Sunday, December 23, 2012

Happy Christmas!

Wishing you all a Christmas filled with hope & happiness, friends & family, and however you celebrate be peaceful and safe. With Best Wishes for the Holidays and the New Year to come...from the members of MQG.

Victoria's Quilts Workday - Press Cutting

The Miramichi Leader had a great article about the Victoria's Quilts Workday on 1st December. Its very nice for the Guild to get some recognition for their hard work, even though that's not what we're about, its nice that it gets noticed. A big 'Thank-you' to all the ladies to helped, sewed, donated fabric, etc. I'm sure its much appreciated by the recipients.
Update: Our Branch of the Victoria's Quilts (Moncton) donated 575 quilts to cancer patients THIS YEAR and 300 quilts last year.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Upcoming Event - Victoria's Quilts Work Day

Saturday 1st December 2012 at the Seaman's Hospital, 9.30am onward. Please bring any stray blocks, strips, etc - we need to get as many tops done as we can manage.
Thanks

Info for this week (ending 1st Dec 2012)

This is a reminder that the Work Day for Victoria's Quilts is THIS SATURDAY (1st December) at the Seaman's Hospital from approx 9.30am onward. If anyone has any stray blocks to contribute, strips, charms, etc., please bring them along - the aim is to generate as many quilt tops as possible.

2nd Reminder - Anyone wishing to attend the Christmas Dinner at the Golf & Country Club MUST have their money\selection on an envelope to Colleen Underhill or Claudia England by Tuesday 4th Dec.

3rd Reminder - Liz Lewis has asked anyone who has taken part in the Mystery Runner project to please bring\send their runner to the Christmas Dinner (doesn't matter if its finished or not) names will be entered into a draw to pick a winner at random - Liz is very kindly donating a mystery prize to the lucky name drawn!

I will put some copies of table-mat pattern on the notice board in the dining room as one or two people had asked for them (and I forgot - oops!)

A BIG thank you to Jean Williston for her demo on the Christmas Candle wallhanging tonight.

Secret Santa is getting more exciting - not long til the big 'reveal' at the Dinner!

Monday, November 19, 2012

With sadness in our hearts...

We have exceptionally sad news to post tonight. Our long standing member Betty Mason passed away on Sunday. Our condolences go out to her family and friends at this sad time. 
Gill Wallace, on behalf of the members of MQG.


Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Mason

 18 Nov 2012


Comments
Besides  her husband Robert she is survived by two daughters, Brenda Lee Bell (Jeffrey) of Chaplin Island Road and Carla Elizabeth Dickson (Derrick) of Douglasfield, two sons, Paul Mason (Angela) of Fredericton and David Mason (Nancy Drillen)  of  Miramichi, one brother,  Louis  Campbell  of  Miramichi and 7 grandchildren. She was predeceased  by  her parents.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Mason is resting at  Davidson’s Funeral Home, 597 Old King George Hwy, Miramichi with visitation Monday evening from 7-9 and Tuesday 2-4 & 7-9. Mass of Christian burial will be  celebrated on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 11 a.m. at  St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, with Father Dan Bastarache officiating. 
Betty Ann Mason was well known in the Miramichi community for her love of sports as  well as for her outstanding charitable spirit.
In Betty’s memory it is the family’s  request that the donations be  made to the Betty  Ann Mason Memorial Award. Each year this award will provide an  ongoing legacy, a testament to her love of sports and her generous nature, to a deserving Miramichi Grade 12 student.
Arrangements are in  care of Davidson’s Funeral Home (622-7464) or online at www.davidsonsfh.com
x

Funeral Date, Time and Location
Wed 21 Nov 201211:00 AMSt. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
Next of Kin
Robert (Bob) Mason
Resting Location
Davidson's Funeral Home
Visitation Period
Mon, Nov 19: 7-9 & Tues, Nov 20; 2-4 & 7-9

Wishes
In Betty's memory it is the family's request that the donations be made to the Betty Ann Mason Memorial Award. Each year this award will provide an ongoing legacy, a testament to her love of sports and her generous nature, to a deserving Miramichi Grade 12 student.

Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Mason, wife of Robert Mason  of  Old King George Hwy, Miramichi, passed away Sunday evening,  November  18, 2012 at  Miramichi Regional Hospital, at the age of 73. Born in Newcastle, NB, she was the daughter of the late Ernest and Josephine (Gallant) Campbell. She was a retired telephone operator for NB Telephone, a member of St. Mary’s Roman  Catholic  Church, member of  the Miramichi Quilt Guild and also a member of the Miramichi Golf & Country Club.  





Wednesday, November 7, 2012

MYSTERY RUNNER - STEP 5


We are going to start assembling the units you made in the last 2 steps.

Lay out 2 of the triangle units from part 4 with one of the units from part 3 so they are from left to right, top left corner of triangle units is the mitred background, straight unit from part 3 in centre going up and down and another unit from part 4 with the mitred background corner at the top right side.

Three units, one from part 4, part 3 and another 4.

Sew them together with a ¼ inch seam…press seams towards the center.  Each new unit will measure 4 ½ tall by 11 ½ wide.  Sew all the units from part 3 & 4 together like this, you will have units left over from part 3.

Put them away carefully til next time.

Liz

Monday, October 29, 2012

Info for Guild Meeting 30th October - Yard Sale Night!

Evening Ladies, hope you've all had a great week! 

Just a reminder that tomorrow night is the 'Spooktacular' Halloween Eve Yard Sale - no early bird shopping - usual rules apply! 'Shopping' starts at 7pm sharp and not a minute earlier (or Maureen will be rapping knuckles!)

Mystery Runner - Step 5 with Elizabeth Lewis, if anyone has queries about Step 4 please ask Liz for assistance as she's always happy to help.

BYOW

50\50 Draw (assuming we haven't spent everything at the Yard Sale!)

also Secret Santa!

I also need to remind you that its also the LAST chance to submit a UFO (un-finished-objects) list to Maureen...typically I have finished one of my UFOs this week and I forgot to submit the list!!

Additionally, this weekend is the 30-Something workshop with Betty Doyle on 3rd Nov, at the White School on Sutton Road, Nelson.

For anyone who'd like to do the gorgeous Kimono Quilt Wall Hanging (which can be up-scaled to a quilt size), Christel Pond will be holding a workshop on 17th November at the Seaman's Hospital, subject to there being enough participants. Please contact Christel directly for more information.

Ursula also needs people to sign up for a 'booth' at the 2013 Quilt Show - less than a year away so better get your thinking-caps on folks!

See you all tomorrow night!

Gill

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

MYSTERY RUNNER - STEP 4

Mystery Runner - Step 4

We are going to work with the half square triangles…

You need to get your light triangles and your medium triangles for this part of the project.  There are 24 light triangles and 12 mediums.

Lay one of the light triangles right side up on your table.  Place it so the 2 shorter sides are on the left side and the bottom and the longest side is open top to bottom to the right...will try to include a picture.

Take the medium triangle and fold it over, wrong sides together, so the 2 short sides are together. You are going to place it along the bottom of the light triangle, lined up with the bottom and the longest side to the right of the light triangle; there will be some of the dark triangle sticking out at the left bottom 
edge of the light triangle, don’t worry about it…has to line up along the bottom of the light triangle and along the edge of the light triangle’s longest side.
Take another light triangle and lay it right side down on top of the other layers, pin them along the edges of the longest side of the light triangles and sew a ¼ inch seam along that longest side. You will have 2 layers at the top and 4 layers where the medium triangle is being sandwiched.

Pressing is the magic!  Turn it over and press the seam open on the back, keeping the medium triangle to one side while pressing the back.  Turn it to the right side and open the triangle up so that it matches the square corner of the light background, forming a square covering the seam, and press it down.  It should appear as a square with a mitered border on 2 sides.  The unit should measure 4 ½” square.

Put them with the other finished units until next time…

Liz

New Link!

Click the 'UPCOMING EVENTS' Link on the left of this page to see what you might be missing in the next few weeks!

Monday, October 22, 2012

MQG Visit to Cotton Mill Quilters, Fredericton

Betty's '30 Something' - workshop on 3rd Nov - can't wait!














