Charity Update from Eileen DiPietro:

I needed some time to absorb everything before I could attempt to write about my visit to the homeless encampment but here goes.

As most of you all know, I had been in contact with “Minister Steve” Brigham, as he is so fondly referred to by his fellow residents,  about the guild donating quilts to the homeless encampment in Howell. All of you may not know that the bulk of the residents there are people who had been living in Tent City in Lakewood until they were forced to leave. At that time Howell let them use a parcel of land that belonged to the township and then without warning sold the property out from underneath them, a provision of the sale being that the new owner had to find them a place to set up camp. Well to make a long story short no one has done that or made any effort to do it and these folks are once again staring down eviction. When I first contacted Steve I was trying to get a census so to speak about the residents and that is when I found out that most of the thirty residents had relocated to different areas in the woods in anticipation of the eviction and that only six had still remained. Of those six one is the minister himself and his assistant, Cindy.

I managed to put together six decent size quilts from our charity stash and gave them a label and last Thursday I set out to the camp to meet with Steve. (Side note I had also thrown out if anyone had warm clothing and such they wanted to donate that I would be willing to collect and deliver as well. Deb Loeb and Sherre were kind enough to pack some things up. Deb Loeb, you know those shoes and boots you weren’t sure anyone would want, fear not they were a huge hit!). I brought my husband along for the ride and followed the directions that were shown on the Facebook post of Howell Happenings that I had shared. I’ve probably driven past the dirt road that leads to the camp, right off Route 9 nestled amongst a shopping Mecca, hundreds of times but little did I know. The dirt road   doesn’t go very far before you enter the camp. There are tents, as in camping tents, makeshift tents, abandoned rvs, cars and buses all set up around a circle, these are their homes. Homes that they are proud of, homes that are well taken care of, homes with beds made,  homes that are in jeopardy now. I was so afraid that I would be emotional there but strangely I was not. I was greeted by Cindy first because Steve was on the phone. I didn’t know if she was aware of why I was there so I proceeded to tell her about the guild and the donation. She helped me unload the trunk and when I showed her the box with the quilts, it was like a child on Christmas morning! She was so excited yet somewhat spellbound that someone would give her and her neighbors a handmade quilt.  She couldn’t wait for the others to be home later so she could hand them out.  Steve was equally delighted, I don’t think he realized before that these were handmade quilts we were gifting. I stayed for quite some time there and talked with the two of them. Cindy expressed a desire to learn to sew and maybe help teach some of the struggling women a craft they could use. I would be happy to oblige. Steve invited me to a screening of a documentary made about Destinys Bridge and how he is fighting a town to save his people from eviction, that happened to be that same night. I had to juggle a few things but I went that night to the Toms River library to see the film. I was greeted by Steve and Cindy like an old friend, hugged and kissed, like we’d been friends for years. We couldn’t stay for the whole film but I bought a copy, both to support Destinys Bridge and so that I could watch it at home in its entirety. I will bring it to the next meeting. Anyone who wants to watch is welcome to borrow it.

I have so many feelings about this donation, I can’t even begin to put them into words. What I can say is that this gift we share, it never gets old. It really doesn’t.  I would love to keep donating to these folks, I really would. Thank you all for letting me do this.

You can read more about this homeless camp here.

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting tonight!  It was a fun meeting.  We did our usual business, then show & tell, and then we discussed English Paper Piecing, and I shared a bunch of my finished and in-progress projects.  Thanks, Brandy, for being our photographer!

Sherre started us off.  She had an adorable Elizabeth Hartman fox quilt, an awesome alphabet, by Lori Holt, and a medallion of her own invention, using Allison Glass and Victoria Findlay Wolfe elements.

Eileen has been cranking away at her Village quilt – isn’t it amazing?  And her pouch of the month from Sew Lux is perfect, as always.  She’s participating in the Kingfisher Stitch Along, too, with a gorgeous pile of hexie flowers.

Amy shared a wonderful purse she crocheted, and some really nice vinyl pouches.

Deb L made two placemats for our ongoing charity project, and two baby quilts for some coming soon babies.

I showed off some blocks from the soon to be released Summer Adventure quilt by Kitty Wilkin, my Sew Lux pouch, and a purse I made.

Then it was time to talk about English Paper Piecing.  I had a few projects to show off – I like to try all different kinds of things, from the traditional Grandmother’s Flower Garden, to more interesting things.

If you are having trouble getting started with EPP, or would like to borrow any of my books, just let me know.  I’m happy to help, and as you can see, I’ve tried just about everything.

The Kingfisher Stitch Along is a great one to try out, if you are tempted by EPP.  It uses 1″ hexies, and appliqués them to a diamond, so you don’t have to do a whole huge quilt with just hand piecing.  It is the perfect summer take-along project.  Plus, Eileen, Deb H and I are all doing it.  You don’t want to be left out, right?

