Thursday, December 29, 2016

2017 Meetings & Events

Meetings & Events

UPCOMING 2017 MEETING SCHEDULE
  • Saturday, 1/21/2017 from 1:00 - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday, 2/11/2017 from 1:00 - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday, 3/17 (tba) from 1:00pm-5:00pm at Grace Lutheran Church, Palo Alto
  • Saturday, 4/15/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 5/20/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 6/17/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 7/15/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 8/19/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 9/16/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 10/21/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 11/18/17 from 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Saturday, 12/9/16 from 1:00pm-5:00pm

UPCOMING 2017 SEW DAY SCHEDULE
Sew Days are held at Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306
view map
  • Saturday1/7/2017 from 10:00am - 4:00pm 
  • Saturday, 2/4/2017 from 10:00am - 4:00pm 

MEETINGS
The Bay Area Modern: A Quilt Guild meets at the  Redwood City Library downtown branch in the upstairs community room (the elevator is on the far left of the entrance).  Generally, meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.  

1044 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA 94063
tel: 650.780.7018
view map 

Please be sure to check the blog and/or Forum for updated information as we sometimes have to change the date or location. 

  **The December meeting is often held at different location and will be combined with sew day/holiday party. Check out the blog and/or our Forum site for more information as we get closer to the dates. Thanks!

Each meeting is divided into a guild meeting from approximately 1:00-3:00pm and sewing, snacking, and socializing time from 3:00-5pm. Members are welcome to come to either one or both! : )  

Visitors can come to their first meeting for FREE at anytime.  Members of other Modern Quilt Guild branches are welcome to visit anytime and are not subject to a one-meeting limit.   

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Fabric Use, Fabric Purchasing and Spreadsheets

At the December Sew Day/Party/Meeting I shared my spreadsheet at Show and Tell.

Cheryl's Spreadsheet of incoming fabric for 2016 - she uses this to keep track of recent purchases, with the intent of keeping a zero-balance of incoming/outgoing fabric. Photo by Diana Lubliner.

Although this may not be everyone's idea of a good time, I wanted to track incoming and outgoing fabric, with the goal of not increasing my current stash. Whether or not I have "a lot" of fabric depends on who you ask. Certainly there are folks with far more than me who find my paltry stash not enough to work with, but my daughter insists that I am a hoarder. All in the eye of the beholder.

Don't get me wrong, I like to buy fabric. I like looking at the tiny pretty squares of fabric swatches on my phone when fabric shop newsletters come in my inbox. I do not wish to deny anyone that pleasure! But I overheard someone in line at PIQF a while back saying she had more fabric than she could possibly use in her lifetime. And I just didn't want that to be me. I want to use what I have, and use it while I still love it. And then I want to buy more of it to continue the process. Fabric that excites us is what keeps the creative process going, amiright?

Jeni Baker of In Color Order has a post talking about her process, which is similar to mine. She tracks her use of specific fabric by projects, which I don't do. I have a simple IN (by shop) and OUT (by project) spreadsheet that tracks by month and adds everything up for a final tally. I was really just interested in a total number. I guesstimated yardage for projects and tried to be conservative about it. A finished baby quilt was 4 yards, for example. I did not worry too much about exact numbers just tried to get it close. Another bonus to this spreadsheet is it tracks what you make in a year.

Final tally for 2016: 116 yards of fabric purchased; 121 yards of fabric used.

So I did use more than I bought-which was a goal- no net increase! Hooray! I admit to making lots and lots of gift bags in December, both to boost my out-yardage and to make reusable gift bags for future use. It was eye-opening to me to see how much fabric I purchased (and won, and got for free, I counted it all) and also how much I used. If anyone had told me I bought and used over 100 yards of fabric in a year I would not have believed it.

One thing this process has led me to is less buying of fabric just because it is on sale or just because I am trolling around for interesting stuff on the internet. I know have another filter to run any purchase through: IS IT SPREADSHEET WORTHY?

Here is my spreadsheet, in case anyone is dying to see it. I can share the google spreadsheet if you really want it. Just let me know!


