Big Red Quilt Guild November 16, 2020, Zoom Meeting

Betsy Muir, president, opened the Zoom meeting at 7:00 p.m. from Kris Kennedy’s home. Betsy and Kris have created several Christmas quilts that they showed the group with the help of their husbands, Jim Muir and Roger Kennedy. We thank these men for their outstanding quilt holding—and quilt walking!
Among the quilts displayed were those featuring Tumbling Trees, gnomes, Christmas trees, snowflakes, the Milky Way, gnomes with Twister snowflakes, Christmas houses with trees, and one with three trees
and a gnome.
Kris also gave information about where to find patterns, one of them free, for several of the quilts:
1) Tumbling Trees table runner by http://www.thefatquartergypsy,com (uses a 30 degree triangle template)
2) Twister Gnomes by http://www.aroundthebobbin.com also available on Amazon (uses Lil’ Twister tool)
3) House table runner from Modern Holiday Table Runner pattern—download from Fat Quarter Shop (on sale now and includes several holiday runners)
4) Scandinavian Tomto pattern (1 large gnome with three large trees) download from http://www.rebeccamaedesigns.com
5) Jelly Snowflake Mystery Quilt—free from Fat Quarter Shop Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog https://blog.fatquartershop.com/jelly-snowflake-mystery-quilt/

Before the meeting, Betsy had emailed all BRQG members a copy of the proposed budget put together by our treasurer, Karen Keip, and approved by the BRQG board. Betsy called for a vote on the budget; it was unanimously approved by the 31 members in attendance via Zoom.

Then the program moved to the four kits that had been distributed to BRQG members who signed up for the Make and Keep ornaments project. The ornaments could be used to decorate a Christmas tree or as gift tags on packages.

Kris began with the felt tree topped with a gold star. She suggested using tissue paper behind the star when stitching and using pompoms or buttons for decorations on the tree.

For the Scottie dog ornament, Kris suggested tracing around the pattern on tissue paper or freezer paper, attaching the paper to the fabric and then stitching around the dog shape, leaving an opening in the belly area for turning. She advised to be patient when turning so as not to poke a hole through the stitching. Betsy placed her dog shape on the bias of the fabric for a slightly different look. Be sure to clip the fabric near the stitching for the neck and the tail of the dog in order to make a good dog shape.

Betsy then discussed the three fabric trees. She used Steam and Seam Two to stabilize the tree fabric. Only one ribbon is included in the kit, so makers will need to use some of their own ribbons for two of the trees. Be sure to fold the ribbon in half and enclose the ends between the fabric pieces of the tree. Kris used garland on her tree while Betsy used rickrack for decorating hers.

The last project involved holly leaves. Betsy traced the pattern on freezer paper, ironed it on fabric, cut out the shape and stitched around the edges, leaving an opening for the stuffing. She made one leaf of fabric and one of felt. Either pompoms or small red buttons could be used for the berries. She
suggested sewing the pompoms on rather than gluing them.

Kris thanked Nora Slikkers and Carole McLean for preparing the kit materials, and the BRQG board for packaging and delivering the kits to the members. Betsy noted that some of the ornaments would be good projects for making with kids and/or grandkids.
The Zoom meeting ended at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorelle Eberly