submitted by Nancy P., President

I’m back from downunder with great memories and photos of beautiful Australia and New Zealand.  Our tree blocks were welcomed and picked up in Sydney on January 26^th.  What’s a vacation without visiting some quilt shops?  I brought back some Aboriginal art via fabric and got some ideas for future quilt guild meetings and quilts.  Is it weird to think of making modern quilts with Aboriginal fabric?  I say NO!  The geometrical designs and colors had me sketching ideas while I was gone so watch out!!!  But, as always, so many ideas but so little time.  I’m going to have to speed up my sewing machine!  And, speaking of speeding up, our next meeting is just around the corner!

This Month’s Meeting – February 25
We meet on Tuesday, February 25^th at 5:30 for social time and 6:00 for our meeting.  This month’s activity will have you thinking out of the box to design a quilt.  So, if you can plan to bring a pencil and a ruler (quilting or regular) at least 12” long, that would be great.  I’ll supply the rest.  Plan to come for the social hour so you can prep your activity before the meeting.

Oh, by the way, do you buy layer cakes to use when you quilt?  If so, please save the 10” square cardboard pieces from packages of layer cakes and bring them to the February or March meeting to be recycled into another project.

2020 Kona Color of the Year Mini Quilt Challenge
Kona announced Enchanted as the 2020 Color of the year.  Signup for the 20” square mini quilt challenge started at the January meeting.  To join the challenge, bring a $1 to sign up.  If you would like a 6: x 20” piece of Enchanted, it is free when you signup for the challenge.

MQG Swap is THIS month
Hope you’ve gotten to know your Swap partner and that you’re finishing up your swap project.  Continue to communicate in person, by phone, or by email. Remember that your completed products will be exchanged in February 2020.  Contact Pat Messinger if you have any questions – her contact info is on the Members page.

Heart Beat Sit and Sew this Saturday
BNMQG is on track to reach our goal of 30 quilts for babies in the NICU.  Another Sit and Sew is being planned for this Saturday, February 22 from 9 a.m. – 3:00 or 4:00 pm so mark your calendars and get your sewing machines ready to sew!  Design night will be during our March meeting.

Modern Mini Showcase in March:
BNMQG is getting ready to have our own traveling Modern Mini Showcase as an educational opportunity to teach people about modern quilting.  The guild has purchased two 10 foot quilt racks to use for our showcases.  PLEASE consider loaning us your mini quilts for some upcoming shows – your tiger lily, splash, other 20” square modern minis, and the 2020 Kona Color challenge quilts if you finish them early.  They will get some new audiences!  We will need your quilts no later than our February meeting.  Bring them to this month’s meeting.  Give them to Kathy Cook or Nancy Powell.  Our first Modern Showcase will be a part of the Clinton Salt Creek Patchmaker’s Quilt Show at Little Galilee Camp in Clinton on March 27 and March 28.  This year’s theme is Vision of Colors.

Membership:  Contact information for guild members is available on the blog in the Member only area.

Guild led workshops
This year we will have 2 guild led workshop – one in April and the other in July.

• The April 4^th workshop – After a lot of interest, I will give one on the Free Wheeling Circle Quilt by Gyleen Fitzgerald.  This is a really fun and fast quilt to make so start pulling your solids or fabrics that read like solids.  The cost is $35 and includes the pattern.  Below are some variations- with or without a border, with or without sashing, with or without fusible bias tape, and layout of your own design.
  
• The July 25^th workshop will be a bag making class given by Pat Messinger – the Compass Bag.
  More information will be available when the details are firmed up.

QuiltCon

• Are you at QuiltCon? Don’t forget to look for Kathy Cook’s quilts.  Have a great time viewing the quilts, the charity quilts and of course shopping in the vendor area.
• Take some photos of your favorites and post them on our FaceBook page for inspiration!

The Modern Quilt Guild

• Do you like to make snowball blocks? The latest MQG Block Study design is a Scrappy Snowball by Sarah Chimblo, a member of the Fort Collins MQG. This block is a beginner-friendly block design with lots of versatility and potential. There is a free pattern for the Sparkles Quilt (shown) which includes the scrappy snowball block on the Modern Quilt Guilds website.  Login to get access to the pattern for the block and two bonus quilts at: https://community.themodernquiltguild.com//resources/scrappy-snowball-block-january-february-march-2020.
• Then & Now: How the MQG Changed Jacquie Gering’s Life – Login to the site and see the story at: https://community.themodernquiltguild.com/resources/then-now-how-mqg-changed-jacquie-gerings-life
• Please log in to https://www.themodernquiltguild.com/ to make sure your email and contact info are correct so that you don’t miss important emails and information.

Tech communications:
Please log in to https://www.themodernquiltguild.com/ to make sure your email and contact info are correct so that you don’t miss important emails and information.  

Website/Blog – Have you received for your new password for our website/blog (https://bnmqg.wordpress.com/)?  If not, first please check your spam and trash.  You’ll need this if you want access to the Member Only area on this site.  If you cannot find the email, contact Lisa Baermann at l.baermann@comcast.net

In the member area, please check the list of members and double check that your contact info is correct.  If you need to correct your information, please send an email to:  BNMQG@hotmail.com and put Attn Cathie in the subject area.  Thanks.

Have you joined BNMQG on Facebook?  The BNMQG is a NEW closed group and just started this year.  Here is the link.    https://www.facebook.com/groups/BNMQG/ .  Request to join the group, answer two questions, and you’ll be approved  to become a member of this page.  You will be able to download files from this page for newsletters, workshop instructions, renewal forms, etc.  This was not possible on our Bloomington Normal Modern Quilt Guild (PAGE).  This is different from the other Facebook page where anyone can see posts on that page and files aren’t allowed to be shared –  https://www.facebook.com/Bloomington-Normal-Modern-Quilt-Guild-469886799702183/

For your calendar:

February 25 –

• Swap projects due,
• Sign up for Kona Mini Quilt Challenge,
• Early bird signup for Rebecca Bryan’s workshop on May 16 and get $5 off the workshop
• April 4 Free Wheeling Circle Quilt workshop (Nancy Powell will be the workshop leader) $35

March 24 –Heart Beat Quilt Design Night,

• Early bird signup for Rebecca Bryan’s workshop on May 16 and get $5 off the workshop (after the March meeting, registration will be opened to non-members)
• Sign up for the April 4 Free Wheeling Circle Quilt workshop (Nancy Powell will be the workshop leader) $12 pattern fee is due when registering, balance is due no later than the March meeting

April 4 – Free Wheeling Circle Quilt Workshop 9am – 4 pm
April 28 – Color Workshop,

• Signup for Rebecca Bryan’s workshop May 16 if there are spots available (after the March meeting the registrations are open to non-members.

May 15 – Rebecca Bryan Meeting (free to members, $10 for guests)
May 16 – Rebecca Bryan Workshop
June 30 – BNMQG Social – stay tuned for a surprise!  *Date change due to conflict with the church
July 28 – Program TBA,
JULY date TBA – Saturday Bag workshop date to be announced.
BNMQG 2020 Retreat – Dates:  September 25-28 since Columbus Day weekend was not available.  So pencil it in for next year!

Happy Modern Quilting!  –Nancy

Guild Contact People: