Kingston Heirloom Quilters

established in 1979

Creating Tomorrow's Heirlooms

Show Home Kingston Heirloom Quilters Limestone Quilters' Guild Cataraqui Guild of Needle Artss Shops Upcoming Events

Home KHQ

About KHQ

Contact KHQ

Directions to Meetings

Newsletters

Group Quilts

Member Quilts

Members Memories

Special Projects

Quilt Care

Links

KINGSTON HEIRLOOM QUILTERS NEWSLETTER,
April, 2007

Contact the Kingston Heirloom Quilters at (khq at quiltskingston.org).
KHQ web: quiltskingston.org/khq /

Meeting Dates:    
April 3 and 19 May 1 and 17 and 31 June 5 and 21

Programs & Projects


April 3 Block of the Month raffle
10 am
"First and Last Quilt" Trunk Show by EVERYONE . Bring yours and let's have fun with Show and Tell . Evening group demoShould do this at 7:15 .

April 19 Block of the Month instructions
Tin Can project due
How to Draft a Mariner's Compass - and hands-on using both a computer and Electric Quilt Software & paper and pencil, with Donna Hamilton, Marg Henshaw and Simone Lynch.

May 1 Block of the Month raffle
10 am
How do you decide what quilting designs to use on your quilts? Discussion and display on making your own quilting stencils and other methods and tools with Bea Walroth, Mary Ann McAndrews, Simone Lynch, Donna Hamilton.
Noonish
UFO deadline; all is tallied. Who gets a free Luncheon at next meeting?

May 17 Block of the Month instructions 10 am
Last Tin Can project due today - show us what's in your tin!
10:30 am
Annual Meeting; year in review and Luncheon
Raffle Members' raffle block

May 31 Singing Quilter and mini Quilt Show
10 am -? Set up at Sydenham United Church

7:30 pm
Performance. Details from Diane Berry and committee.

 

June 5 Block of the Month raffle

Boutique Project TBA with Sylvia Currie

.

June 21 Block of the Month instructions
Work day
Deadline for August Newsletter is first week in August


Greetings from your President
Donna Hamilton

Spring is here! The robins have returned and the geese are flying overhead. The snow is almost gone and my tulips are peeking their heads up ever so slightly. Soon it will be too hot to quilt! But before then, we will have some gorgeous spring days to quilt by.

It is hard to believe that this is the last newsletter of the 2006-2007 quilting season and the last one for our Editor, Sylvia Currie. Sylvia will be putting her talents and attention to other things next year. I'd like to extend a heartful thank you to Sylvia for all she has done for our KHQ newsletter over the last few years. You have done a marvelous job!

Thanks also to Lorna Grice as our Recording Secretary, whose meeting minutes were exceptional. Joan Bales and Roslyn Hanes have done a marvelous job keeping us in cookies, coffee and of course, tea. Thank you for that and also for organizing our luncheons.

I'd also like to say thank you to everyone for a wonderful year. Special thanks go to your Executive not mentioned above but still appreciated for the great work you have done this year. Thanks also to the project coordinators, and to all those who gave workshops or shared their opinions, tips, and talents throughout the year. I don't think I've ever appliquéd as much as I have this year! I have learned a lot and I hope you have enjoyed the year as much as I. (Editor's comment: and we owe you a quilt-full of thanks, Donna, for your irrepressible energy and good

humour. Where would the Blazing Star be without you!!). Next year will be the year of our 2008 Quilt Show. We will all be making items for the boutique and finishing off our latest quilt to share with friends. Time will be even more precious than usual. So please do let us know what you want to learn to make those meeting times special to you.

Thanks to our Commercial Members
I'd also like to thank our commercial members for all the specials, fabric, notions, and classes they have provided us throughout the year. We have all learned from them as well. We will be contacting these members shortly about advertising for next year. I hope they will continue to support us as we support them.

Open Executive Positions
We have a few executive positions open for next year. As I said above, the Newsletter Editor will be vacated as well as Recording Secretary; we need a Vice President. Please consider joining this team and help us continue to make the KHQ organization even better. We can't do it without YOU!

Let's quilt, quilt, quilt and finish our projects and UFO's. It truly has been a delight working with each and every one of you. Happy Quilting!

