London Friendship Quilters' Guild

Volunteers needed for Quilt show 2012

2012-01-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

From Quilt Show Chairperson, Pat

QUILT SHOW 2012!!!

The Quilt Show committee still has openings for members who can roll up their sleeves and help to make this event happen!

We also need someone with basic computer skills.

There will be a meeting at my house Tues Jan 24, 7:00. Come see what you can do to support your guild.

Please confirm attendance, I'll save you a seat.
Pat

Quilts of Valour

2012-01-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

The guild hopes to put together at least one quilt to donate to the Quilts of Valour program. Christine R. is coordinating this project. 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" rectangles are needed for the pattern that has been chosen. Please note correction on the colours needed: reds, oranges, yellows, greens and browns (so no blues); think fall colours. If you have already cut blue pieces, bring them along and they can be saved for another quilt in the future. Bring the rectangles to the next meeting.

Saturday's workshop Cancelled

2012-01-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

Please note that we have had to cancel the workshop for the Spinning Four Patch on Saturday due to a funeral at the Church. It will be rescheduled to a later date. Please check the blog regularly and the new information will be posted as soon as it can be arranged.

For those that were signed up for the workshop, would you be so kind as to email Charlene that you got the message? That will save some phone calls later. Thanks so much!

QUILT SHOW 2012!!!!!

2012-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Exciting news: We will be having a Quilt show after all! So get those sewing machines humming and finish off all those quilts that need that push to get them completed. Mark the dates on your calendars:

October 26 and 27, 2012

There will be an information meeting on January 24th. If you are interested in finding out if you'd be able to help with the show this year, send an email to the guild address on the sidebar for details on where the meeting will be held.

We look forward to lots of wonderful quilts to make this show a great success!

Next Meeting - January 12, 2012

2012-01-09T18:38:00.001-08:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held this Thursday, January 12, at 7:00 p.m. at St. George's.

Don't forget to bring:

Show and Tell
Library books to return
Change and chequebook for tickets and signing up for workshops
Notion of the month: 6 1/2" squares of novelty print fabric for Kid's Quilts
Name tag

Our speaker will be from the Danish Quilt Show Committee informing us of the upcoming show in Ailsa Craig.

Our featured Quilt shop this month will be Hyggeligt.

Saturday, January 14, 2012 @ 9:00 a.m. Jacqui VMS will do a workshop on the Spinning Four Patch. Click here to see some examples of these types of quilts. Click here if you are signed up for the class and still need ideas on what types of fabrics work for these quilts. Please bring along an extension cord if you have one.

Christmas Meeting

2012-01-09T18:37:00.001-08:00

The Christmas meeting was held on December 8, 2012. Members were greeted with Christmas music and a slip of paper at the door with the name of a quilt block on it directing them to sit at a table marked with that block:

There were actual blocks identifying the table together with the name of the block.

The idea was to mix everyone up and to get to know different members of the guild. Members were also instructed prior to the meeting to bring along a favourite notion or gadget. Introductions were held around the table and each member showed their item and explained why it was their favourite. Micki distributed beautiful FQ's to each table and Gail read a Christmas story about Mr. and Mrs. Wright baking cookies for Santa. Whenever we heard right or left, we passed the FQ around the table in the proper direction. At the end of the story, we kept the FQ that was in our hand.

A representative from Meals on Wheels came to accept the place mats that were made. He mentioned that the clients really look forward to their placemats! A huge thank you to all members who made these lovely placemats.

There was a large stack of them!!

Members also brought along some Christmas baking and the guild supplied tea and juice and some fruit for our special Christmas break.

Our featured vendor was Shirley of the Marsh Store in Coldstream. Members had a good time browsing the wonderful items. Shirley also brought along several bolts of fabric suitable for the upcoming Spinning Four Patch class.

Penny had her stash of fabrics/quilts for members to take home if they wished to work on Kid's Quilts over the holidays:

Thanks Micki and the Program Committee for organizing a wonderful Christmas meeting for our members. Everyone seemed to enjoy the program!

Next meeting - December 8, 2011 Christmas meeting!

2011-12-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild is our Christmas meeting and will be held Thursday, December 8, 2011. The Program Committee has an exciting evening planned with lots of new ideas to provide a relaxed, quilty, fun evening for December.

There will not be a guild Quilt Show in 2012. We hope to have our next show in the fall of 2013.

Shirley from the Marsh Store will be our vendor for the evening, so we can also go shopping for that special Christmas gift for a friend or for ourselves :-).

Advance notices:

*next Quilt til you Wilt is Feb. 18, 2012. Sign ups will be available at the meeting.
*Rummage sale for Community Outreach supplies - February meeting. Start gathering up your unwanted quilty items and price them.
*a Spinning Four Patch Workshop will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2013 by Jacqui VMS. Samples of quilt blocks and fabrics will be shown at the meeting. The cost is $30.00 and sign ups are available at the December and January meetings.

Bring to the Meeting:

*Notion of the Month: food bank items.
*a favourite quilt gadget or notion. Be prepared to share with your table why you like it.
*6 squares or cookies to share for break time.
*mug for tea
*magazines you would like to get rid of. These will be sold at the meetings for a quarter. Proceeds for guild projects :-).
*Show and Tell
*cheque book to sign up for workshops and change for tickets.
*pillowcases for Kid's quilts
*placemats for Meals on Wheels!

Lob Cabin Quilt disply at Wellington County Museum

2011-11-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Wellington County Museum in Fergus has a small but wonderful display of old log cabin quilts. The rest of the Museum has some very interesting displays as well. Here is the description from their web page:

"Building Warmth: Log Cabin Quilts

Sep 10, 2011 - Mar 25, 2012

Enjoy the beauty, and appreciate the skill and mastery of quilting in Wellington County. Building Warmth: A Log Cabin Quilt Exhibit opens at Wellington County Museum and Archives on September 10, 2011.

“It could be said that quilts created in “log cabin” patterns were built as much as they were sewn.” stated Susan Dunlop, Curator. “The log cabin pattern was inspired by the first settler homes. The log walls provided the shelter from the elements and the kitchen hearth gave light and warmth.”

Based upon this image of warmth and protection, women created the log cabin quilt pattern from thousands of scraps. Colourful strips were sewn together as the “walls” of the cabin. In the centre was placed a red square – the hearth, considered the heart of the home.

Today we treasure these quilts as exquisitely balanced designs rich in colour, texture and history. Many examples will be on display until March 25, 2012."

Directions to the Museum are available here.

Quilt til you Wilt

2011-11-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Quilt til you Wilt was held at the Stoneridge Inn on Saturday, November 19, 2011 and a great time was had by all. Amelia made 21 pillowcases!!

The food was great as usual:

Another pillowcase by Carol:

Rose and Karen are in Christmas mode:

Through the Trees from the workshop this month:

You can see many more pictures on our Picasa Web Album.

MadAboutPatchwork workshop

2011-11-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 12th, Pam Denesyk of MadAboutPatchwork taught a workshop for the London Friendship Quilt guild members. We gathered around Pam to get our instructions for the morning class which was called "Through the Trees".

Gail and Karen cutting their fabrics:

Pam explaining our afternoon project, Quartered Squares:

Decisions, Decisions! Pam had her fabrics there which made selection a lot easier and our wallets a lot lighter to carry!! :-)

Christine was very organized before the workshop!

Sewing the strips together. It was great seeing everyone's different colour combinations.

Lovely black and white combination, but the polka dots and stripes were making Elaine dizzy :-):

Penny concentrating:

Micki's very pretty colours:

A batik version:

Another black and white version:

Jacqui's through the trees layout:

Making that first cut:

It was a great workshop and a lot was accomplished. Looking forward to show and tell at our next meeting! For more photos check out the link here.

November Guild Meeting - MadAboutPatchwork

2011-11-19T15:25:00.001-08:00

The November meeting of the London Friendship Guild was held at Chalmers Presbyterian Church instead of our usual location. Hopefully everyone remembered! We did have a good number of ladies present. Everyone pitched in to help set up. Thanks so much ladies for going with the flow and helping out by taking chairs along and getting the room cleaned up at the end of the evening. Here are several of the ladies getting things set up:

Our able Co President, Barb A. led the meeting this month. She even did a little dancing for us LOL! Thanks Barb for keeping us all on track this month.

Our speaker this month was Pam D. from MadAboutPatchwork. She did a great trunk show of her journey with quilting.

This was Pam's first quilt and was very traditional:

Her style soon evolved into more modern quilts with a lot of them made with solids and no borders:

She uses very simple shapes and patterns but the quilts look very sophisticated:

The sliced fruit pattern in very pretty colours:

The colours on the photo are a bit off due to the lighting. This was a very fun quilt done in the tumbler block pattern:

Chris and Amelia are making sure everyone got their tickets at the break:

...and we got to shop Pam's store...look at those yummy colours!

Many of us went home with much lighter pocket books after the class!!

More photos of the evening can be seen on our Picasa web album.

We also had an amazing show and tell! Check out this quilt...it has more than 10,000 pieces in it!

Textile Museum Sale

2011-11-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

This is Alexandra from the Textile Museum of Canada. Next month, we’re hosting a fabric sale with a fabulous selection of beads, buttons, sewing and decorator fabrics at 401 Richmond. The sale will take place on Saturday December 10, 10am - 4pm at 401 Richmond. The sale will be located in the TMC Volunteer Workroom, Suite 1B (in the basement) and all proceeds support the Museum.

There will also be a collection of lace, wool and plenty of holiday gift ideas. Purchase a TMC membership for the textile enthusiast or a one-of-a-kind mola from Panama. Better yet, purchase unique fabrics to use as gift wrapping!

Be sure to drop by and check us out. Click here for the website announcement.

Thanks for your time,

Alexandra Lopes

Communications & Marketing Coordinator

Textile Museum of Canada

55 Centre Avenue

Toronto, ON, M5G 2H5

t. 416-599-5321 x2239

f. 416-599-2911

e. info@textilemuseum.ca

w. www.textilemuseum.ca

Interview with Kathy Wylie

2011-11-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Click here to listen to an interview with Kathy Wylie about her winning quilt at the Houston Quilt show.

Next Meeting - Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 NOTE VENUE CHANGE

2011-11-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2011 @ 7:00 p.m.

**DO NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE!!**

It will be at Chalmer's Presbyterian Church, 342 Pond Mills Road, London. It is located at the corner of Pond Mills Road and Commissioner's Road. If you need directions from your home, type the address into Google or Mapquest to find it.

Pam Denesyk of MadAboutPatchwork will be the speaker for our meeting and will also be teaching her workshop at Chalmers Church on Saturday, November 12. Click here for information on the workshop. There are a few spaces left. Bring a friend along! Members pay $35.00 and non-members $45.00.

MadAboutPatchwork will also be the guest vendor at our meeting! Click here to check out Pam's website.

