Hi Modern Quilters,

I have been quilting and watching a lot of webinars on designers, color, design, and quilting.  There is a lot of good information out there.  Here are some things I’ve enjoyed.  There are many others, but I’ll leave those for another newsletter…. Enjoy.

• Jacquie Gering has a couple of webinars
  • Pucker Free, No Whisker Walking Foot Quilting
  • Modern Quilting Today on Facebook from the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts
• Lyric Kinard has been doing covichats with some awesome quilters including Carole Lyles Shaw, Bonnie Hunter, Gyleen Fitzgerald, Mel Beach, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, and many others
• Sew All the Curves with Jen Carlton Bailly

It was awesome to see faces again and share quilts and ideas at our first ZOOM meeting in April.  I’m hoping we have even more members join us this month.  Please encourage your BNMQG friends to participate.  Join us at 5:30 for a social time and as always, we’ll start the meeting at 6pm with announcements and committee reports, followed by a virtual quilt show of our minis (please post your mini pics in BNMQG so I can make a mini slide show), show and tell (of course), and a presentation about using Instagram by Kathy Cook.

Just think how technically advanced you will be after we have our virtual meetings!

JOIN US – Put a reminder in your phone and join us for our monthly meeting on Tuesday night (May 26) from 6 pm – 8 pm via ZOOM.  Join anytime from 5:30-6:00 for a social time and bring your own treats to social hour.  Watch your email – you should have received a link in your email to get into Zoom for the meeting.   ** The email came from Lisa B from her work email at District87.org.  We chose ZOOM because it is the best platform to use as it works easily for people with all sorts of tech skills.  The email that you receive will have options for joining the meeting.  Read the email to see those options.   If you haven’t done ZOOM before, please join early in case you have any technical questions!

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Thanks for another great meeting of the BNMQG!  Beautiful quilts were shown and we had some great discussions despite the weather and not being able to meet in person!  Below you will find the list of resources from tonight’s meeting.

The link to the video about facing a quilt can be found here.

The magnets that I use with my door quilts can be found on Amazon.

Link to Rebecca Bryan’s workshop registration (that will be rescheduled) Ignore the dates on the registration form

Link to the 2020 Retreat Registration form

Link to the Modern Free Wheeling Circles Quilt Workshop – Supply List and Registration form.

Link to the Block for Block Lotto for May

• TBA – Festival of Quilts – Spiritual Life Center, 1301 Cunningham Ave., Urbana, IL – https://www.cunninghamhome.org/events/festival-quilts
• June 19-20 – Decatur Quilters Guild 40th Anniversary Party – Ruby Celebration – Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary Anderson Plaza, Decatur, Il  62522 http://www.decaturciviccenter.org/events/447/decatur-quilters-guild-40th.-ruby-celebration-quilt-fest
• Guild July 18-19 – Illinois Valley Quilters’ Guild Quilt Show – Celebrations 150, 740 E Highway 6, LaSalle, IL  http://www.ivquiltguild.com/meetings-workshops
• August 20-30 – Gems of the Prairie Quilt Show – Life Together Center, 3625 N. Sheridan Rd, Peoria https://gemsoftheprairie.com/quilt-show/
• September 2-5 – AQS Quilt Week – Paducah, KY – Schroeder Expo Center • 415 Park Street, Paducah, KY (Note:  This will be the only show in Paducah this year.) https://www.quiltweek.com/
• September 10-12 – Wisconsin Quilt Expo – Escape. Create. Celebrate. – Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI https://quiltshow.com/
• September 11-12 – HAAQG Quilt Show – No UFO’s Left Behind – Interstate Center, 1106 Interstate Drive, Bloomington, IL
• September 18-19 – A QUILTER’S VISION: 2020 – Illinois State Fairgrounds – Orr Building (gate 9), Springfield, IL http://www.springfieldquilts.com/2020-quilt-show.html
• October 2-3 Salt Creek Patchworkers Quilt Show – Vision of Colors – Little Galilee Camp, 7539 Little Galilee Rd, Clinton, IL 61727
• October 22-24 Original Sewing & Quilt Expo will be back in Schaumburg, IL

