Thursday, June 29, 2017

Quilt for a Veteran Challenge .... July, August and September

Under construction ... more pictures to be posted





RED, WHITE AND BLUE                  

 ( LIGHT AND DARK SETTINGS)


Block size: 7.5 inches / 7 INCH FINISHED   …. 
12 BLOCKS ACROSS AND DOWN = 86 x 86 inches -  

 (144 blocks but you can make smaller quilts.)     

Go into your stash and pull out any white, white on white ... no prints/ shirting.  Please.  (Any brand Bright white, Snow, off white, white on white prints are okay.)  

Any fabric that READS red or blue (medium to dark blues)  will work for the colored portion of the block. Patriotic colors will work best but I will work with what I am given.  

Make a 3 inch finished triangle (3.5 inch unfinished patch) using any method you like.  Use a dark color for one side of the triangle and your white for the other.  
 
3 inch finished / 3-1/2 inch unfinished half square triangle




From your yardage of colored fabric and white cut 2.5 inch strips. 
(See the block lay out pictures.) 

 For each block you will need 14 inches of the color fabric.  Try to keep the strips matching the Half Sq. Triangles.  The white strips should be about 10 inches in length before you sub cut them.

Sub cutting the patches works best .... ask me how I know.
 
I am using fat quarters. I cut my 2.5 inch strips from length   ( 18”) side of a fat quarter.  In one strip I have enough for the 7.5in and 5.5 in. of the sub cut units.  A length wise strip gives a more stable block.   But use what you have and cut the way you want.   


Sub- cut the 2.5 strips: 

For each block you are making,  sub cut white.

3.5 inches x 2.5 inches …. Sew to the right of your half sq. triangle.

5.5 inches x 2.5 …. Sew across the top of your half sq. triangle patch.

For each block you are making, sub cut your dark strip    ( red or blue) 


5.5 inch x 2.5 inch patches….. Sew to the bottom of your half square triangle unit.

7.5 x 2.5 inch colored  patches … Sew to the left side of your half square triangle unit.

I will have sample blocks displayed at the guild meeting and pictures on the blog along with these instructions. 

 
LAY OUT of the patches  

  ( Confession of a bad piecer.  I sew my patches to the long strip then cut off and square up my block after each strip is sewn on…. What can I say it works for me and I dislike sub-cutting cause I always get my strips cut to the wrong size.  This only works if you are using a consistent background fabric.    When using assorted back grounds it is best to sub cut your patches as you go along.  My small scraps are put together in a MAKE YOUR OWN FABRIC / Improv / String blocks for a different project.) 
 
Patch lay out

I am sure you have been piecing quilt blocks longer than I have so you can figure out my poor instructions.  As long as the blocks are squared to 7.5 inches they will fit in the quilt.  I will  work with whatever blocks I am given my goal is a large throw at least 70 inches x 70 inches... 10 blocks by 10 blocks.


This type of quilt block can be set into any LIGHT / DARK high contrast setting style and look great.   I have some print outs of different light dark settings.  I also have a picture of the inspirational quilt. Even if you use red, white or blue scraps, left-overs from other projects it would be an interesting quilt as long as the contrast is good.   I will be posting more pictures / step outs of the process as I make more blocks.   So check back again.   

If you have any questions send an email to  davisoneveningstarquiltguild@gmail.com  ..... put VETERAN  blocks in the subject line.... 

I will be posting EQ7 photos of different settings for light /dark quilts.   The size and settings of the quilts made will depend on how many blocks I get or make.  Hoping for a lot of blocks to make a couple of throws and maybe some wheelchair lap quilts.  