"Notion" of the month #1-a poppy, #2-a folding chair (because there is another meeting in the church on Thursday night-there may not be enough chairs to go around :-). You will get a free ticket for each item.

There are still a few places available for Quilt til you Wilt-Nov 19th

Bring place mats for Meals on Wheels to Nov and Dec meetings (November if possible so labels can be attached before the Dec meeting)

Bring in pillowcases for distribution by the Charity Quilt Committee.

We are also still looking for a Vice President and Quilt show coordinator..... Ask any one of the executive members for information on those positions.

See you Thursday!

Congratulations to Kathy Wylie!

2011-11-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations goes to Kathy K. Wylie for her big win at the Houston Quilt Festival! Click on the link to see her award winning quilt.

Important Information regarding November Meeting and Workshop

2011-10-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Please note that the November meeting of the LFQG will NOT be held in our usual place. It will be at Chalmer's Presbyterian Church, 342 Pond Mills Road, London. It is located at the corner of Pond Mills Road and Commissioner's Road. If you need directions from your home, type the address into Google or Mapquest to find it.

Pam Denesyk from MadAboutPatchwork, will be our speaker for the November meeting. She will also be conducting a workshop on Saturday, November 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. This workshop will also be held at Chalmer's Presbysterian Church!!

There will be two different quilt methods taught on that date: "Through the Trees"

and "Quartered Squares":

The workshop is open to members of the guild for $35.00. There are a few spots left in the workshop so non members of the guild are welcome to join for $45.00.

Click here to email for information and to register.

LFQG Meeting October 2011

2011-10-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

The London Friendship Quilt Guild met on Thursday, October 13, 2011. Our capable Co-President, Linda W. did a great job of leading the meeting and keeping us all on track!

The registration table is a busy place before the meeting and at breaks! We need to get those tickets, bring our postcards, notion of the month (apples this time for the food bank) and sign up for classes!
This year, we have a new feature at our meetings. Each month a different local quilt shop is invited to set up a sale table. This month we had Linda from Quilts and Calicos in Exeter, ON.

Linda brought an assortment of goodies to tempt us and the table was a busy place!

Our speaker for the evening was Kathy Wylie. Kathy entertained us with a wonderful power point presentation of her quilts and also had a number of her quilts there for us to admire. Here is Kathy:

Here are just some of the beautiful quilts she brought for us to see:

This quilt is called "Trinity". Each hexagon was produced by printing its unique colour formula onto white cotton with an inkjet printer!

Lovely quilting on this quilt:

Another beauty:

The quilt that is featured on the cover of Kathy's book, Sewflakes:

This quilt is based on Psalm 23. Isn't the back just the perfect fabric with all those grazing sheep?

Thanks Kathy for an inspiring presentation and for teaching a workshop the next day!

Kathy Wylie's Sewflakes Workshop

2011-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

After seeing Kathy K Wylie's presentation on Thursday evening you can be certain that those of us signed up to attend her workshop were quite excited at the prospect of learning the techniques that Kathy was about to share. Before the end of the day, we too, were going to be able to design our very own “sewflakes”!

The morning began with us all happily folding paper, a quick math lesson taught us the number of repeats various folds and angles would yield. In no time at all we had mastered the folds needed to create sewflakes that would give us 4, 6, 8 12 and even a little tricky 5 repeat design.

Armed with demonstrations, lots of samples, clear instructions, along with Kathy's guidance and
encouragement, we were set loose to fold, draw, cut and design. Not only sewflakes but wonderful frames as well.

Little bits of paper were everywhere as amazing images began to emerge. There were circles of
snowmen, cats, flowers, leaves, apples, insects, hearts, and angels. It was so much fun to watch as each new design was pinned to the board for all to see, admire and be inspired by.

Lunch time!

After lunch we were treated to some up close time with Kathy's quilts as she explained her techniques in greater detail and shared a few extra tips with us. She even gave us a demonstration of her preferred method for needle turn applique.

Then it was back to our papers; we were about to take our design onto the next step. It was time to tweak our designs and turn them into patterns. Patterns we could then render in fabric, creating our very own one of a kind sewflake quilt block. Can't wait to see these gems at the next show and tell!

....with thanks to Jill B and Chris B for the write and photographs

NEXT MEETING - Thursday, October 13, 2011

2011-10-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at St. George's Presbyterian Church. Our guest speaker will be Kathy Wylie and her lecture will be entitled "Beauty is all Around". Check out Kathy's web site here.

On Friday, October 14, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Kathy will be teaching a workshop on her Sewflakes method of applique. Remember the fun we used to have making paper snowflakes in elementary school? Now you can do the same and quilt your snowflakes! Here is the link for one of her classes and at the top right of the page is a supply list to give you an idea what you'd need for the class. There are a few spaces left in the class ($35.00 for members; $45.00 for non-members of the guild).

Click here to email for information and to register.

As a new feature this year, we have invited various vendors to be at some of our meetings. This month we will have Quilts and Calicos of Exeter, ON. Bring your pennies along to shop til you drop!

The Mystery block of the Month has arrived. If you have signed up for this program, you can pick up your first installment of the instructions at the meeting.

We will also be participating in the annual placemats for Meals on Wheels. Bring your placemats in to any meeting. The last call for this is the December meeting.

Pillowcases and Kid's quilts will be accepted at each meeting and there are usually kits or quilts to finish available from Penny and Edith.

Notion of the Month is apples for the Food Bank.

Don't forget show and tell and library books, money to sign up for workshops. Pam Denysk from MadAboutPatchwork will be doing a workshop on Saturday, November 12th (Through the Trees and Quartered Squares) and Quilt til you Wilt is on Saturday, November 19th. Be sure to remember your cheque book to secure your spot.

Advance notice: The November meeting will be held at Chalmers Presbyterian Church on Pond Mills Rd and Commissioners. The November workshop on the 12th will also be held there.

Glenda Spencer at our September meeting...

2011-10-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our guest speaker gave an entertaining talk, taking us through her quilting journey via her trunk show.

We had a full house of happy quilters eager to begin another year of learning, laughing and fellowship. Co-president Lynda Wadden welcomed the group and led the meeting. The programme committee worked diligently over the summer putting together an exciting programme for the upcoming guild year. A snack of fresh veggies and fruit was enjoyed at break time.

We started our year off by inviting Glenda Spencer from Craighurst to speak about mystery quilts. Glenda started a cottage industry in 1987 called Stone Cottage Crafts, when she was a stay at home mom, making children's clothing and doing alterations. Over time her focus changed to custom sewing, making home decorating items and boat tops and interiors. In 2006, Glenda decided if she was going to work she might as well do something that she really enjoyed and that was quilting. She told us her first quilt was just a big blob! She didn't know how to quilt the three layers together so just sewed around the edges and turned it inside out! It was a gift for her sister and surprisingly she still has it. Glenda soon learned about tying quilts and now has advanced to machine quilting. As with all of us, our quilts improve over the years. She no longer works from home but has continued her business at her store in Craighurst . She started to design mystery quilts for her shop and now it has developed into another sideline. These mystery quilts start with a centre block then continue over 6 months with new instructions each time. The mystery quilt this time is called Stars for My Friends. We have ordered our patterns and will start in October. There was enthusiastic sign up for the block of the month program. Thanks to those who helped hold up the quilts ( Barb, Micki, Mibsie). Volunteers for next month?

Our notion of the month was pincushions!

Sewflakes Applique workshop with Kathy Wylie

2011-09-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Kathy Wylie will be doing her Sewflakes Applique workshop for the London Friendship Quilt Guild on Friday, October 14, 2011. There are some spaces left in the workshop and it is now open for non members of the guild. The cost if $45 for non-members and $35.00 for members. Click on Kathy's name to check out her web page.

Click here to email for information and to register.

Next meeting - Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

2011-09-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

(quilt by Jan of the The Quilted Mule)

It's time for the new quilting year with the London Friendship Quilt Guild! Hard to believe the summer is over already and since September started on a Thursday, it is the 2nd Thursday of the month THIS week already. Don't miss this exciting first meeting of the year!!!

The meeting will be held at:

St. George's Presbyterian Church,
1475 Dundas St. London, ON
(just east of Hale St on the south side of Dundas).

Speaker is Glenda Spencer of Stone Cottage Crafts in Craighurst, ON

Glenda Spencer will be presenting a trunk show and will bring some of her mystery medallion quilts that we hope to participate in this year. We look forward to our first speaker for the 2011/2012 quilting year. The photo above shows a quilt made from a previous year's mystery block of the month. Check out her website by clicking on her name above. If you are on face book, there is also a link on her webpage to join her page there.

The Executive and the Program Committee have been hard at work during the summer putting together a varied program for the new year. Thank you to all members who have sent in ideas and suggestions for the new year and possibly into the next year :-). All ideas are welcome!

Pillowcases - The pillowcase project was a lot of fun last year. Penny and the Community Outreach Committee will collect any pillowcases you feel inspired to make and distribute them with the Kid's Quilts.

The Library will be open. Visit the library for new inspiration!

Healthy goodies and juice will be served for our first meeting of the season.

Notion of the month: bring along a unique pincushion you have. We will place them on a table for a group photo. You will earn an extra raffle ticket for bringing your notion of the month.

Medallion Mystery Program: Sign up for this fun program! Cost is $25.00. This will be a six part monthly project and is called "Stars for my Friends". Participants will make a 12 1/2" unfinished block of their choice and will receive the pattern and fabric requirements for a border around this 12" block for six months. It is similar to a round robin, but you make your own quilt. Glenda will show some of her past projects at the meeting to give us ideas. You can delve into your stash and use up lots of scraps or the local quilt shops would be happy to help you choose totally new fabrics for your project :-). Sign ups are at the September meeting and will run October, November, January, February, March and April.

Workshop signups for Friday, October 14th's workshop by Kathy Wylie and Saturday, November 12th's workshop by Pam Denesyk of MadAboutPatchwork will be accepted at the meeting as well as Quilt til you Wilt for November 19, 2011. Bring your cheque books along!

Bring change for draw tickets for fat quarters, etc. and your guild name tag which will earn you a ticket as well.

Last, but not least, don't forget your SHOW AND TELL!

(deadline for next newsletter submissions is September 30th)

Quilters on Vacation to BC

2011-09-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

I (Jacqui VMS) went to BC this summer for two weeks. I even found three lovely quilt shops. This one was in Fort Langley, A Quilted Stitch:

The Rocky Mountaineer train went by while I was taking photos....this shop provides chairs for husbands to sit outside and enjoy the scenery :-)

We also visited Tangled Threads in Lynden Washington, a Dutch themed town, a short distance from the Canadian/US border in Abbotsford. We arrived just as she was closing, but let us take a quick peek through the store while she collected her things. Here is Susie Spools welcoming us to the shop:

Definitely a Dutch town :-):

I also visited Hamel's in Chilliwack/Sardis. It was in a building right on a farm property and is on the Chilliwack area farm tour. It also had a spot to sit outside :

There are two floors of lovely fabric and the ladies were very friendly there:

This quilt was hanging outside to welcome us:

QUILT SHOWS

2011-08-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the upcoming quilt shows on the sidebar of the blog...scroll way down and you will see the listing of shows that we have been invited to.