Report on Programs
Sylvia Currie

Our winter meetings have yielded a wealth of information and inspiration - and all from our own members! We value the knowledge and skills in the group and thank them for their generosity in sharing with us.

Pricing: Mary Ann McAndrews and Jose Roosenmaallen provided some guidelines they use in pricing quilted work for sale:
- selling price should cover costs. With lower costs the margin of profit can increase, eg. keep baby quilts to a maximum of 40" in width, so the backing can be made with a single width of fabric.
- consider making items that are not readily available commercially.
- survey prices of items in the community of comparable work.
- when items sell very quickly, may indicate price should be raised. Conversely, when items don't sell, may consider lowering price.
- when selling on consignment check the following: % of mark-up by retailer; liability for loss/damage remains with the quilter.

Machine Quilting: Mary Catherine Robb and Simone Lynch showed samples and demonstrated. Their tips:
- use an adjustable ergonomic chair for comfort and take frequent breaks, every 20 minutes.
- use an extension table in front, to the left and behind the sewing machine to support work and eliminate drag.
- use a new, sharp needle, and check it frequently for sharpness and a well-oiled machine.


- fasten a Teflon sheet on the stitch plate for ease of movement.


- use a single stitch throat plate.


- Practice, Practice, Practice ! Using the same fabrics and batting for the to-be-quilted project.
- roll quilt to ease through machine, using bicycle-type clips.


- experiment with different threads and quilting techniques, ie. free-motion, walking foot, following a pattern.


- trace quilting pattern on tissue paper, then layer several layers of tissue paper underneath pattern and sew (without thread) around design, thus creating multiple pages of pattern to be pinned to quilt for machine quilting.


- Warm and Cotton batting adheres to fabric; is less likely to shift.


- wear quilting gloves and a light touch in moving quilt.


- use extra bobbin for thicker threads, with tension adjusted.


- "left loosey, right tightly" turn of tension screw on bobbin case.

Mary Catherine recommends "Heirloom Machine Quilting" by Harriet Hargreaves and "Guide to Machine Quilting" by Diane Gaudynski as excellent references.

Antique Blocks: Margaret Rhodes shared with us a treasure trove of blocks, dating from about 1910. She found these blocks - enough to make about 15 quilts - as well as 4 pieced quilt tops at an antique shop in Sydenham about 30 years ago. The blocks range from utilitarian to more elaborate in old patterns, using the fabrics available at the time. Margaret is working on one packet of blocks in a pattern called "Pyrotechnics" in Ruth McKendry's "Quilts and Other Bed Coverings". Several other packets have been taken by members. We will be interested to see these old blocks newly pieced and quilted. It is Margaret's wish that some of these might find a home at the Agnes Etherington Museum .

Applique: Sally Hutson and Bea Walroth shared their particular techniques with us. Sally demonstrated needle-turn technique and had samples of some of her intricate appliqué work.
Sally recommends:
- a light application of spray starch to the fabric to give more body for ease in turning the fabric. This also keeps fabric edges from fraying.
- trace the appliqué design on the right side of the appliqué fabric. Use a light box, Saral (tracing medium paper available in quilt shops) using a ball point pen (preferably out of ink).
- make small cuts in middle of closed designs, to facilitate later cutting of design.
- place the appliqué fabric on top of background fabric, right sides up.


- baste down.


- use sharp pointed scissors to cut 3/8" - 3/16" outside appliqué design line. Cut just a small distance ahead of appliquéing.


- use a smooth round toothpick to turn under edge of fabric.


- use YLI silk thread, which tends to blend into appliqué fabric and disappear. Several shades of white, beige and brown are all that is needed.


- run thread across block of Thread Heaven thread conditioner (at local quilt shops) to eliminate thread tangling and knotting.


- clip inside curves to appliqué line, take an extra stitch at the centre of the curve.


- appliqué up to the point (of leaves), take an extra stitch at the point, turn under the fabric with the toothpick and continue down the other side of the point.

