2012 Christmas Luncheon: I Believe in Santa Claus

This year's Christmas luncheon was held on Tuesday, December 4 at 11 a.m.  

Entertainment was provided by a group of ladies who played beautiful Christmas music for all to enjoy.  

The theme was "I Believe in Santa Claus," and all the decorations had something to do with Santa.  

A special thank you to all those who participated in the 2012 Christmas Challenge (make something with a Santa on it):

The luncheon menu included:

• Pear Pomegranate Salad with Sweet Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• Rolls (tip on cooking Rhodes rolls below)
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Mixed Vegetables
• Cheesy Potatoes
• Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, Brownie Bite, Ice Cream and a Hershey Kiss!

After the luncheon, we enjoyed a trunk show and presentation by Amy McClellan, owner of American Quilting in Orem.  Here she is explaining one of the quilting techniques she uses, but unfortunately I can't remember exactly which technique she was describing!  Her quilts and patterns were beautiful and we're so grateful she was willing to come and share her quilting talents with us!

Pear Pomegranate Salad

Combined mixed greens (or baby spinach) with romaine lettuce.  Add pomegranate seeds, sliced pears or apples (use lime or lemon juice or fruit fresh to keep from going brown), crumbled feta cheese, and sugared nuts (pecans or almonds are good).  Drizzle with Sweet Red Wine Vinaigrette.  Serve immediately.

Sweet Red Wine Vinaigrette (from Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

Combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and process on high.  Lower speed, and while blender is running, add oil in a steady stream.  Dressing may be stored in refrigerator about 2-3 weeks.  Shake well before serving.

Sugared Nuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup sugar

Combine pecans and sugar in a small nonstick skillet.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and coats the nuts (about 15 minutes).  Place on parchment paper to cool.

Rhodes Rolls Tip

Rhodes Dinner Rolls were served at the luncheon. To check to see if the rolls have had enough time to rise, gently press your pinkie finger into the side of one of the rolls.  If the dough bounces right back, the rolls have not yet risen enough.  If the finger impression stays indented, then the rolls are ready to bake.  If the rolls collapse when you press with your finger, you've obviously let them rise too long.  Oops!

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

Join us for more friendship, fun, and quilting in 2013!

2012 Completed Block of the Month

From the Delectable Mountain book by Eleanor Burns:

 

Pillow Case Pattern

Click HERE for a downloadable and printable version of the instructions.

Fast and Easy Double Wedding Ring Technique

Fusible interfacing. . .

a pilot frixion pen. . .

and a Dritz Quick Turn tool. . .

made Double Wedding Ring magic today at the Tooele County Quilter's Meeting!

The traditional method for piecing a Double Wedding Ring block is challenging, even for advanced quilters.  Take a look at this traditional pattern at Free Spirit Fabric and you'll see what I mean.  Andrea, our instructor, made the Double Wedding Ring block easy enough for even beginners to complete!  The easier method involves the tools above as follows:

1. Use frixion pen to trace arcs on pellon.  Cut out pellon arcs, leaving approximately 1/4" seam allowance around the edge of the arc.
2. Cut 2 strips of six different fabrics (2 1/2" strips for 9 1/2" block; or 3" strips for 11 1/2" block).
3. Layer strips as desired and cut the strips into wedges using template pattern or plastic ruler (contact Andrea if you would like one).
4. Press seams to one side.
5. Place cut out pellon arc on top of sewn fabric arc, right side of fabric to bumpy or rough side of interfacing.  Be sure to line up centers and end dotted lines. (Note: wedges are wider than interfacing to allow for different seam widths and will be trimmed later).
6. Stitch on solid traced line along the top and bottom of the curved edge; do not sew the lines around the "wings."  You are making a tube.
7. Use Quick Turn tool, or another method of your choice, to turn the fabric right side out.  Now the iron-on part of the interfacing is on the outside of the tube.
8. Finger press the arc, making sure all interfacing is turned to the back.  Be sure NOT to press with an iron at this point; because you are using fusible interfacing, the arc will stick to whatever surface you iron on!
9. Place arc on a background block (either 9 1/2" or 11 1/2"), with the pellon wings in the corners of the block. 
10. Press and fuse arc to background with hot iron.
11. Applique arcs with stitch and thread of your choice.
12. Cut a square (jewel) of fabric (2" square for 9 1/2" block; 2 1/2" square for 11 1/2" block).
13. Mark wrong side of jewel square diagonally from one corner to another.
14. Place jewel in corner (over wing) and stitch on diagonal line.  Trim off extra fabric, if desired, and fold remaining fabric toward corner and press.
15. Sew blocks together.
16. Quilt and bind.

