Welcome Spring

 During our April gathering we welcomed spring by creating Japanese kanzashi flowers. It was kind of like doing origami only with fabric. You can search online to find directions/videos if you want to try them. Here are some pictures of the process.

This is how far we got - a cheerful collection of flowers! Thank you to our coaches, Heather and Elaine.

A reminder for the Colour Theory workshop on May 14. Contact Christa or Carlinda if you are interested. Also there is a workday on April 23. 

We have three additions to our 12 Neighbours community project. Thanks to Reta and Pam and an outside donation to one of our members. 

As usual show & tell inspires with member's talent on display. Christa finished a quilt which has gone to a friend in Ontario.

Christa also made placemats for her son and his fiance while they were visiting. Angie picked out the pattern and the colours. Looking good.

Toni made 5 aprons to take out west for her grandsons, great niece and nephew, and her daughter. They all love baking.

Toni has also completed another one of her snowman blocks.

Carlinda shared pictures of some baby quilts she has donated to Opal Family Services for an auction fundraiser.

Mary Ellen and her friend Theresa had a go at making barn quilts. She says it was fun to do and a learning experience. They have plywood to do another.

Linda has been stuck at home and sewing up a storm. The first three are made from 200 blocks that she had sewn earlier in the winter. The pieced border on the first quilt was made using cash register tape. A good way to use up scraps.

Linda made this string quilt using 10 inch foundation paper from Missouri Star. 

And to top it off, Linda has also completed a wall hanging and a table topper.

Melanie completed a quilt-along called My Neighbourhood. 

Melanie completed a variation of the Wildwood quilt for our community quilt stash.

Susan F also completed a Wildwood quilt.

Susan F made a table topper and hanging in the background is her quilt, Blue Lagoon.

Debbi D made a Trip Around the World with fabric left from the 1990s. 

Heather made a quilt for her daughter. She let her daughter choose the pattern. It is from Connecting Threads.

Reta has made a log cabin quilt for a wedding gift.

Pam has been showing her blocks for her original Random Houses quilt as they were completed. Many feature a fair bit of embroidery. The quilt is now complete. The use of reds and white is wonderful. Here is the back and the front. 

Elaine and her granddaughter made St. Patrick's Day gnomes. Looks like fun.

Elaine has also finished a tortilla strips quilt.

Joyce made reversible Easter baskets for all her grandchildren. She only brought 2 to show.

Betty made her first Trip Around the World.

She made placemats . . .

and a giant placemat/tablecloth.

Betty also made a top for a comfort quilt.

Diane finished her blue jay from the Darcy Hunter workshop.

And a placemat featuring cats for her granddaughter.

Gisele made a purse. Very stylish.

Kathy H made an Easter doorhanger for her mother.

Kathy H also made some mug rugs. One of part of a piano keyboard. She said she had no pattern so was measuring her piano keys.

And she made some 45 record coasters that a few other people had made and shared. The link to the directions for these is https://weallsew.com/45-rpm-record-coaster-sewig-tutorial/

Barn Quilts

 It was lovely to be able to have an in-person meeting. Heather shared some history of "barn quilts" and her experiences creating them. Close to home, there is a barn quilt trail in Kings County, New Brunswick and another in Prince Edward Island. You can google these to find maps of the trails. 

After talk with a group of her gardening friends, Heather tried making her first barn quilt. It is still on her house. 

This was done on 1/4" thick plywood, primed,  then painted and finally lacquer to weatherproof it. Her preferred plywood size is a 2 feet by 2 feet square and she uses a thicker plywood (maybe half or three-quarter inch). A person can also use a stretched canvas for painting a barn quilt. These are displayed where there is protection from the weather - on a covered porch, under an eave, or even in the house. 

A tip for creating a successful barn quilt - use real yellow frog painter tape. It keeps the paint from bleeding underneath for clean, sharp edges. Thank you for sharing, Heather. Perhaps there will be a workshop down the road . . .

Note that our April meeting will involve a hands-on activity (not a barn quilt). Further info about what to bring will be sent to members. 

 Our community and comfort quilt stash is growing. Our latest community project is the 12 Neighbours Tiny Home Project in Fredericton. Betty has donated 3 quilt as you go reversible quilts. She says they are great scrap busters. One side is made with diagonal strips and other side squares. 

She has also donated a pineapple quilt. Thank you, Betty.

In other Show & Tell, Ruth has made a variation of the Wildwood quilt. This is destined to be a community or comfort quilt.

Debbi D showed a one block wonder she made by buying panels instead of yardage. The panel is shown on the back of the quilt.

Melanie shared a quilt she made by cutting up a panel and making some coordinating blocks. 

Evelyn shared her work from retreat.

Gisele made a large tote bag.

Heather has made 2 more zippered bags - one for herself and one for her sister. She also made her sister a matching knitting needle holder for making socks.

And Heather showed her chickadee created during the Darcy Hunter workshop.

Heather and Toni have been making the same snowmen blocks. 

Debby H got some fabric for Christmas. It is now a beautiful quilt.

This is an eye spy quilt.

This is a little wonky on the eyes but look at it on the diagonal. How can squares and rectangles look so 3-dimensional? Very interesting, Debby H.

Betty has been playing with half square triangles. The first pattern she says she would make again, the second one not so much.

Betty also has a clamshell baby quilt.

Pam K-D just got two quilts back from the machine quilter. The first is for a 13 year old girl that loves teal. 

And this one is for an 11 year old boy.

Betty also had a couple of quilts newly back from the machine quilter.

Leann made a dust cover for her mug press.

Kathy H has completed an applique featuring a goat. The McKenna Ryan pattern is called Munch a Bunch.

And she has made two door hangers for her mother - a daffodil for St. David's Day and shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.

Here are two zippered pouches Susan F made recently. She particularly likes the denim bottom on the second one. She says it gives the bag a good stiff base.