Welcome to the home of the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild. Find us on Facebook
Monthly Meetings
Join us for our Zoom meetings in 2020/2021. We will meet on the third Monday of each month, September through June – our meetings begin at 7:00 pm with Zoom opening at 6:00 pm.
Our next meeting will be June 21, 2021, with guest Rose Parr who will speak about Sew Smart – The Ergonomics of Healthy Quilting
- Download the Quill-June2021 here.
- Hall of Fame Nomination Form
Click here for information about our past meetings and a schedule for our 2020/2021 meetings as well as details of our meetings from years past.
Click here for the Guild’s Constitution and Procedural Manual.
______________________________________
TBQG Sisterhood Swap –
The Guild sponsored this project swap and supported the members in the purchase of the ”Sisterhood” pattern by Berene Campbell of Happy Sew Lucky. By participating in the Sisterhood Swap, members committed to make eight of one section of the pattern, as assigned by the Swap Committee. To ensure everyone received the correct number of sections for the block, members kept one section and sent the other seven sections to the other members in their group. They then received the seven other sections required to complete the pattern from your group members. The finished block was 16 inches square.
Please submit your finished project pictures to: secretary.tbqg@gmail.com to be part of the Sisterhood Swap slide show at the June Guild meeting. This swap was so popular that there will most likely be another swap next year. If you are interested in being a member of the swap committee or have any ideas for a swap next year, contact me.
Ellen, Anne, Cathy, Laura
_________________________________
click here for more information. The response was fantastic – registration is closed but you can put your name on the waiting list by emailing cridley@tbaytel.net.
________________________________
Sew Days
In-Person at the CLE
In-person Sew Days are cancelled until further notice. Cross our fingers we can have these next year.
Ellen
Virtual Sew Days
- dates throughout the summer to be announced soon
Join us on-line from your sewing room. A chance to get a project or two done while visiting with others. And we are there if you need an opinion too. Please email Cathy if you are interested in being added to the list at president.tbqg@gmail.com. Space is limited.
___________________________________
Placemats – *New Patterns* added regularly
A new page dedicated to placemats has been created. Click here to find all of the patterns in one place. Try one or all of them.
We had an awesome and generous response to our shout out for 181 placemats to donate to the residents of the PR Cook Apartments. A wide array of gorgeous placemats was collected, and we expect that they will have been delivered to the facility prior to tonight’s meeting. We heard reports of excited anticipation at PR Cook once they heard that the placemats were coming their way. Thanks to all of you who contributed! We were happy to see the placemats we donated to the residents of PR Cook Apartments acknowledged in the Chronicle Journal’s Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down column last month.
We learned this month that if your iron is too hot, it may possibly melt our placemat labels, so please keep that in mind. For those of you who are not familiar with these labels, they are made of satin ribbon and are attached by folding in half width-wise and tucking the raw edges under the binding before it is completed.
There are lots of new patterns for placemats to try. All patterns can been found here. If you need some labels, please contact Doris (dorisd@tbaytel.net ) to make arrangements to get a supply.
Here are some new patterns to try:
Happy Quilting!
Doris & Judy
_____________________________
Teddy Bear Quilts
A dedicated page has been created where all of our Teddy Bear Quilt patterns will be to make it easier for everyone to find. Click here.
We have had such beautiful weather lately that it is hard to think about Christmas but before we know it Christmas and Teddy Bear season will be here. This past year was a very different year but we were able to collect 275 Teddy Bears and quilts at the “tailgate party” in November. We gave Christmas Cheer 60 bears with stitched eyes and their quilts, and the other 215 were given to “Our Kids Count” for their Christmas party. It is hard to know what this Christmas season will be like but I am sure that we will again be giving our Teddy Bear Quilts to Christmas Cheer. I hope that everyone is working on at least one quilt for this year’s Christmas Cheer.
Our hope is to put a smile on a young child’s face on Christmas morning and I know that we have accomplished that the past few years. Since many patterns are copyright I have contacted some well known Quilter’s that have free tutorials on their websites and they are allowing me to share their patterns so that we can use them for Teddy Bear Quilts. I have made some Teddy Bear Quilts from their websites and the patterns will be included with the Quill. You can also find other patterns for Teddy Bear Quilts on their websites and the Guild website. Please make sure that your quilt covers your bear or stuffed toy.
Here are the links to two of the Quilters I have contacted.
Thank you everyone for all the bears and quilts that have been submitted over the past years.
This was a very different year with the pandemic and it was great that we could help out another organization and put a smile on a young child’s face.
Peggy
Click here for more information on this wonderful project and some more great patterns to try like:
Peggy
For more details about this and other Community Service Projects click here.
___________________________________
Comfort and Figit Quilts
Despite lockdowns, working from home and depletion of our fabric stashes, the Guild collected and distributed 149 comfort quilts, 126 fidgets and 7 neonatal blankets since September. You deserve all the credit for this awesome achievement and please know how thankful the local facilities are to have benefitted from your talents.
The Committee is always reviewing and updating the list of locations that receives Comfort Quilts. If you know of any location that may benefit from receiving a quilt or quilts, please provide contact and background information. The aim has been to support facilities where quilts will be used multiple times and benefit the users. We don’t provide quilts to sell or give specifically to any individuals, however, Guild members often contribute their time for these other projects.