Templates

Click HERE for the downloadable and printable 9 1/2" block templates

Click HERE for the downloadable and printable 11 1/2" block templates

Prep for November and December Meetings

Image from Etsy Shop:  The Butterfly Net

Andrea Cox will be teaching a quick and easy method for making a Double Wedding Ring Table Runner.  If you'd like to participate, please bring the following supplies:

• Fusible Pellon (lightweight; the number on the bolt is P44F)
• Marking pen (a good one is the Pilot Frixion pen; it is erasable, or heat or water can be used to wash out; available at an office supply store [they will be cheaper there] in a 3 pack or 6 pack [different colors])
• (6) Fabrics for Arcs
• (1-2) Fabrics for "Jewels"
• (1) Background Fabric
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Supplies
• Fabric Tube Turner

For a 9 1/2" block:

• Cut (2) 2 1/2" strip of 6 fabrics (arcs)
• Cut (1-2) 2" strips to make (16) 2x2 ("jewels")
• Cut (3) 10" strips of Background - then cut into (3) 10"squares, (8) 5x10 rectangles, and (4) 5x5" squares

For an 11 1/2" block:

• Cut (2) 3" strips of 6 fabrics (arcs)
• Cut (1-2) 2 1/2" to make (16) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 ("jewels:)
• Cut (3) 12" strips of background - then cut into (3) 12" squares, (8) 6x12" rectangles and (4) 6x6" squares

In addition to the Double Wedding Ring Table Runner, there will be a charity quilt set up that can be tied, or you may help sew hats and gloves out of fleece (provided) for Head Start.

For those lucky individuals who "won" last month, please remember to bring your Round Tuit.

The 2012 Block of the Month project, Delectable Mountain, needs to be turned in at this meeting (at least have the top finished and if possible quilted). Mary is planning a wonderful gift for those who have participated and completed the Delectable Mountain, so if you have not let her know you are going to bring your quilt, please let her know by e-mail at gmbakbak@msn.com.

The Christmas Challenge (something with a Santa somewhere on it) is also due at November's meeting.  These projects will be used for decorations at our Christmas Luncheon on December 4, and you will receive a special prize in December for participating.

The last day to purchase tickets for the Christmas Luncheon on December 4 is Nov. 20. Tickets are $10 each.  Our guest speaker at the luncheon will be Amy McClellan, whose pattern, Salt Box Sampler, we will be completing for our 2013 Block of the Month. The patterns will be available for purchase at the November meeting for $12.50.

CHARITY OPPORTUNITY:  When you come to the Christmas Luncheon, please make and bring pillow cases to donate or canned goods. 

Other Quilting Events

you might be interested in:

• Nov. 27 - Colonial House
• Nov. 12-24 Embroidered Quilt Show @ Creative Sewing Center, Provo, UT
• Oct 12-Dec 31, 2012 - Block by Block: Stories of Common Thread Quilt Show, Frontier Homestead State Park Cedar City, UT Info call 435-586-9290
• March 16, 2013 - National Quilting Day
• May 9-11 - HMQS "That's Amore!"

October Meeting Review

Tooele County Children's Justice Center will be more than surprised when they receive our next shipment of finished quilts!  Today we tied approximately 20 quilts!  Thank you so much, ladies, for sharing your talents and time!

If you took any of the quilts home to bind, please remember to bring them back at our November meeting.

Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch together.  Thanks, Rodie and Colleen, for planning and organizing the luncheon.  It was delicious!

Finally, here are a few reminders of upcoming events/activities:

• Tooele County 4-H is holding a Quilting Day activity for children this Thursday and Friday, October 18-19.  If you'd like to volunteer to help at this activity, please contact Darlene Gilbert at Extension Services, 277-2400.
  
