COMING TO US on May 31st ..... MARY BAJCZ TRUNK SHOW

May 31, 2017 -            
SPEAKER : MARY BAJCZ TRUNK SHOW of SCRAP HAPPY SERENDIPITY QUILTS. 

 http://www.scrap-happy.biz
SCRAP HAPPY WEB PAGES for Mary Bajcz

 About Mary Bajcz ... as stated on her web page:

 I've made quilts for about 35 years and am constantly delighted by the endless ways fabrics can be combined into a beautiful and useful quilt - art that can keep you warm.   I enjoy the serendipity in quilt making.  I start out with an idea, assemble a pile of fabrics, start cutting and sewing and watch to see if good things happen.   They usually do.  I also make smaller art quilts, reversible silk jackets, and loads of handbags.  About 12 years ago I discovered "free cut piecing", a technique that lets me "draw" with my rotary cutter.  It's my artistic voice!

I also knit,  hook rugs, and make lots of handbags.      

 I am looking forward to see what Mary has been up to since the last time she was at our guild in 2005.




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BRAIN STORMING with BETSY KOSS

The project Betsy brought to demonstrate BIG STITCH marking and stitching.

Last night we had a great lecture and trunk show from Betsy Koss.  She discussed her quilt projects she has made from antique quilt tops and antique orphan blocks.  Today, five of the Evening Star Quilt Guild members, met up for workshop with Betsy Koss at Linda's Quilt Shop in Davison.  We brought our problem projects so we could all brainstorm as a group, grabbing fabric from the shop to evaluate our blocks... which colors worked best,  print or solids,  what added to / enhanced our projects what detracted.  The project ranged from finds from garage sales, estate sales and antique shops, to family UFOs or heirloom projects, to abandon blocks from early quilting classes.  Each project was laid out and critiqued to evaluate the most effective methods to finish the projects.  

 

BETSY DEMONSTRATING BIG STITCH

BRAIN STORMING the 1930 quilt top gift 

This workshop was such a positive experience.   Evaluating each project, considering how to best preserve the project's uniqueness, history, how to enhance what someone (often a relative) else has made; helped us the attendees to expand our knowledge and creativity.  I especially enjoyed actually having the chance to look at fabrics, quilt tops, quilt blocks from 1800s and early 1900s.  I enjoyed working with the other quilters and I learned from their thoughts and evaluation of the various projects.  

The last hour of the workshop we learned how to do BIG STITCH to finish our projects.  How to mark the project, to start the lines of stitching, burying knots and do an actual line of stitching.  We had all brought a practice batt to test out the technique.  

I am posting some of the pictures Alice and I took for your enjoyment.  

Books recommended by Betsy Koss

BETSY's Feathered Stars 

 

Collection of wheel blocks ... checking potential backgrounds 

1915 FAMILY CRAZY QUILT in Silk and Fancy Fabrics

Wedding Ring from antique fabrics 

Family Quilt

 

Circa 1930s Quilt top gift 

Woolen Crazy Quilts

BLOCKS from a beginner quilting classes -2005

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APRIL 26, 2017 - - BETSY KOSS LECTURE, TRUNK SHOW and WORKSHOP

GREAT MEETING TONIGHT ...

Charlie gave a great Power Point presentation on PRE-SASHING BLOCKS to result in easier assembly of a quilt top.  I am looking forward to trying the technique with a sashed quilt.  I especially liked Charlies D.Y.I. binding holder.  Charlie gave me a copy of her presentation on a flash drive so I will be posting it here on the blog sometime in the future. 

COPING STRIPS to bring a block to size

 
Our guest speaker was Betsy Koss from Boyne City.  She belongs to the guild in Petosky, and is a former member of the Birmingham GREAT LAKES HERITAGE QUILT GUILD.  She brought a couple of her guild members with her for a girl's night out.  They were really fun at the dinner we had at LUCKY'S, we talked so much we were almost late for the lecture set up...

 She came to our guild and showed us her quilt collection.   Betsy has been collecting antique quilts, antique quilt tops and quilt blocks from antique shops and fairs for several years and multiple sources.  She brought over 30 projects she has worked on.  She discussed how she cleans the antiques quilts and tops, and also discussed how she marked them for quilting.  When each project was presented she was able to identify the approximate age of the quilt by the fabrics in the quilts.  Her antiques ranged from the early 1800s thru the 1970s and 80s.  She hand quilted many of the quilt tops and also used BIG STITCH QUILTING.  She gave a brief explanation of the threads used and the techniques for the best results.  Betsy also graciously answered all our questions during the lecture and questions by individual members after the lecture.  It was a really fun night and if you missed it ... you missed a great time.

BETSY's LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY QUILT GUILD

I am posting several of the pictures I took at the meeting but  you really need to see them up close and personal because my pictures do not do justice to the lovely projects.  Sorry, but Betsy showed us so many quilts I had trouble keeping track of which projects were made from quilt tops and which were from block collections.  I tried to pick the pictures of her older projects.

INDIGO BLOCKS ANTIQUE QUILT BLOCKS

Antique quilting with some fading

Cherry pop .... using antique blocks

Salvaging an antique quilt

LATER DAY LOG CABIN QUILT

I took over 50 pictures of Betsy's projects and hope to get more tomorrow when I go to her workshop.  We will be brainstorming our own projects and learning how to do the BIG STITCH.

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 CAMEO QUILTERS CAME TO VISIT.  THIS IS THE LOVELY RAFFLE QUILT THEY SOLD TICKETS FOR.