With most of our weekly activities and schedules a thing of the past, for the past two months, many of us are finding comfort in a favorite place – our sewing area. Whether you’re in a dining room, on a lanai, or have a devoted sewing space, it’s a place to go and find peace. The doing may simply be going through scraps to organize them and/or cut them up. Or sort through UFOs to figure out how many projects are near to being finished, or even whether they’re liked enough to finish. Or spending extra creative time on new projects. We’re more fortunate than others because through sewing and quilting, we find contentment and enjoyment.
In addition to our upcoming Monday, June 8 Zoom meeting at 7 pm (members will receive a Zoom link on the meeting day) technology offers many resources for learning, trying, growing, and expanding our methods and knowledge about sewing and quilting.
We’ve pulled together a short list of opportunities we’ve come across. Maybe a couple of them will attract your attention.
- Each spring in Houston, Texas, Quilts Inc. sponsors spring market, followed by Quilt Festival. Market has gone virtual, and opened to the public TODAY! In the past, only business professionals (shop-owners, fabric companies and designers, and those in sewing and quilting-related occupations) could attend. General access to market is $30. Go here to learn more.
- In 2019, Erica @kitchentablequilting offered a free tutorial to make the Plaidish Scrap Quilt. Several of our members made that quilt. Erica is now offering another tutorial, to make Plaidish 2 that makes use of leftover binding strips.
- At the beginning of 2020, Kari @quiltsforthemaking began a Snap Scrap Quilt Along. Follow her tutorials at any time to make ten different 6-1/2″ X 6-1/2″ (unfinished) blocks per color, and put them together in a variety of layouts.
- The Boulder MQG led an eight-week Improv Challenge. Using a different prompt each week – such as half-square triangle; grid; X-block; curves – quilters are led through exercises to make an improv quilt. Read about it here, and follow Boulder MQG prompts.
- Florida’s Broward Quilt Expo @browardquiltexpo is hosting a free Hobbs batting informational webinar on Wednesday, June 17 at 7:30 pm. If you’d like to attend, simply go to the Broward Quilt Expo website and enter your email address in the pop-up window. You’ll receive acknowledgment and a Zoom link.
- @justjudebelfast offers a Youtube tutorial to sew Scrappy Pouches from scrap or planned (denim, anyone?) fabric strips. If you’ve never sewn a zipper before, this is a good way to give it a go. And maybe a way to show off some English paper-piecing (EPP) you’ve tried.
June 8 Show and Tell
Take pictures of up to three of your quarantine modern quilt makes and send them to us. Two pictures per quilt (or other item) are permitted.
We felt the need to limit our Show and Tell for our first official Zoom meeting, as we know that many of you have been using your free time to make. And make!
Take pictures and send them soon, so we have time to get the slideshow set up! Send your pictures to us along with quilt dimensions, pattern information, modern techniques used, and other relevant information such as thread type, batting, and quilting information. During the Zoom meeting, as your quilt pictures are shown, you’ll be able to tell us about them.
If you have info to share about other online opportunities, let us know! Send us an email.
We’re looking forward to seeing all of you – including our snowbird quilters who have already flown the coop! – at our Monday meeting!
centralfloridamqg.org 
As a working gal I sure do appreciate all the things you guys put together for us. BRAVO.👏. I do consider myself lucky to enjoy such a hobby and grateful to all of you for encouragement.
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