Thunder Bay Quilt Guild

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Monthly Meetings

Join us for our Zoom meetings in 2021/2022. 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 held on Monday, May 16, 2022.

Download the Quill-May2022

Click here for information about our past meetings and a schedule for our 2021/2022 meetings as well as details of our meetings from years past.

Click here for the Guild’s Constitution and Procedural Manual.

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Sew Days

Sew Days, both in-person and virtual have wrapped up for this year. We’ll be holding both again next year. Stay tuned for the upcoming schedules.

Ellen

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**Placemats – New Patterns added – check them out**

Do you have any orphan blocks floating around your sewing room? Consider making them into placemats using the Orphan Block pattern on the guild placemat page. Or, get creative and use them in your own unique 12″ x 18″ placemat designs. Remember that if you make placemats with your own fabric you can contact us to get labels to tuck under the binding before finishing.

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.

There are some new patterns to try:

We continue to seek outlets in addition to Meals on Wheels for the many beautiful placemats our members create. This year we hope to host a placemat bee, and plan to assemble kits for distribution when we have the opportunity. 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.

Happy Quilting!

Doris & Judy

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Teddy Bear Quilts

First of all, I would like to thank all those who made quilts etc. for their stuffed animals or teddy bears this year. I also want to thank the committee who tied and bagged the many ones that were handed in. The weather cooperated somewhat and there were a few cold fingers at the end. Even a temperature of +3 and a bit of wind didn’t deter us.

We did it!!! We broke our total of 275 handed in last year with a final total of 290. Christmas Cheer will get 60 with stitched eyes, we sent 110 to the Paediatric floor of the hospital and the remaining 120 went to the RFDA to be sent up north when they deliver their food hampers.

This was a very different year again with the pandemic and it was great that we could help out and put a smile on a young child’s face this Christmas.

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.

Click here for more information on this wonderful project and or try some NEW patterns:

Peggy

For more details about this and other Community Service Projects click here.

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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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=GhojSOjTAn4

Florence and Pat

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Virtual Quilt Bee – 2022 – that’s a wrap! See you next year.

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.

Click here for more details.

Any questions? Email Adrienne at alopes@tbaytel.net.

Adrienne

For more information on the Quilt Bees and our Community Projects – click here.

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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

Quilted Twins

Pat and Florence

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Superior Quilt Show – May 26, 27, 28, 2023

Keep checking this site for more details.

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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 and Wendy

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.

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Traditional and Curvy Workshop with Daisy Ascheboug

thanks Daisy for an amazing workshop!

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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…

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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 Assaunt2nd 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