Kits for making the bags for the foster program will again be available at the guild meeting for those who would like to take some home to work on. The bags are fairly easy to make as they are similar to making a pillowcase with a liner and drawstring. Last month, over 30 bag kits were taken home by members. I look forward to presenting them to CASA for Kids when they are returned to me. We also had a sewing day at the Lodge in March with about 10 volunteers who made over 20 bags. Thank you so much for all your support for this wonderful program!
As you all know, we have finished the piecing for our two Block of the Month quilt projects, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not and Happy Hues. I hope you have enjoyed making your project as much as I have enjoyed crafting these two quilts. Now is the time to get them sandwiched, quilted and bound so that you can bring your completed quilt (or quilt top, if that is what you have) to our May meeting. We need to get a photo of all the He Loves Me quilts for the designer: the price of using her design for our Block of the Month. We want to share all the Happy Hues quilts with our guild members, as well. so please bring them to share. I look forward to seeing all the different examples of your individual creativity, even when we are all working from the same patterns.
I am working hard to come up with potential free patterns to use for next year. Please stop by my table to view pictures and cast your vote for the one or two that you’d like to see us do. My plan is to do the same next year as we did this past year: two patterns, one for the beginner or less experienced quilter and one that requires more experience for those who embrace a challenge.
Suzanne Szot
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, designed by TK Harrison of BOMQuilts.com, was designed for a specific fabric collection in 2014. When you look at a photo of this quilt, you will see the sashing strips seem to include triangles, but the fabric used for the borders and sashing is a striped fabric with printed triangles and diamonds on one narrow stripe and a floral print in a wide stripe. There are 12 blocks in this quilt. As pictured in this quilt, Block 1 is made twice in one colorway and twice more in a different colorway. I am choosing to make all four in different colorways because I did not care for the duplicates. The finished quilt is 70” by 90” and each block finishes at 17”. There are no tiny elements; the smallest piece is a 2 5/8” square.
Happy Hues, designed by Laurie Miller of Laurie Miller Designs, and presented by American Patchwork Quilting on AllPeopleQuilt.com. This is a medallion quilt with a large center medallion surrounded by smaller blocks. It is shown on the website in several different colorways, some in vibrant colors on a white background, black background or gray background. I have seen photos made in all shades of blue on a white background, rather than the vibrant colors shown in the pattern, so make it in the colors that make you happy. This quilt has the benefit of having two different sets of cutting instructions: one traditional instruction using a rotary cutter and ruler, and another cutting instruction using an Accuquilt cutter and 8” block cube and strip dies. Be sure to check that you are using the fabric requirements for the cutting instructions you need as they are slightly different for each way of cutting. The finished quilt is 80 ½” by 80 ½”.
Thank you to everyone who participated in last month’s Community Quilt Day. We sandwiched two full rolls of batting and still have more to do, but batting should be delivered before our April meeting. Several members worked on piecing backs, we are almost caught up on that task so now we will need to start matching backings to completed tops. If you have any Hobbs UPC labels, we have used all of our stash so would appreciate them. We are watching several sites for batting sales, but Hobbs seems to be the best if we have labels. We will be selling 1 yard cuts of floral fabrics at the May meeting for $1, fat quarters for $0.25 and 1 lb grab bags for $1. At the community quilts meeting we have a lot of new orphan blocks, quilt starts and kits. (Plus, our free to a good home table is growing). We hope you can come and join us on April 28. We will have everything out and ready for you at 9:00 am. Bring a lunch and sit and sew until 3:00 pm.
Click here for more information about Community Quilts.
Casa Adoption Quilt Banner
ECHOS
E Education – promoting knowledge of the art of quilting
C Challenge – learn new techniques and patterns
H Help – assistance with quilting questions and problems from experienced quilters
O Opportunity – a chance to share and teach skills and knowledge
S Social – meet new people and visit with friends
The ECHOS program is offered to Mountain Top Quilters members usually during the afternoon following the general meeting. Instruction in different techniques or information on how to do various projects is presented. An MTQG member free of charge or for a nominal fee to cover the cost of supplies incurred by the instructor. You do not need to sign up for demonstrations, just come by, watch, and ask questions.
ECHOS April 21, 2025
Free mini-workshop Time: After the Meeting Lolly is going to teach us how to do very, very narrow borders, not flange. She will announce the project at our March meeting. Supply list will be posted on the website soon.
Fun Day – April 2025
Diane Stockhaus
Our much-loved biennial Fun Day is rapidly approaching, currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 22. We will begin taking reservations for the event at the January 20, Guild meeting. This year, our kits will be color coordinated. Each participant will select a color when signing up, and their customized kit will contain all the materials necessary to finish the project. As a reminder, Fun Day is a full day of sewing and companionship, which should result in a completed quilt top for each participant. Each sewer will receive a kit of precut pieces. Instructions will be provided to make blocks, then assemble those tops into a quilt! Lunch will be provided by the committee! The cost of the event is $30 (cash or check only) and MUST be paid when signing up. There is room for 25 participants, with a wait list, should it be needed. This is a very popular guild event, so sign up early with Diane Stockhaus – she will be at the lodge early on January 20!
Meals on Wheels Placemats
Michele Schneider reminded members about the placemat program through Meals on Wheels. This year’s goal is 200 placemats. If possible, an MTQG label, available from Community Quilts, should be affixed to the back. Some donated placemat panels were distributed. The placemats should be new and not have religious or political content.
Mini Group Information
MTQG Mini Groups are smaller interest-based groups that meet at various times and locations in addition to the large monthly guild meeting. Listed are the MTQG current Mini Groups to show how much creative activity goes on behind the scenes at MTQG. Interested in a group(s), Please reach out to the contact person for information regarding availability as the groups may be full. Members are encouraged to check them out and see if there is a spot in one (or more) of these mini groups. This is a great chance to enjoy friendships, share ideas, and support one another in a smaller group setting.
Current Board Members, and Committee Chairs, Past President’s Quilt Presentation, Spring Luncheon Pictures, Meals on Wheels Volunteer placemats, Diane Stockhaus Recognition, click here to see
New Member Group
Our New Member group will meet soon. New and old members are invited. Please join us. Times will be posted soon.
Our new class begins Tuesday, January 14th and we have nine continuing students this session. Most students will be finishing up the sampler blocks they started last session and piecing them together in preparation for long arming. The two beginning students will be making skirts and the more advanced students will be starting paper pieced blocks that will be framed with Attic Windows. If you would like to volunteer to help, you can sign up for one Tuesday a month or every week– whatever works best for your schedule. No special sewing skills are required, just a willingness to share your love of sewing with a youngster! Come be a part of inspiring the next generation of quilters. Please contact me if you can help. We meet at the Elks Lodge every Tuesday from about 3:00 to 5:30.