Bea reviewed her guidelines previously shared with us in her "Master Quilting Techniques", published in Canada Quilts magazine in the early 1990's.
- determine the straight of grain and cross grain by snapping and stretching the fabric. The straight grain has less give and snaps with a sharper sound.
- lay all appliqué pieces so the straight lengthwise grain lines up with the straight grain of the background fabric.
- fold under, finger press and baste the seam allowance of appliqué pieces, allowing fullness to "flute" between stitches.


- delay clipping deep curves until appliquéing, to minimize fraying, and needle turn under the seam allowance.


- sharp points (leaves) are best with the seam allowance folded over on one side and held while the second side is folded and any seam allowance extending is folded back under. Finger crease and baste.


- Avoid shadowing of darker colours under lighter appliqué by sewing darker piece to lighter one at the seam allowance, with the darker colour flipped back, right sides together, then flip back to continue appliquéing.

Copyright: Sylvia Currie reviewed the current concepts of copyright, as discussed at a previous meeting.
- copyright provides the creator of an original work the sole right to reproduce the work or allow others to reproduce it.
- copyright exists from the moment the work is completed until 50 years after the creator's death.
- it is not necessary to register the copyright or mark it with a circled C but may be done for works sent to other countries. Copyright is recognized by all countries signatory to the Berne Convention.
- public domain - the copyright has expired, allowing anyone to copy or reproduce a work.
- fair use - especially with quilts, permits reproducing for personal use, but not for profit. Designs not in the public domain published in books or magazines are examples.


- displaying a quilt publicly impacts on copyright; the creator must be acknowledged in quilt shows and websites. In general creators of a design are happy to have their creation displayed publicly as long as they are identified as the creator. To be safe, it is wise to seek permission for such a display.
- quilters should be conscious of the distinction between "inspired by" and "derived from".
An inspired design is one based on another design but the second design is so different from the original as to be unrecognized, hence the second design is considered an original, and is not an infringement of copyright.
A work derived from another uses a portion of the original design that can be identified in the second design, and if permission is not sought or granted, is an infringement of the copyright of the first design.

There is an excellent article on copyright by Kathleen Bissett in the Winter, 2006 issue of The Canadian Quilter.

Getting to Know You
We are pleased to welcome two new members to the Kingston Heirloom Quilters.

Carol Boughner moved to Kingston two years ago. She had previously heard about KHQ while a member of the Cloyne guild. She has been quilting since 1998, and is also a member of the Belleville guild. She took a quilting bus trip with two of our members, who gave her information about our meetings. Carol picked a good time to join our ranks, as appliqué is her favourite aspect of quilting.

Mary Cooper has been a Kingston resident for 16 years and has attended two of our quilt shows. She has amassed a large stash of fabric and has a collection of quilting books and blocks. June Potter is a friend and encouraged Mary to join us. She is eager to learn more about quilting, and hopes that current eye and hand difficulties will not deter her.

In Sympathy
We extend our sympathy to Jeanne Stoness in the recent passing of her husband. It is good to have her quilting with us again in the evenings.

Baby Quilts
Joan Bales

Since Christmas we have given nineteen baby quilts to the Kingston General Hospital , and more quilts are being completed. A second baby quilt is being hand quilted at our meetings which will be saved for the quilt show in 2008.

Please bring any baby quilts by the June 5 th meeting to finish off our donation for the 2006-07 quilt year. Thank you all for your help during the year.

Early Christmas Surprise
Mary Ann McAndrews

A week before Christmas I was to meet a group of friends at the Frontenac Mall for coffee. Arriving early, I dropped in to Valu Village . Near the back of the store there's a large section of various craft items and I usually look through this area for embroidery supplies, buttons, etc. As I was moving items in a bin, I spotted a clear bag with a Hoffman metallic fabric. I picked the bag up (it was about 10" long by 4" wide and 6" deep) and fanned the fabric through the plastic. The colours ranged from teal to purples and was for sale at $2.99. Looking in the bin again, I realized there were more bags, all cottons and equally interesting colours. I left with 10 bags in all and went for coffee.

When I got home, I opened all the bags and knew I had a lot more fabric than I thought. Nothing was washed and as I sorted colours, I wrote down the amount I had. When I finished, I had totalled 57 metres of material. Most of the fabric was black, brown, tan, peach and teal. Some of it has already been used in the baby blankets, the Block of the Month, and I've just started using some with Margaret Rhodes' antique blocks. My New Year's resolution was to not buy any fabric in 2007, but this could now be lifetime resolution (I've made very few quilts where I've had exactly the right fabric in my stash).

