A day with landscape quilter Ann Loveless – April 25, 2016

After weeks of anticipation 25 eager quilters arrived promptly before 9:00 AM Monday at the Lodge at Beechwood, quickly setting up their sewing stations prepared for a full day of quilting.  Everyone was super excited to learn new techniques from Frankfort Michigan native Ann Loveless, two time award winning ArtPrize landscape quilter.

Ann skillfully demonstrated her cutting techniques making ‘confetti’ for what she calls her “impressionistic art quilts”.  Batik fabrics are cut and layered under a layer of polyester tulle which is then free motion machine quilted.  The confetti colors act like a painters color palette, inspired by trillium woodland photos taken by Ann's husband Steve Loveless.

Later in the day the entire guild including 3 new members and more than 40 guests gathered at Beechwood Church for Ann’s presentation and trunk show.

Guests who paid $5 tonight were reminded they may join the guild for $10 for membership which runs thru September.

Program Chair Kathy Mueller gave information on upcoming programs, including the Red and White Challenge, plans for a hands-on wool project at our November sew-in meeting and no December meeting.

Pat Navis announced preliminary plans for a bus trip October 22 to Shipshewana, and a charity quilt project for Holland police department, which people will have an opportunity to work on next month at our sew-in. More details will follow on these in the upcoming weeks.

At the end of the program members shared their “show and tell” quilts, including those who attended Ann’s workshop showing their wooded landscape projects completed so far.

REMINDER - all RED & WHITE QUILT CHALLENGE entry forms are due NO LATER than Monday, April 25.  Quilts made within the challenge period (January 2015 thru May 2016) will be accepted for judging and awards. Guild members that have red and white quilts made outside the challenge period, including vintage or antique quilts, may submit an entry form and be entered for "showing" only and not considered for awards.

REMINDER - please forward all information on the quilting bees you are in to Barb Schippa no later than Monday, April 25. A list will be made available to members on the website soon.

PROGRAM REMINDER - Big Red Quilters Guild is very excited to welcome Ann Loveless, 2 time Art Prize winner to our guild Monday April 25.  Our evening program will be held at Beechwood Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Rd. Holland MI 49424. Social time begins at 6:30, with the program beginning at 7:00. Please be sure to join us for a wonderful evening, and invite your friends and neighbors. Program is open to the public, guild members are free, guests $5.00. Hope you can join us!

Lots of events coming up April 25!

Ann Loveless workshop reminder

Big Red Quilters Guild is very excited to welcome Ann Loveless, 2 time Art Prize winner to our guild Monday April 25. 

Details for the Ann Loveless daytime workshop are as follows:

Start time - 9:00 AM sharp, the building will be open 1/2 hour prior for setup, with a break for lunch. Kathy will be sending lunch information to each participant soon.

Location - Beechwood Church Lodge, 895 Ottawa Beach Rd. Holland MI 49424 (same location as the sew in)

For further questions call Kathy Meuller, Program Chair at (616) 399-4685.

Supply list:

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/

Greetings fellow BIG RED QUILTERS GUILD members! Your feedback matters!  We have new and existing members that would like to join in the fun at the many area quilting bees, but they may not know where to find them, or when they meet.  I announced at our last guild meeting that we’d soon be collecting information about all the different quilting bees in our area.  However, we need to hear from you in order to do that.  Once compiled, the information will be available to our membership on our soon-to-be-launched website…..which is also very exciting!

The next step requires you, and it’s very simple.  Tell us about the bee(s) you are in using the information below.  If you would like to join a bee, tell us that too.  As you are filling out the info, keep these descriptions in mind:

1.     OPEN bees – always open to new members/attendees (these typically meet in churches or public spaces)

2.     CLOSED bees - not able to take new members based on limited meeting space (these usually meet in homes)

Here’s an example to help you get started, then return this to me with your information NO LATER THAN MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2016.

Bee Name:   Always in Stitches

Contact:   Sally Leep, 616.772.2041, quiltbug51@gmail.com

Day:  1st and 3rd Thursday of the month

Cost:  None

Time:  6:00-9:00 PM

Place:   Zeeland, Howard Miller Library

Open or closed:  Open

Looking for a bee:

Thanks in advance!

Barb Schippa

BRQG Secretary

Sew In Reminder.....

Treat yourself to a relaxing evening quilting among fellow guild members this coming Monday, March 28, for Big Red Quilters Guild Sew In Night. Bring your machine, hand work or cutting project and join us from 6:00 -9:00 PM at the Lodge at Beechwood Church. 

See you there!

Barb Schippa
BRQG Secretary

BRQG General Meeting - School House Techniques

BRQG General Meeting 2/22/16

6:30 pm social time/7:00 pm general meeting

Beechwood Church

Pat opened the meeting at 7:00 pm. We will have announcements then move into our evening program

PRESIDENT/Pat Navis

Pat asked 3 new members to stand and be welcomed.  So glad you decided to join us!

At also shared we are looking for a volunteer to lead our charitable effort, children’s comfort quilts for the police department in difficult situations such as accident scenes, home fires, or when they are removed from their home. These could be completed at our sew in or at separate times.  Please consider this important new guild effort if you have a heart for helping children.

SECRETARY/Barb Schippa

Beekeeper- the guild will begin collecting bee information sometime in the next month, both open (always taking new members) and closed (in home, limited by space) bees. Once the info is collected it will be organized and made available on our soon to be created website (yes, you read right….we are getting a website!).  Please be sure to complete the bee information request so we can share with all guild members soon.

June/Red & White Challenge – the guild is very excited to see all the various entries in our upcoming red and white challenge. Important dates to keep in mind – entry forms must be turned in by April 25 program night so we can determine how much space/time will be needed to display and judge the quilts. Quilts need to be delivered by June 25…..see the entry forms and rule sheets for more specific information.

QUESTION – what does ‘made during the challenge period’ mean? – Quilts considered for judging must be made between the time we announced June 2015 and June 2016.  Some members have vintage or antique red and whites they’d like to share, but these will not be considered for awards.

PROGRAM/Kathy Mueller

April 25, 2016/2 time Art Prize winner Ann Lovelace program and workshop

Kathy has supply lists plus we will put it on the blog (see below).

All spots are full, plus 5 waitlisted….don’t give up!  Members get priority if space opens.

Workshop will be in the lodge, and start time will be announced soon.

Be sure to invite friends to the evening program as it’s sure to be a great time!

February/School House Techniques

Kathy has an evening filled with fun and learning, and while getting to know other guild members. She asked everyone to stay within their initial group which will rotate through each class segment every 15 minutes.

The following teachers stepped forward to share their skills, each having handouts for everyone:

1. Barb Schippa - Hand Applique 101

2. Mary Voss - Half square triangles 

3. Kathy Mueller - Flying geese

4. Barb Bredemeier – Binding techniques and more

5. Kris Kennedy - Twice as nice clever cutting techniques 

NOTE – normally pictures are taken during this time, but Barb was busy teaching. So sorry!

PRIZE DRAWINGS

Several people won great gifts!  Get busy quilting……

SHOW & TELL

A wide variety of sizes and styles were shared at the end of the evening….all were very inspiring!

Meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm. 

Barb Schippa

BRQG Secretary