Quilt Block
Charades - decorate hats to be a quilt block. Block
names are drawn the previous month but you may make up your own,
especially if you have missed a meeting. People are assigned a number
when they come in, they stand in front of group and, on the ballot
provided by program chair, everyone writes down the name of the quilt
block being presented. At the end, you check the ballots to see how many
you got right. Small prizes for most number guessed, for hat NOT guessed
and vote for favorite hat. I attended one of these and it was a riot.
Another group all went out to lunch afterward - wearing their quilt
block hats!
Family
Quilts - check for any members with older relatives who
quilt or who own family quilts. We were lucky enough to have a
90-year-old come and show a lifetime of quilts but you could have
several people show their family quilts in the same session.
Color
Wheel
- Everyone brings fabrics cut to 1"x3". Each person brings TWO
each of a very light, a medium light, a medium, a medium dark and a
dark. No sharp directional prints, novelty prints or plaids. Make one or
several color wheels depending on the number of members. It is good to
realize that color is fluid and a color wheel does not always progress
in the same order - there are three accepted color wheels in the art
world. Use poster board and either keep the wheels in the guild library,
draw for winners to take them home or have them hung in the local quilt
shop.
How to make
templates and patterns - show use of graph paper - how
to enlarge or reduce. How to draft patterns, either for pieced blocks or
appliqué (placement of dots). Show how to make the template sandwich -
both Doreen Speckmann and Sharyn Craig have good methods outlined in
their books. This can be hands-on if materials are brought or provided.
Colorwash
- Show how to make a colorwash block - the importance of value in
choosing fabrics. This can be a demo only or can be a small workshop.
People should be encouraged to bring any completed colorwash quilts.
Shirley Libby’s Colorwash Workbook has terrific exercises for this
class.
Quilting Makes the Quilt.
This book shows what a difference it makes when a top is quilted - and
how your choice of design can change the impact of the finished product.
Have members each bring a finished quilted piece - no matter what size.
Discuss what makes them work - people can also bring unquilted pieces
and get advice. The person running the program will act as moderator.
Marking a
Quilt - This is the obvious next step to the above
program. Talk about and demonstrate, if possible, all the ways of
marking a quilt - using different pencils, disappearing pens, chalk,
powder, marking before batting, marking after batting, using tape,
pouncing.
Celtic
Quilting - this popular method was brought to light thru
Philomena Durcan’s wonderful books and is now being used to make
holiday banners and to create what is called the "stained
glass" look. If bias tape is made in advance and provided, each
member will bring a square of white or muslin, needle, black thread,
scissors and a few jewel toned charm squares. Find a pattern such as a
flower and practice the technique. Encourage any members who have
already completed a project in this technique to bring them in.
Paper
piecing/cloth foundation piecing
- Have someone demonstrate and then everyone can try their hand at cloth
foundation piecing (paper requires a machine). I have seen this done
with posterboards and each step was illustrated. It made it much easier
for those not right up front to see.
Basting
Workshop - this not only educates the entire group about
the different ways to baste but allows lucky members to get help in
basting their quilts. That makes it a very popular program. Some of the
different methods include: basting on the floor, basting on tables with
masking tape, basting on tables with clamps, basting on a narrow table
in sections, basting on a basting frame, basting with thread, basting
with pins, basting with quilt tacks. Once you decide how many methods
you have room to demonstrate, then hand out numbers to each member as
they arrive. Then people will automatically know which demo to attend
and the members will be evenly divided. If a member wishes to swap to
learn a new method, they can be allowed to do so. One of the best things
about this program is that no one complains if you repeat it once a
year.
Log
Cabins - this old favorite pattern has so many uses -
not just the Barn Raising and Streak of Lightning. There is probably
someone in your group who specializes in Log Cabins - she can lead the
discussion but have everyone bring a sample of a log cabin - and don’t
forget that Courthouse Steps and Pineapple blocks are both considered
members of this family. Show how to draw a log cabin on graph paper and
to figure out the length of the strips. Cutting strips in advance gives
much more accurate results than the sew and chop method. Illustrate with
member quilts how many sets there are. What happens when the light
strips are narrow? When the dark strips are narrow. When they are ½
& ½? Point out that log cabins are really just big ½ square
triangles. Now what possibilities open up?
Make Your
Own - Use small study groups to grow programs. Many
larger guilds break up into small study groups or exchange groups so
that members will get to know each other better. If these groups each
picked a pattern or style they liked and worked in that for 6-12 months,
you would then have "grown" a whole lot of free programs for
your guild - with no one person bearing the burden. Examples of things
to study: log cabins, color, colorwash quilts, Bargello, stars, 9-patch,
landscape quilts, appliqué, three dimensional flowers, paper piecing.,
use of yellow in quilts.
Stars -
this shape is a favorite of many quilters. The variety of star blocks is
nearly endless: 8-pointed star from diamonds, 8-pointed star from
squares and ½ sq. triangles, 9 patch stars, 5-pointed stars, 6-pointed
stars, Mariner’s Compass. Have everyone bring at least one star piece
and discuss the differences, methods of construction and how star blocks
interact with other blocks (mostly they are very isolationist since only
their points touch the edge. However, if a 4-patch can be set in the
star’s "tummy", an illusion of connectedness is made with
other 4-patches blocks outside the star).
Feedsack
Quilts - check and see if someone in your group is a
feedsack quilter. Many people have family quilts made from these old
flour and grain bags. Again,, ask any members with feedsack quilts to
bring them in.
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All these great ideas, you need a
break!  |
Quilto
- I understand there is a commercial product by this name. I haven’t
seen it. I do, however, have a word processing program and the Quilt
Block fonts from Electric Quilt. Making Bingo cards with quilt words and
pictures didn’t take long at all - and now we will be able to play for
fat quarters. The group treasury can buy the prizes. We don’t have
tables so people can just mark off the squares as they re called (This
was brought to my attention by an on-line friend in Vermont. Her group
plays this game with M&M’s as markers - fattening but fun.)
Grab Bag
Swaps - many groups do a grab bag swap or a white
elephant trade. Members bring an item or two in a bag- sealed- and then
trade with other members. A fun program to do for the summer picnic or
the winter covered dish meeting.
Chinese
Auction - similar to the above only this is done with
fat quarters. Members count off to determine what their number is and
the numbers are put in a basket. When your number is drawn, you can
choose what you want from the table or take it from someone else. Each
number will be drawn three times. At the end, those with no fabric may
choose from those left on the table.
Spray Paint
- Many fabric paints work beautifully on fabric without changing the
texture or hand of the fabric. I treated several T-shirts four years ago
- I wear them to sleep in so I am sure they have been washed at least
100-150 times, yet the color is as good as new. The group can provide
the paints, in spray bottles (they should be diluted) and a drop cloth
which can be purchased for $2 or so. Members can bring T-shirts or fat
quarters. If they desire, they can also bring leaves, marbles, cut out
shapes (plastic works best) or rubber bands, to make designs on the
fabric. If desired, this program can be done outdoors during nice
weather, but it is not necessary as long as the floor is covered. There
are no toxic fumes.
Dyeing
- Dye actually causes a chemical reaction with fabric,
rather than sitting on top like paint. Therefore, it takes longer to
work. However, there are fun, fast ways to play with dye in a group.
Dharma Trading Company has several kits with all the supplies you need
for a group to dye T-shirts. The process is the same for cloth. Call
1-800-542-5227 and order their catalog. (Okay, so this isn't totally
free - but cheaper than bringing in a speaker, right?)
Victorian
Crazy Quilts - Embellishments
- These are not necessarily the same, but you can decide that for
yourself. Our group had a member who was really "into" crazy
quilts and brought lots of samples. Other people use embellishment on
vets, handbags, pillows, etc. Lecture only or a small hands-on demo
where you could learn an embroidery stitch or two or how to make a
ribbon rose.
Brainstorming
- Why should YOU do all the work? Get the whole group to help by having
a fun brainstorming session. One local group used a motivational speaker
who talked to us about creativity. At the end she had us do an exercise
where we each wrote down one program we would like to see. We then
passed that paper to the left and added one more program to the paper
being passed to us. We sat at tables for 8, and stopped when our own
paper returned to us. Seeing other people'’ ideas sparked ideas we had
never thought of before and since we were all being fast and pretty
silly, we wrote down some fairly weird things. Afterwards, volunteer
leaders read some of them aloud for laughs - but the best part is that
the Program Chair got to take all the lists home! At the same meeting,
you could have people turn in their friends - by naming one person who
could lead a program and what that program would be. All of us have some
talent but rarely want to brag on ourselves. Our friends are not so shy.
This will help the program leader know which members to call on in the
future.
Local
Vendors - in Virginia, we are lucky enough to have the
Ardco template people. They are happy to come and show us their
templates and some of the neat tricks they can do - like fussy cuts.
There is probably a vendor in your area for some quilt product, book,
service or pattern. Ask around.
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Time for another break! Don't want to
overload. |
Sewing
Rooms - How to get the best use of space - Again, here
in Richmond, we are lucky enough to have a woman who has made a study of
space and how to use it for sewing, but really, anyone with a good
camera, some slide film and a friendly manner can take pictures in the
sewing rooms of many guild members and then have a slide show,
explaining the neat tricks different people use to solve their space and
storage problems.
UFO Charity
Quilt-A-Thon - this requires a little work at home by
members but should reap great results. Based on the book by Judy Hopkins
- One of a Kind Quilts (out of print) now being
reissued and revised under the title Design Your Own Quilts,
members would bring in blocks, large and small but all based on the 4
½" unfinished size or a multiple thereof. For example, you could
being in a 12 ½" block and 10 4 ½" four patch blocks. Or an
8" star with 12 4 ½" half square triangles and rail fence
blocks. The idea then is to group all the like colored blocks together,
divide into teams and create quilts on flannel walls or flannel backed
tablecloths. All the parts will fit together because they have all been
made to the same scale.