The Grandmother Connection
June Mason

On Thursday, May 10, 2007 , from 6 pm to 10 pm , at St. Lawrence College, the Kingston Grandmother Connection is holding "The Chair Affair" , a live auction to help the Stephen Lewis Foundation grandmothers' campaign to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa . The Heirloom Quilters are donating 3 small "Block of the Month" quilts to a Silent Auction on the same evening. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door (if available). Information about this event is on the information table.

The Singing Quilter

Plans are well under way for our fund raiser. Cathy Miller will be performing her own songs and displaying some of her work. In addition there will be a small display of KHQ quilts, as well as refreshments. Diane Berry and her committee are working on the details, and would welcome volunteers to help mount the show, staff tables, bake, and the myriad other tasks involved in such an undertaking. Speak to Diane and tell her how you can help. The show is at Sydenham United Church at 7:30 pm on Thursday, May 31 st . Tickets - $8 in advance - can be purchased from Diane or at the Grand Theatre box office - and $10 at the door. We thank Diane and her committee for making this most interesting evening a reality for us.

Spring Luncheon
Joan Bales

The annual Spring Luncheon will be celebrated this year on May 17 th , at noon , following our annual meeting. Please bring your favourite appetizer, sandwiches, veggies or sweets to share. Refreshments will be served with lunch. Donations for the Food Bank will be welcomed. And Show and Tell of current/recent works will make the day complete.

Quilting Connections
Anjali Shyam

Last summer I wanted to know more about cottage life. I knew Diane Berry moves to her cottage in summer, so I asked her about it. Before I knew it, I had an invitation to visit her at Cornwall .

My husband and kids had not met Diane and Jim so they were hesitant to go. We decided to spend a couple of hours with them.

When we reached there, Diane and Jim had prepared their guest cabin for us, along with tea and supplies.

In the morning, my boys did fishing, for the first time. They loved it.

It was a memorable trip. Diane and Jim were most hospitable and generous. We will treasure the time we spent with them.

I am thankful to the KHQ for introducing me to such a wonderful group of people.

Thank you.

Editor's comment: And we thank you, Anjali, for your enthusiasm, interest and energy - a most welcome addition to the group!

With Thanks
Peggy McAskill

Thank you to the members of KHQ for their encouragement and cheerful "welcome back" to me this month. I appreciated it!

Editor's comment: And we are delighted to see you back, sans cast, and fast at work - good going!

Fashion Through the Ages
Diane Berry

To date we have seven completed blocks for our "quilt of fashions" and I want to thank all the girls who are participating. The handwork and attention to detail is wonderful. Ideas for the block arrangement of the quilt are developing and hopefully we can begin assembly by June.

Quilts Kingston 2008
The Quilt Show Committee has begun to meet, and plans are developing for next year's show, which will be held May 23, 24 and 25, 2008, at the Olympic Harbour. A questionnaire has been distributed to gather information about the numbers and types of quilts members plan to have completed for the show. Please complete these and return them to Marg Henshaw this spring. Information from this survey will assist the committee to determine if outside quilters will be invited to the show. Sally Hutson has distributed information and registration for the Humourous Quilt Challenge - should be fun! Speak to either Marg or Sally if you haven't received these.

What's in a Word?
Sylvia Currie

As you are readying your quilts for next year's show, don't forget the provenance, or identifying data on the bottom left corner of the back of the quilt. This includes: quilt name, name of quilt maker and quilter (if different), city and province, and date. A hundred years from now, someone will thank you for helping them identify and date your treasure!

A Tip
Anjali Shyam

When I quilt, I listen to books on tapes and CD's. This way I get to finish the books I've been wanting to read and keep quilting.

Quilting on the Web
Donna Hamilton

A recent visit to the Quilters New Network, http://www.qnntv.com/ , brought a pleasant surprise. You can now watch any of their 24x7 programs on sewing including quilting, embroidery, sewing clothing, and short clips on different tools, and other topics, for FREE! You don't have to be a member to see the shows, many of which I have never seen on any regular TV networks in our area! Those of you who have access to the net, I would recommend you take a peak at the programs available to you as well as the many resources.

