Joan Alliston's Settings for Sampler Quilts

Joan Alliston of Brandon presented our program to kick off 2013 with the topic "Settings for Sampler Quilts." Joan and her sister and mother for many years made friendship blocks, challenges, new patterns, enjoying and encouraging each other through illnesses and losses. They made trips together, attended retreats and workshops, shared and swapped fabric and patterns, even completing works for one another, which adds special memories and meaning to the quilts.

Joan showed the many ways that friendship blocks or sampler blocks can be set, with various-sized blocks presenting more creative solutions. She showed examples of sashing and filler blocks and borders to get the quilts to a desired finished size.

Joan and Georgia Polk are co-chairs of the Mississippi Quilt Association committee to keep an ongoing exhibit of quilts at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum in Jackson; they took down the red/green exhibit this week and hung Log Cabin quilts. Several PBQ quilts are in the current display, which will remain until June.

Locally, Mary Nell Magee arranges for quilts to hang at the Hattiesburg Visitors Center; the current theme is "winter blues," to be followed by "flowers" in April.

 Our members have found time to be charitable during their busy lives. At today's meeting we received donations of 67 pillows, 29 walker totes, 25 newborn burp shoulder cloths. Many others worked on quilts for children or the veterans home. A recap for 2012 is listed on last month's blog report. Forrest General's NICU has requested more isolette covers and furnished the gray fabric for the linings. Gloria Green will head up this activity in small groups.

Our membership director distributed copies of our plans for 2013; these meeting programs, boutique projects, and workshops will be listed on our website in Guild Activities. It should be a busy and productive year! The Sampler Quilt Challenge Reveal will be the June meeting, with monetary prizes awarded by viewers' choice balloting.

Kathy Brown speaker at June meeting

Kathy Brown from Baton Rouge was our speaker at the June 20 meeting. 

Kathy is an accomplished quilter, fabric designer with Red Rooster Fabrics, and sought after teacher in the quilt industry. In conjunction with her pattern company ‘The Teacher’s Pet’, Kathy has self-published over 200 patterns and 7 booklets as well as having books published by Martingale and The House of White Birches. She has been a featured contributor in numerous magazines. Her patterns are geared toward both the experienced and beginning quilter and are designs that may look intricate but are very simple to construct (“Take 5” and “Take 5--Quilts From Just 5 Fabrics” and “Strip–Smart Quilts”).

Kathy showed her Creative Grids Ninety Degree Double Strip Ruler and  Fat Quarter Cutter Ruler, which make quick work of the many ideas and patterns contained in her books.

Our members are still faithfully sewing and stuffing pillows for Forrest General and Wesley Medical Center.  Another 50 pillows were brought in at the June meeting.

We are looking forward to our art quilt workshop next week with Gail Bachorik and to hosting the Mississippi Quilt Association educational seminar with Marilyn Doheny on July23-24 in Hattiesburg.

Of course, plans are in full swing for our October 5-6-7 14th biennial fiber art and quilt show at Lake Terrace Convention Center. See our website for registration and entry information: www.pinebeltquilters.com

Another Auction Quilt for MQA Gathering

In the Briar Patch, by Sally Henderson

Sally Henderson, a PBQ member who donates many children's quilts, made "In the Briar Patch" to be auctioned at the MQA Gathering February 18-19 at Lake Terrace Conventon Center in Hattiesburg. Sally embroidered the bunnies in action and quilted circular feather designs and hearts in the alternate blocks. This quilt will be added to the vintage quilt tops to be auctioned. (See previous post for these pictures.)