December Meeting/Holiday Party THIS SATURDAY!

Please don't forget that THIS SATURDAY at 10am is our year-end party!  I hope everyone will be there.  

Here's a list of things to know:

(1) We will be back in the Barr Conference Room (at First Pres Church in Franklin, at the corner of Mack Hatcher and Franklin Road).  If you have not been here before, check for directions under the Meetings tab above, and look for our signs when you get to the church.  

(2) If you are a member, please find the potluck sign-up below.  If you are a guest, feel free not to bring anything, or bring whatever you like in the way of sweet or salty finger food. 

MCMQG Holiday Party Potluck

				MCMQG Holiday Party Potluck Please indicate the finger food you plan to bring to the party. If possible, avoid vague listings like TBD or I don't know. This will hopefully eliminate duplicatio...
				View on www.signupgenius.com	Preview by Yahoo

(3) If you participated in the Secret Santa Swap, please remember to bring your gift!

(4) If you would like to participate in the Dirty Santa Fabric Exchange (and you do!), please wrap the equivalent of one yard (yard, 2 half yards, 4 FQs, or charm pack) of modern fabric that someone would indeed want (i.e. not joke fabric).

(5) Don't bring your sewing machine but make sure to bring your show and tell!

(6) Don't forget to be there!  

November Meeting Recap

Our November meeting this month was HUGE!  So huge, we overflowed our normal meeting space!

We got together this month and sewed NICU Smocks for Vanderbilt, and we actually had so many come in through Lindsay Conner's Craftsy Blog drive that we had over 1,000 come in, and we over flowed into Centennial and St Thomas Midtown's facilities.  Our group finished a total of 96 smocks on Saturday.  The guild was also mentioned in the Tennessean over the holiday!

96 sweet smocks sewn! (Picture courtesy of Jayne Willis)

We also had some drawings to keep us on our toes!  

Elizabeth won a gift card to Craft South!

Marcia won a fun Fall fabric bundle and some matching Fall floss donated by Jayne Willis

Ann won a sweet holiday jellyroll donated by Stitcher's Playhouse

Christine won a Mixology Linens bundle donated by Cotton Bliss

We have these sews each year, and  often more than once a year.  If you'd like to help us with this great cause please send us an email, find us on Facebook or reach out to us somehow!  Even if you aren't a sewer, there's plenty to do to help out with these events.  Big thanks to everyone who came out to help us sew this month!

October Meeting Recap

This past month we had a fun open sew meeting!  Everyone brought out some projects we were all working away on and just needed some sewing time to catch up.  We also had elections for our guild's office positions, as well as calendar planning for 2016!  It looks like it's shaping up to be another fun year!

We all loaded up and spread out for a fun day of sewing!

Jayne set up a station to put together our NICU smocks to get a jump start on our November sewing event for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

Our member Vickey brought her sister Sandra along and she brought this adorable baseball themed patchwork quilt!

She had Vickey quilt it with cute bats, mitts, and other baseball themed quilting.  She used minky for the back.  This quilt looked SUPER snuggly!

Jayne showed off her quilt she made using a quilt block pattern she developed for a blog hop!

The backs of Jayne's quilts could easily work as the fronts, they're always so creative!

Our member Joanne brought some show and tell that she made from some curtains and things that were just around the house!

She told us that while she didn't like it her husband did!  That's a feat in itself!  We were all impressed!

Libby brought us some amazing Dresden plate blocks she's been working on.

Trudy brought in some show and tell of some scarves she's been working on.  They are so cozy and lush!!!

Big thanks to those who came out in October to sew and help us plan our calendar for next year!

It's time to mark your calendars for November's meeting: Saturday, November 21 at 10am.  This is the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving.

As we have done for several years, we will sew infant smocks for the NICU at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.  The smocks are sized for preterm infants and designed for them to wear while receiving all necessary treatment and monitoring.

This year, as in the past, Kelle Boyd of Ann Kelle Design has generously donated loads of her darling children's fabric for our project.  We LOVE to work with these fabrics, hoping they may bring cheer to worried parents.  Watch here for a second blog post showcasing the fabric.

