Our November in-person meeting was held on Saturday November 16th, at the First Lutheran Church in Montclair with 29 members and 3 guests.
Charity Quilts
Kelly collected a dozen finished quilts and still has a few tops that need to be finished. If you can help, please contact Kelly, and if you’re still working on a charity quilt, please bring it to the December 7th meeting.
Here are the 12 collected on Saturday:
Upcoming Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be on SaturdayDecember 7th, 11a-3p.
Thanks to Emily, Paula, and Rochelle good food and fun activities are planned, including
Boxy Pouch blind swap – it’s a cute little zipper pouch from a free pattern. Ann sent out an email with the deets – check your Inbox!
Upcycle blind swap – shop your stash and sewing room for a non-handmade item in good condition that you no longer need, want, or use to “gift” to someone else. Bring your wrapped item to the December 7th party.
Pincushion activity – bring a fabric scrap (about 8×8″) and small Mason jar with its ring and lid, or a teacup or small bowl that you will transform into a pincushion! (Some extra jars and cups will be available if you forget or don’t have one.) Other materials will be provided by the guild.
Members are asked to bring non-alcoholic drinks or desserts labeled with a list of its ingredients.
Entrees, sides, plates, cups, and cutlery will provided by the guild.
Programs
Survey – Programs would like feedback about the kinds and formats of classes people would like to attend in 2025. Holly emailed a link to a survey to get members’ input. Please take a few minutes to answer it thoughtfully so we can develop meaningful programming for 2025.
Bee Block-Party – Bee Block members exchanged their finished blocks. A new bee round will be announced in the new year.
Pleating Workshop led by Miguel took place after the General meeting. Everyone stretched their stitching muscles!
Show & Tell
Thanks to everyone for sharing their beautiful work – Casey (#1, 2), guest Gretchen (3, 4), Corey (5, 6), Carol (7, 8), Debbie (9), Paula (10, 11, 12), Rachel (13, 14, 15), Blake (16, 17, 18), Janet (19), Kathy (20), Blanca (21), Jo Ann (22), guest Carol (23, 24), Miguel (25, 26), and Betsy (27).
…and Carol returned to us this month with her gorgeous Kawandi jacket, so I was able to get a couple of pics!
Other Good Stuff Happening
Montclair Fiber Arts Club – register through Lifelong Montclair to join this group with your needlework at Edgemont Park House 290 Valley Road every other Wednesday 10a-12p.
Hunterdon Art Museum – 7 Lower Center Street Clinton, NJ 08809, Unblocked: Improvisation and Identity in Contemporary Quilts, nowthrough January 12th, 2025.
Featuring Elizabeth Brandt, Zak Foster, Coulter Fussell, Chawne Kimber, Basil Kincaid, Kwesi O. Kwarteng, Krystle Lemonias, Sarah Nishiura, our own Melanie Tuazon, and Sherri Lynn Wood.
Unblocked brings together a diverse group of artists whose quilts tell stories, express identity, celebrate community, further social justice, and engage in formal design and color investigations. Comfortable with improvisation, these artists use materials that are readily available—often discarded or donated clothing and domestic textiles—and work intuitively, without a structured plan.
Next Meetings
Saturday December 7th – in person Holiday Party 11a-3p at the First Lutheran Church of Montclair.
NoShow & Tell!
Bring your wrappedBoxy Pouch swap, if participating!
Bring your wrapped sewing-related Upcycle swap item, optional!
Bring a labeled dessert or drink, optional.
Saturday January 18, 2025, In-person 11a-1p
Thursday February 27, 2025 Zoom 7-9p** (this is the 4th Thurs)
Our October in-person meeting was held on Saturday October 19, at the First Lutheran Church in Montclair.
2025 Budget Passed
Our treasurer Annette presented the 2025 Budget.
Dues will remain the same as 2024, at $70 per year and $35 for new members joining after June 30th.
The Board proposed the 2025 budget be the same as 2024.
2025 Budget was passed with show of hands vote, and will be posted on the website in the members-only section.
Bylaws Revisions Passed
In the annual review of the Guild’s Bylaws, the Board proposed a few changes and the revised Bylaws were passed by a show of hands vote. The updated Bylaws will be posted on the website in the members-only section.