 
Bev's Stunning Oriental French Braid 

very pretty B&W with spot-colours

Carolyn & Betty

Liz & Cecile hard at work!

Christal & Carolyn

Christal's Snippets


Cute idea to make everyone smile!!

Fall theme - interesting use of large print...very striking

Great opportunity to socialise!

very pretty quilt!

Phyllis & Jean - now there's double trouble!

Geraldine's lovely Landscape...

Gorgeous Kimono Quilt

Liz's French Braid in Purple

Liz's Tinners!!

...keep collecting those selvedges...

Maureen & Mary

some of the ladies having fun and working too!

Peggy showing a selvedge purse

very pretty tote!

definitely 'less is more'...lovely!

not quite sure how to describe this one! 'Pushing the envelope' perhaps?

I'm sure this looks stunning close up - wow!

BOM Quilt - you have been warned - its heading to  MQG!

lovely mix of colours, great pattern!

Mary & Ursula - Happy Birthday Ursula!!

everyone should have one of these to snuggle under!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

MYSTERY RUNNER - STEPS 2 & 3


Mystery Runner:  step 2, cutting your fabrics
 (WOF means width of fabric)
Light background fabric:  cut 12 – 5” squares and cut them in half diagonally to make triangles,  total 24 triangles
Light accent fabric:  if using ¼ meter x WOF, cut 2 – 4 ½” by WOF strips and subcut them into 24 – 2” x 4 ½ “ rectangles
(If using a fat quarter, cut 3 strips of 4 ½ “ x width of the fat quarter. Subcut these strips into 24 – 2” x 4 ½ “ rectangles.)
Medium colour: cut 6 – 6” squares and cut them in half diagonally to make triangles, total 12 triangles…also cut 3 – 3 1/2 “ squares
Dark Accent:  cut 4 – 1 ½ “ by WOF strips…set aside 2 of these strips until later.
Cut the other 2 strips into 2 – 1 ½ “ by 13 ½ “ strips and 2 – 1 ½ x 11 ½ strips.
Also cut 1 – 4 ½ “ by WOF strip and cut it into 12 – 2 1/2 “ x 4 ½” rectangles
Border: cut 3 – 2 1/2” by WOF strips, snip one of them in half to make 2 shorter strips, each 2 ½” by about 22” long…note: if you wish a wider border, cut it to the width you wish or wait til step 7 when we will be putting the border on to decide.
I use baggies to keep the pieces separate and put them all in a larger project container or bag so I don’t misplace them…
Package these cut up items appropriately and await your next instructions...  and remember, measure twice, cut once!! 
Mystery Runner – Step 3

Find the Light accent 2” x 4 ½” strips and your dark accent 2 ½ x 4 ½” strips.  
There should be 24 light accent rectangles and 12 dark accent rectangles

Lay one of the light accent strips right side up on your table…fold a dark accent strip lengthwise wrong sides together, and place it down on the light strip along the right side (as opposed to left) of the strip…you are layering the strips to be sewn together…to complete the layer, put another light accent strip face down, wrong side up, on the top of the dark strip…we are going to pin and sew along the right edge of the layers so that they are sewn, light accent strip, folded dark strip and light accent strip. There are actually 4 layers sewn here because the dark strip has 2 layers going into the seam.

¼ inch seam.

You can sew all the light and dark together in this manner, and the fun begins with pressing…

Press the seams open on the back of the piece so you have 2 layers on each side of the sewn seam, making sure the folded dark accent on the right side is pressed to one side…then turn the piece over and open the folded dark accent so it is centered over the seam and press again from the right side of the piece

It will look like the dark strip is narrower than the 2 light pieces to each side of it, and the dark strip edges are not fastened down, they are folded.

Each unit should measure 3 ½” wide by 4 ½” tall…they are not square.

Put them away carefully and await further instructions…

Monday, October 15, 2012

Info for Guild Meeting 16th October 2012


Tomorrow night is Show & Tell, with viewing of the quilts and projects afterwards on the tables at the back. We are going to have the 1st night of Secret Santa, a 50/50 draw as usual, plus Step 3 of the Mystery Runner! You can bring your own project to work on too! There are no  demos tomorrow night (phew!), no fat quarter or block lotteries this week either- but they will all be back imminently! The dining room will have the Guild Library books available, its currently an under-used, but useful resource that we could make more use of.