This site is full of information. It originates from the USA , but they are building an International flavour to it as well. Under Resources/Worldwide News, there is a Canadian representative, Tricia Sherman, who is keeping a list of Canadian events and shows, and features quilters in conjunction with the Canadian Quilters' Association. We can participate in this. So take a look and let's discuss what we might do. And yes, I've already sent Tricia a note about the Singing Quilter coming to Kingston ! Other countries currently represented are the Channel Islands , South Africa , and the United Kingdom .

There is a section inviting quilters to join QNN in a variety of ways - from making your own shows, to advertising books (that you wrote, of course), and more. The power of this is truly amazing. The more I browsed, the more I found. I came across a blog from Joan Hawley through this site. Did you know that some of the Simply Quilts and Carol Duvall Shows are online? HGTV.com has made sewing and craft videos available online, and they are free! Joan says to go to: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/video_guide/ , then type 'quilt' for Simply Quilts or 'carol' for Carol Duvall and click 'search videos'. More than 130 segments about 5-6 minutes in length pop up and almost 80 segments pop up for the Carol Duvall Show.

And there's more, more, more! Try http://www.kayewoodtv.com/ to see Kaye Wood shows on demand. This means you go through the list of her twelve shows, and pick the one that you fancy. And watch it once, or as many times as you want. You can also pause or stop the video, just like watching a VHS tape or DVD.

I'm watching a 10 minute clip from the Black Forest Quilters, now where Ula Lenz, from Munich, is showing Jodie, from Stuttguard Germany, some German-inspired tips and patterns.

Need I say more? Take a peak at these sites and enjoy. You can learn a lot in the comfort of your pajamas!

Upcoming Events

April 12, 13, 14, 2007 - Quilter's Shop-Hop, Andjareena's Place, Trenton, Kraft Village, Belleville, Picton Fabric World, Picton, Pine Ridge Knit & Sew, Trenton and The Robbins' Nest, Brighton.

Apr 25 - 28, 2007 - Paducah Expo Center , One Executive Blvd. , Paducah , Kentucky . Plans are already in place for the 23rd Annual AQS Quilt Show & Contest. It is guaranteed to be bigger and better than ever before. Two new quilt contests, great teachers, and quilts, quilts, quilts! Make your plans now. See http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_cibtests/#padycag07 .

April 20-22, 2007 - "Art in the Islands ", a creative retreat for Fibre Artists, Glen House Resort, Gananoque. Information at www.seventhreadsstudios.com or on the information table.

April 28, 2007 - Kingston Needle Arts Fair: at St Margaret's Church, Sir John A Macdonald Blvd from 9 am to 3.30pm . Admission $7 includes lunch. Contact Shirley White at 613-374-1064 or email crone@kingston.net for more information.

May 2-5, 2007 - CQA/ACC National Juried Show 2007, Kamploops, B.C. www.canadianquilter.com/index.htm for information.

May 5-6, 2007 - The Heritage Quilters' Guild Presents "Quilts 2007", including a little Quilt Silent Auction at the Strathcona Paper Centre (Arena), 16 McPherson Drive, Napanee, Ontario; Saturday 1-8pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Come and enjoy our Merchant Mall, Refreshment Area, Raffle Baskets, Members' Quilts, Scissor Sharpening. Note that the Silent Auction closes at 3pm on Sunday. Admission: adults $6, Seniors $5, Children under 12 free. For more information, contact Elizabeth 613-373-0099.

May 11-12, 2007 - Oshawa "Tomorrow's Memories". General Sikorski Polish Veteran's Hall, 1551 Stevenson Road North . Fri 10-8, Sat 10-4. Adm $5. Feature Quilter Martha Brown, merchant mall, tearoom, raffle quilt, door prizes, free parking, wheelchair access. DURHAM TRILLIUM QG. Anne Murray (905) 576-7833 or jim.murray@sympatico.ca .