Charity Quilts – help needed with labeling
Labels were available and distributed at the October meeting.
If you need a label or can help sew labels on the quilts before they are donated, please contact Ann or Kelly.
Kelly will be collectingfinished charity quiltsat the November 16th meeting.
QuiltCon 2025
Hurry! Submissions are open until October 31.
Volunteer sign-up is open.
Community Outreach Quilt
Paula collected completed blocks. Many thanks to all the block-stitchers!
If you couldn’t attend the meeting, please mail your block to Paula.
The next group of volunteers will meet up in Nov to stitch the top together.
MidMod 2025 April 4-6 2025
General registration opens Monday, November 4th at 7 pm.
Due to rising costs of the hotel space and, well, everything, we do have a price increase for MOD 2025. General registration is $365 and spots sell out quickly!
Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be on SaturdayDecember 7th, 11a-3p.
Emily has volunteered to help and we still need a few more volunteers to plan, organize, and execute including menu, activity, setup, cleanup, etc. Please contact Ann.
Programs
Bee Block-Party
Bee Block members got a chance to meet up and exchange ideas and information at the meeting.
All completed blocks should be 12″ x 12″ finished (12.5″ x 12.5″ unfinished).
Completed blocks due at the in-person meeting Saturday November 16, 2024.
Upcoming
Pleating WorkshopSaturday November 16th after the General meeting. $35 for members. There are a few spots left! Sign up here.
Learn techniques to add dimension and texture to your quilts. Miguel will walk you through pintucking, creating improv blocks, and how to quilt and texturize in the final stage. You’ll aim to complete a 16”x16” mini quilt. (See Miguel’s award-winning quilt below in the Warwick Valley winners slideshow below!)
Show & Tell
Thanks to everyone who shared their beautiful work – Karen (#1,2), Carolyn (3), Ceil (4,5,6), Cory (7), Arlene (8), Tanya (9), Pat & Ginny (10), Caroline (11), Emily (12), Susan (13), and Margy, who shared her Alsace-Lorraine quilt experience (14) oh-la-la!
Apologies to our guest, Carol who came all the way from Staten Island and shared her gorgeous quilt coat at our Show & Tell. I was so enthralled I forgot to take a picture!!
Warwick Valley Quilters Show
Congrats to Sue, Miguel, Caroline, Mary, Carol, and Debbie (sorry to anyone I missed!) for their winning quilts in the Stars of the Valley show in Warwick on Oct 19 & 20.
Other Good Stuff Happening
Montclair Fiber Arts Club – register through Lifelong Montclair to join this group with your needlework at Edgemont Park House 290 Valley Road every other Wednesday 10a-12p.
Hunterdon Art Museum – 7 Lower Center Street Clinton, NJ 08809, Unblocked: Improvisation and Identity in Contemporary Quilts, nowthrough January 12th, 2025.
Featuring Elizabeth Brandt, Zak Foster, Coulter Fussell, Chawne Kimber, Basil Kincaid, Kwesi O. Kwarteng, Krystle Lemonias, Sarah Nishiura, our own Melanie Tuazon, and Sherri Lynn Wood.
Unblocked brings together a diverse group of artists whose quilts tell stories, express identity, celebrate community, further social justice, and engage in formal design and color investigations. Comfortable with improvisation, these artists use materials that are readily available—often discarded or donated clothing and domestic textiles—and work intuitively, without a structured plan.
Next meetings
Saturday November 16 – in person 11a-1p at the First Lutheran Church of Montclair.
Bee Block-Party blocks due!
New name tag if you’re working on a swap with someone.
Show & Tell!
Pleating Workshop 1p-4p after the meeting.
Saturday December 7 – in-person Holiday Party
Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday November 3rd. We gain an extra hour of sewing!
Our first in-person meeting since June was held on Saturday September 21, at the First Lutheran Church in Montclair with 38 members and 2 guests in attendance. Welcome back everyone!
QuiltCon 2025
Registration woes have been sorted out.
October 31st deadline for quilt entries. Get those quilts finished!
Volunteer sign-ups opened September 19th.
