Meeting Notes: April 2013

This is the last meeting that will be held at the New Pieces Quilt Shop! As a thank you to Sharona for hosting our meetings, we gifted a handmade sign to her shop to show how much we appreciate her store and her generosity in letting us hold our meetings there for the past years. Our next several meetings will be held at A Verb For Keeping Warm (AVFKW) on a trial basis. The store is located at 6328 San Pablo Ave, Oakland 94608. We are so grateful to Kristine in giving us this chance to meet at her store. The time has not changed- we will continue to meet on the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm.

Thanks to everyone that filled out our survey. It was helpful to gauge what people are thinking at this time on the various issues that we have currently in our group. Here’s a brief recap on the survey results:

Most of the people who took the survey come to our meetings on a frequent basis and they live in either Berkeley or Oakland/ Piedmont. Most of our members are not affiliated with EBHQ, however many of us do belong to another MQG group. Most people felt that our guild is just the right size with several that think we are getting too big.

Overwhelmingly, people do not want this guild to change and maintaining affiliation  with the MQG is only slightly more important than becoming a SIG with EBHQ. Also, group autonomy was only slightly more important to our members than having the support/ insurance of a larger guild. About 55% of the people who took the survey are willing to be an officer to maintain our status with a larger guild. Meeting like-minded quilters and Show and Tell are the most important aspects that people like in our guild. Our show, Stitch Modern, ranks third in importance.

Most people do not mind paying dues and spending $45 and $55 per year tied at first place as being an acceptable amount someone would be willing to pay for membership dues. If dues were collected, people wanted it to be used for the meeting location. However, workshops and guest speakers rank 2nd and 3rd in importance. Other ideas for using the money include covering our basic costs, philanthropic ventures and that we fund for all items listed in the survey. Overwhelmingly, the most important extra event that people wanted the guild to support is our show, Stitch Modern. Guest lectures and workshops rank 2nd and 3rd in importance.

The most important aspect in a new meeting location is parking, followed by the ability to display quilts and adequate room for current group size.

Last year we started Sew Days, however most people couldn’t attend due to the time it was offered and of prior commitments. It appears that all day Sunday would be a better time for the most people.

Many people contributed additional comments and the most frequent point made is that they love the way this guild is currently run, especially our informal and friendly atmosphere. The most common complaints include needing a larger space to meet, needing better electronic communication, and poor viewing of quilts/ speakers due to space limitations and/ or how we are set up around the tables. The most common reasons people like EBMQG include our autonomy and doing what we want, Stitch Modern, and Show and Tell.

It’s a lot to consider in regards to all the issues (meeting location, joining MQG, or joining EBHQ) that our guild is currently facing. Obviously there will be a lot of changes up ahead so please keep an open mind and let’s continue the conversation at our next meeting!

And last, but not least, we said our goodbyes to Lauren with an after meeting party at Picante. We will miss her wonderful personality and presence at our meetings, but we wish her lots of fun (and fabric) in Japan!

Please show your support and check out these upcoming events!

May 8th – June 9th

32nd Annual Quilt Show at the Central Berkeley Library on the second floor.

May 20th

Our member, Joel, will be a featured quilter at the next EBHQ meeting. There is a $5 charge to attend the meeting if you are not a member.

Why EBMQG is amazing!!!

Tuesday night was my last meeting at the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild for at least three years. I will literally be in the air going to Japan during the May meeting! This is kind of tough for me because of what this guild has done for me as a quilter and as a person.

It seems like a broad statement, but I look at my journey from my first meeting in January 2011 to now and I am a completely different quilter. It took many quiet days in my sewing room to contemplate and many conversations with my husband in order to put into words what the difference was. I could say that I know more about technical quilting items. The amount of talent our guild has is amazing and I have learned an incredible amount from all of them, but my change was more than that. I could say that I have experienced more. I have gone through quilt shows, fabric panels, QuiltCon, fabric challenges and more, but my change is more than that. I could say that I have had an education in what makes quilting an important craft and not just a hobby. I have been inspired by Thomas Knauer, seen Sherri Lynn Woods speak, took a class with Elizabeth Hartman, and I am now aware of fabric designers and their contribution to quilting, but my change is so much more than that.

This guild gave me my confidence. I was ready to walk away from quilting in frustration from the negative influences that were telling me my ideas were not possible and that I needed to follow what everyone else was doing when I found EBMQG. I found a guild that didn’t want to tell me how to quilt or tell me what to make, but encourage me to follow my ideas, They gave me the confidence to experiment, the confidence to fail, and the confidence to fall back in love with this wonderful craft. This confidence has spilled into other parts of my life and for that I can not thank you all enough.

