Welcome
Welcome to the home of the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild. Find us on Facebook. **Our Website is currently under construction and isn’t as up to date as it should be. Please be patient – we are working on it.
In the meantime, join us at our upcoming Show:
SUPERIOR QUILT SHOW
MAY 23, 24, 25
CLE
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Monthly Meetings
Join us for our monthly Guild meetings in 2024-2025. We will meet on the third Monday of each month, September through June – our meetings begin at 7:00 pm.
Our next meeting will be held on Monday, April 21, 2025 at the Calvary Lutheran Church at 2820 Donald Street East, Thunder Bay
Click here for information about our past meetings and a schedule for our 2024-2025 meetings as well as details of our meetings from years past.
Click here for the Guild’s Constitution.
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2024-2025 Activity Calendar
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Teddy Bear Quilts
At the November meeting, guild members donate small quilts and/or pillowcases, each with an accompanying stuffed toy or doll, which are given to children in the community through various organizations. Recommended sizes for Teddy Bear Quilts – suitable for the stuffed animal – 20-30 inches x 20-30 inches.
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.
Placemats
NOW IS THE TIME! Please bring your completed placemats to this month’s meeting for distribution before the end of the year. Thanks go to all who made and contributed the 76 placemats that were donated at the October meeting. Also, we would like to thank Luci Andreacchi for her generous donation of fat quarters to be used in our placemat kits. As always, kits and labels will be available at in-person guild events, or by contacting us directly. Don’t forget to visit the placemat page of the guild website for patterns and inspiration!
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. Download the Placemat pattern index-Sep2024.
Here are more new patterns to try as well:
If you do so using your own materials, we recommend 12” x 18” as the size. We also supply labels made specifically to be attached to our donated placemats. To attach, fold the label in half, wrong sides together, and place the raw edges underneath the binding before completion.
Contact Doris (dorisd@tbaytel.net) if you would like some labels.
If you know of any facility or organization that would benefit by receiving our placemats or would like to reach out to places in town on our behalf, please contact us.
Happy quilting!
Doris and Judy
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Quilt Bee
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*NEW GROUPS TO JOIN
Shiny UFOs
Remember when you first started the project, and it was shiny and new, and you couldn’t wait to work on it? Then another shiny project came along and the first one was tossed aside. For those who have one (or too many to count) UFOs (unfinished objects), join us to put the shine back on them.
We will meet over zoom so you can work from the comfort of your own sewing space and the only rule is you must ONLY work on a UFO at this time. The group will meet the first and third Thursday of the month from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Dedicated time to get through those projects that once looked so shiny.
To register please send an email to Cathy at cridley@tbaytel.net. May your UFOs shine bright again.
Cathy
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Sew Days
In-Person
The next In Person Sew Day is ? at the West Thunder Community Centre. The Sew Day will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be one person per table. No lunch will be provided but there will be a treat table so bring some goodies to share. Two ironing stations will be provided and a cutting table if space permits. Cost for the day is $13 with payment by e-transfer only to tbayqg@outlook.com. Cancellation refunds will only be given if we can fill your spot. To register for an In-Person Sew Day email Ellen at ellen_lang@tbaytel.net. The first 12 emails will be accepted and any more will be put on a waiting list and will be the first contacts for the next sew day.
Ellen and Judy
Virtual
Join us from your sewing room or wherever you are hanging out with your project. It is always wonderful to gather and dedicate some time to quilt. If you would like to join in, please send an email to cridley@tbaytel.net and you will receive the zoom link a day or so before the date.
We hope you can join us.
Cathy and Doris
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Guild Workshops
We are happy to offer a wide variety of workshops for our members through the winter months. Hopefully you will find something that interests you. I encourage you to take advantage of these learning opportunities. Fees are $40 for 6 hour classes.
All the classes have run for 2023/2024 – if you have a course suggestion for next year or you would like to teach a course, please contact Ellen at vp.tbqg@gmail.com.
Ellen
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Comfort and Fidget Quilts
Over the summer, the Comfort Quilt Committee (CQC) contacted all of the facilities that receive our donation quilts to assess their current needs. A frequent comment was the deep appreciation for the generosity of our members! Your time and investment make a difference to so many people in Thunder Bay.
To meet the current needs in Thunder Bay, The CQC will focus on wheelchair and bed sized quilts in 2023/2024, though all donations are welcome, and will be distributed.
- Wheelchair size around 36” x 45”
- Bed size/Hospice 63” x 80”
Jackie Black is piecing together quilted blocks to make larger quilts. Blocks can be any pattern, but we are requesting neutral colours so they will blend together with the other blocks. Sandwich your backing, batting and block to make a 14” square. Then quilt it anyway you like. Please let Jackie trim this down to 12.5”. This is a wonderful way to try out a new block pattern or practice free motion quilting. Completed blocks will be collected at any Guild event.
Please keep in mind that the usable part of the block will be a 12.5” square, even though you’re asked to make a 14” square.
Thank you Jackie for using your hinge method to piece these blocks together!
Due to storage space limitations, we will be collecting donation quilts three times a year.
It will be a chance to display all of your hard work and admire each other’s efforts!
Another aspect of the CQC is fidgets. Single fidgets and fidget quilts have become very popular in Long Term Care facilities. We have given out many of them in the city, but there is always a need for more. To help meet this need, we will be having a 100 Marble Maze Challenge! Kits for this challenge will be available at meetings, and instructions can be found here. A big thank you to our Fabricland for their generous donation of fleece for the marble mazes.
Watch for a Fidget Quilting Bee TBA. Click here for some information about how to make a fidget quilt and some suggestions.
Iris
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Library
The Library will be open at the Social on Saturday, March 16 from 2 to 2:45 pm. Anne Lockwood will demo the Accuquilt Go Cutter and help members who want to try it with their own fabric. For the demo, bring three strips of fabric, in three different colours, 5 1/2 inches by WOF each. From these you will be able to cut most of the shapes. The pattern book for the Cutter with the 8″ block has 72 of the patterns the cube will cut. The Accuquilt Go 8″ Cutter will be available for sign out at the end of the meeting on a first come, first served basis. You will be required to sign a waiver.
Maria
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)
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Superior Quilt Show – see you in 2025
Many thanks to all those who were part of the 2023 quilt show and to all those who attended, volunteered, shopped at the vendors, ate at the café, took classes, took part in some demos and made stuff for the Guild booth and donated or obtained door prizes for the banquet and participation prizes (to be announced at the June meeting). See you in 2025!
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 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
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