January Meeting in Review

Tooele County Quilters met Tuesday, January 15, at 9:30 a.m., and it was standing room only for our first meeting of the year!  Welcome to all the new members!  We hope you enjoy making friends and learning many new things, as well as sharing your talents with us.

First on the agenda was meeting the new officers and chairpersons (click on the CONTACT US link above, for a detailed list and contact information).

Our librarian, Dianne, introduced two new books about machine quilting.  Many books are available in the Tooele County Quilter's library, and any member may check out a book.

The Bear Lake Quilt Retreat will be held March 25-29, and costs $100.  You'll need additional money for shop hopping all the way there and back as well as for a few meals (lunch on the way there and home, as well as one or two meals out while in Bear Lake).  Be sure to let Kaye know if you plan to go as soon as possible, because she will assign meal preparation groups next month (you'll only have to cook once the whole week!).

We hope none of you felt overwhelmed with the information that was presented.  Remember that all of the projects presented are optional.  Participate in one of them, none of them, or if you're ambitious, all of them! Here are the projects we will be working on throughout the year:

INTERMOUNTAIN RESEARCH

& MEDICAL FOUNDATION

(formerly Deseret Foundation)

Every other year, we make a quilt to be donated to the Foundation, which is then auctioned at the Holiday Quilt Show (November 4-8 at Little America in SLC).  The Foundation has been dedicated to funding medical research for more than 40 years, and we are honored to participate.  This year, our quilt is called "All Things Utah," and Crystal Zierenberg is spear-heading the project.  The paper-pieced blocks (apple, bee, beehive, and birdhouse) and embroidery blocks (variety of Utah scenes) were distributed at our meeting.  The blocks are due no later than the March meeting.  Additional help will be needed throughout the year, and I will post more information as it becomes available.

CIVIL WAR BLOCKS QUILT ALONG

from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Blocks of the Week 

We will complete 2 blocks per month.  The cost is $5 for the entire year for copies of the stories and block instructions.  This is a great project to learn about the history of the Civil War and to sew many traditional blocks. The first two blocks are (both pictures from Barbara Brackman):

Catch Me If You Can

Note:  there is a slight typo in the instructions.  Step 4 says to square up the units to 2" (if making an 8" finished block) or 3" (if making a 10" finished block).  If making an 8" finished block, you will need to square up the units to 2 1/2" (NOT 2").  The 3" measurement is correct for the 10" finished block.

North Star

Saltbox Sampler

from Amy McClellan (Under the Garden Moon)

Mary and Jeanine will be teaching and directing this project. The blocks are grouped into similar techniques.  This is a great project for learning foundation quilting skills. This month's assignment is to complete blocks 1 through 5:

• Off-Set Shoo Fly
• Pinwheel & Greek Square
• Scrappy 16-patch
• Double Framed 4-patch
• Improved 4-patch.