Newmarket's Quilt show is on THIS weekend!

Enjoy.

Barn Quilts Tour

2011-08-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Members of the London Friendship Quilters Guild are invited to participate in the

Barn Quilt Workshop

Learn more about the Longwoods Barn Quilt Trail which we would like to extend through London!

Tuesday August 30th, 2011

Wardsville Masonic Lodge

21966 Hagerty Rd.

10:00 – 2:00

$15.00 per person

Your day will include an escorted bus tour of the Wardsville Barn Quilt Trail, with a visit to Made on Earth to meet with Rick Sommers; an outdoor muralist who specializes in barn quilts. Upon our return to the Masonic Lodge we will enjoy a lunch followed by a presentation from Creative Communities on the “how to’s and best practices” of designing and installing a barn quilt!

Please call or email to reserve your seat by Friday August 26th, 2011 to sheila@tourmiddlesex.ca

519-245-8951 or toll free 1-855-245-8951

Executive and Committees have been hard at work.....

2011-08-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

The London Friendship Quilt Guild executive has been hard at work over the summer to ensure that the guild will be off to a great start in a few weeks for the 2011/2012 year! The crossover meeting was held in June with the retiring executive members and the new ones. Karen hosted us for a potluck where we got to know the new members over a lovely dinner.

Aren't potlucks just the best? There were so many great dishes and of course it is necessary to sample everyone of them!!

We didn't think we have room for dessert, but we managed to sample quite a few of these as well :-)
The Program Committee has been hard at work over the summer as well. Charlene and Jacqui got the ball rolling with some ideas in early June and then Micki agreed to be the head of this Committee. Welcome aboard Micki. Gail and Christine R also joined the Committee and a meeting was held at Mickie's in July to finalize a few speakers and toss ideas around for a well rounded program of speakers and workshops that should have something to interest all our members. Micki, Gail, Charlene and Jackie gathered around Micki's kitchen table in July:

Gail, Micki, Charlene and Jacqui met in Gail's lovely gazebo in August.

Our first speaker will be Glenda Spencer Craighurst, ON. She will be doing a trunk show and explaining the Medallion Mystery Quilt Program that our guild will be participating in starting October 2011. Watch for another blog post with more details of this program soon.

Newsletters were mailed and emailed to members already. It will soon be fall.

The Adventures of Rose and Karen

2011-07-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

In June, Rose B. and Karen W. went on what has become their annual adventure to the Shipshewana Quilt Festival in Shipshewana, Indiana. We took in the quilt and vendor show, shop hop to 8 quilt shops in the area and lecture by Kaye England entitled "Memories of a Quilter". Kaye's informative and delightful talk featured many tips and a trunk show of her wondetrful scrappy quilts. This year we added a new element - experiencing true Amish culture. We attended a quilting bee where we were fed a traditional Amish lunch and then invited to try our hand at quilting one of 4 framed quilts that were set up around the room. Karen had some difficulty threading her needle but then was good to go.

Shipshewana is only a 5 hour drive from London(without stops along the way) and a very reasonably priced, wonderful quilting adventure. Next year the festival runs from June 20 - 23. Any takers?

Quilt Bee at Cottage - canceled

2011-06-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

The Quilt Bee planned for Barb's cottage has been canceled as there has been no response.

June Banquet

2011-06-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

An enjoyable evening was held once again at the Highland Golf and Country Club for our year end banquet. The banquet evening is always a relaxed social evening with good food and a good speaker. We were welcomed by the efficient ladies at the registration table, Amelia, Karen and Lorainne. Here they are greeting our speaker for evening, Johnnene Maddison.

Each place setting had a FQ and a small hexagon paper piecing kit:

We socialized over drinks and chatted with various fellow guild members:

The salad was as good as it looked:

We had a choice of salmon for dinner.....

...or chicken. Jill printed fish and chickens on her computer so the servers would know who ordered what :-).

.....a wonderful chocolately dessert!!

Rose was presented with a lovely quilt made of blocks sewn by various members of the guild including signature blocks. Rose was very surprised! Amazing what goes on at the meetings when the President thinks we are all listening to her :-)

We enjoyed our speaker, Johnnene Maddison from London, Ontario tell us about her art. The stories behind the various pieces are always so interesting and really help us to appreciate the work even more:

One of Johnnene's pieces she had on display:

For more photos of the banquet, click here.

LFQG Banquet: Thursday, June 9, 2011

2011-06-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

The London Friendship Quilt Guild Banquet
June 9, 2011
Cocktails: 6 - 7 PM
Dinner: 7:00 PM
speaker: Johnnene Maddison

Highland Gold and Country Club
1922 Highland Heights
London, ON
N6C 2T4
(Commissioners/Ridout St.

**********************************************

QUILT RETREAT @ BARB A'S COTTAGE

Barb A is hosting a one day quilt retreat at her cottage in Grand Bend on June 25th, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Email Barb if you would like to go and she will provide details. Bring whatever you are working on, walking shoes for a walk break and a potluck contribution for lunch.

There is also an update on the post about the Kenya Quilt Guild here.

Annual General Meeting and President's Challenge

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

On May 12th, the LFQG held their Annual General Meeting. Our President, Rose, guided us very efficiently and capably through the required business matters. It was also her birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday to Rose!

Check out the yummy cupcakes Rose got for her birthday :-)

This was also the meeting where our President's Challenge creations were due. Earlier in the year, we were provided with a cute little kit with two FQ's in our guild colours, gold and blue. The blue was solid and some of the bundles had the top gold and some the bottom gold.

The Challenge was to create something with at least one dimension of 30" to celebrate our 30th anniversary as a guild. These two fabrics had to be visible on the front of the quilt. Whatever fabrics and embellishments we had on hand could be added! We had to bring our entries in a bag and they were all provided with a number. During the break we checked out the various wonderful quilts and we had to actually pick our favourite! Wow, that was very difficult! Winners were announced after the break.

Here is Jacqui VMS with the 1st place winner of the Challenge. She used a blue and gold Japanese Kimono fabric to make a miniature One Block Wonder and used the challenge fabrics for the cubes in the quilt as well as the "lippy" or folded piping between the binding. The piece is 30" from corner to corner.

Beth M was awarded 2nd place with her awesome house wallhanging which I believe was 30" along one side. She cleverly used the striped gold for wallpaper in the livingroom and the blue was used in the furniture.

Our 3rd place winner was Jill Buckley. We have a few ladies who don't like our guild colours :-). Jill cleverly subdued the colours by doing a little trapunto whole cloth quilt. The quilting was incredible on this little quilt! She quilted the Guild logo in the center of the quilt and the piece is 30" on the diagonal as well. Click on the photo to enlarge it to see the center quilting in more detail.

We also had yummy birthday cake and juice to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Thanks Maureen and Fran for arranging the treats for the evening.

See more photos of the other challenge entries on our web album here.

....only a few days left!

2011-05-26T16:15:00.001-07:00

Only a few days left to check out the CQA Quilt Ontario show at the University of Western Ontario in London and the Quilts of the Netherlands Show in Ailsa Craig! Both shows are absolutely fabulous and well worth your time to go. Lots of beautiful quilts to see, friendly people to socialize with, vendor's booths to browse and good food to eat!

THIS IS THE WEEK!!

2011-05-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is the big week we've all been waiting for!

The Quilts of the Netherlands show opens today. Click here for all the info you will need on what's going on at what time.

The CQA (Canadian Quilter's Association) Quilt Ontario starts on Wednesday. Click here to read the blog with all the information and driving directions, etc.

And, if you're still not overloaded by then, there's a quilt show on in St. Jacob's as well as the Mennonite Relief Quilt auction this coming weekend.

Have a great Quilty week!! Check out the article in London Free Press about the shows.

Kenya Quilt Guild

2011-05-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our guild made a donation to the Female Fistula Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital, which is the main public hospital in Nairobi via the Kenya Quilt Guild. Our donation can make such a difference there. You can read more info on this guild at the link above. They meet in Nairobi, Kenya. The guild also sent two videos which are in our guild library.

Our guild is exploring possible ways of connecting with the Kenya Quilt Guild and getting to know one another on an international level.

Here is a little more information on Fistula:

Obstetric fistula is an injury resulting from childbirth which occurs when emergency obstetric care is not available to women who develop complications during childbirth. Typically the baby dies, and the woman is left with chronic incontinence. Because of her inability to control her urine or faeces, she is often abandoned or neglected by her husband and family and ostracized by her community. Left untreated, obstetric fistula can lead to frequent ulcerations and infections, and kidney disease.. These medical consequences, coupled with social and economic problems, contribute to a general decline in health and well-being that frequently results in early death.

In Kenya, many young girls living in remote rural communities are married when they reach puberty, and they generally become pregnant shortly afterwards. A combination of poverty and childbearing before the pelvis is fully developed, combined with malnutrition, small stature and general poor health, all contribute to obstructed labour and obstetric fistula.

Kenya records at least 1,000 new fistula cases annually, with thousands of cases pending surgery. The cost of fistula surgery is approximately $100, however, even this small amount is way beyond many women living in rural communities. The Kenya Quilt Guild has been donating funds to Kijabe Mission Hospital, but there also a number of other mission hospitals in Kenya that will perform the surgery at low cost for women that are unable to pay. We arranged for the funds to be sent to the Kenya Quilt Guild to donate on our behalf and also to ensure the money is used appropriately.

Eldon House is offering a Hand Quilting Workshop!

2011-05-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hand Quilting Workshop
Sunday May 22, 2011, 1:00-3:00pm

Learn the history and practise of hand quilting and create your own log-cabin coaster. This workshop is led by Lorraine Swanson and takes place in the Eldon House Interpretive Centre.

Cost: $20 per person including all supplies. Space is limited; pre-register by calling 519.661.0333.

Next meeting - Thursday, May 12, 2011 @ 7:00 p.m.

2011-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held Thursday, May 12th at 7:00 p.m. at St. George's Presbyterian Church on Dundas Street. This will be our Annual General Meeting and voting will take place for our favourite entries in the President's Challenge.

Nominations - We are still in need of nominations for Vice - President, as well as Program Coordinator. We have members that have volunteered to let their name stand for the other positions, but nominations can still be made at the AGM for any of the positions. Another volunteer is needed to help with tickets at the registration table starting in September as well as someone to take care of the Postcard program. Here is your chance to get involved with the guild, make new friends and have fun!

We will also vote on the revised and updated Guild Constitution.