I hear conversations or see them on different pages about why quilters should join a guild and here is my argument for why quilters should indeed join a guild. I think every quilter should have a group of people this amazing (modern or not) surrounding them to let them know that their point of view matters, their opinion matters, they creativity matters, and that they have a seat at the table. It really is an amazing experience.

Thank you to all the EBMQG members for my going away and for all the confidence you have helped me gain. I go to Japan ready for my next quilting adventure ready to learn and share. Below are picture of some going away gifts.

My going away pillow!! It was made of 6×6 blocks that different members created in shades of orange and red. I love it!!! The quilting is great and the zipper is amazing!!! I love it!!!!

And so does my 4 year old. I found him on it the next morning and he keeps telling me he wants it. I told him, “tough, it’s got my name on it!” I am pretty sure this fight will be for a while;)

Valerie made me pot holders and included a picture of the trip from QuiltCon. I guess she didn’t get her blocks in on time which works out nicely since I need pot holders. And I love the memories from Quilt Con. At the 80′s dance party, she had the best turquoise bike shorts on and watching her dance to Billy Jean was a kind of amazing. Good Times!!

Amelia brought  me flowers! I love flowers…thanks:)

And not pictured is the fun “after party” at Picante’s. Margaritas, guacamole, and quilt talk…I could have stayed all night!!! You all are amazing!!!!

Thanks to those who came and to those that couldn’t make it … I love you all!!

I leave you all with this bible verse ( I hope this doesn’t weird anyone out, but if it does….I am leaving anyway!!!):

Phillipians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. (NIV)

Please take a moment…

Dear Friends of EBMQG:

As you may know our guild is anticipating some changes ahead.  You can find notes from our last meeting on our blog if you missed it.   In order to meet the needs of the group we are asking you to answer some questions.  Keep in mind this is a beginning point in our discussions, and we understand that your opinions may change over the course of further talks.  Beware, there may be more surveys in your future!

Please read the following background information:  a letter/proposal from East Bay Heritage Quilters here and the FAQ regarding the new structure of the MQG here before answering the survey.  We very much appreciate comments from an informed group of quilters and also ask that you take the survey only once.

The last day to take the survey will be Friday, April 26th so that Kristen and Terri have time to pull the data together in a coherent way before our meeting on the 30th.  If you have any questions, be sure to comment on this post and we’ll try to help you.  Thanks so much for your thoughtful participation.

And finally, here is the link to our survey on SoGo Survey.

Meeting Notes – March 2013

My deepest apologies for getting to these notes so late. I have no excuse except that I am moving to Japan…I hope that’s enough;)

Anyway, we have a lot going on with our guild and the national guild so let’s get to it.

As a guild, we have a lot of decisions to make in regards to joining the national Modern Quilt Guild (MQG). This is something each member should be thinking about and researching and something we will be discussing more over the next few months.

I can’t stress enough how this is the beginning of this discussion and no decisions will be made right away so please do not panic as different ideas are brought up. No decisions need to be made until January 2014.

At QuiltCon, it was announced that the MQG will now get 501(c) status as a non profit. All chapters that want to be associated with the MQG will need to make changes regarding their finances and leadership. Our guild would need to do the following:

1. create bylaws

2. create a bank account

3. start paying dues

4. create a board

We will have to pay into the national Modern Quilt Guild in order to use the term Modern Quilt Guild. We would have access to a centralized web site that we could use to contact other guilds more easily (for swaps or meet ups, etc). The MQG has said that any information on this site will not be sold. We would receive discounted entry fees for MQG events, advanced registration on MQG conferences, permission to use the MQG logo, and ability to enter MQG shows. MQG would also help get us insurance for events our local chapter holds for a discounted price. We would also receive a membership cards, a MQG pin, and blog button.

The cost is based on the total number of members. The more members, the higher the cost.

If our guild chooses not to join, individual members can join the MQG as individuals. They would not have access to the data base, but they would get everything else mentioned above.

Some Pros and Cons were discussed at the meeting:

Con – Some guilds are already set up for being a non profit. This is a lot of work and burn out from members is very high. There would need to be a constant stream of new members to keep the guild going. We would be starting from square one.

Pro – The National Guild would be able to help us get started.

Con – Joining the national guild could result in restrictions on our own autonomy.

Pro – We would be included in all the fabric challenges and have easy access to contact other guilds.

Some suggestions:

1. Sit back and see what happens. We don’t need to do anything until January 2014. It may be wise to see how other guilds are effected before we make the leap.