• Everyone is invited to a Quilt Retreat Day at Rodie's cabin on Friday, October 26.  Meet at Betty's at 9 a.m. to travel together.  Bring a project to work on and something to contribute to a potluck lunch.
  
• Our next monthly meeting will be held Tuesday, November 20 where we will be learning a quick and easy method to construct a double wedding ring quilt.  Your DELECTABLE MOUNTAIN quilt top is due at this meeting.  In addition, you must purchase a ticket to the Christmas Luncheon no later than this meeting.  Also, if you completed the Christmas Challenge (read the info on the right sidebar), bring your project to this meeting, and it will be used as decoration and display at the luncheon on December 4.
  
• Next year's Block of the Month pattern will be Amy McClellan's Saltbox Sampler as shown and described below.  You can purchase the pattern for a discount at the December luncheon, where Amy will be our guest speaker.

Picture and Description from

Amy McClellan's website Under the Garden Moon

"This quilt has over 41 different blocks. The detailed instructions are included for each block which makes this pattern a huge reference for future quilts. These pieced and appliqué blocks create a great combination that you will love making. The finished measurement is 48” square."

Upcoming Events - October

Be sure to click on
2012 MEETING SCHEDULE

(on the menu above)

for updates and specific information

regarding our monthly meetings.

Is there anything better than quilting?  YES!  Quilting WITH friends!  Tooele County Quilters are invited to a Day Retreat at Rodie's cabin in Ophir on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, and FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26.  Plan to meet at Betty's at 9 a.m. (10th N in Tooele, the first house on the left across from Heritage West Credit Union).  Bring your projects to work on and an item to contribute to the potluck lunch.

The Beehive Shop Hop will be October 17-20 and the theme is "It's a Treasure Hunt."  Eighteen shops are participating, and a variety of prizes/treasures can be hunted!  Click HERE for a map and list of participating shops.

If you don't mind traveling, Jackson Hole will be having its first ever Jackson Hole Quilt Festival next week, October 8-13.  The festival will include classes, Quilts on the Square, and a quilt exhibit at the museum.  If you'd like to learn something new and get away for a few days, this festival would be a great opportunity.  Click HERE for details.

Colonial House Quilt Day will be October 23 from 9-3 (259 E 7th Ave, SLC).  Tooele County Quilters and all Utah Quilt Guild members are invited to participate the fourth Tuesday of EVERY month.  Lunch is always served.  Quilters will work on community service quilts, which will be auctioned and sold for hospital research and education.

Pumpkin Parade Shop Hop

Sorry for the late notice, but I just found out about the Wasatch Front Shop Hop, September 27 - 29.  This year's theme is The Pumpkin Parade.  Each participating shop will feature a demonstration on some sort of pumpkin project as well as share a pumpkin recipe.

The following quilt stores will be participating (from South to North):

• Corn Wagon Quilt Company, Springville
• American Quilting, Orem
• Stitching Corner, Orem
• Broadbents, Lehi
• Thimbles and Threads, Draper
• Quilts Etc., Sandy
• Elaine's Quilt Blocks, Cottonwood Heights
• Mormon Handicraft, Midvale
• Pine Needles, West Jordan
• Piper's Quilts and Comforts, Sugarhouse
• Quilter's Haven, Bountiful
• Village Dry Goods, Brigham City
• My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe, Logan

Pre-cuts with Janine & Brigid

Can you believe all the projects you can easily make with pre-cut fabric?

Janine and Brigid showed multiple quilts and runners (you've got to use those leftovers, after all!) they made using charm packs, layer cakes, and jelly rolls.  Remember that new fabric lines are introduced every few months, so quilt shops often have the out-going lines on sale or clearance.

Using one piece of a layer cake (a 10" square) and a few jelly-roll strips, Tooele County Quilters had fun making a table runner called Monster Munchies.  Although the pattern instructions from McCall's Quilting Magazine were for Halloween fabrics, a few quilters decided to use Fall or Christmas fabrics with fabulous results!  A couple of changes/tips Janine suggested include:

• Use any size square for the center and adjust the strip lengths accordingly.  The pattern originally called for a 10 3/8" square, but Janine recommended using a pre-cut 10" square from a layer cake.
• If using a 10" starter square, the pattern then called for two 10" strips, two 12" strips, and two 2 1/2" squares.  Janine reminded us that the strips didn't need to be quite 12" long because you will be trimming off quite a bit at the end of the project.
• After sewing the strips and squares to the center piece, the pattern instructions said to cut off the jagged top and bottom edges (1/4" away from the top and bottom corners of the center square).  Janine likes wider binding, so she recommends cutting more than 1/4" to allow for that.

