National Quilting Day

National Quilting Day is Saturday, March 16, and you can celebrate with the North and South areas of the Utah Quilt Guild!

FUN, FRIENDS, FOOD, and of course. . . QUILTING!

 Open Sew- Bring your UFOs…work on some, or swap with others

 Power cords, extension cords and surge protectors most welcome

 Demos:
Patty Paulson: ‘Learn Maintenance’ for a Featherweight
Carol Cook: 10-minute Table Runner (bring 2 fabrics- WOF 12 inches/WOF 18 inches)
Caryl Jensen: Disappearing 4 patch

WHERE: St John the Baptist Gathering Place, 300 E 11800 S, Draper- lot to EAST

TIME: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

LUNCH: Potluck- Bring your favorite dish (enough to serve 8 and serving utensils)! Plates, utensils, napkins provided. What a great chance to ‘field-test’ a new or share a favorite ‘old’ recipe. Your last name starts with:

A-G- Finger Foods 

H-O Casseroles 

P-Z Desserts 

Questions? 

Carol Cook @ savvyquilts2@aol.com or 801-414-8426 or 

Caryl Jensen @ caryla2290@msn.com or 801-897-5334

February Round Tuits and Show & Tell

Did you know that quilters are extra-"straw" kissable?

Deonne (top), Cynthia (bottom left), and Teresa (bottom right) all got around to finishing a few projects.  The picture of Deonne's cross-stitched cloth does not do it justice!

And check out all the eye-candy we enjoyed this month during Show and Tell:

*Note that the very last picture (bottom right) is a panel quilted by Crystal's 10-year-old daughter!

February Meeting in Review

Announcements:

• March 7: Utah Quilt Guild Area Meeting
• March 16:  National Quilting Day (Sew-In, Luncheon, & Demos from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at St. Johns The Baptist Gathering Place - 300 E 11800 S, Draper)
• March 19:  Tooele County Quilters monthly meeting (remember to bring your  completed apple, birdhouse, bee, beehive, and embroidered blocks for our "All Things Utah" quilt)
• June 6-8:  Wild Horse Festival at Deseret Peak (please donate home-made items to sell; more information will be provided soon regarding the quilt show and prizes available at this event)
• October 8-12: Quilt Fest at the Zermatt in Midway
• November 4-8:  Holiday Quilt Show at Little America (where our "All Things Utah" quilt will be auctioned)

Library Book of the Month:  

Patchwork Sassaman Style:  Recipes for Dazzling  Quilts

Tips of the Month:

Pilot Frixion Pens:  The ink is thermo-sensitive, and is removable by erasing/friction (because friction generates heat). The little nubs at the end of the pens are the erasers. The marks will re-appear when put into the freezer, but will wash out easily with a light hand-washing using a little bit of liquid hand soap or dish soap.

Pressing vs. Ironing: "Pressing is using the weight of the iron and its heat to remove wrinkles and flatten seams.  Ironing is moving the iron back and forth.  Pressing is lifting the iron up and down. Pressing is for quilters!" (Sew, Mama, Sew!)

Civil War Blocks

to be completed by March:

Underground Railroad

Log Cabin

Salt Box Sampler:

Complete through page 10 by the March meeting. The question came up of how to "pop" your seams for pressing (also called "spinning").  Here's a good tutorial from Perkins Dry Goods blog.  Also mentioned were two useful rulers for squaring up blocks:  

• The Square Squared Ruler by Deb Tucker (click HERE for a great youtube video of Deb Tucker, herself, explaining the ruler), and
• The Pineapple Ruler (click HERE for a great youtube video explaining how to use the ruler).

Disappearing Four-Patch:

The Many Ways to Use Squares by Verneal Lowry

Thank you, Verneal, for a wonderful and informative class on a variety of ways to use squares to make beautiful quilt blocks.

1. Sew 2 sets of contrasting squares together. 

2. Sew the sets together into a 4-patch.  

3.  Cut the 4-patch, using the center seam as the guideline. 

4. Now you have a 9-patch. . . flip the middle piece in the top and bottom rows and the outside pieces in the middle row and sew back together!

Or, cut the 4-patch on the diagonal.  You must have two 4-patch blocks to rotate the pieces for a windmill.  Cut and rotate the windmill block the same as the 4-patch block in the first sample.

Variations:  use 4 different colored squares; assemble blocks in a variety of ways to achieve the look you desire.

Next Month: Daisy Block

For each block, bring:

• One 6 1/2" square of background fabric
• Two 2 1/2" x 5" rectangle of background fabric
• One 4" x 5" rectangle of fabric for daisy
• One 1 1/2" square of fabric for daisy center

Civil War Fabrics on the Cheap?

Some of you may have heard me mention that I found a fat quarter bundle of Civil War fabrics on ebay (from Frank's Bargain Center) for $1 each.  Shipping was $5 for 40 fat quarters.  Before purchasing, I read some reviews on a few quilting forums that mentioned Frank's Bargain Center that said the fabrics were of good quality.

When I got home from January's meeting, the bundle of fabric was waiting in my mailbox!  Here's what the bundle looks like (I ordered 40 fat quarters):

Not one of the selvages had any identifying information, although I was told that the manufacturers included Moda, RJR, Northcott, etc.  Also, more than half of the fat quarters had the selvage completely removed.  After reading Judy's Civil War handouts (the page about Chain Store fabrics vs Quilt Shop fabrics), I have come to the conclusion that these fat quarters are most likely from the beginning or end runs of a fabric print, where colors may be slightly off or the weave may be crooked.  Is this purchase a complete waste?  No.  I think I will still use these fabrics for either the Civil War quilt along, or even the Saltbox Sampler.

Here are 4 fat quarters out of the bunch that I wonder whether they are really Civil War reproduction fabrics:

Anyway, that's my review of the fabrics I received from Frank's Bargain Center.  CLICK HERE to see the fabrics Frank's Bargain Center has available.  Just remember that you'll probably be getting beginning or end runs of a fabric print.  I'll bring my fabric next month so you can feel it and see it.  

January Round Tuits and Show & Tell

Isn't it "mice" to start a new year?

Beth, Kaye, and Marilyn finally got "around to" finishing a project or two:

 

Many members showed projects they are currently working on or have completed:

Rose, Carla (demonstrating a thread separator), Malia, and Gayle:

(Rose & Gayle are new members!  Welcome!)

Crystal, Sarah, & Katie:

Betty & Kaye:

Good work, everyone! 

We can't wait to see the projects completed next month!

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.  

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!