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2023 Placemats Community Project

May17

Big Red Quilters’ Guild and Pressing Matters Quilt Shoppe

Jointly Sponsored Community Project

Fabric Placemats for Allegan County Home Delivered Meals

The guild and Pressing Matters Quilt Shoppe, along with your help, plans to donate quilted fabric placemats to Allegan County Home Delivered Meals program by the end of 2023.  At least 350 placemats are needed to make this project a success!

All are welcome to sew and contribute placemats; no need to be a guild member.  Drop off finished placemats no later than December 1, 2023, at Pressing Matters Quilt Shoppe, 399 E 32nd St., Holland.  A collection receptacle will be near the shop door.  Or bring to a BRQG guild meeting, third Monday of the month.  See meeting details at http://www.bigredquilters.org.

Size for placemats is approximate:  12-13” high and 16-18” wide.  Please stick to this size range as placemats are being packaged for ease of delivery.  Use 100% cotton fabrics that are colorful and cheerful but no religious, juvenile, holiday, or political themes please.  What a fantastic way to use up those scrap fabrics or orphan blocks that are awaiting in our fabric stashes.  It’s also a nice scale project to practice some free motion quilting, ruler work, or those fancy machine stitches.  Placemats should consist of 3 layers:  colorful top, batting, bottom- plain or colorful.  Placemats may be simple as an envelope style or a miniature quilt with binding…your choice!

Address all questions/inquiries to:  BRQG member and Vice President Barb Sucher

Example Placemat fronts: envelope style in purple and bound quilt style in yellow

Placemat backs

March is….

Mar8

Hello, All!  
Wow!  What are the chances…that the calendar kings would put my two favorite activities together in the same month???  March is National Reading Month AND National Quilting Month!  I hope that you’re enjoying a bit of both.  If you want to have a really big time, fix your favorite hot beverage, grab a quilt and curl up and catch up on a favorite quilting magazine or books…celebrate both months at the same time!
To that end, the Big Red Quilters’ Guild invites you to join us on the last day of this wonderful month, Wednesday, March 31, 7 pm (via Zoom), for the reveal party for the Great Free Fabric Challenge. It will be fun to see the creativity of the quilters who took up the challenge!  But more, it will be a chance for us to share a little time together and for us each to dip into the well of inspiration.  Stay tuned!  As the day draws near, we will follow up by email with the Zoom link information.
Until then there are a couple of days to celebrate!

  • St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17.  Always a favorite for this correspondent…😉  (Green is such a lovely color to work with!)
  • National Quilting Day, Saturday, March 20.  Maybe you can set aside some time for a few hours (or perhaps a day?) of quilting…in the comfort of your own home!   

Enjoy our bountiful sunshine and know that Spring cannot be far behind!  
All the best,
Bridget Morel
—
Membership Chair
Big Red Quilters’ Guild

Meeting Reminder and News

Aug20

There will be a special Sew Day on August 22nd from 9-4 at the Beechwood Lodge to make book pockets for chair backs. Here’s the scoop if you’d like to help out…  Did you see the recent news about Holland Language Academy having to move buildings? https://whtc.com/news/articles/2019/aug/08/mold-spores-close-holland-language-academy-for-2019-20-school-year/925920/ The teachers had to leave everything in the old building and are moving for a whole year!!   They need book pockets for the back of the chairs in the classrooms. So far there are 4 teachers that want them – ~ 26 students per class.  And there could be more!  Stretchy fabric will be provided. Here’s a picture of what they look like. https://heathershandmadelife.com/2017/09/diy-chair-pockets-for-classrooms.html

Our Guild meeting is Monday, August 26th! The Jane Sassaman workshop is full.  Please do still attend on Monday evening and hear her talk: Jane’s Textile Treasure Garden.  Arrive at 6:30, meeting starts at 7.  We will be meeting in the Beechwood Church Sanctuary – there will be signs and greeters to direct you!

Hard to believe it’s almost time for another round of renewals! But it is since our year runs from Oct 1 to Sept 30th. Check out the well appointed, very quilty and patriotic basket that has been put together as an incentive for you to join/renew before Oct 1.  Bring your cash or check made out to Big Red Quilters’ Guild to the August meeting or mail it in later – Just be sure it’s postmarked Sept 30th to be eligible for the basket!
A fun new Block of the Every Other Month Guild Challenge will be starting up at the August meeting!  The info will be passed at the meeting and will be on the website soon.
Future Programs and Sew-Ins:
The September 23rd Sew-In will be focused on charity quilts. Bring your sewing machine if you would like to sew one or your cutting tools to cut kits.
October 28th is  Lecture by Nancy Clark McNally titled: What was I thinking?  Workshop: Tuesday Oct 29th – Nancy will teach Machine Quilting with Rulers using your home machine. Sign up will be at the August meeting and on the web site soon!
November 25th  Sew-In will feature a Wool Applique Project led by Jackie Bailey.  We also think it would be fun if everyone attending would bring some finger food to share!
There will be no meeting in December.
An Event you might be interested in:
The Niles Piecemakers Quilt Guild presents ‘Inspire Me!’ Quilt show.  Saturday, Oct 19th (10am – 5pm) and Sunday, Oct 20th (11am – 4pm) Admission $5. Location: Ballard Elementary School, 1601 W. Chicago Road, Niles, MI 49120. They promise Vendors, Boutique, Raffle Quilt, Refreshments, Silent Auction, 100+ Quilts on Display.

