June 2018 Meeting Recap

Close-up of Jane Cramer's Waking Foot Quilting
Hello everyone! Sorry for the long overdue June Meeting recap! So, let's hit it!


TMQG Happenings
Up for grabs this month was a $40 gift card to The Workroom. We'd like to thank Karyn for her joint sponsorship and congratulate Karen Brown for being the lucky winner! Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support.

A few other announcements on things happening in Toronto & at the TMQG:
  • Our July TMGQ meeting will be at Quilts at the Creek on Saturday, July 28th. **Please note that the meeting will be on Saturday, not Sunday. The show will be running all weekend.
  • Sew Day Retreat is on August 25th. Join us for mimosas, a catered lunch, and lots of time with your quilty friends! Register here.
  • Registration for October workshops with Andrea Tsang Jackson of 3rd Story Workshop is live! Register here.
  • TMQG Executive Board elections are coming up in September! Join the team and help shape another excellent year at the TMQG. Nominations so far:
    • Karen Brown will be running for President 
    • Adrienne Van Halem will be running again for Treasurer
    • Other roles are Vice President, Secretary & Communications Lead

Here's all the dates to the goodies to look forward to in 2018:
  • July 28 (Saturday): Quilts at the Creek with Mary Pal and Ana Paula Brasil Trunk Shows starting at noon
  • August 25: Member only Sew Day Retreat!
  • September 30: Fast & Easy Gifts & Guild Elections
  • October 27 & 28: Andrea Tsang Jackson Workshops & Trunk Show
  • December 2 (November Date Shift): Holiday Party!
Sorry for the inconvenience, but some of the dates and locations have shifted to accommodate guild initiatives and room booking constraints. We apologize and hope you will be able to join us!



Missing Pieces designed by Adrienne Van Halem

2019 QuiltCon Charity Quilt
Lynda Hutchison and Adrienne Van Halem were hard at work organizing the fabrication of this year's Charity Quilt. Kits were passed out at the June meeting and we have all hands on deck. Reminder that pieced kits are due at the July meeting in order to keep on schedule. So excited to see this one come together.

Check out the MQG site for more information on the 2019 QuiltCon Charity Quilts.



Jane Cramer's featuring various Walking foot techniques
TMQG Spotlight: The Walking Foot with Jane Cramer
A big thank you to Jane Cramer who showed us all the beautiful things that can be done with a walking foot. Walking foot quilting is an excellent option for negative space and solid quilts and Jane shared us lots of tips gained from workshops she's taken. Thanks again Jane!

Here are some of the resources on the Walking Foot:


Doris Lovadina-Lee and Her Beautiful Dyed Fabrics
Programming: Monetizing Your Craft Panel
Thank you to Doris Lovadina-Lee, Bob Gentili, and Claudia Schumm for sharing with us their experiences turning their craft into a business. Here's a little summary of what they had to share:
  • It's important to have an online presence, somewhere for people to reach you
    • Wordpress themes for your website
    • Woo Commerce for your shops
  • Leverage Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to help spread your content
  • Don't be afraid to take initiative and reach out to people!
  • Know when to hire specialists like:
    • Bookkeepers
    • Accountants
    • Tech support

Doris Lovadina-Lee sells her beautiful hand-dyed fabrics and quilt pieces online and at the Textile Museum of Canada. Doris first started dying fabrics in an indigo workshop and loves the magical process of folding fabric and dipping them in the dyes. She first got her start selling her scarves to co-workers and has since built an online shop.

Bob Gentili of Geeky Bobbin recently started a custom long-arming business and sells patterns and sewn goods. Bob started a year and a half ago selling ponchos and scarves on Etsy. In her experience, yes, there is a market for squid and octopus car seat ponchos! 

Claudia Schumm of Fabric Please recently fulfilled a dream goal when she became the new owner of the online shop. She was also very generous and donated a FQ to each of the meeting attendees. Thanks again, Claudia!



Low Volume FQ from President's Stash
President's Challenge: Happiness is Quiet!
This year's President's Challenge was generously sponsored by the President herself! Using the low volume fabric FQ that was distributed at the June meeting, Steff's President Challenge is to complete a quilted project that makes you happy. Any dimension. Any definition of happiness (there are too too many and we're excited to see what makes YOU happy!). Challenge constraints:
  • Use the whisper FQ from the last guild meeting
  • Any dimension
  • Must be finished & quilted
  • Must make you happy
  • Due at September meeting
Reach out to Steff at torontomodernquiltguild@gmail.com if you missed the last meeting and need a FQ for the challenge. 



Show & Share
There were as usual a bundle of beautiful quilts shown at this month's meeting. Sit back and enjoy!

Valerie Prideaux was up first with Call Me By My Name. She did this as a 12x12 challenge and what a great job! @crayonpatch

Call Me By My Name by Valerie Prideaux

Laura Henneberry shared The Circus Tent Quilt for which she recently launched a pattern. Thanks to Berene Campbell who helped name the quilt! There is also a digital coloring application that accompanies this quilt online on PreQuilt that enables quilters to choose, play with, and explore endless color combinations. @commonwealthquilts

The Circus Tent Quilt by Laura Henneberry


Morag Johnston created Frog & Butterfly, this beautiful baby quilt for a "miracle baby". The colors are modern and the block was an improv adaptation of a houndstooth. @moragj 

Frog & Butterfly by Morag Johnston

Rebecca Burnett bought her game this month with her huge and beautiful Dollars to Doughnuts. She was inspired by traditional double wedding ring quilts, but wanted to put a modern spin on it by squaring the shapes and adding lots of negtative space. @rebeccaburnettquilts

Dollars to Doughnuts by Rebecca Burnett

Karen Brown and Elena Langlois shared their joint effort finish of The Economy Block lotto win from a few months ago. It'll be hanging at Quilts at the Creek this weekend and fits their big/small challenge rather well! @justgetitdonequilts @elenalanglois

The Economy Block (Lotto Win) by Karen Brown and Elena Langlois

Judy Kowalski shared this lovely quilt, Star of My Heart, she made for her mother's 89th birthday. Beautiful job!

Star of My Heart by Judy Kowalski

Deborah Burchell shared her addition to the 70273 Project, which commemorates the disabled who were killed by the Nazis before the Holocaust. She did a beautiful job hand quilting the background. 

70273 Project by Deborah Burchell

Robin Cassady-Cain recently joined the TMQG and shared her quilt, Neighbourhood, which she had done with her previous MQG in Edinburgh. The design is by Elizabeth Hartman and quilted by Tatyana Duffie. @gingerscribble

Neighbourhood by Robin Cassady-Cain


Next Time at the TMQG
See you at our next meeting on Saturday, July 28th starting at noon at Quilts at the Creek (Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway). Here’s a little tidbit of what you can look forward to! 
  • Two Trunk Shows (Mary Pal at 12:00 & Ana Paula Brasil at 1:00)
    • Trunk shows are free for members. 
    • Sorry, but regular admission to Black Creek is not covered.
  • Quick guild meeting at 2:00 
  • Scavenger Hunt with prizes!
  • Lots of vendors, a brewery, and more quilts than you can probably process!

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