Thanks for a great meeting, ladies, and welcome to our new members!

–Jen

We had a great meeting this month!  Show and tell is always my favorite part.

We started out admiring Bonnie’s entry for our New Jersey QuiltFest display.  This is called “Jewels on Snow” and is so lovely.

Brandy shared two quilts.  The first is her entry for the display, and the second is a gift for a family member with a very specific request for a quilt with squares and lines.

Sherre had a slow month this month, with only 5 large quilts to share.  Let’s all hope she is back on track next month.

Arlene finished this gorgeous appliqué top in a class at Mouse Creek Quilts.

June made some lovely pouches, and is cranking out houses for her Sewing a Village project.  She moves pretty fast and was hard to photograph.

Eilieen finished off the project we started at the February sew-in.  Her points are fabulous!  She shared a few pouches she had completed, too, but the photographer tonight was fairly sucky.

Deb brought in denim pillows, a lovely large quilt, and some little hearts she plans to leave around to brighten people’s day.

Allison brought in her pouch, and this adorable fish quilt!

Thanks, ladies, for all of the fabulous inspiration.  I will endeavor to do a better job with my photography next month.

Lots of our members have jumped on the sew-along hosted by Stitch Supply Company to create a massive 132 house “Village” quilt over approximately 5 months. The official start date is February 5th – plenty of time to order your pattern, The Village by Jumble, Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company and start choosing your fabrics – this quilt is EXTREMELY scarp and charm square friendly! Fussy cutting the doors is a big part of the fun! Finished quilt is 65″ by 79.5″. There will be prizes every week, graciously provided by Stitch Supply Company , who will be hosts of this Instagram sew-along. If you are new to the IG quilting community, or interested in getting your feet wet – this is a great opportunity. Post pics of your houses each week straight from the camera roll on your phone, and add the hashtag #sewingavillage to join in! (As your loyal social media gal, I would love it if you would tag @jsmqg as well!) If the pattern is unavailable at Stich Supply, here are a few places that also have it in stock: Eleanor Burns , AZSewingWorld , EQuilter and Vintage and Vogue

In my internet travels, I recently stumbled across Paige Miller’s shop in Point Pleasant, NJ – she has what looks like a wonderful community focused maker space in Point Pleasant, NJ. Frame and Fiber is a frame/yarn/fabric shop that also sells local artists’ work and offers a wide variety of classes, in knitting, sewing, and crochet. Amanda of Daisy Laine designs is their on-site sewist.

I haven’t made it down there yet (I hope to soon), but have spoken to Paige and it seems like a great addition to our brick and mortar resources here on the Jersey shore. You can see some of the fabrics offered in their etsy shop, and all have quite a modern sensibility – Joel Dewberry, Denise Shmidt, Erin McMorris, and Amy Butler, among others. If you have the time to venture down to Paige’s shop, say hi from JSMQG!

Brandy will be bringing everything we need to make seventeen draft dodgers for some well deserving rescue pups. See you 10-6, Saturday the 13th, at Colts Neck Reformed Church. Don’t forget to Paypal $5 to the guild to cover the cost of the space!

I have been sorely missing my sewing time in this crazy build up to the holiday season, but as Christmas approaches, I am hoping to join in the Ornament Along hosted by Wefty Needle and Mr. Domestic. That pinecone! That Kdusuma Ball! Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to crank one out to top every present we give this year. How about you? You can find info and tutorials for all of these ornaments on the hosts’ websites, instagram (hashtag #ornamentalong ) and youtube channels. For this ornament along, Mathew and Tara alternated, with each posting a new ornment and tutorial every other week for six weeks. Mathew’s supply list can be found here and Tara’s here. Happy sewing! And don’t forget JSMQG members, our holiday party, fabric bucket exchange, AND board election is this coming Wednesday, December 20th!

Hello Modern Quilt Guild Members,

We would like to inform you and your guild members of a few exciting details of the Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival, April 6, 7, 8, 2018:

~Quilt Guild Challenge- see attached details for rules, theme, etc.

~An invitation to showcase your Guild’s work (a mini representation of the work that you have done, in an exhibit open to Modern Quilt Guilds.

~An invitation to your guild to meet at our event with other MGQ members in a designated MQG lounge area. (members from different cities and states can meet up and share  work/ideas, etc., hosted by Hoffman Fabrics.)

~Hoffman Fabric extravaganza AND Challenge exhibition with a chance to buy a huge variety of fabrics directly from their showroom (fat quarters to cut off the bolt)

~Classes taught by fellow MQG members

And a variety of other activities all 3 days:

~A different Make it and Take activity each day

~Creative Open Studio with sewing machines provided for you use and play with all materials provided to try your hand at new surface design/fabric making technique

~A vibrant marketplace for all of your creative and sewing needs

~Ongoing interactive demos throughout the market floor

~ Over 90 Classes that include:

    Sewing, quilting, embroidery, slow stitching, dyeing, nuno, block printing, weaving, spinning, surface design, knit, crochet, wool flowers, silk flowers, paper crafting, and more!

