Quadrille Quilters Newsletter May 2010

Happy Mothers Day

From the floor;

A warm welcome to all members and visitors, especially a visitor from Australia, was extended by Erichka.

All present were asked to please ensure all cell phones were either switched off or turned to silence at all meetings, as a matter of courtesy to the speakers and other members present.

Three love Quilts were sent out. Our thoughts and prayers are with June Hanson recovering from surgery and Mavis Snyman whose daughter passes away and the last one was given to Els Cleet who lost her husband and has been very ill too.


A huge Thank you was again extended to all who helped at Hobby X- it is really a wonderful way to meet new people and spread the word.

Thank you to Bernina Heathway, especially Charlie’s husband who brought a whole lot of magazines – all are invited to help themselves to one copy.

A big thank you to Helmein Rudram for the knitted and sewn teddies for children of Fire and also to Sheila van Dyck ( a friend of Kathleen Otto) who donated a huge bag of knitted teddies for the children as well


FROM THE HEART.

S.P.C.A cushions – please
remember to bring these to QQ for distribution direct to Erichka or S.P.C.A

We have raised R 4000 for Children of Fire This amount represents all QQ raffles from October 2009 to April 2010, the raffle at Hobby X and at Heathway
The amount has been transferred into Children of Fire Bank a/c.

Raffle Winner;
A very excited Sue McWha received the raffle quilt. She has never won anything before and believe it or not she is a novice quilter !

CHOC - Thank you for a wonderful response, with beanies and scarves.

GIRL GUIDES - One of the quilts made by Jeanette Noble will be completed and raffled to raise funds for the rehabilitation of a 26yr old drug addict in KZN.
Remember DRUGS destroy not only the lives of the addict but also their families and friends.

MAKE A BLOCK FOR CHARITY
Please give this some thought. You may even have an orphan block lying around. The charity is still to be decided. It is never too soon to start.

Challenges.
QQ Challenges - keep working
Ladies, due dates often creep up
Faster than anticipated.
GRG NEW CHALLENGE - Stories Untold
Speak to Allyson or Erichka

2010 WORLD QUILT
COMPETITION
This will be 10th year South Africans will be given the opportunity to exhibit their quilts in America.
The competition has categories for both Traditional and Innovative quilts, with prizes and cash awards be won.
Entry forms must reach Odette Tolksdorf on or before 17 May 2010. Please speak to Grace re entry forms.

A Poem To Mom


A mother's love determines how
We love ourselves and others
.There is no sky we'll ever see
Not lit by that first love.
Stripped of love, the universe
Would drive us mad with pain;
But we are born into a world
That greets our cries with joy.
How much I owe you for the kiss
That told me who I was!
The greatest gift--a love of life--
Lay laughing in your eyes.
Because of you my world still has
The soft grace of your smile;
And every wind of fortune bears
The scent of your caress.

Newsflash
Missing Love Quilts GRG.Unfortunately 3 love quilts have been mislaid.
Should anyone know where they could be or maybe you have found one accidently in your cupboard, please return it so others may take comfort from them too.


QQ Calendar of Events

May 5th Carolyn Kode Embellishments on Quilts
June 2nd Nola Mayes Reversible quilts
July 7th Lydia Lomas Photo Transfer / Memory quilts
Aug 4th Suzen Bornman Piecing your Patchwork by hand
Sept 1st Di Pettersen
The art of Machine Embroidery
Oct 6th Marietta Sri- Lankan Appliqué / embroidery
Nov 3rd Lesley Taylor Shadow Appliqué
Dec 1st Fun Morning of Demonstration

Quilters Tips

Do you know the magic formulae for setting triangles not to be cut on the Bias ?
Measure diagonally across your block, take that measurement and multiply by 1.414.
With the resulting measurement cut a block that size and re-cut diagonally into 4.
You will now have straight edges around your quilt as opposed to pure bias edges.

Paper Piecing Tips

Use a size 90/14 needle The larger needle perforates the paper and makes it easier to remove.

Reduce your stitch length to ensure that your stitches are stronger.

Spraying your paper wet once your project is complete facilitates its removal

Dates to Diarise. NB

GRG Meetings 2010.

May 15th to be held at The John Barrable hall Benoni

Aug 21st to be held at Alberton Civic center

Nov 20th to be held at Klip River Recreation centre


Buried in Quilts

By Barbara S. Wysocki.