President's Challenge - Please bring along your entry in a bag and give it to Rose, our President. Attach a note (without your name) with any description and how you met the measurement of 30 in your entry. Cover any identifying info on your quilt. We will vote on our favourites during the break. We look forward to seeing all the clever interpretations of the theme!

Don't forget.......

Notion of the month - Spring Flowers - interpret this any way you like

Change for draw tickets

Chequebook for the June banquet tickets. You will have a choice of Salmon or Chicken Breast. Please advise with any dietary restrictions when purchasing your ticket.

Chequebook for tickets for the CQA - Phyllis Grover will have tickets available for various events.

Name tag

Library Books - last chance to bring back your library books!

Pillowcases for challenge - this is the last month for bringing pillowcases for the challenge that Mickey organized. She will not be able to come to this meeting, so give your pillowcases to Maureen. You can continue to make pillowcases after this month for the Kid's Quilt program as they are very popular.

Refreshments - Cake and juice will be provided for all our members at this meeting.

Show and tell - last chance for the year for show and tell!

Kid's Quilts

2011-05-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

In January, the London Friendship Quilt Guild spent a day working on the Kid's quilts that are donated for use by children in stressful circumstances. Penny and Elaine take care of the Kid's Quilts and make up kits for members to take home and piece, or sandwich quilt tops for members to try out their quilting skills. Bindings are also prepared for those that love to do the bindings. Several times a year a day long sewing bee is organized and a lot of work is accomplished! This year so far, 70 quilts have been donated as well as a number of pillowcases. Great work LFQG! Thanks for taking the pictures for the blog, Maria.

Mibsy

Maria

Elaine

Edith

Another quilt together

Quilter's On Vacation

2011-05-06T04:44:00.001-07:00

From April 1^st til April 11^th, 2011, Maureen Haynes visited her sister in Nanaimo, BC. Her sister Barb took her sight seeing and shopping to various quilt shops on Vancouver Island and some on the Sunshine Coast part of mainland BC. Included are pictures of Maureen at some of the shops they visited.

Sweet Pea Quilting in Ladysmith

Gramma’s Quilting Cupboard in Parksville

Galena Bay Novelty Fabrics in Powell River

Carola’s Quilt Shop in Gibson’s Landing (home of the Beachcombers)

Bev White's Presentation at the April Guild meeting

2011-04-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Bev White, from Elginfield, ON was our speaker at the April London Friendship Guild Meeting. She was a wonderful, down to earth, encouraging speaker and had lots of quilts with her for her trunk show. Bev experiments with a number of different styles and mediums, so there was something to delight everyone in the guild. Here is Bev ready to begin her trunk show:

Finding the right quilt to match the story:

A lovely stars quilt:

There were lots of large quilts.....

.....and small quilts:

This was an awesome quilt with small pockets....inside each pocket is a plastic bread tie (did I mention that she uses a variety of items for her quilts? :-):

Rose with another one of Bev's little quilts:

A lovely striped quilt....sorry about the colour on this quilt...the fluorescent lights do strange things to the colours :-(.

There are more photos on our web album.

Bev White's Crazy quilt workshop

2011-04-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Friday, April, 15th 2011

On this day, guild members enjoyed a fabulous workshop conducted by Bev White.

Bev is a wonderfully talented fibre artist and terrific instructor with wealth of knowledge on many topics and we were happily soaking it all in. It was a relaxed day, filled with fun, laughter and absolutely NO mistakes......mistakes just don't happen in Bev's workshop........they are all opportunities...... each and every one!

Bev not only explained and demonstrated in detail, crazy quilting techniques, but also provided one on one guidance as we took our threaded needles to cloth. She taught us how to “tame” our thread, provided us with many tips including the use of various thread types.......and even quizzed us to be certain we were paying attention.

Once we were able to master (well almost) some basic hand embroidery stitches, Bev showed us how these basic stitches could be combined to create an infinite array of designs that we will be able incorporate into our work.

Bev also shared with us, photos and information regarding an Organization that she is very passionate about called Sleeping Children Around The World..........you can learn more about this worthwhile organization here

Throughout the day, Bev offered help, encouragement and inspiration, giving us confidence to handle the various challenges we might face as we put together our bits and pieces. As a matter of fact, each participant is probably home now searching through their junk drawers for all sorts of fantastic treasure that will gain new life on their crazy quilt projects.

while Bev does not have a web site, you can visit her Flickr page here where she shares not only her spectacular works but some amazing photographic work as well

Contributed by Jill Buckley

Next Meeting - Thursday, April 14, 2011

2011-04-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held Thursday, April 14th at 7:00 p.m. at St. George's Presbyterian Church on Dundas Street. Our guest speaker for the evening is Bev White from Port Elgin, ON and she will be speaking on Crazy Quilts.

There will also be an opportunity to sign up for her Crazy Quilt class on Friday, April 15th. Click here for information on this class and what you will need to bring for the class.

Nominations will be accepted for Vice President, Quilt Show Coordinator, Program Committee, Membership, Library and Newsletter. If you were missed with a call this weekend, your questions can be answered at the meeting :-).

A discussion will also be held on the revised constitution, so bring your questions and suggestions. Copies will be available for those who did not receive one. Voting will take place in May.

Don't forget.......

Notion of the month - Daffodil yellow

Change and Chequebook for signups and tickets

Name tag and library books

Reminder: Are you all working on your President's Challenge? There are more kits/instructions available. They are due in one month!

CQA is coming up quickly - sign up!

2011-04-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to report that the goal of 400 leaf bowls has been met ....and then some! We look forward to putting the extras to good use by giving them to show attendees, volunteers, and possibly to add to the workshop goody bags. We also have an exciting idea on how to use them for the banquet decor.

We are ever so thankful to all the quilters who generously made fabric leaf bowls for Quilt Ontario 2011!

**IMPORTANT REMINDER**

A reminder that the deadline for Quilt Ontario day trips is fast approaching!

If you are interested in participating in one of the day trips, you will need to register no later than April 30th. Information regarding the day trips and the registration form can be found on the Quilt Ontario 2011 blog by following this link

http://quiltontario2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/side-trips-are-announced-and-open-for.html

Be sure to sign up for quilt workshops with some of Canada's best teachers, a Lecture and Trunk Show with Karen Combs, and "Meet The Teachers" Reception. Spaces are limited. The deadline to register for these events is May 15, 2011. For complete details and registration information, visit the CQA website at www.canadianquilter.com, then click on the "Quilt Ontario 2011" button.

In addition, tickets are still available for the Gala Banquet on Saturday, May 28th... but maybe not for much longer! The highlight of the evening will be a performance by folk-pop duo, Dala! (www.dalagirls.com) Juno-nominated and Canadian Folk Music's Vocal Group of the Year, Dala has been capturing hearts across Canada and the U.S. Don't miss your chance to enjoy a lovely dinner with fellow quilters and the sweet sounds of Dala! Tickets are available through the CQA website or follow this link to take you directly to the registration form for Quilt Ontario events. http://www.canadianquilter.com/pdf/2011-CQA_AutumnPG4.pdf

...Have you decided yet????

2011-04-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

The time has come to jump in with both feet and get involved with your quilt guild. Great opportunity to make new friends, get to know others in the guild and have fun!!

One of the executive members will be calling you in the next few days to chat. This is your chance to ask questions and find the perfect fit for you. Some of the jobs seem a little intimidating, but there is lots of help available and it can be an exciting opportunity to learn a new skill. Even if you can't make it to every meeting, someone else will fill in for you.

Can we count on you??

CRAZY QUILT WORKSHOP April 15, 2011

2011-03-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Bev White will be speaking for the LFQG on Thursday evening, April 14. On Friday, April 15, she will be teaching a workshop on crazy quilting including basic hand embroidery, ( with reference to the possible use of machine embroidery ) to make a useful object...with some instructions for each...a shoe bag, a Christmas stocking, a cushion cover, a tea cozy, a wall hanging etc (see photos below).

For the workshop, you would need the following items:

For any one of these, about a half yard of cotton foundation fabric will be needed,
an assortment of varied scraps...( consider some colour co-ordination if you wish)
also consider some similarities in fabric content ( with suggestions of how to cope with differences )
an assortment of hanks of cotton hand embroidery threads ..six strands..( we will discuss the use of rayon threads)
a few ribbons or rickrack trim, if desired...optional !
hand embroidery needles, ( larger eye ) , thimble.
the usual machine sewing supplies, thread, scissors, pins etc
a sewing machine in good working order

This will be a busy...but no stress workshop...and the item chosen will NOT be completed in one day. " Mistakes " will be looked upon as opportunities for uniqueness and originality.

This would be a great workshop to try your hand at this technique without a huge time commitment to finish off a queen sized quilt :-).

Exeter Quilt Exhibit this weekend!

2011-03-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

Susan Purney Mark at the LFQG March meeting

2011-03-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Susan Purney Mark was our guest speaker at the March meeting of the LFQG. She told the story of her quilting journey and pattern business and had lots of quilts to show! Here is Susan sharing with the guild:

One of Susan's quilts with appliqued leaves:

Shattered Gardens. Susan also taught a workshop on a variation of this quilt.

At the break, we were able to purchase Susan's patterns and books:

The library ladies hard at work :-) and our President, Rose:

The Kid's quilt area is buzzing with activity and new quilts which were ready to donate:

Lots of leaf bowls arrived for donation to the CQA:

The registration table is always a busy place!

Gail handed out copies of the revised constitution for all the members to read. We will vote on the amendments at the annual general meeting in May. Copies will be available at the next meeting as well.

More photos here. And here are the postcards which showed up at the March meeting:

Next Meeting - Thursday March 10, 2011 7:00 p.m.

2011-03-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the London Friendship Quilt Guild will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2011 @ 7:00 at St. George's Presbyterian Church. Our speaker this month will be Susan Purney Mark and we look forward to her trunk show "Show me Your Fat Quarters".

Shattered Angles Workshop will be held the next day, Friday, March 11, 2011 @ 9:00 a.m. This workshop uses up some of your stash of fat quarters (or you can shop for more fabric if you really want!!). There is still room in the workshop and it is open for non members of the guild as well. Email for details if you would like to join us @ lfqguild@yahoo.ca as soon as possible. Click here for more details on the workshop.

The Constitution Committee presented a revised constitution to the executive last week. Copies of the proposed changes will be distributed at the March meeting. Please read the amendments carefully and bring input for discussion at the April meeting. We will vote on it at the May Annual General Meeting.

Consider volunteering your name for the executive of your guild! It is a great way to get to know more people in the guild and you have a wonderful chance to have input and share your ideas. The Constitution Committee looked at each of the positions on the executive and organized the duties to reflect each task and created two new positions to distribute the work load more evenly. Members on the executive will also offer their help to get you started in the fall. Talk to those who are doing the job you may be interested in to find out what is involved. Many hands make light work and this can be very enjoyable work if we all share the load.