IN YARDSJanuaryfebmarchaprilmayjunejulyaugustseptoctnovdecYEAR IN TOTAL (should be negative!)
difference-60.257.251.518.24.5-5.5-111.450.25-6.25-9.75-5.1
in09.2511122322.52710.2514.54.50116
bloomerie11
hawthorne37717
fabricworm/fabric dot com5.256213.25
fat quarter shop9312
intrepid thread37.2510.25
stone mtn88
OR/HI8210
restash (free!)224
fabric depot1010
birthday+prize; retreat, BAM free table, prize5712
PIQF, japanese fabrics3.53.5
ilovefabric4.54.5
moona (etsy)/cia's palette/nimble thimble 53.5210.5
out693.7510.54.8187.5188.814.2510.759.75121.1
2.5 inch purple4
21 12.5" squares7
rainbow top1.25
wheelchair top0.5
seal bag1
gift & zipper bags1.50.251
stash bee block0.250.250.250.250.30.250.250.250.30.250.250.25
D2 donation quilt8
Harper's window seat2.5
slabs0.5
charity binding0.50.5
CH for Aja4.5
Alison- bag0.25
Kath- +2 pixie baskets0.5
13 12.5" squares4
photo mini for BAM0.5
Eric and erin5
blue ombre charms4.5
destash5
MLQG0.250.50.250.25
wine/gift bags0.52
DT bag1.5
charity red and white, top plus binding 7
Steam punk 10
cargo duffle3
pot holders0.515
housetop-Gavin4
Amanda 3.5
Steve and margaret60.5
sew together bag1.5
pillow case, harper
scrappy 9 patch top to BAM3
grey strippy scrappy top5
8 zipper bags4
5 for Xmas5
fmq practice 1


Monday, December 5, 2016

December Meeting Minutes

The meeting and party (mostly party!) started out with a gorgeous spread of food prepared and assembled by Allison and her team.

Business meeting
1. Name change passed. We are now Bay Area Modern: a Quilt Guild
2. Charity: 117 quilts were donated
3. Challenge: minimalist quilts from Minimalist challenge were due and were shown at Show & Tell
  • The new challenge is Text. Karen recapped all the elements of modern quilts (no borders, pixellation, texture and words). Put words on your quilt. Either use text fabric or create your own words. Say something / express yourself. The challenge is due at the February meeting.
4. Upcoming dates:
  • Saturday January 7 is a Sew Day
  • Saturday January 21st is next meeting. Yes, it is the women's march, but you can make both the meeting and the march since the march starts at 5pm in San Francisco.
  • Saturday February 4 is a charity Sew Day
  • QuiltCon is February 23-26 in Savannah, GA
  • January: dues are due. Dues are $40. Check the membership page for information
5. We had the swap and there were a lot of great items made and given.

Friday, December 2, 2016

December Meeting Tomorrow!

The December meeting, (with sew day and Winter Extravaganza-Palooza party and swap) is Saturday, December 3! Come and join us at Grace Lutheran Church at 10am, which is when Sew Day kicks off. Stay for the meeting and party, which start at 1pm. There may be time for more sewing after all of the other excitement.

Grace Lutheran Church
3149 Waverley St
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Things to bring (in general):

  • Your name tag 
  • Show and Tell
  • Minimalism Challenge pieces
  • Winter Extravaganza-Palooza Swap gifts
  • Pet Beds
  • IRR Round Robin bins and bags
  • Lucky Spools work 
  • Charity blocks and quilts 
  • Small Group projects (and ideas for new Small Groups!) 
  • Information about local/national quilty happenings 
  • Non-messy snacks 
  • Sewing projects for after the meeting  
Amanda will be bringing schnibbles, so bring your partially filled pet beds and help her fill them them. She will be turning over the pet bed project to Angela after this meeting. Members can see more on the forum.

Alison and her team are coordinating food, so check with her about your contribution.

Agenda, BAM meeting December 3, 2016

Welcome and introduction of visitors
Introductions
Sign in for door prizes
Guild business:
Charity
Guild Library
Challenge- minimalist quilt due, share at show and tell followed by a group photo after Show and Tell
Thanks to Alison and Mary for organizing food for event
Dates:
  • Next meeting is Saturday, January 21
Sew day?
Quilty Happenings:
Presentation: Make it Modern # 4- Karen
Extravaganza-Palooza Swap-Ruth
Door Prize drawing
Break
Show and Tell
Wrap up- Joelle


The agenda is subject to change. If you have any questions or want a space on the agenda, please leave a comment, or see an officer at the meeting.

Members can visit the BA Modern forum.