Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that Rock Paper Scissors is sadly out of Kona White, which we have asked you to buy for the guild quilt block challenge. Beth tells me that they had six bolts when they ordered a new shipment, but the new shipment isn’t here yet, and the bolts have gone. Because of this, we’re extending the deadline on guild blocks until the March meeting from the February one. I will have the bundles for those who didn’t get them yet, but we have to wait for the white. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I can answer any questions you might have at the meeting tonight.

I know we haven’t even posted the pictures from December’s meeting (I promise they’re coming), but it’s time for a reminder that January’s meeting is this Thursday. Bring a chair and a nametag (even if it’s just a sticker, it helps a lot) as always.

If you’re interested in the retreat organized by Aleeda being held the weekend of March 21 and haven’t done so already, please bring a deposit check for $50 made out to CROSSROADS RETREAT. She will have all the information for those with questions.

If you are interested in doing a modern skill-builder block of the month in 2014 with a group discount of at least 25% off the $25 fee, leave a comment on this post. More information here (the blocks are super cute and sewing-themed). If at least five people are interested, I can get discount codes, and the more people sign up, the more of a discount we get! We can share the blocks at meetings.

If you haven’t renewed dues or are interested in joining, please bring a check for $45 made out to North Jersey Modern Quilt Guild as well as an application form.

We’ll be doing a “State of the guild,” announcing some upcoming events and sharing show and tell. See you there!

I did a terrible job of officially announcing the kick-off of the guild quilt, partly because there was so much going on at the December meeting, and partly because there was not enough fabric to go around. This challenge will be due at our February meeting, so if you did not get a bundle of fabric to play with, leave a comment and I’ll use that count to be sure that everyone gets theirs at the January meeting on the 16th.

Here is our mission: We are going to make a quilt to serve as our own banner of identity. The fabric is solids pulled from the colors of our logo– Kona Chartreuse, Lagoon, Bright Pink and Orange. Each bundle has three of the four colors, roughly a fat eighth of each. If you’d like, you can also use Kona White (check against a swatch– there are a lot of different shades of white) in your block.

The challenge is to make a block that represents what modern quilting is to you. This is how The Modern Quilt Guild describes modern quilting. But it’s open to interpretation. Our goal is to have a conversation about what we like about modern quilting and make a quilt that shows how we as a guild represent as modern quilters. This could mean making a traditional block with solids, using lots of contrast and negative space or improvisation. But we are quilters of modern time, so whatever we make will be modern. Remember to be yourself!

I don’t use the word challenge lightly. There will be some kind of winner chosen as a favorite block– perhaps by a popular vote– with a special prize. So let me know if you’d like to participate and don’t already have fabric. And if you have yours, get designing!

Happy quilting!

EDITED TO ADD: Blocks can be any length or width, but it must be a rectangle or square with at least two opposing sides measuring 12.5″.