Meeting Reminder and Notes from the August 2018 meeting

Volunteer Opportunities
Remember Senior Services!  We have been given pieced quilt tops and Ann Monroe has batting.  All we need are volunteers to do the quilting work.  Thanks to the folks at Sewingly Yours who let the TMQG members use their long arm for the donation quilts.  The only requirement is that the member has to complete their long arm orientation class.

Consider volunteering to be a TMQG officer in 2019. 

Swap Project

Swap partners were assigned for our Favorite Animal swap.  They are due in September.  The work involved should take about a day.  

Raffle Quilt

Our raffle quilt is finished and it is beautiful!  Tickets are available. We are asking that each member sell at least $20.00 worth of tickets for the quilt.  $1.00 per ticket, $5.00 for 6 tickets.  The winning ticket will be drawn at our November holiday meeting.

We are selling tickets at South Fork/ Cricket's Nest on Saturday, September 22, and at the the Forsyth Piecers' Quilt Show at the YWCA on November 2 and 3.  Let us know if you can help.

For every $20 of tickets you sell, you will be entered in a drawing for a bag of Lee Monroe goodies.  Thanks, Lee for the donation!

Membership and Dues

Unfortunately, the National MQG dues structure has increased.  At the last meeting, we discussed the merits of belonging to the National in terms of being a non-profit educational organization, IRS compliance, and the insurance that they provide.  After weighing the pros and cons, the attending members voted to stay with the National MQG and raise the TMQG dues to $40 a year.

Members who join or rejoin in September, October, and November will be entered in a special drawing each month for some of Lee's fat quarter stash.

Guild Days

Next month, Sew Original is having 2 guild days.  On October 2, they will have a special day (10am - 8pm) for the TMQG  The event will be repeated on October 4 (10am - 8pm) for all quilting guilds.  Be sure to bring your membership card!

Future Meetings - 

On Tuesday September 25, we will be hosting Bonnie Christine.  She is a fabric designer. You can learn more about her and her work here  bonniechristine.com  and here   liveartgalleryfabrics.com/person/bonnie-christine  Bonnie will have a trunk show for us at the meeting.  On Wednesday September 26, she will be at Sewingly Yours for a workshop on developing repeating patterns by hand for use in making fabric designs.  This would be especially valuable for those folks interested in having a service like Spoonflower print their custom fabrics.

Program Notes - 

At our last meeting, we heard from our very own Sheri Collette about preparing quilts for the long arm quilter.  She provided the group with important information.  1) Tell your quilter what you like and, even more importantly, what you don't like, prior to work beginning. 2) Make sure your quilt top is square!!!  3) Clip threads, stay stitch the edge, and check for open seams.  4) Iron your work, pressing all the seams in the same direction, and bring it on a hanger.  5) Add 4 inches to all four sides of the backing for the frame clamps.  (You can sew muslin to your backing to get the proper size.)  6) If you have a pieced back, it is better to have a horizontal vs a vertical seam unless they are pressed open.  7) Did we mention to make sure your quilt is square? 8) Finally, the long arm quilter can help you choose the best batting for the effect you desire.

See you all next week!

It's Time! Enter the Quilt Show!!

Don't forget to enter the MQG special exhibit for the Forsyth Piecers Show! Entries are due by October 1! We want to be sure that this special exhibit is awesome, so enter lots of beauties:)

The Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild Quilt Show is on November 2^ndand 3^rd 

^{Here is the ENTRY FORM!} 

Here is some information on entering! 

• The first two pages of the entry form contain the rules and instructions for entering a quilt, while the third page contains the actual entry form.  When you submit the entry, you only need to send the third page (completed) and a photo of your entry.  The quilt does not have to be completed in the photo but it should give a good indication of what the quilt will look like when it’s finished – i.e., a photo of the quilt top is sufficient.
• All completed entry forms (and photos) must be submitted no later than Monday, October 1^st. 
• All items entered in the show – including Special Exhibit items – must have entry forms submitted for them.  The only exception to this rule will be items that are displayed in the vendor booths or the Quilts 2 Go area that Gloria Bruce is managing.  If you’re not involved with either of those areas, please submit your completed entry form(s) as soon as possible.
• Several questions have come up regarding the required hanging sleeve, labeling requirements, and pillow cases that the quilts need to be delivered in.  All submitted quilts must meet these requirements!
• Another question that’s come up a couple of times deals with entries from people who are members of the Triad Modern Quilt Guild or Beecassos groups, i.e., our special exhibitors.  Members from either of these groups – who have their quilts included in their group’s exhibit – are allowed to enter one quilt in the judged part of the show.  However, this limitation only applies to individuals who are not FPQG members.  If you’re a FPQG member in good standing, you can submit as many quilts as you like.
• The earliest time quilts will be accepted is at our October guild meeting on Monday, October 8^th. The latest they will be accepted is Sunday, October 28^th at Lisa Alley’s house. Quilts can also be dropped off at Sew Original any time between those two dates. Additional details can be found under Item 15 of the attached Quilt Show Rules and Entry Form document.