Message from Betty D:
A reminder to those ladies participating in the Secret Santa project that if you plan to bring a gift to the person whose name you picked last week, you MUST put it in the brown paper bag you received. Put the name of your "chosen one" on the bag. (Try not to let anyone see the name. You can even put the name on the top and fold the bag down so no one will see it.) Betty Doyle will have a container to collect the bags when you come in. There were several participants not present last week and did not get to pick a partner. If you are one of them you will be able to pick tomorrow night. You can have a gift ready to put in the bag for your chosen one or wait and give a couple next week??? It is not necessary to give a gift every week. You can opt to wait for two weeks and give a gift of greater value or two small ones. Remember no more than $5 value for each!!! If you can't make it to the guild every week don't send your bag by another. It's better to wait til you can make it and bring it yourself. Have fun with this!  
luv Betty

Another reminder is that there will be a workshop in early December for Victoria's Quilts, sounds like they are in REAL need of assistance, I will check the date with the Programme Committee and update you accordingly.

UFOs...lists to Maureen by the Yard-Sale meeting on 30th October if you want to participate...I have my list ready, and it will no doubt be the same list that I submit next year too...must try harder!!



Finally, a forwarded message from Jackie White, CQA\ACC via Betty Doyle:
Thank you so much for your guild's website address, it is now added to our guild roll on the CQA/ACC  blog at
We would love it if as many of you would hit that 'follow' button and sign up to show your support and enjoy the fun ride.  One of my goals is to see our blog reach 100 followers by December 31st, 2012.Please encourage anyone who likes winning fabric/patterns  (they don't have to be a guild member) to join our pin cushion challenge!  
http://www.canadianquilter.com/events/pin-cushion-challenge.php
If there is anything you or your guild would like highlighted on our blog, or any ideas, please drop me an email!
Sincerely,
Jackie White,  CQA/ACC Director at Large

See you all tomorrow evening!
Gill

Saturday, October 6, 2012

October Programme - UPDATED


Tuesday 9th October
7:00pm Demo on batting types and uses with Cynthia Mitro-Richardson
7:15pm Gill Wallace will show and explain how to make the Spooky Ghost Wall Hanging, directions will be available to copy for anyone who wants to try it on their own.
7:30pm  Meeting Night - Maureen English would like your lists of UFO projects that you HOPE to finish this year.
Following the meeting Liz Lewis will give us Step 2 of the Mystery Runner project (cutting the fabric, getting it organized, etc.)
Secret Santa selection draw - your buddy will be allocated, anyone absent will have their buddy assigned and sealed in an envelope (the name, not the actual person!)
Bring your own work (BYOW)
There will be tickets on sale for the Ways & Means and Tea\treats as usual.

Tuesday 16th October 
Show and Tell Night. 
*Possibly another demo\'how-to'.
In order to show your projects, then display them for everyone to admire, it was suggested that we move the chairs up in a semi-circle so all can see, then we can lay items on the tables at the back for a close-up view - similar to what happened when the Bathurst ladies brought their quilts to show.
Mystery Runner Step - 3
BYOW

Tuesday 23rd October  
Flying Geese - Liz Lewis
Two-coloured Prairie Points - Jean Williston
Mystery Runner - Step 4
BYOW

Tuesday 30th October     
'Spooktacular' Halloween Eve Yard Sale - no early bird shopping - usual rules apply!
Mystery Runner - Step 5
BYOW

Did you notice that there were fewer items as the month wore on?? There are lots of ideas….place mats for Halloween or Christmas. The Charm Squares that we exchanged in June to be used up somehow by Christmas. Jean has a nice candle hanging for Christmas using the twin needle - we have so many ideas - where will we find the time to do everything! We will fill in the 'gaps' in the schedule soon! 

I had intended doing a 'mystery craft' this week, however, we have a packed programme so I'm emailing the link to you instead - its a Fun Fall Pumpkin that can be made quickly, could be fun for children to make, and equally fun for adults.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Weekend, we have much to be thankful for, especially the 3-Effs - friendship, family, fabric! Don't gobble too much turkey, or too much Pumpkin Pie, we need to see you all raring to go on Tuesday night, lots to do and not-a-lot-of-time to do it!