MIRACLE QUILTS is the veteran's group I plan to donate the quilts to.  They will have a planned distribution next summer after their quilt exhibit.   You can read all the veteran organizations where they have donated in the past.  They also sponsor the VFW National Home for Children, Eaton Rapids, Michigan

http://thedesertangel.org/quilts/  
  
MIRACLE QUILTS
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VFW National Home for Children
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QUILTS of Valor is another organization that accepts quilts for donation, but they have requirements.  Here is their link, if you wish to make a quilt for them you will find information here.

http://www.qovf.org/quilters-questions/basic-requirements/

QUILT of VALOR Requirements  







CC:  Anna
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JUNE 28, 2017 guild meeting with Pam Anchatz ( and her husband Steve)

Pam and her husband Steve came to our guild to show her quilts and talk about her journey in quilting.   Pam is an avid hand quilter and has hand pieced many of the quilts she showed last night.  She use to do the hand piecing while traveling in the car or waiting for kids at sporting events.  Sewing is something she does everyday, usually instead of watching TV or other activities.   She said she has been quilting for over 40 years.

Per my usual I am posting only a small number of the pictures I took last night.  I will say I think that Pam has not seen a BLOCK OF THE MONTH she has not joined.  She stated she belongs to several quilting groups an she believes in participating in as many of their programs as they sponsor.... That is why she has round robin quilts,  block exchange quilts, BOMs and class quilts.   

I appreciate how Pam has brought her spirituality into her quilting.  Many of her quilts have wisdom, symbols and inspiring sentiments as a theme in her quilts.   

Her husband Steve is supportive of her quilting endeavors and has made some small quilts.  He even helped her buy a long arm where she quilts her own and donation quilts.  He is the Chaplin for his volunteer fire station and has made banners and donation quilts.




Family gift

QUILTING her values!

PAM participates in as many BOM as she can !

PAM has a sense of the truth !

 
FERRIS WHEEL QUILT


Her ROUND ROBIN quilt 
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Pam's husband Steve, bought the fabric and made this quilt 



Pam was a former event coordinator for Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman, MI.  She helped organize the quilt retreats that were hosted there for several years.  She said there were several upcoming events at the resort that quilter's might be interested in.  You can contact her for a lecture / trunk show or information about her guild and their events at .....

Contact Information :  quilterpam@hotmail.com 

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NEXT MEETING is July 26, 2017

Speakers:   Virginia Anderson and April York trunk show
Virginia and April have been long time members of this guild and is known by many of us. Actually Virginia was a founding member of the guild.  They are very knowledgeable and Virginia is a quilt appraiser.  They will be bringing quilts from Virginia's collections of quilts and the quilt they made inspired by the collection.   I saw Virginia’s quilts at the Genesee guild and we are in for a treat.




 

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Coming June to our guild, Pam Achatz from Hillman Mi.







I had a lovely phone interview with Pam Achatz, she will be our guest speaker on June 28, 2017.   Pam has been quilting for years.  She learned from ladies in a local church group before rotary cutters.  She learned how to hand piece and quilt from them.  Pam describes herself as a traditional quilter and she manages time to quilt everyday.  She quilts for her 7 grand-kids and her family. She is an avid charity and service quilter donating many of her quilts to various local and state- wide charities.  She started as a hand quilter but right now has a long arm to speed up the quilting of the charity projects.  She said she loved being active in her local charity, the THUNDERBAY QUILTERS.  


Pam at one time was the coordinator for the Thunderbay Resort’s quilt retreats.  She has rubbed elbows with the likes of Mark Lipinski and Bonnie Hunter.  Right now, she is working on Bonnie Hunter’s Pineapple pattern.  She has made traditional quilts, mystery quilts, block of the month projects, quilted jackets and quilted purses. Pam said she is bring us a lot of eye candy.

I “stole,” this from Pam’s blog … “My favorite sayings is, I don’t count a day complete till fabric, thread and needle meet.”

















Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Looking for classes? Try here . . .


These links were sent to the guild by a member: 


GREATER ANN ARBOR QUILT UNIVERSITY

 https://www.gaaqg.com/our-events/quilt-university/

July 28, 29 & 30, 2017

 Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College


GREATER ANN ARBOR QUILT GUILD - PROGRAM LINKS 





http://qgmd.org/

The Quilt Guild of Metro Detroit



 http://capitolcityquiltguild.org/meetings.php

 LANSING'S CAPITOL CITY QUILT GUILD MEETINGS