QuiltCon Community Outreach Quilt
Thanks to the members who gathered at Paula’s house to create the block kits which were ALL distributed at this meeting! Yay!
To those who picked up kits, it’s not necessary to trim your blocks, and please leave the paper on the back.
October 19th Completed blocks are due at the in-person meeting.
MidMod 2025 April 4-6 2025
As a sponsoring guild, 10 spots are reserved for our members to access early registration. NJMQG will hold a lottery to award those 10 spots, and an email with a link to the sign up form was sent to members on September 23rd. Winners pay NJMQG $35 to get their early access code.
Early registration: Monday October 7th at 7 pm through Monday October 14th at 7 pm. General registration: Sunday, November 3rd at 7 pm.
Due to rising costs of the hotel space and, well, everything, we do have a price increase for MOD 2025. The early bird registration fee is $315 and the general registration (for those that do not receive early bird pricing) is $365. General registration spots sell out quickly!
Holiday Party – seeking volunteers
Our annual Holiday Party will be on SaturdayDecember 7th, 11a-3p.
We need a few volunteers to help plan, organize, and execute including menu, activity, setup, cleanup, etc. Please contact Ann.
Programs
Pockets-to-Go Swap
Over a dozen pockets-to-go bags were joyfully exchanged! Nice work everyone!
Bee Block Party
When you sign up for the bee, you will choose a type of block you want to make as well as a color scheme you would like for your quilt. You will be split into groups, then you will make the same 12 inch quilt block for each member of your bee, in their preferred colorway with fabrics from your stash. Your completed blocks will be distributed to all the members of your bee and everyone should have enough to create their own quilt top.
All completed blocks should be 12″ x 12″ finished (12.5″ x 12.5″ unfinished).
Saturday September 28th Sign ups end.
Sunday September 29th Group assignments go out.
Saturday November 16, 2024 Completed blocks due at the in-person meeting.
Next meetings
Saturday October 19 – In-person 11a-1p at the First Lutheran Church of Montclair.
Outreach Quilt blocks due
New name tag if you’re working on a swap with someone.
Show & Tell!
Saturday November 16 – in person meeting
Saturday December 7 – in-person Holiday Party
Other Good Stuff Happening
Montclair Fiber Arts Club – register through Lifelong Montclair to join this group with your needlework at Edgemont Park House 290 Valley Road every other Wednesday 10a-12p.
Hunterdon Art Museum – 7 Lower Center Street Clinton, NJ 08809, Unblocked: Improvisation and Identity in Contemporary Quilts, nowthrough January 12th, 2025.
Featuring Elizabeth Brandt, Zak Foster, Coulter Fussell, Chawne Kimber, Basil Kincaid, Kwesi O. Kwarteng, Krystle Lemonias, Sarah Nishiura, our own Melanie Tuazon, and Sherri Lynn Wood.
Unblocked brings together a diverse group of artists whose quilts tell stories, express identity, celebrate community, further social justice, and engage in formal design and color investigations. Comfortable with improvisation, these artists use materials that are readily available—often discarded or donated clothing and domestic textiles—and work intuitively, without a structured plan.
Quilts in the Mill – Prallsville Mills – 33 Risler Street (Route 29), Stockton, NJ 08559, Confetti of Color sponsored by Courthouse Quilters Guild, Friday-Sun September 27-29th 2024.
On Fri and Sat, our own Jo Ann Lepore will be signing her newly published book, Picture Patchwork.
Clifton Quilters Guild – October 17 bus trip to Poconos.
Stars of the Valley Quilt Show – Sanfordville Elementary School 144 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, New York, Saturday-Sunday, October 19 & 20, sponsored by Warwick Valley Quilters.
At 1p Saturday, Melanie Tuazon will be giving a lecture Planned and Unplanned: Design and Improv in Piecing
Show & Tell
Post-meeting FMQ Workshop
Jackie and Samantha led this terrific informative class on free-motion quilting, with a ton packed into a few hours. Good job everyone! Practice, practice, practice!
Next meeting
In-person Saturday October 19, 11a-1p at the First Lutheran Church of Montclair.
Outreach Quilt blocks due
New name tag if you’re working on a swap with someone.
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