April meeting: accented binding and slipper tutorials

 About half of our members came to this meeting.  Some brought their sewing machines to work on the presented projects.

First, though, it's SHOW & TELL

 Barbara made this for donation from one of our kits.  

One of Barbara's friends was cleaning out her mother's estate and gifted Barbara with 3 bags of fabric.  Blocks for this quilt were in the bags.  She's planning to give it back to her friend.  

                        She ran out of backing so used some smaller blocks on the back.

Ruth's son received this graduation present some years ago from her sister-in-law.  It had been tied instead of quilted, and was showing wear.  He asked Ruth to repair the edge.  She took it apart and patched the holes left from stress on the ties, too.   Leslie quilted it.

Ruth also finished this UFO.

    And this fusible project.

Joann made this to keep herself warm at outdoor sporting events, and the color scheme supports her favorite teams, although it might be hard to see the purple in this photo.  Its backing is like minky.

Jean S made this table runner from a 2016 Row by Row pattern from Gathering Fabrics.  She made and brought it for tonight's accented binding tutorial.

Accented Binding 

Binding to be prepared beforehand.

1. Measure around the project and add 10" to this number.

2. Cut 1 1/4" strips for the main binding color, total length as determined in step 1.  Use bias seams to sew the strips together for your needed length.

3. Cut 1 1/2" strips for the accent color, total length as determined in step 1.  Use bias seams to sew the strips together for your needed length.

4. Sew the two long strips together on their long edge.  Press open and the seam allowance toward the narrower strip.

5. Fold strip in half lengthwise and press.

Tonight

Leaving a ~10" tail and starting near the middle of your project, sew the binding to the back of the quilted project in a 1/4' seam with the accent color up.  The matching fabric will face the backing.  Stop sewing 1/4" from the corner.  Turn the corner, folding the binding as usual.  Sew the short end, and continue the rest of the way in the same manner.  

When you near the tail that's left at the beginning of the binding, stop and join the ends in a bias seam.  Be careful to match the seams perfectly.  If they aren't matched, there will be an obvious misalignment visible on the front of the project.

Here are pictures of Jean's binding at the point where she's ready to wrap it to the front and stitch it down.

Slippers

Terry passed out patterns and gave us the option of open or closed toe.

Use at least 3 layers of warm and natural batting for the sole.  Some think 6 layers might be better.

It's also possible to add gripping fabrics to the bottom of the sole.

Here are examples from Terry.

Here's the one Leslie made.

 

March 2025: Making Kits for Donation Quilts

 With a well-attended meeting, we made lots of kits for ourselves to make donation quilts.  Thanks to everyone who brought fabric from their stashes.

First, Show & Tell

Sandra P made this quilt at the request of her husband.  The Tumbling Blocks (aka Baby Blocks) were hand-pieced.  Originally the quilt was supposed to fit a Full size bed, but it took long enough that it needed to fit a Queen, hence the big borders, and the calicos made a second appearance in the corners of the middle border.

Jean S got a new pattern from Sew Kind of Wonderful, and a ruler for it.

Patti either got this at our UFO swap, or from the Auffle, and finished it.

Leslie put last year's BOM blocks together, duplicating each, with pinwheel cornerstones.

This is Ruth's first modern quilt and a finished UFO!

Ruth made this zipper bag as part of last year's demo, and she wanted to show us how perfect it is for minding the quilt clips that are so popular.

Lydia won a collection of silk-screened crows at a retreat and put them together as a wall-hanging/banner.

Lydia also made this very easy Villa Rosa pattern as a gift.

Leslie was the only person who brought finished blocks from last month's meeting to show.  Look for her animal-theme fabric in all of them.

2 of her own Cat block

2 of Ruth's Tulip Lady Fingers

2 of Terry's Storm at Sea

Next Month 

For Leslie's magic binding, bring your sewing machine, a quilted project to bind and prepare the binding as follows.