Secret Notion - Bring 1 or more 6 1/2" squares of novelty prints to donate to the Kid's Quilts program.

Sign ups will be available for April's workshop with Bev White on Crazy Quilting. A blog post will follow with details of that workshop.

Don't forget:

*money for tickets and sign ups for workshops

*show and tell

*postcards

*any finished leaf bowls for the CQA

Advance notices:

April 14, 2011 - Bev White on Crazy Quilts (April 15th workshop)
May 12, 2011 - Annual General Meeting
June 9, 2011 - Banquet - Johnnene Maddison speaker

CQA Quilt Ontario Day trips

2011-03-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Check out the Quilt Ontario Blog for information on fun Day trip opportunities during the upcoming CQA Quilt Event in May:

Click here to read the full descriptions

Deadline to sign up for these excursions is April 30th, 2011

Quilt til you Wilt February 26, 2011

2011-02-28T14:33:00.001-08:00

On February 26, 2011, the LFQG held Quilt til you Wilt at the Stoneridge Inn close to Lambeth. A good and productive time was had by those who attended. Thanks Gail for taking the photos of the day for us to enjoy. Obviously, the food was very good!!

For more photos of the day (they did actually do some sewing :-), check out our Web album.

Shattered Angles Workshop Openings!

2011-02-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Susan Purney Mark will be doing a workshop on Shattered Angles on Friday, March 11, 2011 at St. George's Church on Dundas Street in London, ON. This workshop is now open to non members of the LFQG as well. Please email lfqguild@yahoo.ca to sign up and you will receive instructions where to send payment plus a supply list. Basically you will need the equivalent of 10 Fat quarters which will give enough blocks to make a 36" x 48" quilt. You will also need a black, dark or contrast fabric (approximately 1 yard or more if you would like to use it for borders or binding). Another option is using dark FQ's for the quilt and a light for the accent. This will be a great stash buster quilt. Cost is $50.00 for the class and that will entitle you to join the guild as a guest for the regular meeting on March 10th @7:00 p.m. for Susan's presentation on "Show me Your Fat Quarters".

The quilt is pictured below:

Gerald Fagan speaks for the LGQG

2011-02-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

We were privileged to have Gerald Fagan speaking for us at the February 2011 Guild meeting. Most of us knew him as a wonderful musician and conductor, but most of us did not know that he is also an avid collector of antique textiles. One of the events leading up to the Bach Music Festival in Exeter, ON in July, is a the Heritage Quilt Exhibition which will feature the collection of Gerald and Marlene Fagan as well as other heritage quilts 'with a story'. The Exhibit takes place Friday March 25 from 10 - 8pm and Saturday, March 26 from 10 - 5pm at Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church, 264 Main St. Exeter, ON. There will be a tea room and a merchant mall. Judy Lyons will be doing a lecture on Friday at 2 pm and will also be available for appraisals.

"Uncle Gerry" is pictured here with his niece, Maureen who is our guild secretary. We found out that she was the flower girl at his wedding as well :-).

A few of the gorgeous quilts from Gerald's personal collection:

To see more pictures of the quilts check out our web album.

Don't forget to sign up for a workshop on Friday, March 11th, Shattered Angles with Susan Purney Mark. This looks like it'll be a great stash buster and great for using up those fat quarters that you bought just because you liked them!

In April, Bev White will be doing a workshop on Crazy quilts. This will be the last workshop of this calendar year for the guild, so take advantage of these great learning opportunities while you can!

Leaf Bowl Workshop Fun

2011-02-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

A group of members came together on Friday to enjoy a fun little workshop making Fabric Leaf bowls.

It was a fairly relaxed, informal session, some came for part of the day while others stayed throughout the entire day, We pressed, traced, cut, stitched, socialized and enjoyed some good laughs.

By the end of the day, 23 fabulous leaves were created and donated during the workshop. Many of the days attendees left with the intention of making several more.

Our goal is to see that one of these “bowls” is at each and every place setting for the Quilt Ontario 2011 Banquet. We have heard that many guilds right across the country are sharing in this initiative. What a spectacle it will be to see hundreds of these leaves adorning the hall.

We are still in need of many more if we are to realize our goal, so for those of you who were unable to attend the workshop but would like to get involved with this project, the pattern and instructions are available. To get yours, contact Jill B.

Final plans for for these leaf bowls can't be divulged at this time ( gotta save some surprises) but we do need to ask that they be brought in by March 31^st.

Ooooh! Those bowls look very pretty!

Next meeting - Thursday, February 10, 2011

2011-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the LFQG will be held Thursday, February 10, 2011. The speaker for the meeting is Gerald Fagan who will speak on a special Heritage quilt exhibit in Exeter March 26 and 27th. Jill Buckley will also give an overview of the Leaf Bowl workshop which will be held on Friday.

The annual Rummage sale will take place at the February meeting. Bring along any surplus items from your quilt stash and make sure they are priced. The proceeds are for the Community Outreach Program. Please be sure to go back to the table after the sale and retrieve any of your unsold items to take home.

Quilt til you Wilt will be held Feb. 26, 2011 at the Stoneridge Inn from 8:00 to 8:00. Cost is $65.00 and there are still a few spots available. Register at the guild meeting.

Leaf Bowl Workshop - Friday, Feb. 11, 2011. You have a choice of morning or afternoon and the cost is $15.00 which includes materials for a bowl to donate to the CQA and one to keep for yourself.

It's time to consider joining the executive of the LFQG! Get involved with the guild and get to know many people and participate in implementing new ideas for the guild. It is a great way to be of service to your fellow quilters :-). Check with any one of the executive members to find out what is involved!

The President's Challenge will also be available at the meeting if you did not receive yours yet. These can be picked up at the library table.

Remember to take:

* Notion of the month- a 6" square of red or pink fabric (these will be collected and raffled)
- a chocolate to share with a friend

* Show and tell

* Rummage sale items

* Cheque book to sign up for workshops & Quilt til you Wilt

* Postcards

* Money for draw tickets (The draw prizes are awesome!)

KIDS QUILT MARATHON - January 29th, 2011

2011-01-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY January 29th - KIDS QUILT MARATHON 10am to 4pm (doors open at 9:30am)

- Come out and help our Kids Quilts

- spend the day bring your lunch, or come for a few hours - every bit of help is always welcome

- great way to practice your machine quilting skills quilting up these smaller tops

- there will be quilts already batted up

- maybe you just would like to do the binding of a quilt,

- piecing quilts (fabric already cut up)

- there will be some fabric if you want to start your own top

- share any ideas and suggestions

- Come and have fun while helping Guild Charity Project

January 2011 Meeting with Helen Fujiki

2011-01-25T05:56:00.001-08:00

Helen Fujiki was the guest speaker for the first meeting of the New Year. She gave a very interesting talk about her trips to Japan and the quilts that have been inspired by those trips. Here is Helen giving her introduction.

Helen's manhole quilts were awesome:

Helen posing with a display of the manhole covers:

Some of the detail on one of the quilts:

The quilting was incredible and we were even allowed to touch the quilts :-). This quilt had 3D lanterns:

Helen also taught a Fuji Wa workshop the next day. We look forward to seeing the results of this workshop at our show and share. For more pictures check the Picasa Album.

Here are the postcards submitted at the January meeting:

Comment in the London Free Press

2011-01-16T12:29:00.001-08:00

Check out the link to thank you's in the London Free Press and scroll down to the letter from Meals on Wheels entitled "Amazing Christmas Day". Our guild is mentioned!

...now here's determination!

2011-01-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

One of our members shared this you tube video of a blind quilter! Sure to be an inspiration when we feel like giving up sometime :-). Click on the link:

video

Next meeting - Thursday, January 13, 2011

2011-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the LFQG will be held Thursay, January 13, 2011. The speaker for the meeting is Helen Fujiki. There will also be a Fuji Wa workshop on January 14th . There are still a few spaces available for this workshop.

Quilt til you Wilt retreat location will be announced. The cost is $70.00 so bring your cheque books along to sign up.

Advance notices: Kid's Quilt Marathon is January 29th. The annual Rummage sale will take place at the February meeting and a leaf bowl workshop will be held on Feb. 11th.

The President's Challenge will also be available at the meeting if you did not receive yours in December.

Remember to take:

* Notion of the month- snowflake - use your imagination :-)

* Show and tell -

* Cheque book to sign up for workshops & Quilt til you Wilt

* Postcards

* Money for draw tickets (The draw prizes are awesome!)

Postcards in the mail

2010-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

An ongoing project of the LFQG is monthly postcards. Each month, members can make a postcard and drop it off at the meeting. The coordinator mails one to each of the participants and they get a fun piece of mail! Here are September's postcards:

October's postcards:

November's postcards:

December's postcards:

Why not try one of these litle works of art and start a lovely collection to display in your sewing room, courtesy of your fellow guild members. Instructions are available - just ask at the registration desk at the meeting next month.

President's Challenge 2011

2010-12-13T05:39:00.001-08:00

President’s Challenge 2010/2011

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the LFQG

1. Both fabrics must be visible on the front of the quilted item. You may use additional fabrics of your own.

2. The finished piece must include at least one (1) dimension of 30 inches (30”)

3. The design may be original and any combination of machine and/or hand piecing, appliqué or quilting. Embellishments may also be used.

4. The quilted item must be completely finished, including all aspects of quilting, binding and needlework.

5. Identifying label must be attached to the back with relevant information.

6. Due Date is the regular guild meeting in May 2011.

7. Prizes will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd based on votes of the members present at the May meeting.

Christmas Meeting 2010

2010-12-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

The London Friendship Quilt Guild help a wonderful December meeting last night. It was a nice, relaxed evening with plenty of time to socialize and some fun games and wonderful show and tell. Laurel, from London Meals on Wheels attended to accept our donation of lots of placemats for their clients. Here she is sharing how the placemats brought so much joy to their clients last year!

We held a parade of placemats so everyone could see the awesome work that was done. Here Laurel is holding up one of the placemats from a growing pile on the table (update 12/14/11 we made a total of 116 placemats!!):

.....lots and lots of placemats:

Kids quilts were also shown. These will be donated to the Children's Aid:

These four ladies led us in a rousing quilter's version of Jingle Bells. We were not allowed to have snacks until we sang!!

It was well worth the effort!!

We had a young man as guest tonight and he pitched right in arranging the juice boxes artistically!! Great work!

Rose presented the President's Challenge and we all received two F8ths with instructions for the challenge which is due for the May meeting. Instructions will be posted on the blog soon:

A wild game of "Toss the Fat quarter" was enjoyed by all:

Chris dropped in to Fabricland before the meeting and only bought what she went in for!! We were very proud of her :-):

Check out more pictures of the evening on our web album.

NEXT MEETING - December 9, 2010 7:00 p.m.