Group rates are available.

If you would like to make special arrangements for your group or guild , please let us know and we can assist you with any  details and arrangements.

FYI: Megabus stops directly in front of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center!

• Nightquilter‘s take on the One Hour Basket
• Imfeelincrafty‘s One Hour Basket swap with the Seattle MQG
• Sonic Stitch’s long and lean take on the One Hour Basket (to better fit fat quarters!), a modification she calls the Eliza Basket, that she taught to the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild for their holiday swap last year.
• Sew DeliciousSew Delicious made hers out of selvedges!

Our charity quilt for the MQG Challenge “Modern Traditionalism” is coming together well, thanks to the efforts of our charity quilt committee and all the members that contributed blocks and their time. We spent our last sew in assembling!

Eileen is collecting blocks to send to the Las Vegas MQG chapter as part of their #quiltsforvegas initiative. The pattern requested is Cluck Cluck Sew’s “Grayscale” block, and each quilt will also include a heart block (the same design that was used for #quiltsforpulse). The quilts are being made in whites and bright primary colors (prints ok). Eileen will be collecting at our next meeting – please contact her with any questions you might have. Thank you.

We know them, we love them, we covet them – our own Eileen D is going to lead us through the somewhat daunting process of making our own Sew Together Bags at our September sew-in: Here’s the info! The pictures above are a few examples of front panels Eileen has made up for this class.

Hey kids, September is right around the corner and if you are interested in taking my “class” at the September Sew In we should probably talk about school supplies!!

First, and foremost, you will need to purchase the pattern. It is the Sew Together Bag and it is available for purchase at sewdemented.com in PDF form for $12.  I have been told it is available in some quilt shops but I don’t remember which.  If you do purchase in PDF form make certain you print in “Actual Size” as there is one paper pattern piece included.

Before you consider fabric choices and how you may or may not want to piece or embellish your Exterior Panel, I strongly urge you to use Instagram and check out the hashtags for some super creative ideas   #sewtogetherbag #sewtogetherin2017 and #sewtogethersewalong  or simply use Google Image and search Sew Together Bag.  

Materials:

Exterior Fabric:  The pattern calls for one Fat Quarter of fabric.  Now if you want to simply have your exterior made from a single piece of fabric this is the way to go.  If you would like your Exterior Panel to be made from patchwork or some other form of piecing please keep in mind that the actual, unfinished size of the panel is  13 1/2 x 9 3/4 inches and this piecing needs to be completed before the class.

Lining Fabric:  1/2 yard x WOF  Self explanatory and this will yield all the same interior bag linings.  I would stick to this for your first go at it, but you certainly don’t have to.  If you want to go all out and use more than one interior lining fabric you will need to cut four pieces,

B1, B2, B3, and B4   8 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches.  The fabric you need for the side panels (the actual pattern piece included in the pattern) is  also included in the lining fabric 1/2 yard.

Pocket Lining Fabric:  1/3 yd xWOF   Again this will yield three pocket lining of the same fabric.  Here I like to use three different fabrics and simply cut (2) 4 x 9 3/4 inch pieces of three (3) different fabrics and use some colorful, coordinating zippers.

Binding: 1 Fat Quarter

Batting or Fusible Fleece: (1) 18 x 22 inch piece.  I personally, use a thin batting but either is perfect and work equally the same.

Interfacing: 1 yard of lightweight fusible.  I highly recommend Pellon ShapeFlex SF101.  Me personally, I would not bother using anything else.  (I am not being paid to say that!!)

Zippers: (1) 18 inch zipper.  This is for the outside of the bag and there is no deviating in size.  (3) 9 inch zippers: This size is perfectly fine: however, if you fear the zipper I urge you to buy longer such as 12 inch or any size that is longer than 9.  I do not fear the zipper and I always use longer because it allows me to easily install it without the fear and the bulk of the zipper pull and stop and we will cut it after we finish installing it. NYLON ZIPPERS ONLY – NO METAL ZIPPERS!!

You can definitely pick up zippers at Joanns or Walmart. I order mine in bulk from Zipit and I will be placing an order before we have class so if anyone wants one in particular let me know I will include it in my order and I do own a lot already and I share nicely.

I love hearing from all of you so if you have and questions or concerns call or text me.

Next up, things you need to do prior to class!!

You guys are going to love this bag!  Thanks for having the confidence in me to teach it to you..

Eileen

At this month’s meeting we will be finding out more about the prep for this year’s QuiltCon 2018 Charity Quilt – remember, the theme this year is modern traditionalism – something I think our group really excels at! The Charity Quilt committee has asked that we pull tone on tone fabrics from our personal stashes in this year’s colors – remember, solids and prints are both ok, but the prints cannot contain colors outside of the palette below. Scraps? We got this. 🙂