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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

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.

 

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

Circular Abstractions exhibit returns

Sep21

In case you missed the CIRCULAR ABSTRACTIONS exhibit at the Muskegon Museum of Art last year, it returns to west Michigan beginning this Saturday, September 23, 2017 thru January 18, 2018 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art, 314 S. Park St., in Kalamazoo.

Not our grandmas quilts, the curated collection by 24 artists focuses on quilt as fiber art using fabric as the medium. This bold exhibit of “Bull’s Eye Quilts” is a celebration of improvisational design and the skill of the artist, using the elements of art — pattern, color, design, composition, rhythm, value, and movement. Each quilt pushes the boundaries of quilt, fiber, craft and art. Whether you are a traditional, modern or art quilter, you will be awed by the bold color, striking design and incredible workmanship of this collection.

The traveling exhibit was curated by world renown quiltmaker and artist Nancy Crow.  A quilter for 40 years works from her studio and teaching facility on her 100-acre farm east of Columbus, Ohio, known to students as “the barn”.  Her intense master level classes fill a year in advance. Nancy has forged quilt making as art thru solo exhibitions at the Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC; the Museum of Arts & Design in New York City; the Cultural Arts Museum, Konstanz, Germany; the Auckland Art Museum and the Hawke’s Bay Exhibition Centre, New Zealand; The International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Carnegie Mellon University’s Regina Miller Gouger Galleries, Pittsburgh, PA. She has taught quiltmaking in Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, England, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and South Africa. She is featured in two recent books: Nancy Crow , and a Synderman Gallery exhibition catalog titled Crossroads: Constructions, Markings, and Structures; and has authored several quilting books.

For more information: http://www.kiarts.org/page.php?page_id=1551

Barb Schippa

BRQG member and blog contributor

Looking for something to do?

Jun20

Last weeks unseasonal heat wave is behind us (finally) and comfortable temps are back. Yippee! And tomorrow is the first day of summer, which means a day trip here or there exploring the abundance our area has within a short drive.

In case you are looking for something “quilty” to do on a local level, consider making a day trip to Shipshewana for the annual quilt festival.  Beginning Wednesday June 21 thru Saturday June 24, the town swells with quilters from all over the country hosting the 2017 Shipshewana Quilt Festival.

This year, the men are taking over the festival.   Nationally known quilters Ricky Tims, Rob Appell, Jerry Granata and Doug Leko along with Mark Dunn owner of MODA will headline the show with years of experience thru daily lectures.  And those piano tunes by Ricky…..awesome.

The festival includes over 300 quilts, plenty of vendors, and all things quilty appealing to any style…….whether modern, art or traditional there is something for everyone. For more information check out their website:   http://www.shipshewanaquiltfest.com/

Barb Schippa

BRQG member and blog contributor

 

 

Tulip Time Quilt Show 2016

May9

 

Today was the perfect time to see this year’s entrants in the Tulip Time Quilt Show, before the crowds get bigger and you have a hard time seeing the beautiful work submitted by our many talented area quilters.

Each year I leave inspired, seeing a new twist on an old pattern or some entirely new idea.  This year’s show has both, from the patterns and colors reflecting days gone by to many exciting quilts with lively colors and patterns.

There is truly something for everyone. And like years past, it’s fun to eavesdrop on conversations about what the viewers liked (or didn’t) about a piece. Art is so subjective! Either way, we are so fortunate to have such a large pool of talented fiber artists in the Holland/Zeeland area that are willing to share their work.

Here’s a snippet of some of the beautiful quilts, but I hope you can make the show in person. Check out the line for dates and times:

https://www.tuliptime.com/events/quilt-show-2016-05-07/

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

Barb Schippa,

Big Red Quilters Guild Secretary

 

Muskegon Museum of Art Exhibit and Workshop

Apr1

Upcoming exhibit and workshop at the MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART

Big Red Quilters Guild members can enjoy a RARE workshop opportunity taught by world renown quilt artist Nancy Crow, in nearby Muskegon in conjunction with an exhibit the same week.

WORKSHOP – Improvisational Exercises 
5 days, August 22-26, 2016
Instructor: Nancy Crow
Level: Intermediate to Advanced (sewing machine used)
Class Fee: $675 ($500 is non-refundable)
Location: Century Club Ballroom (a block from the museum in downtown Muskegon

 http://www.centuryclubballroom.com/)

This brand new 5-day class has been specifically developed for students desirous of being far more experimental using machine-piecing techniques. Students will be expected to work spontaneously and intuitively with nontraditional quilt-making techniques as they explore design exercises that promote improvisational approaches to composition without benefit of “pre-planning” and “intellectualizing.”

If students want to learn to work more effectively, more efficiently from “instincts” and “intuition” they must come with an open mind and no agendas, ready for growth and for risk-taking!

NOTE: This workshop runs during the same week as the opening (Thursday, Aug 25) of Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts, an exhibit curated by Nancy Crow. The exhibition will have an accompanying catalog that will be for sale. The museum is near Lake Michigan and within a short drive of both Muskegon and Gerald Ford International Airports (Grand Rapids).

To secure your spot the museum is asking for the full payment of $675 (credit card or check payment). Please call 231-720-2587 to register or ask questions.

Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave
Muskegon, MI 49440
Phone: 231-720-2570

http://www.muskegonartmuseum.org/event/nancy-crow-workshop/