Supply list

• 20 – 12.5” x 12.5” squares, assorted colors or semi-solids
• 20 – 10” x 10” squares. Assorted solids or semi-solids
• 2  ¼ yard sashing/border I fabrics, assorted solids or semi-solids
• Extra fabric for optional border
• ¼” Fusible bias tape (optional)
• Binding: 7-2 ½” strips width of fabric
• Coordinating quilting thread

Basic supplies:

Sewing machine with ¼ “ foot, paper and fabric scissors, rotary cutting supplies (mat and cutter with a sharp blade), neutral thread (gray or tan) or one that blends with most of our fabrics, straight pins

submitted by Nancy Powell, president

Hi Modern Quilters,
I miss seeing you so much and the inspiration that each of you brings to our meetings.  However, in consideration of the (World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic/the state of IL banning or discouraging events of 50) the Bloomington Normal Modern Quilt Guild meeting is cancelled for our in-person meeting for next Tuesday, March 24^th.

We are acting out of a sense of responsibility to our members and our greater community but that doesn’t mean we still can’t have some quilting fun and get some inspiration.  We will be replacing our in-person meeting.

March 24th’s meeting of BNMQG will be a virtual meeting via Facebook or Instagram (your choice) from 6 pm – 8 pm.  It will be an Open House type of meeting so you can come and go.  You will be entered into a drawing for prizes for posting in the meeting.  Please fill out the meeting survey on our website in the member area or there is a link in the email that you have received or will receive soon from BNMQG.

Join us for a virtual show and tell on Tuesday night (March 24) anytime from 6 pm – 8 pm via Facebook and/or Instagram.

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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. Continue reading →

submitted by Nancy P., President

Welcome to BNMQG 2020!  – next meeting January 28, 2020
Now that the holidays are over, your handmade gifts have been given and are now being enjoyed. This is a perfect time to get a fresh start on new projects, stay warm, finish some unfinished projects, and get some designing and quilting done.  I’d love to be able to say that one of my goals is to not buy more fabric, but I already broke that goal.  Do you feel like I do that there are so many beautiful colors and fabrics and that they would be just perfect for my next project?  So I altered my goal to be to use more fabrics and finish more projects.  What are your 2020 goals for your quilting/sewing?

BNMQG Swap
Hope you’re getting to know your Swap partner.  Continue to communicate in person, by phone, or by email. Share design and color ideas to complement your chosen fat quarter. Remember that your completed products will be exchanged at the February Guild meeting.  Contact Pat Messinger if you have any questions, her contact info is on the Members page.

Australian Tree Blocks
As you have heard, Australia is being devastated by fires.  Animals are losing their lives and habitats.  People have lost their lives and homes.  As I prepare to leave for Australia, I will be taking some tree quilt blocks to the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild in New South Wales.  Below is the post.  If you get some done by Jan 23 and can get them to me, I’ll put them in my suitcase and carry them with me.  If not, Leslie Swearinger has offered to get them at the guild meeting and take them with her to QuiltCon where someone will be collecting them and sending them off to Australia. Blocks are to be a generous 12.5” square, have a tree theme, low volume/white/pale grey background.  Thank you BNMQG quilters! Continue reading →

submitted by Nancy P., President

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoyed Laura Hartrich as much as I did at our November meeting.  Want to learn more about Laura and Quilt Stories?  Check out her website.

Now that the holidays are upon us, you’re probably ready to take some time and enjoy your family and friends.  My guess is that there will be a ton of handmade goodies being enjoyed this holiday season.

BNMQG Swap: Ready Set SWAP!  Now that you’ve met your Swap partner, take some time to get to know them and be inspired by their fat quarter.  Communicate in person, by phone, or by email. Get to know your Swap buddy by sharing design and color ideas to complement your chosen fat quarter. Completed products will be exchanged in February 2020.  Contact Pat Messinger if you have any questions – contact details on Members page.

Membership:  We have 70 members including 12 new members this year.  Contact information for guild members is available on the blog in the Member only area.

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