1.  Choose two fabrics for your binding.

2.  Measure around your project.

3.  Add 10 inches to the total.

4.  Cut a strip from one of your binding fabrics, 1 1/4 inch wide.  "Color 1"

5.  If you need to sew your strips together, end-to-end, use a bias seam.

6.  Cut a strip from your other binding fabric that is 1 1/2 inch wide.  This is the flange. "Color 2"

7.  Again, use a bias seam if you need to sew strips together to make up the needed length.

8.  Sew the color 1 strip to the color 2 strip, right sides together, along the long edge. Press seam toward the narrower strip.

 

9.  Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together, aligning the long edges.

For Terry's slipper demo, bring your sewing machine. 

February: 3 blocks of the month

Our meeting was poorly attended on this cold night.  

FOR MARCH:  Remember to bring 6 1/2" squares to make kits for donation quilts.

Show & Tell

Only Jean S had something to show.  She made this pillow from a Krista Moser pattern called "Heart Cookies".

Blocks of the Month

Leslie brought us a set of cat faces based on free cat patterns from Elizabeth Hartman. 

This pattern is 3 pages:

 

Ruth presented Tulip Lady Fingers.  The pattern is from Quilter's Cache.

Terry presented Storm At Sea. This pattern is also from Quilter's Cache.

FOR MARCH:  Remember to bring 6 1/2" squares to make kits for donation quilts.

January 2025 planning meeting

 This was a very well attended planning meeting.  Thank you, everyone who came!  Special thanks to those who volunteered to lead activities!

Business

    We voted to continue having dues and to let our bank account subsidize our rent on this space.

    Dues for this year will be $20-$50, on a sliding scale.  Pay what you can to remain a member.   Lydia will accept cash or a check made out to "Needle and I".  The March meeting is the deadline.

 

SHOW & TELL

Sandra's cousin's wife made this to celebrate Sandra's 80th birthday.

Leslie made 3 quilts for donation.  One was from the kits distributed last summer.

This is an I Spy pattern.

                    It's hard to see in the photo but this kit's fabrics contained lots of animals.

                                    Fabric from the Auffle and her stash when into this one.

Patti's friend had a house fire and the quilts his wife made were smoky.  She has been laundering them with soaks in white vinegar and using Mane & Tail shampoo as the soap.

Ruth showed us this quilt that she demonstrated in a meeting several years ago.  She's brought it back to remind us of how easy a donation quilt is to make.  

Gail will donate this top when it's quilted. 

Gail also heard from a previous member, Marilyn, who had shared with her some Christmas decor, including an exceedingly cute ornament made by another former member, Janet Kime.  That adorable sheep is knitting from its own wool coat.  

                This is Marilyn's Christmas tree that she made by macramé. 

THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM

 

January	Planning		Bring hand work.
February	Demo Blocks	Ruth, Leslie, Terry	Bring sewing machine.
March	Quilt Kits	All	Bring [options]. See below.
April	Skill Class	Leslie, Terry	Bindings, Slippers
May	Demo Blocks	Charlene, Patti, Sandra P	Bring sewing machine and fabric.
June	Open	Need volunteer(s)
July	Making Donation Quilt	Jean R	Bring sewing machine.
August	Dessert Pot Luck	Everyone	In the park
September	Make Snowmen Ornaments and Gift Card Holders	Barbara, Lydia	Bring sewing machine.
October	Auffle!	Everyone	Bring your unwanteds.
November	Open	Need volunteer(s)
December	Holiday Party	Justine, Marlene, Sandra O

Notes:

1. There will be 6 mystery blocks presented this year, in two meetings.  Instructions for cutting pieces for these blocks will be supplied ahead of the meeting.
2. We need people to volunteer to present an activity for June and November.  Remember that participation is what makes this guild fun. 
3. March: Optional ways to participate. 

• Bring 2 yds of contrasting fabrics to cut at the meeting. 
• Bring your fabric precut in either 6 ½ “ or 8 ½ “ squares (for exchanging with others).
• Bring a Ziplock bag to hold your finished fabric kit. 
• Bring sewing machine to sew the precuts. Bring rotary cutter and mat and ruler.