Saturday, September 28, 2013

OMQG

Laura Piggott, president, presents her work - the first quilt shown at the first meeting of the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild, Sept. 23, 2013

The Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild became a reality at a fine first gathering last Monday, with about 35 quilters on hand. We all had to tell 2 Truths and 1 Lie about ourselves, and show an item if we brought one.  This took up most of the 2-hour meeting and was well worth it, for the laughs and some eye-opening info. 

There was some small discussion about trying to define what "modern quilting" is, or can be within this Guild. Generalities were cited - negative space, geometric shapes, bold colours, etc . but nothing is etched in stone.
One thing already in the works is a Guild Show in January at a small art gallery in Carleton Place.

Most of the Guild contact will be online through [ the blog ] and  [ flickr group ]

The members are a mix of ages and stages of quilting experience. 
After several quilts were shown, it felt a little funny to show  my modest little Glimma table runner but it is probably the most "modern" thing  in my recent finishes. I have found the only way I will complete things is if I stay small. 

One perk we got was a limited-time 2 for 1 coupon from the Running Stitch quilt shop in Kanata. Nice! Since the demise of  Dragonfly in Ottawa, I go there more often.
 Kaffe Fassett is in Ottawa this weekend, brought in by the shop for a workshop and a lecture. I found out about this too late, alas...


Sunday, September 22, 2013

Start of something new! 
MONDAY September 23rd is the first open meeting of the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild.
An executive committee is already in place and this will be the first chance for quilters to meet and join the guild. The meeting will be at the Ottawa Citizen building on Baxter Road, with entry at 7:20 pm for a meeting start time of 7:30. It will run 'til 9:30.
I'm going to check it out .
:)
It will be weird for me to be back at Baxter Road. I was a freelance writer with the Citizen for 13 years, with a weekly column covering music as well as doing feature stories and interviews, etc, and would often be rushing in late at night to file concert reviews in those pre Wi-Fi days.



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Over-Quilting?


No, we're not "over" quilting, as in finished.
Especially now that researchers in Scotland have found that quilting has health benefits that exercise can't give you - : D.
I mean "over-quilting", as in - to my own taste - over-doing it on one piece.

I see some amazing things, many  truly accomplished and spectacular  but I am also baffled by super heavily quilted pieces.
I always wonder - why?
I guess that's a silly question - one could ask Why? about all kinds of art. Maybe being Amazing is the sum total answer to Why.
Someone else might rightfully ask- Why Not?

But as for me,  minimalism is cool.


This is a finished snack mat/mug rug.
It is not "waiting to be quilted"; it is quilted, with an outline and 2 straight lines.I consider it  Done.
(The only other thing I might do here is some straight line stitching horizontally in the border fabric.
But not between every line.)  lol

If , like me, you quilt for fun, satisfaction, relaxation, and small (very small) profit, life is too short! I have a pretty hefty stash to plough through!!
I just want to make things. Lots of things. 
My rallying cry is: "Go to your studio and Make Something" .
Today.
Right now.
So - catch you later. 

But do weigh in with your own thoughts on the subject of over-quilting.






Monday, September 9, 2013

Joyful words from an almost 2-year old

With apologies to the non-grandmothers ( non-Mimi's) out there who couldn't care less about this topic - heh.

This past weekend at my daughter and son-in-law's house we heard my little granddaughter call this joyful message down from upstairs:
"I did it!!! I did it!!"
Yay! Good job!

In the meantime, here are some new items going into my studiozuzu etsy shop this week.