Have a great weekend ladies.

Gill

MYSTERY RUNNER - STEP 1

We had mentioned STEP 2 of the MYSTERY RUNNER to be shown by Liz Lewis at Tuesday night's meeting, but first you need STEP 1...

STEP 1 – CHOOSE YOUR FABRIC

*You should use the same fabric for backing as for the outside border, no binding needed unless you want to do a binding

Light background :  1/4 meter or 1 fat quarter
Light accent, a little darker than your light background and a different colour, too: 1/4 m or 1 Fat quarter
Medium colour, one of your feature fabrics:  1/4 m or 1 fat quarter
Dark accent, another feature fabric but preferably a subtle tone on tone: 1/4 m by width of fabric (wof) need the length for long pieces
Border: ¼ m can be the same as either of your lights or your medium but NOT the same as your dark accent
Backing:  if your fabric is at least 43” wide, you’ll need ½ m, if less than 43” wide, you’ll need 1 ¼ m
Batting: 43” x 19” piece, fusible batting if possible
Binding (optional) ¼ m

For a scrappy version:

Light background: 12 – 5” squares preferably within the same color family (for example, all beiges)
Light accent, a little darker than your light background and a different colour: 24-2”x4 1/2 “ strips, all in the same color family, for example, all pinks)
Medium (one of your feature fabrics)  6 – 6” squares plus 3 = 3 ½ squares in another color family, for example, green)
Dark Accent/Border/Backing/Batting/Optional binding are same as above


Monday, October 1, 2012

Fall 2012 News

Hello Ladies!
Firstly, I'd like to thank Christel Frischmuth for all her hard work setting up this blog, sadly, Christel won't be with MQG this year, but we wish her well, and Happy Quilting - Auf wiedersehen Christel!

The Committee is in place now for the next term, list to follow soon...

I'll be co-ordinating\maintaining\trying-not-to-make-a-hash-of the Blog\Facebook Page\email notifications for this year. Many thanks to Dianne Woods for her email efforts over recent years - and hope you're back with us soon!

IMPORTANT INFO FOLLOWS!

This is a reminder that anyone who wants to enter into the 'Secret Santa' event only has until the meeting tomorrow night to sign up!

Additionally, Quilting 101 begins tomorrow night with Betty Doyle. You will be shown what you need to get started on a quilt. The blocks for this quilt will be displayed and you will have a chance to try your hand at cutting using a rotary cutter, and if there's time you may try sewing strips. Handouts will be available for those who want them. Also, those ladies who expressed an interest in the 'Thirty Something' workshop: the signup sheet will be available and Betty will have the finished quilt on display!

We also want to remind people of the Fat Quarter Lottery - this week is Halloween colours\fabrics, last time 2 lucky ladies won a nice bundle of fat quarters each!

I also have a little 'fall mystery' task for anyone who feels 'crafty' at next week's meeting - more information tomorrow, but I will warn you to save a couple of old Sobey\Co-op plastic carrier bags as a precaution ...
A couple of ladies expressed interest in the Batik Ghost wall hanging that's in the Keepsake Quilting Catalogue, in the absence of a pattern I have cobbled-together my own version of the pattern. It only uses 2 fat quarters (could be prints instead of batiks) and a few scraps, and even given my sloth-like work rate I had it appliqued in a few hours. I'm hoping to have it in some sort of semi-finished state by the meeting tomorrow - if anyone wants to copy the pattern I've done, they're more than welcome.

We'll also be aiming to try the Halloween placemats pattern, like the examples Jacqui Stephens showed us, before Halloween - the pattern would be equally good in Christmas colours for the festive season.

Busy little bees we'll be this Fall ! See you all tomorrow.
Gill Wallace

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

St. Andrew's School Project and Youth Detention Centre

Pictures from St Andrew school project and purses made by the girls from youth detention centre with help from members of the miramichi quilt guild.












Monday, February 27, 2012

St. Andrew's school project

Members from our guild are working on a project with students from the St. Andrew's school.