May 11-13, 2007 - Ottawa Quilts 2007-Celebrate. R.A. Center, 2451 Riverside Dr. Fri 10-8, Sat 10 -5, Sun 10-4. Adm Adults $8, Seniors (65+) $5, Under 12 accompanied by an adult Free. Weekend pass $10. Bus Tours Welcome. OTTAWA VALLEY QG. Jacquie Lecuyer (613) 234-8436, Kris Broadhead (613) 831-6167 or www.OttawaValleyQuiltersGuild.org .

May 12-July 1 st , 2007 - "Fantasy" Grand National 2007 - Invitational Quilt exhibition presented by Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and Joseph Schneider Haus, Kitchener , ON .

May 23-26, 2007 - 12th Annual Waterloo County & Area Quilt Festival. New venue RIM Park , 2001 University Avenue East . Hundreds of quilts at the Ontario Juried Quilt Show and World Piece, merchant mall & workshops under one roof! Highlights include an exhibit of quilts from Austria , Pennsylvania , and Manitoba , as well as Glitz Glitz Glitz embellished quilts and more. Visit other area quilt shows, museums, galleries and quilt shops. One of Ontario 's Top 50 Events. For a full calendar of events, visit http://www.quiltcapitalfestival.com or call 1-888-804-7909

May 26-27, 2007 - Lindsay Quilted Treasures. 18 Peel Street . Quilt displays, boutique, demonstrations, raffle quilt, vendors, tearoom, door prizes. LINDSAY CREATIVE QG lcqg@cogeco.ca (705) 324-6818

May 31, 2007 - Cathy Miller will be in Kingston at the Sydenham Street United Church , 7:30 pm. Canadian singer/songwriters, Cathy Miller, travels the world singing for quilting events, guild meetings and shows. Cathy will sing about quilts and the women who make them. There will be a display of her quilts and a show by the Kingston Heirloom Quilters. Refreshments will be served. $8 in advance, $10 at the door from Kingston Heirloom Quilters or Grand Theatre Box Office, Kingston City Hall 613-530-2050 or www.grandtheatre-kingston.com .

June 15-17, 2007 - Brockville Quiltfest 2007. Brockville Country Club, 1548 Highway 2 West. Fri noon- 7, Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4. Adm $ 5. Refreshments. Quilt display, wall hangings, wearable art, viewers' choice, members' boutique, challenge quilts, demonstrations, merchant mall, quilt appraisals. Everyone welcome! THOUSAND ISLANDS QG. (613) 342-4262.

June 29-July 1, 2007 - Essex Junction, Vermont . The Vermont Quilt Festival. Champlain Valley Expo, Rt. 15. New England 's Oldest and Largest Quilt Event! Enjoy over 400 breathtaking contemporary and antique quilts, lectures and workshops with noted teachers, demos, merchant mall, quilt appraisals, kids' class and more. Adm $10, seniors $9, children under 14 free. Champagne and Chocolates Preview Thurs, June 28. (info at vqf.org)

July 22 - Aug 4, 2007 - Quilting by the Lake in Morrisville , NY . For details on classes, faculty, fees, and registration information, see http://www.quiltingbythelake.com .

July 27 - 29, 2007 - Bluewater Quilters' Guild presents Bedthreads and Other Masterpieces, OSCVI Auditorium, 1550-8th St. East, Owen Sound, ON; Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 10-5pm, Sunday 12-4pm. Lunch available; Admission: $5 adult; Free parking; Wheelchair accessible; Contacts: Isobel: iguy-67@sympatico.ca or Wendy: outbac1@bellnet.ca .

Aug 10-12, 2007 - Perth Festival of Quilts 2007. St. John Catholic High School , 2066 County Road 10, Scotch Line. Adm $5 (children under 12 free). Merchants Mall,door prizes and free parking. LANARK COUNTY QG . Yvonne Stirling (613) 283-0606

Aug 23rd - 26th, 2007 - The 8th Biennial Quilting Convention by the Ontario Quilting Connections at Geneva Park Conference Centre, Lake Couchiching, Orillia, Ontario; Full Programme & Registration Details area available at www.ontarioquilting.org .


Our Commercial Members

Be sure to tell friends and family to visit these shops.

 

 

Send questions and comments to: khq at quiltskingston.org
Last modified by dhh: April 1, 2007