2010-12-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the LFQG will be held Thursday, December 9th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. This will be our Christmas get together. A representative will be on hand to receive our quilted placemats, so be sure to bring them along! We hope to have a parade of placemats for show and tell. The President's Challenge will also be revealed and all the details will be explained and there will be a FQ toss. We will also share some special treats and the guild will supply drinks for our break time.

* Notion of the month- Something for the hungry and something for the needy! Bring a non perishable item for donation and 1/2 doz baked goods to share with members. 2 draw tickets if you bring both :-)

* Show and tell - Bring Christmas show and tell items

* Pillowcases and placemats

* Cheque book to sign up for workshops

* Postcards

* Money for draw tickets (The draw prizes are awesome!)

*"Secret" password is UFO :-)

* Guests - You are more than welcome to bring a guest along to meetings. Be sure to sign in at the registration table. Free is $5.00 for visitors.

Advance notice: February 11, 2011 there will be a workshop on making fabric leaf bowls. The fee for the workshop is just $15.00 materials included. Make 2 bowls........one to donate to the CQA event and one for yourself. Jill Buckley will be leading this Friday workshop that will be split into 2 a half day workshops, your choice of a morning or afternoon session. A great opportunity to learn a new skill and help out at the same time!

Advance notice: Kid's Quilt Marathon sewing day: January 29th, 2011

OK, test your problem solving skills!! "What does the gingerbread man put on his bed?" If you have figured it out, post the answer in the comments. The correct answer will be announced at the meeting. (Board members may not post the answer!!)

Quilt til you Wilt

2010-11-30T05:25:00.000-08:00

Some photos of the recent Quilt til you Wilt at the Stoneridge Inn. Thanks Teresa for taking pictures! Teresa's talents were put into action repairing a little flower girl's dress. Every wedding reception should have a bunch of quilters handy :-).

Come and Hear Val Hearder speak on Saturday

2010-11-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL EVENT sponsored by the London Grands
Talk and Sale featuring Valerie Hearder
November 13, 2010- from 2:00-4:00pm
Admission by Donation for the Stephen Lewis Foundation
Wemple Lounge, King’s University College
Free parking
Phone: 519-673-1622

Valerie is a well-known quilter, best known for her beautiful quilted imports and sells unique hand embroidered textiles, landscapes. Shebeadwork and dolls from South Africa. They tell the stories of the daily lives of women – their culture, sorrows and joy. The makers are all affected to some degree by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. They are grandmothers and mothers, often supporting a dozen or more people with their handwork. The self-esteem that grows from being able to sell their handwork to support their families is truly life changing. The healing comes from expressing their stories through their art.
Your purchases support a dignified income for South African women. The work is done mostly in communities where they care for their families and where there are simply no jobs available. All work is bought on a fair trade basis. 15% of the profits from the sales is donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation and goes back to Africa to support the Grandmother-to-Grandmother Campaign - truly a win-win for everyone.

Pictured here are a few of her quilts:

NEXT MEETING - November 11, 2010 - 7:00 p.m.

2010-11-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

London Friendship Quilt Guild meets this Thursday, November 11th @7:00 p.m. The speaker will be Valerie Hearder - 'A Landscape Journey - A sense of place'. Valerie will also be presenting a workshop on Friday entitled: Collage: Small Scale Art Quilt.

Maria D is our friendly hostess/greeter at the door this month. If you have any questions at all about the guild or where to go, just ask Maria when you arrive and she'll be happy to direct you.

For our new members: Please do ask lots of questions. Our group is quite large and many of us have not been members all that long and it's easy to miss newcomers.

For our longer term members: Please keep an eye out for new members and invite them to sit with you and help them learn about the guild.

Reminders:

* Notion of the month is wear a poppy :-)

* Show and tell projects

* Pillowcases and placemats

* Cheque book to sign up for workshops

* Postcards

* Money for draw tickets (The draw prizes are awesome!)

Val will also be in town on Saturday for a special event. Check out the information below:

Karen Llewellyn Parsons - Scrappy Quilt

2010-11-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

On October 16th, Karen Llewellyn Parson taught a class for our guild. They made scrappy pinwheels and a good time was had by all. Thanks Gail for supplying the photos of the day:

A Silk Road Adventure

2010-10-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild, London presents
A Silk Road Adventure
Thursday, November 4, 2010 7:30 PM

Of all of the stops along the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is the one most renowned for its textiles.
Vedat Karadag, an inveterate and experienced traveller, is an enthusiastic promoter of the
appreciation of the Silk Road, its textiles and Oriental Rugs, and he loves to expose others to
the many varied aspects of Turkic culture, and to the history, food and artistic traditions of
Central Asia.

His degree from Ankara Gazi University is in business, but by the early 1980s, he had embarked
on his long love affair with textiles and rugs. He has been a participant and speaker at the meetings of many rug and textile societies in the USA, and has attended numerous international
textile conferences in Europe and America. He recently delivered a lecture at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, and regularly works with textile museums in Washington, Santa Fe
and many other places in the US.

He will talk to The Canadian Embroiderers’ Guild and guests about his travels to explore woven
and non-woven textiles and material culture in Uzbekistan, including ikat weaving, suzani
embroidery and a variety of other works produced by local artists. He will also show us a few of
the spectacular buildings of the area that are covered in the exquisite ceramic tiles produced by
local artisans.

Everyone welcome
St James Westminster Church, 115 Askin St., London
$5.00 admission at the door

Quilt show Awards

2010-10-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Viewer's Choice
2010 Harvest of Quilts Show Awards

-presented at our October meeting-

The Quilt show Committee did an amazing job of making up these beautiful 'ribbons' for each member that won an award!

Maria won Viewer's Choice in the Bed Quilts category as well as 'Best of show' for "Beyond the Borders - Tulip Garden".

Lorna was absent and won honourable mention for "Jane Austen".

Tiny's "Frog Water Ballet" won Viewer's Choice in the Wallhanging category.

Ruth won honourable mention for "Somerset".

Pat F's "Origami Flowers" won the Viewer's Choice for Miniatures.

Beth won honourable mention for her miniature, "Father".

Jacqui won Viewer's Choice for "Not Your Grandmother's Log Cabin" in the other quilted items category.

Gail's "Sitting on the Edge" cover for a sewing machine stool made with selvages won honourable mention.

Ruth's "Star Light, Star Bright" received the award for Best Applique.

Ruth's "Baltimore Bunnies" tied with the above "Somerset" for the Best Handquilting award:

Beth won the Best Machine Quilting Award for "Diamond Log Cabins".

Congratulations to all the award winners! The quilts were awesome.

Million pillowcase challenge

2010-10-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pillowcases that were donated at the last meeting. We have until December to bring them in! Keep sewing those pillowcases.

Karen Wolde & Linda Van Lierde - October 2010

2010-10-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Karen Wolde and Linda Van Lierde presented their talk and trunk show entitled, 'The Value of Classes - Study in Contrast' at our October meeting. They have been friends for many years and have taken many classes together. Their different approach to quilting could be summarized as, "Linda needs structure and Karen needs a story". This was very evident in the totally different quilts produced in the same class. It was interesting to see how their work progressed over the years. Thanks Linda and Karen for showing us your lovely quilts!

Pictured below are some of the quilts they showed:

NEXT MEETING - Thursday, October 14, 2010 7 p.m.

2010-10-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

London Friendship Quilt Guild meets this Thursday, October 14th, 2010 and features Karen Wold and Linda VanLierde doing their road show called 'The Value of Classes'.

Beth M. will be our friendly greeter at the door! If you are new and have questions, just ask Beth and she'll direct you to where you need to go.

Don't forget:

* the secret notion is an apple for the food bank

* your show and tell

* your prize winning show quilt if you have received a telephone call from the awards committee

* cheque book to sign up for workshops and classes and Quilt til you Wilt on Nov. 6th.

* money for the draw tickets - you don't want to miss out on lots of chances to win!

* postcards

* pillowcases for pillowcase challenge

More quilt show photos......

2010-10-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

Some of the quilts at our recent quilt show
(click on the photo to enlarge)

Still Time to visit the show....til 4:00 today!

2010-10-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

You still have time to brighten up this rainy day by visiting the London Friendship Quilt Show - Harvest of Quilts 2010. Dr. Suess even came to the show and it sure looked like they were having fun over at the Marsh Store booth!

(Click on the photos to enlarge them)

The Vendors Mall was very inspiring...lots of new ideas and tools to check out and purchase!!

We even had very young visitors! The tea room was a great opportunity to rest weary feet before going around the show again to make sure you didn't miss anything!!
Some quilts at the show:

Ready to set up the show........

2010-09-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today the quilts were delivered to the Church in preparation for the Harvest of Quilts Show taking place this Friday and Saturday. Here are the ladies taking in the quilts and making sure all the receipts went to the correct people.

The quilts ready to hang up tomorrow! Only two more sleeps til the show :-)

QUILT SHOW 2010 "HARVEST OF QUILTS"

2010-09-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

WHEN - Friday, October 1st 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 2nd 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tea Room is serving drinks and baked goods. There will also be a toonie table, vendors, and of course, a wonderful Quilt Show.

WHERE - Rowntree United Church, Cheapside and Elliot, London, ON

(Handicapped accessible)

VENDORS

Country Patchworks

Hyggeligt

Delphi Wood Designs

The Marsh Store Quilt Shop

Judy Balint Palidinn Ridge Designs

Pastime Pieces

Quilters Creations

Sew Creative - Mount Brydges, ON

Reminders for our members:

Quilt drop off - Wednesday, September 29 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rowntree

Show set up - Thursday, September 30 10a.m to 4 - 5 p.m.

Show tear down - Saturday, October 2 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

New Cathy Miller CD out

2010-09-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

A note from Cathy Miller, who was the guest speaker at our banquet:

"I am delighted to let you know that my new quilting CD will be available as of October 1! It's called "Little Crazy Quilt", and features 14 songs - mostly about our favourite passion. There are three non-quilting songs on it: one for knitters, and two "pre-quilting" songs, just because it's my tenth solo recording and I wanted to include them. The rest are pure quilting.

You can read all about it by visiting my website On the main page you will find a link to "Little Crazy Quilt" where you can read the details. There is an order form there which you can send me to receive your very own copy of this exciting new CD."

Props for Quilt show

2010-09-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

The quilt show committee would welcome loans of small decorative pieces such as doll carriages or older stands that can be placed around the church to help make it look appealing to our visitors. If you are comfortable loaning any items to us, please bring them to the church along with your quilts on Wednesday September 29. A label will make it easy for us to place it with your quilts for pick up after the show. Thank you for any contributions you are able to make.

Lorraine J. & Edith W.

Registration Extension for Quilt Show

2010-09-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

The deadline for the LFQG members show registration is being extended to Sept 20th. We have had new display racks built for us and find that we still have plenty of room to welcome more large/ bed size quilts, and all other sizes as well. So if you were sitting on the fence, or a new member hearing of this for the first time, here is your opportunity to get involved in this great event. The registration forms are attached to the last newsletter or I can send one if you email me. I am looking forward to seeing all the terrific work our members can do.
Thanks, Pat

Guest Speaker: Kim Maticiw

2010-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Hello! My name is Kim and I'm a quiltaholic."

