March Fat Quarter Blog
In this issue, scroll down for articles about:
Quilt Registration
New Categories
Community Quilters – a new name
Schedule for Rec Center Displays
Possible Road Trip Events
Raffle Ticket Sales Update
Quilt Registration Opens March 1st
Get those sewing machine engines revved up and humming for the “Best Quilt Show on the Coast” – Quilts by the Sea August 3-4. On-line registration is up and ready for your submissions beginning March 1st. All registrations and pictures must be complete no later than July 5th. The link to registration is under Events/Quilt Show. Also, on that page you will find links to show policies and category descriptions. There are 21 categories – something for everyone and the registration process guides you through to the category that best describes your quilt. Except for the possible combination of Solo and Ensemble when there are too few entries, categories will not be combined.
It is your choice whether or not your quilt is to be judged or for display only, but only judged entries are eligible for placement ribbons or other awards made by the judge. Judged items will be limited to 180 and will be on a first come basis, so it is to your advantage to register early. Unlike last year, there is no limit on the number of entries you may enter, but lower priority entries may be dropped in favor of allowing each member to display an entry in the show. As registration picks up, counts of entries in each category will be published on the web show page.
Our guild has a reputation for a beautiful quilt show and I am sure this year will be no exception.
Janet DeSau and Nan Scott, Registrars
Two new Categories for Registration
Modern
Modern quilts are gaining notoriety in the quilting world and the quilt show committee wanted to honor that by creating a new category especially for modern quilts. So what makes a quilt modern? It is a little nebulous, but you will know one when you see one. The national organization, Modern Quilt Guild, describes the genre this way:
Modern quilts are primarily functional and inspired by modern design. Modern quilters work in different styles and define modern quilting in different ways, but several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt. These include, but are not limited to: the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. “Modern traditionalism” or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting.
We will have a display board made by Show Co-Chair Jackie Stankey at the March meeting to inspire you and perhaps encourage you to try your hand at a fresh look. When you do there is a category waiting for you.
Paper Pieced
With so many of us taking the mini retreats featuring the designs of Judy Niemeyer, the show committee has defined a category to showcase these stunning quilts and others by designers who use paper piecing as the primary construction technique. This category will be for large wall hangings or bed sized quilts. It should be eye candy to see them all together at the show, but I pity the judge who will have to choose!
Community Quilters – a new name…
I’m Sue Stephenson, and I’ve volunteered to be the coordinator for Community Quilts.
I want to start by changing the name of this committee. It really should be called Community Quilters. That’s every one of you! The work of this committee is truly the basis for everything we do in our Guild. It is what qualifies our group for its tax status and is the main reason given when requesting a fee reduction for the rental of the Recreation Center from the City of Newport for our show. And don’t most of us “donate” the beautiful quilts we make to our friends and family? This goes to the very core of why many of us sew and quilt in the first place.
I am leaving on an extended vacation that has been on the books for over a year, and will not be returning until the first week of April. So, not much will be happening with Community Quilters until April. Because I will not be at the March meeting, I am asking that you NOT bring your donations for Community Quilters until the April Guild meeting. We will also be introducing some new guidelines for fabric and batting donations. Additionally, there will not be a Community Quilters session on the first Thursday of April. We will start fresh in May, and at a new location.
I am counting on all of our members to participate in this committee in one way or the other. I know you all want to be a Community Quilter!
Quilt Display at the Rec Center
I will be chairing the committee for hanging quilts for display at the Newport Rec Center.
This is my plan: I would like to put up new quilts every other month or so. I will pick them up at the guild meeting and return them to you at the guild meeting. Please have a hanging sleeve and a name tag with your name, title for your quilt and whether your quilt is for sale and how much. If someone wants to buy your quilt I will give them your phone number. I would appreciate 6 to 8 quilts. They can be bed quilts or wall quilts.
Here is the theme schedule:
March – April Spring
May – June Summer
July – September Patriotic
Oct – Nov Holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Fall)
Dec – Jan Christmas, Hanukah, etc.
Hope you all will be willing to share your beautiful quilts with everyone who comes into the Rec Center.
Upcoming Shows and Hops
The following events are also listed on the web calendar. Contact Linda Reeve if you are interested in a road trip.
March
Milwaukie Center Quilt Show – March 16 & 17, cost $5.00
5440 SE Kellogg Creek Rd
Milwaukie, Or
April
Umpqua Valley Quilters Show – April 20, 21, & 22,
Douglas County Fairgrounds, Douglas Hall
Roseburg, Or
Central Oregon Shop Hop – April 26 – 28,
2 in Bend, La Pine, Redmond, Prineville, Sisters
Raffle Ticket Sales Update
More than 2000 tickets have been sold and another 1000 are in member’s hands for distribution. We printed 10,000 so we still have a way to go, but that is a respectable showing for sales since the January release. The quilt has been well received and ticket sales were brisk at the Albany quilt show and the International Art Quilt Show in Yachats. Ruth Stole of Family Fabrics in Waldport sold 250 during the 101 Quilt Run.
In March “Ocean in Motion” will be touring shops in Jefferson, Salem, and Albany. In April it will move to Corvallis, Philomath and then down to Brookings.
Pick up as many packets of tickets as you want at each meeting either to sell or to buy for yourself. We are hoping this quilt will be a successful fund raiser for the guild. All unsold tickets, ticket stubs, and money collected must be returned no later than the July meeting. The final sales push will be at the show and the drawing will be on Saturday August 4th.
Ruth Hutmacher and Nan Scott
2018 Raffle Quilt Co-Chairs