October 2016 meeting



On the heels of our first successful showing at this year’s fall Creativ Festival, we gathered 'round on the eve of Hallowe'en. There’s much ground to cover so let’s get to it.

Guild Biz

The subject of increasing our guild dues this January was tabled by our president, Adrienne. We’re looking at a flat increase from $35 to $40/yr. Please note that these dues will be ‘paying forward’ the 2018 season. We’re also considering holding a crafty yard sale to raise more funds.

And in a move to encourage young makers to join our guild, we will be introducing a student rate of $20/yr for those post sec students, aged 14 and up.

As for adding a compassionate rate for members with limited means, Dia and Catherine will look into how we approach this and amend our guild bylaws.

Holiday Party

Our last meeting for 2016 will be extra long and extra fun. As we're entering the festive season, our social committee is organizing a potluck (please sign up here), some games, and a Secret Bad Santa gift exchange. Although it'll be a more casual meeting, we're still having a Show & Share. Bring your appetite, a well-honed competitive spirit, a gift to exchange ($10 value), and enjoy the fun. We'll be starting earlier than usual (1pm) on November 27 so clear your calendar!

Days for Girls Annual Charity Project

Becky made an impassioned presentation for our upcoming charity project. The TMQG will be making kits for Days for Girls (DfG) as our Annual Charity Project. DfG provides sustainable feminine hygiene kits to girls in developing countries, allowing the girls to attend school. This provides greater opportunities for the girls and helps them break out of the cycle of poverty.

Check out our Projects page with all the deets you need to get started. And if you missed the meeting, take the time to watch the TED Talk video. I dare you not to cry!

Together we can do this. Let’s empower these girls! Big thanks to Becky for making us aware of such a worthy cause.

Show & Share

Gorgeous detail of Floating Squares Score

The ever prolific Catherine presented her colourful Floating Squares Score improv quilt from Sherri Lynn Wood’s The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters book. Catherine used no-tails binding and is attempting a "stuffed" binding which produces a squishy, tight, rolled binding apparently preferred by quilt judges. Who knew?



Berene had two beauties up for show. Her lovely Mod Posy quilt has “a clean modern feel with a bit of whimsy”. Commissioned by FabricSpark, this quilt used Les Fleurs fabric collection by Rifle Paper Co. If you want to up your curved piecing skills, this is the pattern for you. The pattern is available at Berene's fabulous Etsy shop. 


Illusion Pillow
And if you’re in the market for a less time-consuming project (read: scrambling to start your holiday gifts), Berene’s Illusion Pillow pattern promises much satisfying cozy comfort. I also like how the colour and composition inadvertently foreshadowed Sheila’s talk on colour theory...

“She’s like a rainbow”

We were treated to a masterclass in colour theory from none other than architect and modern quilt designer, Sheila Mathies. Even though I studied this waaaaay back in college, I still discovered new things and found Sheila’s presentation so informative and fascinating. I can't wait to apply this to my next quilt! She also shared her reference books on colour. If you’re interested in learning more, hunt down these great reads:
  • Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
  • The Elements of Color by Johannes Itten
  • Colour by Victoria Finlay
Invigorated by all this colour inspiration, I propose a field trip to the McMichael to check out two great exhibits: Jack Bush and Colleen Heslin. The Debi Bus will leave post haste. Who's riding shotgun?

Block Lotto? Phhht!

Paraphrasing Shakespeare, “Alas, poor Yorick! Thoust three blocks do not a quilt make.” We’re assuming October's block might have been too complicated? Or was it time-consuming in the short amount of time we had? Please take a moment and PM our Block Lotto Leader Berene with your thoughts/wishes as to what you what you want out of block lotto challenges. In the meantime, Andrea made way with the three blocks that I know she’ll put to good use.

Housekeeping:

  • A special thanks to those who made our last-minute presence at this fall's Creativ Festival possible and who volunteered their time and donated some resources. And a big shout-out to our sponsored bundles from FabricSpark, Northcott, and The Workroom, and our lucky winners. Our guild's getting out there!
  • October meeting’s door prize winners are Kat, Andrea and Suzie. We’re always grateful for your generous donations.
  • Our last Sew-Down for 2016 will be held at the Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Public Library this Saturday, Nov. 12 from 1:30-4:30pm. We’ll continue working on our MQG Charity Quilt submission. And eat doughnuts.

Important dates to add to your calendar:


Get your quilt on!

- Debi

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