This sums up Kim's delightful presentation at the first meeting of the season at the London Friendship Quilt Guild. She shared wonderful anecdotes about our quilting addiction; how to smuggle fabric into the house without your family finding out, cooking and quilting at the same time, and even getting her husband to join her in the quilting room just to spend some time with her. It was a great way to get the season started.

Kim shared a number of her quilts from her early quilting days to the present. This awesome "Pin the Donkey on the Tail" Quilt even has a removable tail!

Very interesting circular quilt:

One of the quilts Kim designed as part of her pattern line:

Her first paper pieced quilt:

Thanks Kim for sharing your lecture and trunk show with us.

Outgoing executive members were presented with thank you cards for their services to the guild. We were updated on plans for the Quilt show. The deadline for entering quilts for the show has been extended to Friday, September 20, 2010. Check your newsletter for the registration form. Quilts need to be brought to the Church Wednesday between 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Some volunteers are still needed for Friday for the Quilt show. Also volunteers are needed for set up on Thursday between 10:00 and 6:00. Come on down if you are free that day!

We will be making place mats for Meals on Wheels again this year in any fabrics. They are due at the December meeting. Consider making matching pairs as there are some couples that receive Meals. There is an easy pattern in the new McCall's Quick Quilts Oct/Nov 2010 issue on page 22. The Sept/Oct Fons & Porter magazine also has a very easy pattern on page 88 which is a quilt as you go version which can even be done on a longarm machine!

Check the side bar for upcoming quilt shows. For those that are attending the International Plowing Match in St. Thomas, September 21 - 25, be sure to visit the Quilt Show in the lifestyles tent.

Don't forget to check out the face book page for our very own Harvest of Quilts show and join that page. Spread the news on face book to all your quilting friends there! The link to the page is a few posts back.

We need some volunteers to be the hostess/greeter at the door in November and December. Volunteers will receive an extra ticket for the FQ draw!

We also enjoyed delicious cookies and juice.

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, September 9, 7PM

2010-09-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Summer's over already and we're right into the swing of things with our first meeting THIS Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 7PM at St. George's Presbyterian Church, 1475 Dundas St, London, ON. This will be our last meeting before our Quilt show.

GUEST SPEAKER: Our guest speaker for this month will be Kim Maticiw on 'Confessions of a Quiltaholic' accompanied by a trunk show. We look forward to hearing Kim speak to us on this topic!

SECRET NOTION': Baked goods for the tea room which can be frozen

'HOSTESS FOR SEPT: Jacqui VMS. Sign up at the meeting if you would like to volunteer to greet members at the door and make our guests feel welcome! You receive a free ticket for the draw for volunteering :-).

REMINDERS: Don't forget the following items:

* Membership renewal forms filled out with payment

* Registration forms for each quilt you plan to enter into the Quilt Show - deadline is Sept. 9th

* change and chequebook for draw tickets and workshops

* Show and tell items

* Toonie table items

* pillowcases for the Pillowcase Challenge

* your name tag

* postcard for the postcard exchange

* Chatelaine

* your calendar to mark down your volunteering times for the Quilt Show :-).

See you all Thursday!!

LFQG 2010 HARVEST OF QUILTS

2010-08-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for our Bi-Annual Guild show being held at Rowntree United Church, Cheapside & Elliot, Friday October 1st, 10am to 8pm & Saturday October 2nd, 10am - 4pm.

For our members: Deadline date for submitting entry forms is Thursday September 9th.

Items are needed for the toonie table and baked goods for the tea room.

Details of drop off, pick up, set up and tear down are in the latest newsletter that was distributed a few weeks ago.

For those on face book, check out the Harvest of Quilts page:

SNEAK PREVIEW & Exciting Opportunity for YOU!

2010-08-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

The Executive Committee met last night to finalize plans for the 2010/2011 year for the London Friendship Quilt Guild. Welcome to all the new members. They are an enthusiastic bunch and hope to make this another exciting year for the Quilt guild.

We have a wonderful opportunity for our members! One person will be the Welcome Hostess each month to greet everyone at the door and make sure that newcomers know where to go. September is taken care of and we'll be needing volunteers for each month. Email which month you would like to reserve for youself :-). The hostess will receive a free draw ticket for one of the FQ's of the month.

Speaking of draw prizes!!!....here's a sneak preview of the Fat Quarters that will be featured at the September meeting.

This year, the big draw prize will be a bag of goodies instead of a basket. Look at the wonderful items inside the September bag. You will want to purchase lots of tickets to win these wonderful charm packs and thread!!

Stay tuned for details of the first meeting which will be posted at the end of next week. The upcoming shows and speakers will also be updated at that time.

Enjoy the last week of summer!

GEES BEND QUILTS

2010-08-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

If you have a chance, check out the Gees Bend Quilt Show at the London Convention Center which is still on Friday or Saturday. Many London Friendship Quilt Guild members were spotted at the show :-). Be sure to attend the lecture to hear about the history of these unique quilts.

Newsletter Sent

2010-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up that the newsletter has been sent out last week by email and by mail. There is also a registration form included for membership for the new year. If you have not received your copy, please do let us know.

Remember, to qualify for a draw to receive your membership free, be sure the completed form, along with payment, is received by September 3rd. The address is found on the form.

National Juried Show 2011 Call for Entry

2010-08-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

The entry form for the CQA/ACC National Juried Show 2011 is available on their website. For details, click here.

It would be great to see the London Friendship Quilters Guild and Ontario Quilters well represented here!

Quilters on Vacation: Shipshewana, IN

2010-07-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

Shipshewana Here We Come Again!

Karen & Rose travelled to Shipshewana, Indiana again, for their 2nd Annual Quilt Festival in June. The trip there was relatively uneventful, unlike last year when the 5 ½ hour trip took about 10 hours, and that was with a GPS! This year we made it just in time to register by 5:45 and attend a lecture by Moda Fabrics which included a treat, a lovely ‘turnover’ – and that was free fabric!! We learned about ‘layer cakes’, jelly rolls, cinnamon buns and cupcakes. We also found out that Moda has FREE patterns on their website to learn how to ‘bake’ with these fabric packs. We then went off to a wonderful gourmet supper at Subway, the favourite hangout for the young Amish residents. After a lovely evening the heart of the village, population approx. 500, we went off to our hotel for the night. We notice that there was some ‘heat lightening’ in the area and turned on the TV to see what was cooking. An unscheduled adventure was about to unfold for this particular Quilt Festival. There was a tornado warning for the area---in fact there was a tornado pointed in our general direction! Wow! An evacuation for all guests was issued and we all huddled in the hall in front of the ice machine. A wonderful way to meet some of our fellow quilters. We’re still not sure how safe that space was, but we were spared!

Morning brought sunshine, bright skies and Eleanor Burns!

There she was greeting all of those who had come out to hear her talk about American Barn Quilts. The presentation was as zany as Eleanor and worth the trip—what a great way to start the day! After a lovely lunch in funky little retro café, off we went to the quilt show. Bigger than last year and we were allowed to take pictures!

What a great show and as we rounded a corner---there was Eleanor. She appeared and mingled with everyone and was willing to take the time to chat with anyone who stopped to do so. Around another corner lurked Rose’s favourite friend who seems to appear wherever we go—Sunbonnet Sue!

Yikes!

That evening we were treated to a talk by Rebecca Haarer on the origin of Amish Quilts. Beforehand we had expected to hear about the history of Amish Quilts, however, we found the talk to be more…it bordered on the spiritual nature of Amish people. It captured the essence of the region and its people. It was totally wonderful and gave us both a new perspective and Eleanor Burns was there to, taking notes, so we’re looking for a new publication from her perhaps reflecting some of the things that we experienced in this talk.

Now it was time to shop!!!! A merchants’ mall AND shop hop. The first shop we went to—we ran into Eleanor again. How great is that?? We managed to fill our shop hop card – nine shops.

1,000 pillowcases were just down the road in LaGrange proudly displayed at the County Court House lawn. We wonder if we can match that??

There were pillow cases everywhere and there were 2 pillowcases on every clothespin.
After a wonderful day of wandering around the countryside and visiting shops and sites we had a great supper with the Amish at what turns out to be a favourite Amish haunt on a Friday night for all you can eat fish n’ chips. We were in the minority, and it was a wonderful experience. After dinner we sat on the porch and watched the town slowly roll up the carpet for the day.

It was time to head back---you know there were more tornado warnings and we had to out run them.

Quilter's on Vacation

2010-07-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

From June 14th t0 June 18th, Maureen and Dave Haynes were camping at Earl Rowe Provincial Park in Alliston, Ontario. The weather was great
and Maureen was able to do some quilting in the great outdoors.

Included as part of the holiday were trips to 2 quilt shops (Lilac Lane Quilts in Alliston and Country Concessions in Cookstown). A highlight of the week was finding a stand of"Showy Pink"Ladyslippers in the park. (we took only pictures of these rare wildflowers!!)

CQA/ACC 2011 Trend-Tex Wall Quilt Challenge

2010-07-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Attention London Friendship! Interested in submitting a quilt for Quilt Ontario 2011? Please consider the Trend-Tex Wall Quilt Challenge for 2011! Once again, Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc has generously donated the fabrics for CQA/ACC's Wall Quilt Challenge. This year’s theme is “Quilting in the Forest”.

Kits, containing 5 Trend-Tex Fabric fat quarters, will be available to CQA/ACC members first, whose order requests are postmarked no earlier than October 1, 2010 for $20. Non-members can order a kit for $25 after November 1, 2010. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the Trend-Tex Award to CQA/ACC members only. Non-members can order a kit for $25 after November 1, 2010. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and the Trend-Tex Award to CQA/ACC members only.

To get a Kit Application Form and all the rules and details of the contest go to the Canadian Quilter website here. After you have completed your entry, you need to fill out an Entry Form found here.

Quilters on Vacation - Wardsville ON

2010-06-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

The town of Wardsville, ON had a 200th anniversary celebration last weekend. A quilt was made commemorating the life of George Ward, the town's founder. The town's people made large wooden blocks which will be hung on barns and buildings in the area, forming a historic tour. Jacqui and Jake VMS went to Wardsville last Saturday and took a look at the wooden blocks displayed at the ball diamond. Amazing!! Check out more photos at Jacqui's blog and links to the town website for updates. The Quilt will be on display at the International Plowing Match in September in St. Thomas.

June Banquet - The Singing Quilter

2010-06-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

The London Friendship Quilter's Guild enjoyed a delicious dinner and wonderful entertainment for our annual end of the year banquet at the Highland Golf and Country Club on June 10, 2010. The dessert was just what quilters would have ordered - Chocolate!