Labels-
All quilts should be labeled. We all know it but so many of us still don’t
take the time. Would we be more likely to do it if someone showed us how
to make neat labels? Show how to design, color, write on fabric, use
computers to generate labels, discuss which inks are permanent, talk
about how to attach it to the quilt. For hands on, people could color a
stamped label design.
I won the
blocks - Now What? -- How many of us have a collection
of blocks that are supposed to be the same size and aren’t? Sharyn
Craig’s book, Twist ‘n’ Turn shows how to
frame blocks so they appear to match - all while keeping your blood
pressure under control.
Many of my
on-line friends at CompuServe helped me by providing ideas from their
guilds. They all generously were willing to share without credit.
Several of their ideas gave me ideas of my own. Here are a few of their
ideas.
Last month our guild did a
friendship theme. When you walked in the door, you were given a
fabric charm that you pinned on your shirt. After they got the guild
business out of the way, you were asked to find the person with the
charm that matched yours and make a new friend. Then we had show and
tell with a friendship quilt theme. Afterwards, we were given time to
talk to our new friend and exchange phone numbers. Our Guild is about
300 members and it's sometimes hard to get to know anyone. This was just
a way for people to get to know fellow members.
To
get acquainted with new members, we had a scavenger
hunt during one meeting. It required people to find other people,
like "a quilter who's been quilting only for a month" . . .
"A quilter who's been quilting twenty years". . .
"Someone with three kids under six" . . . "A member who
used to drive an ambulance" . . . Some of the items were known to
the committee who made up the list, but some were just thrown out for
fun "Someone who has purple walls in her bedroom" for
instance. People had to talk to other people, and really had to talk to
strangers, since they probably knew their friends didn't have a purple
bedroom or a spotted cat or a husband who loved Shakespeare or whatever.
We finished off the evening with cookies -- we usually don't have food
at our meetings so it's fun when we do.
For internal guild programs, (not
speakers from outside the area),we've had charm-square
exchanges, get-rid-of-your-guilt auctions
(UFO's or stuff we bought that we didn't really need), theme things like
all flowers, all houses, etc. In December, we've had local
storytellers as part of the celebration, which also includes
desserts. Our best internal meeting is probably February, when we tie
quilts for our "Straight from the Heart" program, where we
make quilt tops for our chosen facility for neglected, abused, troubled
kids all year and bring them all together to tie -- we can tie about 2
to 3 quilts per table during the meeting time, for a total of 30-50
quilts. I've also done programs that are sort of full-group workshops --
one was making a Star of Bethlehem, using copy-machine paper in strips
and showing how to cut and paste them together to make the full star.
Another full-group thing was based on quilt-math.
To maximize time since our group meets in
the evenings, we have come down to having no show and tell when we have
an outside speaker unless something will not be around later to show,
like a gift that will be given away or a quilt going to a show or
something. Some of the small space, short programs we have done include
a vendors mall for the people who have things to sell and the people who
want to buy them. A small table each is the limit and the vendors pay a
nominal amount for space. Slide reviews of shows that few people have
been to. Some suggestions are judging standards or ergonomics for
quilters.
Here are some of the things that my guild
has done that might work for you:
* A mini-Demo
night. Several members set up at different tables around the
room. We broke up into small groups and traveled to each table for
about a 15 minute demo of things like paper & foundation piecing,
making a hanging sleeve, making bias appliqué tape.
* Lectures on color
confidence, care & repair of quilts,
a slide show of the NQA show (got boring after 50 slides, though
<G>)
* Sewing Room
Sale. Members cleaned out their sewing rooms and brought
everything from old pattern books and magazines to FQ's and sewing
machines.
* Month of Love Show & Tell. Every
February, the guild collects the quilts made for donation and there is
a show & tell. The patterns for these are given out in October or
November.
We've asked local quilt shops to come in
and do a program:
* One did invisible machine appliqué
and provided us with Dresden Plate patterns (The one with pointed
petals that you sew across the end so it's already finished.)
* One shop came in and did a program on
working with plaids and then returned and
did one on stained glass appliqué.
One time we had a 9 patch-a-thon for
making comforters for kids. We divided into teams and had a minor
contest for which team could cut and sew the most 9 patches of a
certain size to be used in the making of the comforts. There were
prizes and the guild supplied the fabric out of the community service
budget.
Invite local shops to come and show some
of their wares. It can be especially interesting to have sewing machine
dealers come. If there are several shops in your area and you wish to
have vendor tables, do so - plus you can allow members who have items to
sell to set up a table. Restrict number of tables and have a time limit.