April Guild Meeting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.