A big thank you to Carol V's Dad for making these cute spool holders for everyone that attended the dinner. Everyone also received a FQ and a spool of thread. One of our members, Lorraine S. also made blue and gold yo yo's (the guild colours). If you ordered salmon for dinner, you received a blue yo yo and if you ordered chicken, a gold one. They looked so pretty on the tables and the servers didn't have to interrupt our conversations when serving us.

President, Rose B, introduced our guests, Cathy Miller, the singing quilter and her husband, John Bunge.

Cathy and John entertained us with songs and stories about her quilts beginning with "12 Step Plan for Quilters". "The Sampler Quilt" tells the story of this quilt by using block names throughout the song:

Kass the Kangaroo has even taken over Cathy's blog and is writing all about his adventures.

A very appropriate backing and binding on this self portrait quilt:

These hexagons are 1/4"!!!! Cathy did this in the car on trips...amazing!

Checking out the quilts up close after the meeting.

John chatting with quilters browsing the CD's for sale at the end of the evening:

Banquet, Thursday, June 10, doors open at 6PM, dinner at 7PM

2010-06-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

For those who have tickets, we will see you tonight at the Highland Golf and Country Club. Our guest for the evening will be Cathy Miller, the singing quilter. See you there!

May Postcards

2010-06-06T05:44:00.001-07:00

London Challenge

2010-05-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

And the winners are Tiny, Maureen, and Jill!

1st place

Tiny C

Somewhere Along the Thames

2nd Place

Maureen H

Our Little Bit of London

3rd Place

Jill B

Coming Attraction

CQA/ACC Quilt Ontario London 2011 Logo

And the rest of the challengers!

For a complete viewing of all the challenge pieces click here.

AGM and Northcott Fabrics

2010-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Whew! what a crazy meeting! Packed with all sorts of goodies!

First up, it was Patti Carey from Northcott Silk Inc. As a quilt designer, it's her job to take their latest designs and create wonderful quilts out of them so that we will be tempted to buy their fabric. These patterns then become featured in magazines, such as Fons and Porter or trade magazines, or as samples that are shown to quilt stores, or even free patterns that are available on their website.

Patti prides herself in creating quilts out of those hard to use fabrics, like panels and borders, or stripes, or fabrics featuring colour gradiation.

She tries to come up with interesting and innovative ways to use these fabrics.

Each project brings its own challenges and decisions. Patti likes playing with light and dark...for example she knew she was going to use this particular fabric for the border, but which one... dark or light....why not both? Using both, she turned ordinary into interesting!

LFQG wants to thank Patti for a wonderful trunk show! For more of Patti's quilts, check them out here.

*******************************

Then it was break time! Christine outdid herself this time, creating a party atmosphere with these wonderful cakes for snack!

It was also time for the final row robin exchange. Here is a sneak peek at one person's collection of rows! Now our participants will take their 5 rows home and create a final quilt top, to be revealed at our September meeting and shown at the Harvest of Quilts Show in October.

Break time over, it was on the AGM.

Our new Executive will consist of the following:

President - Rose B

Past President - Cynthia MR

Vice-President - Maria F

Secretary - Maureen H

Blog- Jacqui VMS (assisted by Carol V)

Library - Frances K & Susan L

Newsletter - Jill B

Outreach - Penny H, Elaine T

All were accepted in a vote.

The Treasurer will be announced and voted on at the June Banquet.

The year end reports were emailed out prior to the meeting and copies were on hand for the meeting. There were no questions regarding the reports.

The final portion of the meeting consisted of a regular show and share and the submissions of the London Challenge. (see other blog post)

Next Meeting: AGM Thursday, May 13, 7PM

2010-05-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Guest Speaker:
Patti Carey of Northcott Silk Inc. will tell us all that is new and exciting from this Canadian fabric manufacturer.

Secret Notion:
Bring May flowers! real or representative! Receive a ticket each for wearing your chatelaine, name tag, and bringing a flower and you could win a free fat quarter.

AGM:
After break we will conclude this meeting with a show and share from those who participated in the President's Challenge and the election of next year's guild executive. There is still time to put your name forward, just contact Rose.

Reminders:

President's Challenge pieces are due at this meeting. Submit your piece at the registration table and receive an entry number. The pieces will be displayed on the soft walls to be viewed for voting.

Row Robin, the final rows are due for the Row Robin. Participants will receive their original rows back as well as 4 others and are asked to complete their tops for the September meeting!

Library books are due! Please return all outstanding library books so that the librarians can complete their inventory. If you are unable to attend this meeting to do so, please contact Julia or Beth to make arrangements. The library is now closed for the summer.

Fabric Postcards, last chance to participate! make a fabric postcard drop it in the mailbox on the registration table and receive another in the mail delivered to your home!

Outreach
Need something to do this summer? Pick up a kit from Penny and Elaine and make a Kid's quilt!

April Postcards

2010-04-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

Renske Helmuth: Landscape Workshop

2010-04-11T16:29:00.001-07:00

This was a great workshop to learn the basics of landscape quilting. Renske provided the basics in applique as well as learning how to choose the right fabrics and it all starts with the sky. The sky fabric sets the tone for the rest of the colours you will need for your landscape.

She showed us how she gets inspiration from art books and how to make your own sky fabric from photographs.

Landscape applique is all about working from the top to the bottom. She uses a cut-away method to line up your fabrics.

We worked hard all day, taking a break for lunch and another show and tell of her landscape pieces. Renske is a very organized teacher and we stopped at certain times for each new lesson. Even still we each worked at our own pace, as you can see by the photo below.

At the end of the day, we placed all our landscapes on one table to show how different each one looked just by our fabric choices. She then showed us how we could audition our pieces with a frame.

Thanks Renske, we all learned a lot and are ready for more!

Guest Speaker: Renske Helmuth

2010-04-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Renske Helmuth entertained us with an amazing trunk show! Although trained in sewing, crocheting, and knitting in her native Friesland, it was until she immigrated to Canada that she took up quilting. One of her first teachers was Rosemary Makhan, and you can see that influence throughout her work.

Many of her early works were done in the Baltimore Album style. Beautiful applique of ribbon flowers, "critters", and many birds that have landed on her bird feeders. She has entered her quilts for judging in many contests and has won awards, but enters less frequently and only if she is passionate about the contest.

She has, however, had a longstanding involvement in the annual New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction. She works on the committee that coordinates those quilts. Renske was so inspired by the book A Gift of Wings by Carl Hiebert, that she asked him for permission to use his photos as inspiration to make quilts for the Relief Sale. This group quilt effort raised over $11 ooo!

This piece below is Renske's interpretation of one of Carl's photos:

One quilt that she is particularly proud of, is an interpretation of her native family farm in Friesland. Working from a photograph and her memories, she created this gorgeous quilt of her family home! It wasn't until she found the perfect piece of fabric that represented the brick for building did the whole piece come together.

She "thread painted" the trees:

Much of her passion for quilted landscape art grew through making Christmas cards and postcards for family and friends. She later discovered Sashiko and has done many quilts in a Japanese style incorporating the Sashiko into the quilting.

And there was so much more, I took many photos! You can view more of them here. The LFQGuild would like to thank Renske for a gorgeous trunk show!

Guild Business

2010-04-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

Quilt Show Committee

Lorraine S had the pleasure of introducing the 2010 Harvest of Quilts Show Committee at the meeting. A message from the various committee members can be found in the April/May newsletter. Your Quilt Show Committee members are:

Chair: Maria D, VP LFQG

Volunteer Coordinators: Edith W and Lorraine J.

Publicity: Jessie G

Jessie reported that flyers and bookmarks were ready to be distributed. If anyone would like to take some to distribute please contact her.

Vendors Mall: Teresa DJ

Teresa DJ reported that the we have an almost full slate of merchants for the Vendors Mall!

Quilt Show Registration: Pat F

Deadline for registration of your quilts is September 9, 2010. Registration form can be found in the April/May issue of the newsletter or request an email

version by emailing her.

Toonie Table: Penny H

Penny is looking for donations of small quilted items for the Toonie Table. Money raised from the Toonie Table goes to buy supplies for the Outreach Program.

Tea Room: Lorraine S, Rachel M, Kim Z

Donations of baked goods for the Tea Room will be accepted at the September meeting.

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Structure of the Executive Committee:

It has been brought up at a few executive meetings that some executive positions are a little more labour intensive than others. It was suggested that perhaps a restructuring of duties may be in order. However, any change to the Executive can only be done at an AGM with proper notice. Rose proposed that a committee to study the structure of a Quilters Guild Executive should be formed to make recommendations that can be voted on at the May 2011 AGM. Gail ML volunteered to head that committee. She will be looking for a few more volunteers to help in this endeavour. If you are interested in being on the committee please see Gail M-L.

Pillow Case Challenge

Micki A has asked our guild to take up the American Patchwork and Quilting One Million Pillowcase Challenge. All you have to do is make a couple of pillowcases for charity. We will be donating our pillowcases to Teen Challenge Farm (so no girly fabric for those) and Micki will be looking into finding a second charity, as well. The deadline for pillowcases will be our December 2010 meeting.

President's Challenge

Just a reminder that there is only one month left for the big reveal of the London Challenge. These pieces will be collected and displayed as a welcoming gesture for those attending the CQA/ACC Quilt Ontario 2011 London event. The more we have the more impressive it will be!

AGM

May is the guild's AGM. At this meeting, we elect our new slate of Executive members. Being on the Executive is a rewarding experience, you get a chance to know the guild from the inside out. It is team work! No one carries the burden alone! Perks include being the first to sign up for workshops! Being part of the planning of events (All Sunbonnet Sue, all the time! yes! what?outvoted?better luck next time!) Camraderie! Tea Parties, once a month, and of course there is the secret handshake! (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!) If you would like to try a term on the executive contact Rose B.

Outreach

Penny reported another 27 quilts to CAS! Way to go!!

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 8, 7 PM

2010-04-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Guest Speaker
Renske Helmuth, a Dutch immigrant, has won many awards for her quilts, many of which represent Canada and Canadian nature, particularly "Springtime in Ontario" (above). She will also be doing a landscape workshop on Friday, April 9. (full)

Newsletter

Check your email, for the latest LFQG newsletter, and if you receive the hard copy, it will be available at the welcome table.

Secret Notion:

April showers bring May flowers! The secret notion for this month is an umbrella! Real or representative! If you have the April 2008 issue of Quilters Newsletter lying around there is a pattern for a paper-pieced umbrella...and of course there is always Sunbonnet Sue or Sam! Bring some sort of umbrella, your nametag and chatelaine and receive tickets for each item you bring for the fat quarter draw!

Reminders:

Show and Share

Fabric Postcards

Row Robin

President's Challenge: Welcome to London, due May meeting

Sign-ups:

June Banquet, Highland Golf & Country Club, guest Cathy Miller, cost $40