Newsletter November, 2020  
Next meeting – November 24, 2020 – zoom opens at 5:30pm CST

Happy November Modern Quilters,

We’re entering the 2020 holiday season – time for giving thanks for the blessings we’ve been given, time with family – via zoom or otherwise, making a turkey with all the fixins, finishing up those last minute gifts, and making time to reach out to friends with cards or phone calls.  This year has been anything but “normal” but I know many of you have taken advantage of some extra time to do more quilting and taken advantage of  taking classes via zoom.  I can’t wait to being able to get back together, seeing what you’ve made, and learning from each of you.  Kathy Cook’s Temperature Quilt presentation was informative and inspiring and has me looking for a block to make a temp quilt myself!

November’s Special Guest

I’m looking forward to Rebecca Bryan’s much anticipated workshop on Nov. 21 and her presentation at our November meeting on November 24. 

Rebecca Bryan is giving her WORKSHOP on Saturday, November 21 (before our guild meeting) from 9 am – 3 pm.  There are a couple of spaces available.  Signup quickly! It’s $46.50 for members and $60.00 for non-members!   Prep and Supplies are available at:  Design Improv with Triangles – Pre Workshop Prep and Info There are handouts and worksheets to print before the workshop available on that page.  If you want her book, order it quickly

Rebecca’s LECTURE/TRUNK SHOW will take place during our November 24^th meeting.  Members are free to attend this presentation.  Invite some friends to join us for this great program.  Guest tickets for the trunk show are available for purchase for $5.50.  To learn more about Rebecca Bryan, visit her website – BryanHouseQuilts.

Don’t miss this meeting…. The travel isn’t long.  The weather isn’t a problem.  ZOOM is really easy (just ask anyone who has attended our meeting via zoom).  Lisa B. does an amazing job of running the behind-the-scenes stuff.   AND if you still haven’t joined us for a meeting via zoom and you’re still intimidated by the technology, email me.  We can have a private zoom (it probably would only take 10-15 minutes) in the days before the meeting so you can see how easy it is.  We want all of our members to be able to attend our meetings and it’s so much fun to see each other’s bright and cheery faces.

Holiday Zoom Party and Pincushion Swap

You don’t want to miss this special social event.  Plan to attend (via Zoom of course) our first and maybe our only December Guild Meeting on December 22, 2020.  We haven’t ever had a December meeting because it is always too close to holiday activities and preparations.  But, this year has been anything but “the same” and we’ll all be missing family celebrations.  We figure since travel and guests may not be a part of your 2020 holiday plans, we might as well celebrate together and do it from the comfort of your own home.  Zoom invites will be sent via email on December 20.  Wear your favorite leisure holiday attire, jammies, holiday sweater (ugly or not), fun hat, etc.  Bring your favorite drink and snacks to the meeting and enjoy. 

Yes… we’re having a December Zoom Party and a Holiday Swap!

Plan to join the pincushion swap.  Join the swap by November 26, 2020.  Make a modern inspired pincushion and then you can share it with your swap partner.  They don’t have to take a lot of time and can be made with only scraps.  There are no restrictions on shape or size.  You are making something YOU love and then you will share it with a friend.

Swap partners will be announced via email shortly after the November 26^th deadline.  They are easy and quick to make and wouldn’t take much to wrap and deliver or mail.  Once you get a swap partner, it may a good idea to check with your partner to see if they have any allergies to materials like walnut shells, wool or wool batting, etc. Then, plan with your partner how you want to exchange your wrapped pincushions.  Arrange your exchange – arrange a meeting place, do a drive by or porch pickup, or send your pincushions via the mail.  We’re planning some games and good old quilting talk!  Wear your leisure holiday such as holiday jammies, holiday sweaters, hats, etc.  

To join,  

1. Sign up for the swap on signup genius by November 26. 
2. Make your pincushion
3. Look for an email with your swap partner’s name in early December.
4. Wrap up your pincushion
5. Arrange for the exchange (Member emails/addresses/phone numbers are in the member area of our website)
6. Look in your email on December 20 for your ZOOM invite.
7. Join the Holiday meeting on Zoom – December 22 at 6pm.  A zoom invite will arrive a day or two before the meeting.  Come to the meeting whether or not you participate in the pincushion swap.

Bring your wrapped present to the Holiday Zoom.  We’ll unwrap them together and share some fun.  Join us for some games and make sure to have some favorite snacks and drinks close by.

Heart Beat quilts – Pick up a quilt kit now!

We still have quilt kits to pick up.  Hospitals have put a hold on taking any quilts at this time…but Pat Silva hasn’t quit working.  She has 30 quilt kits put together so that when the hospitals start needing them again, we’ll have some ready to give them.  Please consider picking up a quilt kit – blocks are made, backing, batting and binding are included.  They don’t take much time to put together and if you don’t like the quilting part, I’m sure someone else would quilt if you will put the blocks together into a top.

Please call or text one of these three people to make arrangements to pick up a kit to finish. 

North Normal – Betty W    Central Bloomington-Normal – Pat S  
Southeast Bloomington – Nancy P
Phone numbers and addresses are in the member area of the website.

We’re going to roll for the next installment of the Take a Chance Challenge this month.  The time commitment can be small to participate in this challenge BUT  the reward is BIG. 

Congratulations to Karen Goloff who won a extra entry into the Grand Prize Drawing at our October meeting!

The roll for the November project is: 

Upload your entry by 2pm on November 24 and view the other entries on our Shutterfly Challenge page. 

Tech Tuesdays!