Member Chelley Black found this touching short video featuring the smocks we make.  I hope you'll watch it, because it shows how this tiny item can sometimes make a big impact in a family's life.

Will you join us for this fun, fulfilling day?  We'll have lunch, treats, door prizes, and the usual general merriment.  Visitors interested in the Music City Modern Quilt Guild are ALWAYS welcome to come check us out.  But today I'm also appealing to others: those of you who sew but don't quilt, those of you who quilt but may not be interested in joining the guild, those who might like to join guild but your schedule or the distance does not permit.

I have reserved the large fellowship hall for this event in the hope that you ALL will come help us give back to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital!  If you can make it, bring your machine and basic sewing supplies including off-white or cream thread.  There will also be non-sewing ways to participate (cutting, ironing, and sorting/organizing).  Guests please let me know you are coming in the comments below and see the Meetings tab above for directions.

Stay tuned for a post about the Ann Kelle fabric donated for this project AND a post about member Lindsay Conner's very special smock fundraising effort that has yielded absolutely overwhelming results!

September Meeting

This month we're having a Pre-Cut sit and sew.  Bring in a pre-cut pattern to work on, either printed or digital, we won't judge!

For inspiration try searching The Moda Bake Shop or Fat Quarter Shop's free pattern section.

A pre-cut pattern is one that takes advantage of pre cut fabrics, such as fat quarters, charm packs, mini charms, layer cakes, or jelly rolls.

Feel free to bring in any size project you'd like to work on, and we'll see you Saturday!

Perfect example by Jayne Willis, this was made using charm squares!

August Meeting

I hope your calendars are marked for our next meeting -- August 15 -- because it's less than two weeks away! I had tons of fun at our Community Service Sew in June and the Shop Hop in July, but I am delighted to remind you that August is an Open Sew. Bring whatever project you'd like to work on and whatever you need to do it. Also pack a lunch or snack so you can stay for a while if your day permits.

Don't forget your Show & Tell! I am so excited to see what everyone's been working on. We need to see what everyone's been working on lately!!  If you participated in the Riley Blake Fabric challenge, bring in your project!  Are you working on the Michael Miller Fabric Challenge?  Bring that too!

The MQG Quiltcon Charity Challenge committee will meet and finalize our design plan. If you are interested in joining the committee, please let Jenny Parker know and Ashley Gomez will get you in the loop.

Shop Hop!

Can you believe we've never done a guild shop hop?!  Me either!  Well that's all going to change this month!  We're going on an all day quilter's dream of a shop hop!

July 18th our guild members will have a day full of going to a variety of shops around the Middle Tennessee area and shopping and having fun all day!  Maybe filling out stashes to the brim?  Maybe, but probably not.  There's always room for more fabric! 

I'll take one of each please!

If you're interested in joining our guild click here and you can join in the fun that we're having!  Don't forget to also fill out this form to ensure your transportation and lunch!

Deadline to sign up is July 15, 2015!

June 20th Community Service Sew Day Recap

Wow!  We had so much fun!!!

All together we got over 100 pillowcases sewn for Ronald McDonald house.  There was quite a production going on; pressing stations, "hot dog" sewers and "final seam" sewers, as well as fabric cutters.  We all had a great time and it was all for a good cause!

Thank you so much to the always fabulous Stefanie for showing us how to make these awesome pillow cases!

Thanks also go to Riley Blake for donating the cutest, fun fabric that we got to sew!

We also had some show and tell!

Lindsay showed us her lovely low volume cross quilt top, as well as a "onesie quilt" she made from her son's onesies.

 Veronica showed off her beautiful bag she's made.

Katie wowed us with this awesome maple leaf quilt she's made for a Canadian wedding this fall!  (SHE FINISHED IT BEFORE THE WEDDING!  YOU GUYS!! )

I brought along some stuffed animals called Al's pals that I've been working on.

Thanks again for everyone who came out to help us have such an amazing turn out and so many pillowcases sewn!

