then get back to work. Thanks to Suzanne and all those who made our retreat possible.

Our Monthly meeting was held on November 20th. It was "shopping" night. Bittersweet Quilt Shop was there with some of their lovely fabrics and we got to shop before, during and after the meeting. Donna, from the shop, showed us a "Quilt and You Are Done" system for making some quilts we can do on our machines at home.

Drawings were made for door prizes as well as our BOM Fall Tessellation Blocks. Paula was the lucky winner of these and plans to add the other 4 she had already made at home to make 16 blocks total for her project.

Our new BOM was displayed by Coralee which is called "Tall Pine". The background is to be made of tan fabric and the tree can be one or many green shades or prints.

December brings our "Christmas Party" Guild Meeting. It will be on December 18th. If you didn't sign up to bring a food item or forgot what you did sign up for, get with Suzanne. Don't forget your "Mini Quilts" for our gift exchange. No smaller than 12" x 12" and no larger than 18" x 18". See you there.

Aprons for the Retreat

2008-11-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Ok Ok Ok I know. The posting here is very pathetic but here are the two aprons you can choose from to make for the retreat.

The first one is a scrappy apron.
It is made from 40 five inch squares (a charm pack). You can also use a bunch of those squares we swapped in the guild last year and before that.

This is a very old vintage design and should be so much fun to make.
You will also need to bring about 1/3 yard of fabric for the ties.
Some stabilizer for the waistband if you like that.
And lining fabric such as muslin. I am guessing about a yard. (can you tell I have not made the pattern yet. )

The second apron is a bib apron that ties all the way around depending on size. It is another one size fits all.

For this you will need to bring:

2 yards fabric ( more if you want to line it)
and thread.
I will have the pattern pieces there.

Also we can make a square apron on point.

It takes about a yard for the front and another yard for the back. If you want to bring coordination fabric for a trim and the ties that would be great too.

October 16, 2008 Guild Meeting

2008-11-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

Another month has gone by and our guild meeting for October came and went. It was a busy meeting since our "5 Fabric" Challenges were due.
Some of the business at the meeting included the Fall Retreat coming up in November on the 14th and 15th. It will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building. We will start at 10:30 am and go until at least 7 pm both days. We were instructed to bring scraps of fabrics, including denim, to make some pot holders that Vea will be demonstrating. Lucy has also posted some aprons on our blog that we can choose from to make. So check them out and bring appropriate fabrics for these. Suzanne asked that we bring Pot Luck for our meals on Friday. Something that reminds us of havest time. Saturday meals will be sack lunch, or snack on left overs from Friday.
Admission is free for members. A major door prize will be given out on Saturday that will be made up of a fat quarter from everyone attending. So don't forget to bring a special fat quarter to put in the stack for this. Any non member attending will be charged $5.00 for the two days.
Bring UFO's, current projects, and whatever you need for these and come enjoy this time to share and sew.

Our guild is still working on "Project Linus" as our main charity. Paula delivered 50 quilts to our Joplin Area Chapter this month. She received some new ideas for us to work on besides quilts. It should be fun to participate in some of these. One includes the use of a special "SkipStitch" Blade that goes on your cutting tool. This pierces holes in fabric like fleece that can then be stitched around with yarn, crocheting a cute edge instead of fringe. She will bring the blades to the retreat, so anyone who wants to bring some fleece to prepare, please do so.

Door Prizes were drawn. As well as our BOM winner, Marcene who won our Dahlia blocks from last month.

Our new BOM was presented by Coralee. It shows "Tessellations". This is a technique of one block overlapping onto the next as in our "Falling Leaves" tessellation block for next month. It is to be made in fall leaf colors of hand dyes/batiks. It will really make a beautiful quilt for the lucky winner next month.

See you all at the retreat. Looking forward to having fun sewing, sharing and just being together.

Keep checking back as I am going to try to figure how to post our Project Linus pictures, Fall Festival pictures and our "5 Fabric" Challenge pictures so they don't take up too much room on our Blog.