Janine also shared two of her favorite books.  The books contain a plethora of patterns that call for pre-cuts.  The books are available in our Tooele County Quilt Guild library for check-out.  Or, if you'd rather purchase the books for your own library, here are the links (just click on the picture to go to amazon.com):

Be sure to bring your finished projects for Show and Tell next month!

Deseret Foundation Donation Quilt

Tooele County Quilt Guild participates in the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation (formerly Deseret Foundation) bi-annual quilt show and auction.  The quilt show and auction has raised funds for medical research and specialized medical equipment since 1983.  The next quilt show will be in 2013, and we are planning and preparing for the event now!

We will be piecing and hand-quilting the Apple and Bee Orchard quilt, designed by Stephen Seifert and Liz Schwartz (published in The Foundation Piecer, "A Bountiful Harvest," pp. 18-19).  Instead of using a "feature print," we will be hand-embroidering Utah-themed blocks, such as a Sego Lily, a Golden Spike, The Arches, etc.  

Fabric Needed:

• 2 yards blue print
• 2/3 yard medium red
• 1/2 yard brown
• 2/3 yard light amber
• 2/3 yard dark amber
• 1/2 yard beige
• 1/4 yard each of the following colors:  black, burgandy, cream, moss green, forest green, midnight blue, navy blue, and light green.

Here's how you can help:

1. Donate fabric in the color scheme shown above AND Utah-themed embroidery patterns  (by JANUARY).
2. Help make block kits to be distributed to Tooele County Quilters (date TBD in JANUARY).
3. Paper piece or hand embroider blocks (from the distributed kits).
4. Help sew the quilt top together.
5. Help hand quilt and bind the quilt.

Crystal is the chairperson for this quilt project.  Please contact her at 841-0712 if you have any questions or suggestions.

  

Eagle Project: Call for Help

Zachary's Eagle Project is to collect quilts for a local children's hospital and distribute the quilts to the children at the hospital to make their stay more comfortable.  We all know how wrapping up in a quilt feels like a warm and comforting hug.  What better way to help a sick child than to wrap him or her in a quilt made with love.

Quilts may be any of the following sizes:

TWIN: 72x90

CRIB:  54x80

BABY: 45x60

Please use cotton or flannel fabric, but do not use red as the color tends to bleed when washed.  Quilts should be tied or quilted at 4" intervals.  Due date is October 16 at our next Quilt Guild Meeting.  If you have any further questions, please contact Zachary at 850-9248.

Using Pre-Cuts

Ever heard of layer cakes, jelly rolls, and charm packs?

image from sew4home.com

These pre-cut packs contain coordinated pieces from one fabric line and come in many different options.  Layer cakes are 10" squares, jelly rolls are 2 1/2" x WOF (width-of-fabric) strips, and charm packs are 5" squares.  Many companies also package fat quarters into bundles.  Many current patterns call for pre-cut packs, which is convenient for several reasons:

1. It "cuts" down on cutting time, so you can get right to the fun part. . . sewing and piecing!
2. It's an economical way to collect many different fabric lines; if you buy one charm pack or jelly roll, you get a little piece of each fabric in the entire line!
3. It simplifies color coordination because the colors are already coordinated for you!

If using a pre-cut, you should NOT pre-wash the fabric, which would distort, misshape, or wrinkle the fabric.  Sometimes, you may need to trim the pre-cuts to a smaller size.  Heather Mulder Petersen, a designer and publisher of quilt patterns who loves to use pre-cuts, has a multitude of tips for using pre-cuts at her blog, Anka's Treasures.

Would you like to learn to use pre-cuts and complete a project within a couple of hours?  If so, come to Tooele County Quilt Guild's September 18 meeting (9:30 a.m.).  Janine Manzione, one of our very first quilt guild members, will be teaching us how to make a table runner.  Be sure to bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies to the meeting.  Print and review the instructions here:  McCall's Quilting.

See you there!