2. Become our own independent guild. We may have to change our name since MQG may not allow us to use the term MQG. (I like East Bay Contemporary Fabric/Textile Arts Guild).

3. Take the plunge and join the national MQG. A lot of other guilds are really excited about becoming organized.

4. Join East Bay Heritage Quilters. They have invited us to have our own special interests branch of their guild. We could have a members on the board and they would help us pay for speakers and other events.

This is a lot of information and you may be feeling overwhelmed. So we only ask that right now, everyone think about what they want out of our guild. Do you want more social activities? public service projects? swaps? lectures? talks? classes? anything? This is really the best starting place as we begin to navigate this change.

Check out this webinar for more information on the National MQG. You will be required to register, but it is very informative. 

Regardless of how we go, we know for sure that we are outgrowing our space. We can’t thank Sharona enough for being so gracious with her shop, but we need to find a bigger space! Please contact Stacey for any ideas.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles made their money!! They were almost forced to close due to lack of funds, but the community rallied and they are now okay. Now time for a field trip.

Our own Kim Anderson not only won the Printed Bolt challenge, but she also won the People’s Choice. Congrats!!! The voting for the second challenge just started so go over and check out her new design, Up in the Air!

Now for something sad.

Our next meeting  will be the last meeting for me before I depart for Japan. I know that most of you will be wearing black and holding back sobs and I suspect that a few of you will probably throw yourselves on the ground begging for me to stay. Due to this our meeting will be a short one. For those able to control your wailing we ask that you join us at Picante just down the street for a solemn goodbye. Please feel free to prepare speeches on how I helped you become the quilter that you are today and how you aren’t sure the East Bay quilt scene will go on with out me…

KIDDING!!!! But seriously, it will be a short meeting followed by margaritas at Picante!!!!

February Meeting Notes

Spring is here and can you believe how quickly winter went??!! This was our first meeting since November (technically we had a January meeting, but we used it hanging Stitch Modern) and we had a lot to go over.

First off…

STITCH MODERN WAS A SUCCESS!!! We had a really good showing at our second annual quilt show. Stacey wrote up a good review in another post which you can check out here. Thanks to everyone for their hard work!! Now, time to start planning for next year;)

If you missed the talk at A Verb for Keeping Warm about Rabari Applique or you were there and want to learn more, Kristine Vejar is having a class at her shop on March 24. For more information check out this link.

Tony Fisher, the marketing and community relations person at Healdsburg Senior Living, has invited our guild to participate in a quilt show. Last year’s show was a big success and they are expecting a bigger turn out this year. The show will be Saturday April 13 from 9 am to 4 pm at Healdsburg Senior Living. They would like 6-10 (depending on size) quilts that would hang from lines (so no hanging sleeve required). There will be prize money involved. Please think about if you are interested in hanging a quilt in this show and if you are available to volunteer that day. Here is a link to last years show.

QuiltCon was awesome!!! Several of our guild members attended and had a great time…maybe too good a time?! Three of members had quilts hanging, Joel Ignacio’s “Decoded Paragraph”, Dan Rouse’s “Hurle Burle Marx”, andf “Terri Carpenter’s Flock of Starlings”. Not only did Terri get in, but she won!!!! She placed first in Piecing, Small Category. Good job everyone!!!! (If you want to see the all the winning quilts check out  here and here) If you missed the fun you can watch the lectures for free on Craftsy!!

Speaking of awesome and talented guild members, our own Kim Anderson is a finalist in Repeat(Ed) on The Printed Bolt. She will be competing in a series of challenges with fabric design. Great Job and we look forward to seeing your creations, Kim!!!

We have a block challenge for our guild members. This was not discussed at the meeting because we ran out of time and didn’t create it until most everyone left…oops! It started when we got a bundle of super cute fabric, but didn’t have enough for everyone. Our solution is as follows:

1. Create a 12″ block that describes you. This may be simple piecing, paper piecing, applique…whatever. We just want a block that expresses who you are.

2. Quilt the block as you see fit. This means it must have three layers and can be tied, hand quilted, or quilted by machine…what ever fits you best.

3. Bind the quilted block as you see fit. We are open to creativity on this. You can do a traditional binding or a zig zag/serging stitch.

4. Bring the block to the March EBMQG meeting to share and be entered in a drawing for a fat quarter bundle! It is just that easy!!

Feel free to post your block progress in our Flickr and check out this link for more information.