 

National Quilting Day Retreat Saturday March 17

Mar18

 

We had a wonderful time yesterday sharing our love for quilting.  Many sporting the green honoring St. Patrick’s day, we met new people, we quilted, we ate and laughed, played games, learned “the quiltmakers shuffle”, and won prizes ( more than $400 retail value). Everyone went home pretty tired….and some even got some work done on their projects. Here is a recap of the prize winners:

Miscellaneous Sewing Notions – Colleen Dekker

Timeless Treasures 4 Fat Quarters stacks – Barb Bredemeier, Ann Prins, Kris Kennedy, and Lauretta Burrows

Shabby Fabrics Easter Egg table runner kit – Janet Haines

Robert Kaufman batiks 12 Fat Quarters stack – Sonja Swanigan

Grand Prize tisket a tasket complete quilt kit, Fiskars easy action razor-sharp scissors,  WilliRaye Studio patchwork figurine, Riley Blake 4” polka dot magnetic pin bowl, 3.5” Thangles, Clover patchwork pins, Bigby coffee gift card – Betsy Muir

Thanks to Pat Navis, Jim Borgman and Beechwood church for facilities, and Robert Kaufman Fabrics Los Angeles and Timeless Treasures NYC  and individual contributors for their generous prizes.

Barb Schippa

BRQG Special Events Coordinator

 

Final call National Quilting Day Retreat

Feb28

Don’t miss out on the fun! Be sure to send your registration in today.  All forms must be received by Tuesday March 6.

Then watch your in box for information about what to bring, lunch choices, etc. which will be sent shortly afterwards to attendees.

Hope you can join Saturday March 17!

Barb Schippa

BRQG Special Events Coordinator

National Quilting Day Retreat -Sign up now!

Jan4

The holidays went by in a blast. We’ve packed everything away and now we are knee high in snowdrifts, literally, with more on the way! I don’t know about you, but I’m anxious to stay inside behind my neglected sewing machine for some good old fashioned piecing. AKA bonding time with my machine. Quilting time sounds wonderful!!

Which brings me to look ahead towards springtime. Remember to sign up for our Guild sponsored NATIONAL QUILTING DAY RETREAT, Saturday March 17, 2018…a full day of uninterrupted quilting with old friends and new….plus an optional short breakout class.

Download the PDF registration above (see forms and documents above), complete and mail in ASAP to reserve your space.

Retreat cost: $25 per person for members and/or guests. A perfect time to invite a quilting friend. The cost includes a day full of quilting time, your lunch, games and prizes.

(Optional) Sewing kit class cost: $45

When: Saturday, March 17 (Yes, St. Patrick’s day), 2018
Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Beechwood Church main building

Hope to see you in March!

Barb Schippa

BRQG Special Events Coordinator

Muskegon Museum of Art Postcard Salon

Dec9

How timely is this?!? Our guild members just learned to make textile collage postcards and now Muskegon Museum of Art is hosting a their annual post card event called….. Create Awesomeness, Buy Awesomeness.

The exhibition runs February 1-15, 2018.
The Salon Reception is February 15, 5:30-8:00 pm (sale starts at 7:00 PM).
You can join the fun by creating your own cards for the show and attending the party on February 15. All postcards will be on sale for $30 each, so show them, sell them, and buy them.

For more information, and what qualifies as a postcard, check out The Muskegon Museum of Art at:

http://www.muskegonartmuseum.org/postcard-exhibition-salon-sale/

Barb Schippa

BRQG Special Events Coordinator

National Quilting Day Retreat

Dec3

Registration is now open to members and their guests. Download the PDF registration above (see forms and documents above), complete and mail in ASAP to reserve your space.

When: Saturday, March 17 (Yes, St. Patrick’s day), 2018
Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Beechwood Church main building
You’ll enjoy time to work on your own projects, and have lunch with other quilters, see both old friends and meet new, play some fun games and prizes…..and bring your dancing shoes! 😉

Retreat cost: $25 per person for members and/or guests. A perfect time to invite a quilting friend.  The cost includes a day full of quilting time, your lunch, games and prizes.

Sewing kit class cost: $45 – Sign up for an optional 3 hour break out class making a french cartonnage (as in exquisite fabric wrapped boxes) sewing kit taught by Claudia Spuio of ColorWays Studio. Participants need to provide 2 fat quarters.

Detailed information about what to bring will be sent to those that sign up as the date nears.

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Barb Schippa

BRQG Special Events Coordinator