Jackie Black is piecing together larger quilts using the quilted 12 1/2 inch blocks. Please keep bringing them in. Blocks can be any pattern but we are requesting that colours be kept neutral so they can be used by male and female residents. Remember to sandwich larger (about 14 inch backing and batting) and leave them untrimmed. It is a wonderful way to try out a pattern you find in a magazine or on-line. Come find Jackie or me if you have questions.
Thanks goes out to the many quilters who contributed quilts, squares, time and so much support so far this year.
Just a reminder – Labels should be sewn on the back of the quilts flat so that they do not get caught on anything including fingers and toes. The label that is sewn on flat is the correct way to sew them on. Click here for more information about our Comfort Quilts and other community projects.Have you thought about making a Figit Quilt? Florence and I could provide you some tactile fabrics and notions to give it a try. Here is a great example of a fidget quilt. This is from ‘Man Quilting’ with Rob Apell. He has some great ideas on this fidget quilt. If you Google ‘fidget pillows’ you’ll see more examples made as pillows instead.
Florence and Pat
_______________________
Virtual Quilt Bee – next date to be announced in 2021/2022
I’d like to encourage everyone to consider working on at least one charity quilt over the coming months.
- I have several kits for quilt top assembly.
- I have backing and batting and tops if you’d like to practice your quilting.
- I have at least one small quilt sandwich that has been spray basted and ready for quilting.
- I have quilts that need binding.
- And…. I have bundles of fabrics that would be great to assemble into a Linda’s Quilt. I’ve finished mine and another member has finished one. They are beautiful! I will try to show it at the meeting.
Contact Adrienne at alopes@tbaytel.net to arrange a pick up or drop off of a kit or item for finishing.
A special pattern has been drafted that you may want to consider making. At the next Bee, our long time and creative member, Linda Guitard, handed in a beautiful quilt top that has been made into a new pattern especially for the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild. It is going to be ready for the 2021 Bee as both hospice size and lap size. A photo of Linda’s quilt is included here so you can consider if you’d like to make this quilt as your charity quilt this year. If interested, please let Adrienne know. Don’t worry if you’re not ready for this quilt. It will be around as a Guild pattern for years to come.
- download the instructions for Linda’s Quilt-Instructions
Thank you to everyone who is completing quilts for donation! We are doing a great job of keeping our recipients warm this winter. If you have finished a charity quilt and hand it in at a meeting please remember to let Adrienne, Leona or Wendy know so your name can be marked off the list. Remember to attach the guild label before handing it in. Thanks.
Any questions? Email Adrienne at alopes@tbaytel.net.
Adrienne
For more information on the Quilt Bees and our Community Projects – click here.
_______________________________
NEW *Figit Quilts
We’ve added a new page that will feature pictures, patterns and instructions to make Figit Quilts. Check them out and try some. Click here
Try this new link for LOTS of figit quilt ideas
Pat and Florence
___________________________________
Superior Quilt Show – May 26, 27, 28, 2023
Although our Quilt Show has been postponed – the Challenge is still on!
Information about the Challenge can be found here .
NEW – The challenge quilts will be displayed as part of the Grand Nations Crossroads fibre arts exhibition from July 13 – September 17, 2021 at the Thunder Bay Museum. Voting information to follow.
Keep checking this site for more details.
______________________________
Library
The AccuQuilt Ready Set.GO! 8″ Ultimate Fabric Cutting System has arrived which includes a 2 1/2-inch strip cutter, 6 x 6 cutting mats with designs (8 of them) Qube book by Eleanor Burns, die pick, and over 70 free patterns. We bought 2 extra 6 ” x 6″ cutting mats. It is very easy to use. Lots of patterns to use your scraps or for making larger quilts. Please give me a call for more information.
Maria
In the meantime, click here to view the updated TBQG Library List Aug2020
When we are back up and running the Library will open from 6 – 7 pm and during the break. Members are allowed to sign out 3 books at a time. Did you know that Quilting magazines are available for free and discontinued library books are on sale for $2.50.
Try out one of the new rulers:
- Non-slip Pineapple Trim Tool Mini (4″, 5″,6″) or the Regular (6″, 8″, 10″) size
Quick Curve Ruler (Regular Size and Mini) with Runner Pattern
Tucker Trimmer
Wing Clipper
Add-A-Quarter Inch Plus Ruler (12″ long and a 6″ mini)
Click here for more information on what’s new to borrow at the Library.
___________________________
Traditional and Curvy Workshop with Daisy Ascheboug
thanks Daisy for an amazing workshop!
____________________________
FAQs and Tips
Aunt Marti’s 52 Quilts – Susie’s Magic Binding Tutorial – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8N6nv90H2c
Binding a quilt without binding strips – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw_OBqG_nAI
Do you have any tips to share? Click here for more…
_____________________________________
Take a look at what we’ve done in our past shows –
Superior Quilt Show 2019
Viewers’ Choice Best in Show & Members’ Choice – Paradise in Bloom by Shirley Assaunt
2nd in Viewers’ Choice – Full Bloom by Suzanne Mills
3rd in Viewers’ Choice – Friendship by Jeanette Dann
Winner of the Challenge – Joyce Gilmore
Best Booth – Road 17N
For more information about the Superior Quilt Show – click here
____________________________