This weekend is the San Fransisco Quilter Guild show Evolution of an Art Form in which we will have a special exhibit. The show is Saturday, March 9 from 10:00 – 5:00 and Sunday, March 10 10:00 – 4:00 at the Concourse Exhibition Center 635 – 8th Street, San Francisco.

You do not need to volunteer to have a quilt hanging, but any help would be really appreciated. Set up will be Friday at 11. We will be hanging out show. We need volunteers during the show to answer question and hang out by our quilts. We would take everything down on Sunday at 4. There are more details in our Google group.

If you want to have a quilt in the show please register it here. We need to know how much room we need so please do this ASAP!!! Also, make sure that your quilt will have transportation to the show and a hanging rod.

For more information please join check out our Google group.

Stitch Modern 2013 Wrap Up

The month of February was quilt crazy!  The East Bay Modern Quilt Guild’s second annual show, Stitch Modern, was a huge success.  We hung the show again in the lovely Piedmont Center for the Arts and had so many wonderful quilts that we almost ran out of wall space!

We started the month-long show with a big opening night party and everyone was invited.  The food was almost as amazing as the quilts!

The East Bay Modern Quilt Guild! (At least, all the members we could wrangle into one spot at one time – there are many more that are missing from this photo!)

In conjunction with the show, the guild decided to host some quilt-related events.  We began with a lecture and trunk show by the artist, Sherri Lynn Wood.  She spoke about her work with textiles and her method of improvisational quilting.  Her talk was inspirational and thought-provoking and her presentation was a gorgeous riot of color.  I know that quite a few of us left with new ideas about how to approach our own projects.

Our next event was a Fabric and Textile Panel Discussion with Pati Fried, Jennifer Moore, Sandy Klop, Carol Van Zandt, and Ellen Heck and moderated by Kim Andersson.  It was such a success that we almost ran out of space in the gallery to seat everyone!   It was a great honor having these women come and share their knowledge and experience.  We all learned so much about the design process and some of us even won fabric from the designers!  It was a great afternoon!

The following afternoon, we were back in the gallery for Family Day.  Kids and grown-ups alike stopped by to play with fabric, glitter and glue to make Valentine’s Day cards.  The kids that couldn’t sit still long enough to make a card ran about the gallery on a quilt scavenger hunt.

The next event was a lecture by Kristine Vejar about her work in India studying the appliqué quilts of a nomadic group called Rabari.  She showed us many amazing pictures from her time there and shared her even more amazing Rabari textile collection.  Wow.  The attention to detail in the hand-work is unbelievable.  I can’t wait to take her Rabari appliqué class and give it a try!

Our final event was to host our monthly Sew Saturday in the gallery.  (In case you want to attend in the future, we usually have these meetings at the North Berkeley Public Library.  Check our events listing for specific details!)

If you missed Stitch Modern at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, you can still catch it on March 9 and 10th at the SF Quilt Guild’s annual show at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco.  If you miss it there, you can see what you missed over on the Stitch Modern Flickr group!

Thank you so much to all of the speakers, volunteers, and of course, the makers who all helped to make Stitch Modern 2013 such a spectacular quilt show!

*Most of the photos shown above were taken by Joel Ignacio. Thank you, Joel!

Block Challenge/Fabric Giveaway

My apologies for not discussing this at last night’s meeting…with everything going on, we simply forgot.

We have a challenge for you all that includes a very cool fabric giveaway. It all started at our awesome fabric panel at Stitch Modern which featured a wide array of really talented local fabric designers. One of those designers was Jennifer Moore from Monaluna.

She has a new line out called Modern Home that is super cute. Jennifer explained to us how this line included a lot of herself such as llamas (which were at her wedding), her cat, her home, etc. She gave us fabric to give to our guild memers, but sadly it was not a lot. And while it is tempting for me to just keep it and not say anything, I won’t;) Instead we are proposing this…participate in the challenge for a chance to win some of this super cute fabric!!

So the challenge is this:

1. Create a 12″ block that describes you. Much like Jennifer put herself into her fabric design, we want you to put yourself into your block. This may be simple piecing, paper piecing, applique…whatever. We just want a block that expresses who you are.

2. Quilt the block as you see fit. This means it must have three layers and can be tied, hand quilted, or quilted by machine…what ever fits you best.

3. Bind the quilted block as you see fit. We are open to creativity on this. You can do a traditional binding or a zig zag/serging stitch.

4. Bring the block to the March EBMQG meeting to share and be entered in a drawing for a fat quarter bundle! It is just that easy!!