*Reminder*

Next month is our shop hop!

-Ashley

JOIN US JUNE 20 TO SEW PILLOWCASES FOR THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE!

Please mark your calendars for JUNE 20 at 10am for our Community Service Sew. Can you come? I can't wait. I've never sewn a pillow case before, but I trust it will be easy peasy. Guests are welcome -- this is a great opportunity to get to know the guild while sewing for a great local cause. I'm told this is a great project for even a beginner sewist, so let any excuses keep you from joining us this month!

Our Community Service Sews are loads of fun. The guild will provide lunch and we have door prizes, to include -- WHAT?! -- a $50 gift card to Cotton Bliss, as well as a swag bag from Quilt Con. I just won a great new book that I am bringing to share, and I know there will be a few more items up for grabs.

We will be sewing up lots of darling fabric donated by Riley Blake Designs. I know the CommServ committee has selected some great complementary pairings for our pillowcases and will teach us all we need to know about the construction method we'll use. 

If you'll be there at 10 or just before, I'll give any announcements while you set up, and then we'll shoot for the tutorial promptly at 10:15 . Please bring an extension cord/surge protector if you have one readily available. I hope to have a good crowd so we can send lots of pillowcases to the Ronald McDonald house!

May 16th Meeting Recap

This month we had an open sew, which is always fun!  Everyone brought along a variety of projects to work on, from block of the month projects to quilt tops to hand work and bags!

We briefly went over the next couple of meetings, which are as follows:

• June 20 - Community Service Sew, we're sewing up some pillow cases for the Ronald McDonald house.  These are always lots of fun, everyone working collectively on a big project.  There will be some door prizes, and if you have any additional door prizes you want to throw in, the more the merrier!
• July 18 - Shop hop!  We're making a caravan of a few vehicles and going around to some shops in the area.
• August 15 - Open sew!  Feel free to bring along any kind of sewing and hang out and sew the day away.
• September 19 - Upper Cumberland Quilt Festival in Algood, TN
• October 17 - Planning for 2016
• November 21 - Elections and Community Service Sew
• December 12 - Holiday Party (Second Saturday in December)

Here's a look at some of the show and tell, as well as some of the projects brought to be worked on from Saturday:

Julie visited with us and brought a quilt she finished recently for her youngest child.

Julie also brought a swap item she's been working on.

Julie has also been helping out with the Log Cabins of Donald Judd project by Luke Hayes

Callie brought in a "hash tag" quilt (and her adorable son!)

Callie also brought in a nice chevron quilt (quilted by Vickey).

Callie showed off a jellyroll race quilt from a previous meeting that's closer to being finished up for a niece.

(Back of the jellyroll race quilt, which looks like tire marks haha!)

Laura was also visiting with us and had lots of small items she's made including mini wall hangs, some pouches, and this adorable tiki man head she made from drawing three colors out of a bag and having to make something with them.

Laura also showed off this lovely tote bag.

Stefanie showed off this snugly quilt that has been in her family for many years.  it's light weight and hand stitched and in pretty great condition considering the use it's seen.

Close up and the backing for Stefanie's quilt

Trudy brought in some very sweet and simple quilts including this one she has use the chenille technique on.  This has not been washed yet, and she brought it so we could see the "before" of this method.

Close up and backing of Trudy's quilt

Another very sweet baby quilt made by Trudy with cute little puppies!

Jayne brought in this recently quilted by Vickey on her long arm machine that was started by her daughter, Brittney and finished up by Jayne.

Back and close up on quilting

Jayne also mesmerized us with her optical illusion quilt

Back, the quilting also made the back look a little illusion-y

Jennifer is finishing up the border on Dolly!  We all love seeing her coming along, even though we hear she may be going under the knife soon! ;)  Since Jennifer is hand appliqueing this quilt, this was her project to work on for this meeting.

Melissa showed off her beautiful place mat she made using last month's improv curves and perfect binding class!

Back to Melissa's place mat

Melissa is part of a block of the month, where this month's block is a Lego man's head!

Looking forward to seeing everyone next month!