Our own EQ expert Carole Fay gave us a bunch of information about making T-shirt quilts and then how to design them using EQ software on November 10.  Thanks Carole.

Coming soon – EQ and English Paper Piecing.  These classes last about 45 – 60 minutes via zoom and one is presented at 11 AM and one at 6 PM.  We are looking for more topics for Tech Tuesdays – anything tech related – social apps, computer/Internet related topics, software, quilting tools/rulers, etc..  Want to suggest a topic or have something you can share with us?  Want some more information on Electric Quilt?  Please let me know.

Membership

—– Haven’t renewed your membership to BNMQG? —–
I hope that you think your dues are being well spent and that you are valuing the programs that we’re providing.  This year has been a challenging one.  Your membership provides you with a membership to our guild (BNMQG), The Modern Quilt Guild (MQG), potential QuiltCon discounts, monthly programs and newsletters, workshop opportunities, and maybe best of all, a “place” to share your love of quilting with other modern quilters. 

Your BNMQG membership runs from September 2020 through August 2021.  Renewals for 2020-2021 can be made on the website via Paypal (see the sidebar) for $36.50 (which includes paypal’s fees) or you can print the membership form in the “About” or “Member” tab on the website (https://bnmqg.org/about/) and mail a check for $35 with your payment.  The address is on the form.

If you didn’t renew your dues by October 31, you will need to renew to get the new password for the member area on the website and ask to join the private BNMQG group on Facebook again.  Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy all of the benefits of being a BNMQG member.

This month’s featured quilter is Debbie Jeske. A quilter from the Pacific North West, she is a member of the Seattleaquilterstable.blogspot.com Modern Quilt guild. Her blog, A Quilters’ Table, has lots of wonderful tutorials to explore. She also sends a newsletter called The Scrap Basket that you can sign up for on her blog. Debbie is a master of improv and has hosted several quilt alongs on instagram.  A member of the award winning group #beesewcial, Debbie and her beemates won best in show QuiltCon 2019. Find Debbie  @aquilterstable on instagram and aquilterstable.blogspot.com

Here are updates and highlights from the national MQG website. Log into the website for full access. Use your email address as your user name. When you join for the first time, you will receive an email from MQG about how to log in and establish a password. 

–IF you are re-joining BNMQG after a time of non-membership, you will be reinstated to the national roster. You will NOT receive an email from MQG, but your previous password will work again.

–If you already belong to another Modern Quilt Guild when you join BNMQG, you will be added to our guild in the national roster, as well as remain with your other guild. Your access will be the same, not a separate access for each guild. 

Information about QuiltCon under the far right QuiltCon tab:

• November 30 – deadline to submit quilts for QuiltCon Together 2021.
• November 30, last day for preferred member pricing.
• Note: through December 31, partial refund for cancelling your registration. Beginning January 1, no refunds.
• Under Learn, you can find Catalog & Schedule, and Pricing, Policies & Rules.

Always interesting, great information to find under the For MQG Members tab:

• Modern Monthly magazine,
• patterns,
• webinars,
• articles,
• challenges,
• swaps

Find under the Get Involved tab:

• Modern Classics challenge,
• how to submit articles, patterns and blocks,
• how to volunteer.

Having trouble accessing the For MQG Members area on the MQG website? Email BNMQG@hotmail.com, or contact Cathie Haab for help.

Tech communications:

Zoom – Check your emails 1-2 days before our meetings or workshops to find your Zoom invites.  Sometimes there is important information in the email and/or attachments for you to access/print.  So check your email for this information.

Website/Blog – There was a new password sent to you via email for the member area on our website on November 2.  (https://bnmqg.wordpress.com/)?  Look for this password in your email.  This password will be only available to members whose dues are paid.  You’ll need this if you want access to the Member Only area on this site.  Contact Lisa Baermann if you need help – 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.

BNMQG on Social Media

Have you joined BNMQG on Facebook?  The BNMQG is a NEW closed group just for our current members.  On November 1, all members who had not paid their dues for 2020-2021 will lost their access to this group.  It was started in 2019 – 2020 as a private group for BNMWQ members.  If you’re not already a member, use this link.    https://www.facebook.com/groups/BNMQG/ .  1) Request to join the group, 2) answer two questions, and 3) you’ll be approved to become a member of this page.  You will be able to download files, newsletters, registration forms, 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/

Are you on Instagram?  Follow our guild @BNMQG and as you post your modern quilting photos, please use the hastags #BNMQG and #BNMQGquilts.  Want more Instagram help, let us know and we’ll work it into some Tech Tuesdays!

For your BNMQG calendar:

• November 21 – Rebecca Bryan’s Workshop (9am – 3 pm) – Workshop supplies and prep – Buy her book
• November 24 – Month 3 Challenge photos to be uploaded by 2pm
• November 24 – Rebecca Bryan – please check out Rebecca’s website:  Bryan House Quilts
• December 22 – Zoom Holiday Party with Pincushion swap – signup

NEW  in 2021 

• January 26 – Behind the Seams with Peter Byrne who was awarded the Best of Show at Quiltcon 2020.
• February 23 – TBA
• March 23 – TBA
• April 27 – TBA
• May 25 – TBA
• June 22 – TBA
• July 27 – TBA
• August 24 – Election of Officers and Program TBA

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 I can’t wait to see you on Zoom at our meeting on Tuesday.  Call your BNMQG friends and have them meet you there.  Grab a snack and/or drink and enjoy the meeting!

Wishing each of you a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving.  Take care and until next month, Happy Modern Quilting!  –Nancy