The latest news from the Toronto Modern Quilt Guild

September 2020 Newsletter Hello TMQG! Cooler weather is starting to settle in, and our thoughts are tending toward cozying up with quilts and pumpkin-spice-inspired colour palettes! Here's what's coming up from TMQG... September Zoom Meeting: Krista Hennenbury  Our September meeting on Sunday, September 27th, 3 - 5:30 PM will feature Krista Hennebury (aka Poppyprint), with her lecture, "Poppyprint, The Search for Signature Style": In this lecture I share strategies for finding your own unique quilting voice in the face of constant exposure to inspiring work by others in social and print media. I use examples of my own evolution from traditional quilter to "traditionally informed modern quilter" throughout my 20 years of quiltmaking and 10 years of blogging, designing, teaching and active social media participation.  You'll see real life examples of creative actions we can take as quilters to explore ideas along the road to creating original work. We will also be wrapping up our President's Challenge and opening up nominations for the executive election. This meeting will follow our "normal" Zoom format with WIP and Welcome, Show and Share, and a draw to a gift card for a local fabric store. Guests are welcome with the purchase of $10 Zoom Guest Lecture available in our online store. Workshop:  Saturday, September 26th Speed Date With Improv  This Zoom workshop from 10:30 to 5:30 is sold out! If you registered for the workshop, details were sent out on Saturday, September 19th. Please check your inbox! Coming up in October ... Mary Elizabeth Kinch  Mary Elizabeth Kinch  https://www.maryelizabethkinch.com will be teaching a Zoom Workshop: Summerhill Quilt — The Joy of Small Pieces Sampler on Saturday, October 24th from 9:30 to 4:30.  She will also conduct a guest lecture, "Random Acts of Quilting" at our regular meeting time, Sunday, October 25th.  Details and links to sign up for these will be available in our online store. https://toronto-modern-quilt-guild.square.site/home During the second half of the October meeting, we will be choosing a layout for Our QuiltCon Together 2021 Community Outreach Quilt (the one with the curves). Our October meeting is also our Annual General Meeting. The nominees for the executive election will make their statements, and details of the online election will be announced. Recap: August Zoom Stitch and Chat Our first virtual Stitch and Chat was held the last Sunday of August.  It was a low key chance to chat and visit and more importantly, sew a little, via Zoom.  There was a focus on curves, since that is the theme of the Quilt Con Community Challenge this year.  TMQG Members provided short demonstrations about inset curves, applique curves, sewing curves without pins, and improv curves.  Our guild Zoom account is available to host again any time, no pressure - no agenda needed, just sign up to host on our new website, or send us an email.  We will work with you to spread the word and send the zoom link, and help with zoom management. Other Announcements This summer the Charity Committee has had 2 requests for help.  The first is from a nurse at St Josephs in the NICU. They are looking for incubator covers to replace the existing covers as they are in sad shape. The information and sign up sheet can be found here: INCUBATOR COVERS The second request came from the Toronto Cat Rescue. They are looking for mini quilts to put in the cages for the kitties. The information and sign up sheet can be found here: KITTY QUILTS Please take a look and sign up for these worthwhile causes. We've got a new look! The Exec team updated the TMQG website to better reflect our modern guild and provide a user-friendly experience for new members, and you— our current ones. The blog (http://tmqg.blogspot.com/) will be accessible through the "Blog" menu item on the new site. We will continue to use the blog to share newsletters and - with your help — unique TMQG content! TIP: Save the homepage to your browser's bookmark bar for easy access! Here's a list of new features that will make your browsing intuitive and informative: Contact Us page: Use the fill-in form to contact the TMQG Exec Get Involved page: We've listed a variety of ways to get involved with the Guild! Click here to view. Easy to access content including upcoming meetings, challenge details, community outreach projects, and policies and procedures (in progress). Oh, and one more thing... We want to colour the web pages with photos of YOUR quilts! There are loads of spots to fill, and we'd love for the site to reflect the range of our members' work. Use this Website Quilt Submission Form to send us a high-quality and well-lit photo of your quilts (close-ups are ideal), and we'll have them featured on the website!  We welcome your feedback and suggestions as the team continues to optimize the TorontoMQG's online community! The guild executive is thoughtfully working on a long term action plan for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity. As a member guild of the MQG, we follow the MQG's Community Guidelines. We welcome the input of all our members as we examine our policies, learn, and develop plans going forward. We welcome our members to explore the Anti-Racism Resources curated by the MQG. Do you have an area of expertise to share with the guild? Sign up to give a Spotlight Presentation at one of our upcoming meetings! Click here to sign up, or to suggest a topic you would like to see included.