We look forward to see what you guys come up with! Please keep in mind that this will not be judged, you just have to participate:)

Stitch Modern 2013: Schedule of Events

Stitch Modern, the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild’s 2nd annual quilt exhibit is almost here!  The show will be held at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, where it will be on view to the public during regular gallery hours (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-3), as well as during Stitch Modern Special Events.

While we are super excited to show you our fresh, new quilts, we will also be hosting a lot of really spectacular textile-related events in conjunction with the show.

Please click on the links below to get more information about each event.

Stitch Modern 2013 Special Events

Feb 2: 6pm – 9pm Opening Reception, Piedmont Center for the Arts

We begin the exhibit by inviting you to our Opening Night Reception.  Everyone is invited to come to this fun, informal party to view the quilts and to meet the artists.  The reception will be held at the Piedmont Center for the Arts .

Feb 5: Lecture: Modern Improv Quilting and Process by Sherri Lynn Wood 7-8:30, Piedmont Center for the Arts, $5 entry fee

Feb 9: Textile Design Panel Discussion and Q&A, featuring Ellen Heck, Pati Fried, Sandy Klop, Jennifer Moore, Carol Van Zandt and moderated by Kim Andersson 12:30-1:30, Piedmont Center for the Arts

Feb 10: Family Activity Day including quilting and design demos 12:00-2:30, Piedmont Center for the Arts

Feb 13: Lecture: Threads of Transition, Patterns of Change: Rabari Appliquéd Textiles of India a lecture by Kristine Vejar 7-8:30, **To be held at A Verb for Keeping Warm**

Feb 16: Sew SaturDay with East Bay Modern Quilt Guild 12-3, Piedmont Center for the Arts

Handmade Market – Held during most special events, Piedmont Center for the Arts. Our members have tons of talent and will be selling an assortment of handmade items at some of the special events – so make sure to bring your wallet in case you see a one of a kind item that you can’t live without!

All of these events are open to the public and most are free of charge. We hope you’ll join us and find out why we are SO EXCITED about quilting!

Press Release

Stitch Modern 2013 Event: Family Activity Day with Quilting and Design Demos

Family Day at Stitch Modern is back! Bring the kiddos and join us on February 10th from 12:00 -2:30 for a fun day with textiles. Last year, this event was a great hit with kids and grown-ups alike.

Stitch Modern Family Day

There will be a scavenger hunt, fun crafts, and snacks! It will be a great opportunity to explore the world of fabric and thread with your whole family, plus you can check out the quilts of the Stitch Modern 2013 show while you’re there.

So, join us February 10, 2013 from 12:30 – 2:30 at the Piedmont Center for the Arts. This event is open to the public and the cost is FREE!!!

Stitch Modern 2013 Event: Threads of Transition, Patterns of Change: Rabari Appliquéd Textiles of India a lecture by Kristine Vejar

Please join the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild for a lecture by Kristine Vejar, founder of A Verb for Keeping Warm, as she discusses the gorgeous, appliqued textiles of three nomadic camel herding tribes in India, known as Rabari.

Kristine has a deep love and appreciation for natural fibers, natural dyes, and textile traditions. She has received numerous accolades for her work, including a Fulbright Grant to India, and has consulted with the Textile Museum in Washington DC. She opened her Oakland shop, A Verb for Keeping Warm as a way to combine her work in India with her life in the U.S.

A Rabari camel cover applique, c. 1960.

Threads of Transition, Patterns of Change: Rabari Appliqued Textiles of India includes colorful textiles made by three distinct communities of semi nomadic camel herders in India.  Kristine’s talk will present examples of textiles that would be included as part of a dowry: camel covers, quilts, wall hangings and bags. Using broadcloth as a canvas, Rabari women appliqué and embroider motifs selected from their remote desert environs of Northern Gujarat, India. With the arrival of the modern age and the decline of their nomadic lifestyle their stories are told through their textiles.

A Vaghadia Rabari woman with her appliqued quilt.

The lecture is based on Kristine’s research during her residence in India on a Fulbright Scholarship from 2001 – 2002 and shows how the three groups of Rabari exhibited changes to their motifs and materials throughout the prior 50 years.  If you want a little sneak peak into Kristine’s experience, you can read the great article written on the Oakland North blog about the Rabari Textile Exhibit when it was on display at A Verb for Keeping Warm in 2011.

A young Rabari woman beginning an applique border.

As with all of the events during Stitch Modern, the general public is welcome (and encouraged!) to attend. This is a free event that will be held at A Verb for Keeping Warm, 6328 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, California 94608.

Capacity to this event is limited to 30 people. Please RSVP to save your spot!

**All photos courtesy of Kristine Vejar**