Archeologists are always digging up lost civilizations. It’s hard to imagine, but it is likely that in the year 2996 some university field study group will be looking for fragments of the late twentieth century. What will happen if they unearth a quiltmaker’s sewing room ? I wonder how they will interpret the artifacts they find.
Those future archeologists will work carefully uncovering and preserving everything. Then they will have to identify and label all those items that have not been used for a thousand years. When it is time for the field study group’s report, they will have to explain what’s been found. That report might look something like this:
Condition of Site ; Room appears to have been hit by an earthquake. Piles of material found on shelves, tables ,desks chairs and floors. Tilting stacks of magazines and books may be the result of volcanic action.
Unusually large amount of clutter found in this room. No discernable pattern exists to explain the disorder.
The report will include description of items found at the site The digging team will have to figure out how these items were used. Here are some examples of those entries;
Item Description; Copious amounts of woven cloth with traces of original colours. These colours indicate that no two lengths had the same design, Examples of these designs used in special padded clothing. Several boxes and bags with tiny pieces of woven cloth some as small as 1 inch square. Possible use; Stacking sequence seems to indicate ornamental use.Most stacks appear to be undisturbed since purchase. Perhaps these lengths of cloth were to be worshipped in some religious ritual.
Here’s another one;
Item Description; Metal object made of two pieces, both tapered at one end and circular at the other. These metal pieces are joined in the middle. Extremely sharp on two edges.
Possible use; One end may have been poked into the ground to indicate the direction of the nearest source for more woven cloth.
One final example
Item Description; An assortment of thin pointed metal objects in a variety of sizes. These metal objects were often found embedded in the woven cloth.
Possible use; Metal objects may have been capable of transmitting ideas from humans to cloth. Large number of them indicate they may have been used as currency.
You can see how confused archeologists might become after several hundred years I don’t know why that should surprise us.
Even now, those of us who make quilts aren’t always able to explain to family and friends what we do with all our fabric, scissors. Pins and needles. If our sewing rooms seem like jungles to modern man, what will they look like to the social scientists of the future?Conclusion; Twentieth century artisans created works of amazing beauty using only rudimentary tools. Clearly this was an artistically advanced society well worth further detailed study.

Starching – A Good Solution
Don’t you wish fabric wouldn’t wobble when you cut it, wouldn’t stretch when you sewed along its bias, wouldn’t creep forward when you sewed it to another patch?
The solution is Starching your fabrics
Mix up 2 tablespoon starch powder to 1 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon surgical spirits and place in a spray bottle.
Always apply the starch on the wrong side of your fabrics and press dry.
You will feel that your fabric has acquired body which will enable you to cut and sew with a greater deal of accuracy as there is very little movement.

Some Do”s and Don’ts
General.
Starch only as much fabric as you will need , it is not a good idea to store starched fabrics as it will call the fishmoths to come eat up your fabrics.

A good idea is to roll the pressed starched fabric onto a cardboard tube to avoid folds - good way to recycle your paper towels cardboard tubes. To remove any starch from your iron, rest the sole plate of the cold iron on a wet towel for several hours. The starch will dissolve and wipe away easily.
Patchwork.
Finger press allowances while you are sewing and then steam set for a final set.

Use starched fabric for grided half square triangles. The fabric will be more stable for easy marking.

Applique

For the starch and press technique. Lightly mist the starched patch with water before ironing the turn under allowance over the template.
Finger crease as you go to turn under the allowances on starched fabric.
The needle turn method is not satisfactory with starched fabrics – it refuses to be nudged !

Finishing

For basting, safety pins need a bit more push to slide through starched fabric, but the method is still a good one.
Alternatively you make wash you quilt top before sandwiching it for quilting.
Quilting by machine is best for a quilt top of starched fabrics.

Handling during construction softens the threads so your quilt will be flexible
Hand quilting is difficult through starched fabric.

Starching is an easy way to tame your fabric. It won’t wobble and it won’t stretch so patches will keep their shape.

It does take extra time to prepare the fabrics but well worth the effort, as your end results in accuracy and perfect piecing give you great satisfaction.,

When working with miniatures and really small pieces the stability is essential.

Starching your bindings can also give excellent results to your finished quilt especially if it is to be a competition entry.

Admirers of your quilts will wish they new your secret.
Do not forget to visit;www.sharonschambernetwork.com