November 2014 Newsletter

To see or print a PDF of the November 2014 Newsletter  click HERE  to access Google Drive.  If you desire to print the newsletter, once you have reached the document on Google Drive use the printer icon to print.

Our November 2014 Newsletter features articles by:

• President Andrea Gribble
• Updates/Information for current activities

o   Charity Workshop

o   Minutes

o   Retreat

o   Quilts of Honor

o   Girl Scouts

o   Storybook

o   DAR Museum Exhibit

o   Holiday Luncheon

o   Auction

• Administrative Information

o   2014-2015 Executive Board Positions

o   2014- 2015 Committee Chair Positions (note vacancies)

o   Birthday Reminders

o   Upcoming Events

o   Next Newsletter Deadline (December 9, 2014)

Bits and Pieces

Last month a group of us went to the Smithsonian American History Museum and viewed a collection of their quilts.  There were 10 of us and we saw about 30 quilts.  Everyone enjoyed to presentation.

It was suggested that others would like to do this.  The showings are made on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, although they take off December and January.  There is a maximum of 10 people in each showng.  It starts at 10:15 AM and goes to around noon. It doesn't cost anything but time. Place a phone call to 202-633-3825 and someone will contact you about a visit.

There is also a book featuring many of the quilts we saw, Call The Smithsonian Treasury American Quilts  by Doris M. Bowman.  Amazon has it, used for a penny plus shipping.

Pat Alfredson

Bits and Pieces

Standard Fabric Measurements, Then and Now

Recently, we had a customer return with a fat quarter she had purchased complaining that the size did not fit her pattern. Granted depending on how much fabric is left, my fat quarters can be oversized; actually a good thing for the customer, because the customer is getting more fabric for less money. This customer decided she would open all the fat quarters in the fabric she had chosen to find the ones that met her pattern dimensions.

Fellow employees related this to me which prompted me to investigate the width measurements for fabric we had in stock. As you know fabric width can be 44-45, 54, 60, etc. The ‘used to be standard’ for cotton width was 44-45. Perhaps 43 usable especially after you washed it. Upon measuring random selected bolts, I found the standard is now 42!

Batiks across the board fared less well than that measuring 41.

The ‘old standard’ for fat quarters was 18x22. Thus ,the new standard must be 18x20 for batiks, and 18x21 for cottons.

So, when formulating fabric needs, be aware the old standards which governed our buying is no longer reality!

Happy Quilting - Dianne Tippins

October 2014 Show & Tell

 Tammy Mannarino leading off the Vintage Dresden Plate Challenge

 Carol Conahan -- Rainy Day Friends 

Dresden Plate Challenge using pattern from Lake View Quilts by Roberta Elliot

 Dotty Eisenhour 

Dresden Plate Challenge -- idea from a Kaffe Fassett book

 Libby Dudley -- Fans-y, original design for Dresden Plate Challenge

 Kathy Zahaczewsky -- Dresden Plate Challenge

 Pat Alfredson -- Summer Flowers, an original design 

for Dresden Plate Challenge

 Barbara Zygiel  

Challenge Mosaic from Hexagon pattern for Dresden Plate Challenge

 Mary Downey -- Dresden Plate Challenge

"I went modern and took the pieces apart and sewed them back

together, then cut it into strips and made a pillow."

 Tammy Mannarino -- 4 wool embroidery pieces

 Libby Dudley -- crib bumper sheep quilt

"fun small project, saving fabric from a landfill"

 Libby Dudley -- 2 purses

"scrappy challenge to myself.  Christmas one is for the auction or boutique."

 Mary Downey

"I was asked to make a baby quilt for a friend.  Her grandmother made

the Dresden plate center so I designed the quilt to fit around the center.

Quilt name is Mommy Bea which is what everyone called the grandmother."

 Mary Downey

"I made this quilt for my twin niece.  My problem now is a need for a 

second quilt for the other twin.  Pattern is original design by Charlotte Angotti."

 Ro Coller -- Charity quilt from workshop

 Ro Coller -- bumper pad project quilt

 Judy Albert -- Octo Spin

kinetic art quilt designed by Judy

 Judy Albert

Charity quilt from bumper pad project.

Mary Ritenour and Bill Rice also worked on this.

 JoAn Stout -- King Arthur Carousel

 JoAn Stout -- Stitchers Garden - design by Lynda Howell

 Kathleen Sander -- Amish Fish

inspired by a pattern

 Pat Alfredson -- Floating Stars -- charity quilt

 Pat Alfredson -- Quilt of Honor from scraps

 Pat Alfredson -- crib bumper project

 Pat Alfredson -- Feathers & Christmas, designed by Cherry Blossoms

 Beth Smith -- inspired by an antique Amish quilt

 Mary Mazzuchi -- bumper pad project

 Kay Brill -- Charity crib bumper project

Gigi Corbin -- Halloween Table Topper,

as seen on a blog