September 2008 Guild Meeting

2008-11-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Our Guild was represented at the Newtonia Fall Festival held in Newtonia, Missouri on September 13, 2008. We had a booth for our quilt show and one for our raffle quilt. Both booths were well attended. We even had a workshop set up where those that wanted could guess the mistake on the Suduko quilt and even color a block for a community quilt.

Our raffle quilt, (shown above) was a sampler with blocks made by our members from reproduction 30s fabrics. We chose to hand quilt it and with the help of our members, 154 hours of quilting went into it. Then it was hand bound by Suzanne who won it at the festival.
It was presented to her on the 18th of September at our monthly guild meeting. She was prepared with a label for everyone who helped with the quilt to sign their names on it. She then presented it and the quilt to our Secretary, Lenore in appreciation for being the sweet and selfless person that she is. It was an emotional moment in our evening.

We learned about "dimensional" quilting during our Program for the evening. Suzanne showed us how to use different techinques and fibers to add layers to our quilts.

Coralee presented us with this "dimensional" block. We can use any color that we feel represents it.

Our BOM block for October is the "Dahlia".

Last month's blocks "Purple Cross" were won by none other than Bobbie. Congratulations Bobbie on winning the blocks that your mother designed the pattern for.

We were reminded that our "5 Fabric" Challenges are due next month. Get busy if you haven't already completed yours.

See you next month. October 16th will be our next Guild Meeting back at the Newtonia Community Building.

Guild Meeting Aug. 21

2008-08-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some little bits from the meeting this month. We are still trying to figure out how we want to run this blog. So as we learn and grow it will only get better and better. :o)

The block of the month we turned in was a wonderfully wild house quilt block that Coralee presented to us.

Mary was the very lucky winner. So many of us were wishing we could win those blocks.

The new block that is due in September is The Purple Cross.

This block was first published on August 31, 1932. It was designed by Bobbie's mom.
The colors we are to use are light and dark country or muted purples. I gather that we are supposed to add seam allowances. Hmmmm... The pattern says GOOD LUCK!!! written across the top. I think a couple of us (me, myself, and I) might just be out of luck. We shall see. It looks like it might be a real challenge.

Physically Prepared to Sew

2008-08-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

from Singer Sewing Book "A complete Reference Guild to Sewing" first published in 1949

When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Go through a beauty ritual of orderliness. Have on a clean dress. Be sure your hands are clean, fingernails smooth --a nail file and pumice will help. Always avoid hangnails. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine where you can pick it up and dust your fingers at intervals. This not only absorbs the moisture on your fingers, but helps to keep your work clean. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on with care. Looking attractive is a very important part of sewing, because if you are making something for yourself, you will try it on at intervals in front of your mirror, and you can hope for better results when you look your best.
Again, sewing must be approached with the idea that you are going to enjoy it, and if you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should. Therefore, “spruce up” at the beginning so that you are free to enjoy every part of any sewing you do.

Now isn't that what all the rest of you do?
Thank you Bobbie for sharing that!

Date Nut Bars

2008-08-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

As promised here is the yummy recipe for treats served at Quilt Guild tonight.

Date Nut Bars
(brought by Lucy)
3 eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chopped dates

Beat the eggs well.
Add the sugar and beat until it is thick.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix in well.
Add the chopped dates and nuts. Mix in well.
Pour batter into a well buttered 9x13" cake pan.
Bake at 350* F. for 20-25 minutes.
When it is done, pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top of the hot bars.
Dust the top with powdered sugar.

The original recipe said to take the bars from the pan, dip them in melted butter, and then roll them in powdered sugar. My way is a little better for you. :o) You choose.

Our New Blog

2008-07-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here it is!! The blog for the Newtonia Battlefield Quilters Guild!! Coming soon will be contact information, pictures of our finished quilts, details of our challenges, and more!!!