May 2006
Newsletter

The Next Meeting

We will meet Wednesday, May 17th, at HB Stowe School on Post Office Road, doors open at 6:30pm and the meeting will begin at 7:00pm.

We will be having our annual Auction (remember to bring in any
sewing/quilting related items for our annual fundraiser)
and Show and Tell.

REFRESHMENTS:
Food: Bonnie MacMaster, Betty Pearson, Dolores Lane
Beverage: Vivian Ritchie, Jean Hoagland

Workshop

Our monthly workshop is Wednesday night
May 10th at the Senior Center, from 6:30 – 8pm.

Jean Hoagland will be teaching us: Topic, Machine quilting.

Please bring the following:
Sewing machine with a green dot quilting needle., contrasting thread, walking foot, and quilting or darning foot, pencils, ruler, scissors, extension cords.

Make two (2) pieces of quilting fabric, that is top, batting, and backing about 14 inches or so square. The fabric should be plain like muslin or what ever else you have around. Make sure that the thread is contrasting so that you can see the stitches. Baste these two samples together. If you have bobbin thread which is number 60 weight bring it too.

Dates to Remember

Sat-Sun, May 6-7, 2006
Northern Star Quilter's Guild, Ltd.
"A World of Quilts"
JFK High School
Rte. 138,
Somers, NY

Sat, May 20, 2006
Enfield Quilt Guild's Bus Trip to Keepsake Quilting and side trip to Moultonborough Barn, plus dinner @ Hart's Turkey Restaurant.
Bus leaves Bob's commuter parking lot at 8am and returns at 8:30pm.

Fri-Sun, Jun 2-4, 2006
GHQG Quilters Retreat
Incarnation Center,
253 Bushy Hill RD,
Ivoryton, CT.

Fri-Sun, June 30, July 1-2, 2006
Vermont Quilt Festival (30th anniversary)
Quilt Exhibits: Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, VT
Workshops & Lectures: ST. Michael’s College, Colchester, Vt.

Thu-Sat, July 27-29
Quilt Odyssy Quilt Show,
Hershey, Pa.

Thu-Sun, July 27-30
The 11th annual Northeast Quilt Festival,
"Connecticut's Got Quilts"
Crown Plaza,
Cromwell, CT

Misc. Announcements

A big THANK YOU to all of you who made nine patches and/or donated pink fabric. The response has been wonderful. Sally

Last call for Humbags for the Veterans in Rocky Hill! We could also use some of the toiletry items to put in the bags we have. Many thanks to all who participated, from the vets. Cyndy Ostrout

Betty Pearson would like to thank everyone who remembered her while she was in the hospital, rehab center and recovering at home!

Quilting Tips

To check on whether a fabric is going to bleed, tear a small piece of muslin in half and throw one half in the washer and dryer with the dark fabric and then compare with the other half.

To cut down on fraying, cut the edges with pinking shears, serge the edges or cut off a small corner on each edge.

Stabilize fabric with spray starch when ironing.

When rotary cutting the same size strip again and again, attach a small pile of sticky notes to your ruler so the fabric can be snugged up against the same line each time.

Sew a sample block before starting your quilt to check your accuracy and to make sure you like your color combinations.

Save your sample blocks and when you have enough, sew them together into a crazy patch sampler quilt. Makes a great picnic blanket.

Turn your ironing board around to iron large pieces of fabric.

To make cutting fabric easier, cut through a fabric softener sheet before you start.

Use artists' graphite paper to trace quilting patterns onto your quilt top. It comes in black and white and washes out completely.

Thread cut at an angle will go through the eye of a needle more easily. Don't wet your thread. It absorbs moisture and gets fatter.

A large flashlight under a glass-topped coffee table makes a great light box and never gets too hot.

Throw bonded quilt batting in the dryer on the fluff cycle for five minutes to remove the creases.

When basting your quilt, tape the backing to a tile (or any gridded) floor with masking tape before adding the batting and top. Line everything up and it will stay square throughout the basting process.

When basting, pull a long length of thread halfway through. Two people can use the same thread going in opposite directions and you'll have fewer knots.

Store quilts in progress, and the fabric that accompanies them, in cotton pillow cases rather than plastic bags. Pin one square of the project on the outside to identify it. Hang the pillowcase from a clip-type skirt hanger.

Once your fingers becomes callused, run an emery board across it to smooth and toughen it.

Use fusible thread in the bobbin when sewing on the binding. Just turn and press and the binding will fuse in place. You still need to sew it, but you won't need to pin.

When cutting out a complicated block with many pieces, if you're not ready to sew it together, place the pieces in the block formation on the shiny side of a piece of freezer paper and press in place with a warm iron. The pieces will stick until you're ready to peel them off and sew them together.

When sewing late into night, choose white over red and M & M's over chocolate covered cherries.

Submittals for Our News Letter

If you have news or events, Classified Ads or other information you would like to submit for publication, please Email it to Vicky, or mail it to Vicky Altenhein, 3 Elizabeth St., Enfield, CT 06082, or call 745-4956. The deadline for newsletter submittals is the first Wednesday of the month. (June 7)

    Thou Shalt not Covet your best friend's Stash!

    Thou Shalt keep your collection of quilting
    books smaller than that of the local library!

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